This is actually historic
This is actually historic
This is actually historic.
Last night, the Newton City Council passed the city's most significant zoning reform in seven decades.
Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Waban, West Newton, Newtonville and Auburndale were the big winners. All six villages should benefit from the opportunity to welcome young adults, new families and seniors looking to downsize, into smaller, multi-family homes near transit, shops and restaurants.
Our businesses will greatly benefit from the foot traffic too, as well the ability to attract and retain workers to jobs across all sectors.
Agreeing to include Auburndale also enhances the city's chances of receiving state and federal funding to fix Newton's three commuter rail stations.
The 21-2 vote to adopt the new zoning was the culmination of three years of community input, thoughtful analysis and meetings.
That followed months of contentious debate; a deliberate attempt to mislead; an upset at the polls and in the final days, a compromise out of concern that opponents would force a referendum if the plan wasn't scaled back.
In the end, proponents didn’t give away the store. But they did give away a lot of good merchandise.
Nonantum, Newton Corner, Chestnut Hill, Upper Falls, Lower Falls and Thompsonville won't be allowed to evolve. Some allowable building heights were lowered elsewhere and some parking minimums added, raising concerns that projects may no longer be economically viable and may reduce affordable housing opportunities.
The approved compromise would "allow" for 8,745 units of housing to be built. That's 415 above the 8,330 units required by law, although nothing close to that number will be realized.
It’s possible, City Councilor Deb Crossley warned last night, that the state (which must now determine if the compromise plan meets MBTA Communities Law compliance) will find that the last minute reductions veer too far from the guidelines and will require changes.
Yet, make no mistake about it: Given a decades-long history of exclusionary zoning and the sad fact that multi-family housing has been the third rail of Newton politics for decades, this is an advancement worth celebrating.
Newton will be a better, more welcoming and more economically vibrant city because of it.
Biotech moving to Watertown with big capital influx
A Watertown-bound biotech just scored one of the largest venture capital raises of the year, reports Rowan Walrath at the BBJ.
Seismic Therapeutic, led by former Biogen and Amgen executive Jo Viney, is pushing into autoimmune diseases with the help of $121 million in new funds.
Seismic is moving from Kendall Square to a new, purpose-built lab space at 250 Arsenal Place in Watertown. Viney's last startup, Pandion Therapeutics was also based in Watertown.
Chambers deliver a message to Beacon Hill
After weeks of legislative procrastination, parliamentary delays and finger-pointing, lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Maura Healey last night that closes the books on the past fiscal year and also provides funding for the emergency shelter system and public worker raises, State House News reported.
Now it’s time for Beacon Hill to focus on next year's budget.
And our chamber, along with eight other Massachusetts chambers, just delivered a message to our state leaders: It’s time to slow down the rate of state spending and use the tax code to make Massachusetts more competitive.
"The drastic increase in government spending over the past five years is a growing concern for our future competitiveness and may detrimentally impact the long-term fiscal health of Massachusetts," we wrote in a joint letter to Gov. Maura Healey and legislative leaders as members of the Massachusetts Chambers Policy Network
Total general fund state spending increased by 26.7 percent between FY 2018 and fiscal 2022, while the Boston area consumer price index grew at 14.7 percent over the same period. And a Tax Foundation report shows that Massachusetts was in the top five states in per capita tax collections.
“Massachusetts consistently is among the top 10 of states in per capita state and local expenditures," we wrote. "Yet the greater Boston area has some of the worst traffic congestion in the world, a failing public transit system, and ranks 43rd in the nation for fiscal stability according to U.S. News. Meanwhile, Massachusetts now ranks 46 in the country for its tax climate and 50th in the country for its Unemployment Insurance System."
We also called to keep the MCAS requirement
Our Mass Chambers Policy Network letter also spoke in support of keeping standardized testing as a graduation requirement for high school students.
"Legislation and a ballot initiative to eliminate the MCAS testing requirements that hold local school districts accountable for education outcomes will harm the effectiveness of the Student Opportunity Act and rob the Commonwealth of key data on the state’s strong education system. We cannot allow continued increases in education spending to be coupled with reduced accountability and expect to compete in a 21st century economy."
Tuesday grab bag
- Even with zoning reform passed the Newton City Council still has another important piece of business this week: Incoming and reelected councilors will caucus Thursday (Dec. 7) at 7:45 p.m. to choose its next president and vice president.
- Check out the video from last week's Watertown Square Area Plan’s closing event, including possible intersection design concepts and potential locations for MBTA Communities compliant rezoning. Here’s a synopsis from the Watertown News.
- Celebrate the season at Linden Square in Wellesley Sunday (Dec. 10) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. during their annual Holiday Stroll with hot chocolate, carolers, characters and family activities.
- Support Newton Centre businesses at the 3rd Annual Newton Centre Holiday Shop & Stroll this Sunday (Dec. 10) from noon to 4 p.m. Stroll local shops for seasonal specials and discounts. Visit the Newton Police Department's Stuff-A-Cruiser parked in the triangle parking lot from 1 to 3 p.m. to donate to The Village Bank Holiday Gift Drive
Local restaurateur and overall good guy needs a kidney
Phil Emmanuel, owner of Grape Leaf: A Mediterranean Grille in Newton Highlands and the Little Luke's Cafe and Catering in Newton Upper Falls is in need of a kidney.A childhood infection and a car accident as a teenager left Emmanuel with half of a functioning kidney, which has sustained him until now. Over the years the Newton native has been an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and taken care of his friends, family, and employees (he didn’t lay off even one during the Pandemic), writes Laura Berman of All Over Newton
Now Emmanuel, needs a kidney, ideally a transplant from a live donor. Contact the MGH Transplant Center to learn about being a potential donor. If you’re not a direct match you can still help by a paired exchange program.
These places are tops in our communities
Finally today, congratulations to the Charles River Chamber members that earned a spot on the Boston Globe’s 2023 Top Places to Work list.
Chamber members that made the list from Newton include Bright Horizon Family Solutions, Benchmark Senior Living, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton, The Village Bank, Boston Showcase, The RMR Group and Good Shepherd Community Care.
Needham-headquartered business on the list include Riverside Community Care, Needham Bank and Celtic Angels Home Health Care.
Making the list from Wellesley is Insource Services.
Also making the Globe’s list were 10 chamber member companies that have headquarters outside our core footprint but with local locations.
That includes Rockland Trust - Independent Bank Corp, Hebrew Senior Life/Newbridge on the Charles, FamilyAid, Commodore Builders, The Hollister Group, Baystate Financial, Leader Bank, Avidia Bank, New England Development and the Marsh McLennan Agency.
That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know how to look good on virtual calls even on days when you don't look so good.
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
617.244.1688
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