Good morning!

It’s decision day in Needham.

State and local leaders, YIMBYs, NIMBYs and many others (we understand a New York Times reporter is in town today) are looking to today’s vote to repeal the town’s MBTA Communities plan as a barometer.  

Are residents willing to be part of the solution towards addressing the state’s soul-and-economy-crushing housing shortage?

Or, will the fear of crowding; eroding “community character;” a refusal to believe the laws of supply and demand; or just not wanting to share, prevail?

“We’re trying to sell a vision for the town 30, 40, or 50 years from now,” Kate Weinograd chair of the leaders of the YES for Needham campaign tells the Globe’s Andrew Brinker.  “We’ve used zoning in this town as a tool to prevent the sort of development that we don’t want. Here, we’ve crafted a plan that’s about what we do want.”

And the “No” campaign?

They claim they’re not against housing, or complying with the state MBTA Communities Law: They just don’t like Needham’s plan.  

But who can be sure? No one from the Needham Residents for Thoughtful Zoning was willing be interviewed by the Globe, the BBJ, or most other journalists (Here’s the one exception).

Unlike the YES campaign, they never held any webinars, or public events, explaining their position. They’ve never divulged who’s on their steering committee or the name of the “licensed architect” behind their scary, inaccurate. renderings of buildings that would never be allowed under the new zoning.

It’s was a curious campaign strategy. We’ll know soon if it worked.

Here’s the No. 1 thing to know before tonight

In order to repeal the October vote by Town Meeting, the “no” votes must both outnumber the “yes” votes and represent at least 20% of registered voters, or at least 5,020 “no” votes.

That’s a high bar for a special election on a chilly January day.

It could conceivably happen that “no” could collect more votes and still not prevail – an uncomfortable scenario that would divide this already divided community even further.

Polls close at 8 p.m. Find results at The Needham Observer or Needham Local.

Worth reading (and listening):

• “Take it from a Milton resident: Needham should vote ‘yes’ on the controversial housing plan” by Globe columnist Shirley Leung.
  
  
• “An MBTA Communities reality check” by CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith, and the Codcast  featuring Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators, and me.

Large employers must now file EEO reports with state

The new Wage Equity law signed by Gov. Maura Healey last year includes a demographic data reporting requirement that applies to employers with 100 or more Massachusetts employees.

Covered employers are required to submit a copy of their most recent U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report to the Commonwealth as well as the EEOC.

Beginning this month, the Secretary of State will launch a portal to collect completed EEO Workforce Data Reports. Filing deadline for employers is Feb. 3. Details

Newton looking to join generational butt ban

Newton could soon join Brookline, Needham and about other municipalities by imposing a generational tobacco ban.

The Newton ban would prohibit sales in Newton of tobacco or e-cigarette products to anyone born after March 1, 2004. The decision would impact 35 retailers in Newton who could lose not just lose sales of tobacco products but on all the other items customers might have bought at the same time but are now buying in, say, Waltham or Boston.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wrote in her newsletter that she supports the ban. The ordinance goes before the Newton City Council on Jan. 21.  Share your opinion here with councilors

Needham’s generational tobacco ban was approved late last year and applies to anyone born after Jan.1, 2004 and impacts six licensed tobacco retailers.

Watertown Night honorees announced, tickets selling fast

Our judges met the other day and have selected the Watertown Community Foundation, O'Some Cafe, Archy LaSalle and Max Ritcey of Ritcey East to receive our first ever Watertown Business Awards.

They’ll be recognized at the chamber’s first annual Watertown Night, Thursday, Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m. at Donohue's Bar and Grill.

More than 80 people have RSVP’d so far and it’s going to be a who’s who of local officials, business owners and residents.

Ticket proceeds benefit Watertown Boys & Girls Club and we suggest you reserve yours soon.

Barabino stepping down at Olin

Olin College of Engineering President Gilda Barabino, will step down at the end of the academic year, after five years in that role. She plans to join the school’s faculty.

Both WBUR and the Globe dig into the financial and academic challenges facing the Needham college which is renown for producing entrepreneurs and placing graduates at many of the nation’s leading tech and other companies.

Tuesday grab bag

• The Charles River Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors has elected three new directors to three year terms: Elizabeth Holmes, director of corporate services at R.W. Holmes Commercial Real Estate;  Ellen Tanowitz, attorney, Tanowitz Law Office; and Michela Desantis, senior development manager, Boylston Properties.
  
  
• Willow Bridge Property is looking to build a 369 unit, five-story, apartment building at 1361Main Street in Waltham, under Chapter 40B. (Waltham Times)
  
  
• Gov. Maura Healey’s 2026 budget will include a provision to do away with renter-paid broker’s fees. (State House News).
  
  
• Lemon Thai at 555 Washington Street in Wellesley is no longer in business.
  
  
• Babson College hosts an Undergraduate Student Resource Fair, Jan 24. Over 400 undergraduate students are expected. Sign up for a table or  contact KateDeeb.
  
  
• Learn about Eversource’s proposed underground electric transmission cable replacement project along Chestnut Street south of Needham Junction, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m. in-person at Powers Hall or on Zoom, Jan. 27,  5:30 p.m. Details.

Surely, no one’s going to oppose this, right?

Have you ever wondered about that hole in the ground on Watertown Street, right in the heart of Nonantum?  We sure do—and have for quite a while.

The former location of Salvi’s Barbershop, barber John Mula has been trying to develop the long vacant lot at 386-394 Watertown Street for about a decade.

His building was demolished around 2020 and he was approved to build ten units. But the project never penciled out.

Now Mula believes he has a financially feasible plan and has proposed a 13-unit mixed-use apartment building there. It features three affordable units, ten market-rate units, and 14 parking spaces.

His updated project must go through the city’s special permit process and receive a zoning change, which is no easy task, especially in a neighborhood that’s been resistant to development.

But, surely no one in The Lake is going to object to a neighborhood guy building some modest apartments next to local shops, right? Right?  

We’ll keep you updated.

Don’t take my word for this, take this fourth grader’s

I’ll leave you today (sorry these newsletters have been so long, it’s been too darn busy), not with another diatribe from me about our urgent need for housing, but with an except from an essay about Needham’s MBTA Communities referendum written by a 10-year-old, fourth grader, attending one of the town’s elementary schools.

It was posted by her mom on the (closed group) Needham Facebook page:

“New people can be exciting and bring new opportunities!” the 10-year-old writes. “Like, for example, one of my best friends recently moved here and now there is an awesome addition to [my school]. Imagine how many new friends everyone would have with more housing! And let’s say someone moves in and opens a new grocery store in town center that’s convenient and it brings in more job opportunities!

“…I’m saying as the future generation… If you want to be able to stay in our hometown, we need apartments to start our lives off. Less people won’t do us any good, so VOTE YES FOR NEEDHAM!”

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you want to see the highway signs the satirists at McSweeney's designed just for Massachusetts.

Be back later this week.

I value your feedback

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688