Good morning,

Earlier this year Newton passed an electrification ordinance which bans fossil fuels in new buildings and substantial renovations starting Jan. 1.  (Some exemptions apply.)

Now owners of existing large commercial and residential properties in Newton will have to abide by an added set of regulations related to fossil fuel use.

The Newton City Council unanimously passed the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) last night, following two years of meetings, deliberations and revisions.

It requires operators of commercial buildings 20,000 SF or larger to report and eventually reduce the use of fossil fuels as soon as next September, depending on building size.

Owners of residential properties of at least 20,000 SF must report — but not reduce — usage.

Here’s the ordinance. There’s a list of BERDO covered buildings is here and a memo here.

The chamber thanks the city staff, city councilors and a very patient Citizens Committee on Energy for listening and working with property owners and us while shaping BERDO.

Council president: Where’s the respect for Watertown?

Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris was spot-on in a Boston Globe letter to the editor published Saturday.

 “I feel we in Watertown are being ignored by the media,” Sideris wrote. “Our community should be recognized for the action it has taken in zoning an area that greatly exceeds what is required by the law.”

Watertown needed more than 1,700 units to comply with the MBTA Communities law. It created zoning to allow for more than 4,000 units.  

That may not be the only thing perhaps leading Sideris to feel Watertown is the Rodney Dangerfield of MBTA Communities.

Watertown’s housing plan was part of a holistic reimagining of Watertown Square. It incorporates a streetscape design that welcomes pedestrians, cyclists and buses, while supporting new and existing restaurants and retailers.  

Also unreported is how broadly the public was engaged in the process.  We’ve all seen reports of public meetings gone bad. Watertown’s story is the opposite.

“This was a long and difficult process, but we have gone so far above what is required that I would challenge you to find a community that has done what we did,” Sideris added.

If not the Globe, at least others have noticed.

Are you optimistic, or pessimistic, about the economy?

Planning on buying a new car or home? That could depend on your political leanings.

Republicans’ views on the future of their finances and the economy jumped about 45 points, to 105.9, in an index from a University of Michigan survey, reports  Joe Pinsker at the Wall Street Journal. (free link)

Democrats’ outlook fell by the same amount, to 48.7.

Such changes can have a particularly strong bearing on big purchases, which may bode better for consumer durable goods spending in Red states.

Prisker says it also depends on where people get their information.

“Almost half of Americans who mainly watch cable news and read national newspapers said in October that they saw the cost of gas or groceries drop in the previous three months, according to a poll from Ipsos. Roughly one-tenth of those who got their news from conservative media outlets said the same.”

Tuesday grab bag

• It’s going to be a long chowderless winter knowing that Captain Marden’s Captain’s Table and Takeaway in Wellesley is closing for renovations and rebranding starting Dec. 29. The space will reopen in early spring as “Mardens” with an expanded raw bar, handmade pasta dishes and other enhancements.  The Cod Squad truck will have expanded hours in the interim.
  
  
• Reminder that the sale or distribution of foam-based polystyrene, like Styrofoan, as well as plastic splash guards and plastic stirrers are prohibited in Needham as of Jan. 1.
  
  
• The holding companies of Berkshire Bank and Brookline Bank are merging. The combined company will announce a new name prior to closing in the second half of next year.  (Banker& Tradesman)
  
  
• A worker who suffered life-threatening injuries after being shocked while hanging holiday lights in Wellesley last month was reunited with the police officer who helped save his life. Here’s video.  (7 News Boston)
  
  
• The MBTA is on pace to be free of slow zones by the end of the week for the first time in at least 22 years, helping MBTA GM Phillip Eng gain cult status.
  
  
• Somerville just joined Cambridge by doing away with minimum parking requirements for new developments.  (CommonWealth Beacon)
  
  
• Colette Phillips leads a free workshop, Civility and Kindness: Call-In Rather than Call-Out Culture tonight (Tuesday), 7 p.m. at the Newton Free Library.
  
  
• Learn what it takes to make 100% affordable housing from an affordable housing developer at a Newton For Everyone forum Jan. 13, 7 p.m. at Congregation Dorshei Tzedek and on Zoom Register.
  
  
• The Needham Select Board holds a public hearing in Powers Hall at Needham Town Hall tonight (Tuesday), 6:30 p.m. to set next year’s tax levy.
  
  
• AstraZeneca will leave its Waltham research site at 100 Binney St. move to a facility in Cambridge in 2026 (BBJ)
  
  
• Wellesley’s Freedom Team is looking for businesses willing to post this flyer in their window. Freedom Team is a volunteer organization that support individuals feeling victimized by incidents of racism and bias. It was established in 2021 in response to reports of increasing incidents of anti-Asian hate and bias.
  
  
• RIP Linda Lifsey Hughes from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts

Last chance to nominate an outstanding Watertown business or nonprofit

Nominations close tomorrow (Weds) for our inaugural Watertown Business Awards, honoring excellence in leadership, innovation, service, and customer care.  Submit nominations to celebrate those who make Watertown exceptional.

Then join us Jan. 23 at our First-Annual Watertown Night at Olespana Whisky & Tapas

Mass Pike/I-95 ramp closing nightly

The ramps at the I-90/I-95 interchange are closed from  11 p.m. to 4 a.m. through Thursday, (Dec.19) so crews can safely continue construction operations for the Newton/Weston bridge rehabilitation project.

Police details, and advanced message boards will be in place to guide drivers through the work area.  

As part of this project, the Route 30 on-ramp to I-95 southbound in Weston will be closed Thurs.  (Dec 19) from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

You agree: Those utility poles on Needham Street stink!

Finally, my inbox was flooded with comments in response to Friday’s newsletter about the utility poles on Needham Street which block bike lanes and traffic. 

If you haven’t experienced it, here’s a harrowing video and excerpts from a few of your many emails:

• “Those utility poles on Needham Street are so dangerous.  One orange barrel in front of it, won’t stop cars from hitting it and causing serious injuries or fatalities. I think about that each day and night that I travel on it.”
  
  
• “My understanding is that the main problem removing the old poles is that all the wires and related equipment [belong to many] users not just the pole owners and have to be moved to the new poles, each by its own company, and for reasons of safety, liability, and continuity of service, in a specific order.  The scheduling problems make this an issue all over the state.”
  
  
• “As a resident of Newton and cyclist, I agree, these poles stink.”
  
  
• “Recently, I sold a townhouse in Newton. The closing date was compromised and open-ended because Eversource and Verizon needed to bring more electricity into the townhouse and remove a pole. There was no timetable they would accept or propose. When they got around to it, they would get around to it. Meanwhile, the builder waited to get paid, the buyer waited to get in. They were unaccountable and unresponsive to any inquiries.  That's no way to run a business, or support the business they have.”
  
  
• “My own recommendation is that Massachusetts should have a separate company (probably a joint venture of the pole owners and users, or with grants of authority from them) under supervision of the Department of Public Utilities, with a unionized workforce with the training, skills, and authority to move all the lines at once.”

That’s what you need to know for today, except you should watch the moment when India's 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju became youngest-ever classical chess world champion.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

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