Max Woolf here,

Every Massachusetts household recently received a red booklet explaining the nine questions on this year’s ballot.

But there’s only so much one page of explanation per question can cover — especially on a potentially far-reaching issue like Question 7. That's the starter home question, which we believe can meaningfully increase housing supply.

How would it work? This week we brought together housing experts, designers and builders to explain what Question 7 would mean for our communities and why we urge a YES vote in November.

Watch the full program here.

Unemployment insurance headaches continue

A new state audit offers another troubling look at Massachusetts' unemployment insurance system.

Auditor Diana DiZoglio found that the Department of Unemployment Assistance repeatedly missed the federal standard of paying 93% of benefits within 35 days, reports Jordan Wolman at Commonwealth Beacon.

In April 2024, fewer than 70% of benefits were paid on time. After a new system launched, that figure fell to a record-low 42.5% last September. It has since recovered to 83%, still short of the benchmark.

"We need to actually fix this so that our constituents can get the money they need and get the benefits that they're entitled to," said Needham State Rep. Josh Tarsky. He co-sponsored legislation to create a special commission on unemployment insurance.

Employers fund these benefits, which are among the nation's most generous and challenged. For the price businesses pay, they should expect a system that gets money to eligible workers when they need it.

Watertown startup takes aim at cooling’s climate problem 

One of the great environmental success stories of the 20th century came in 1987, when countries around the world agreed to phase out CFCs, chemicals widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning.

Nearly four decades later, a Watertown startup is trying to finish the job.

Pascal Technologies is developing a solid refrigerant designed to eliminate remaining emissions from cooling systems. 

“We as a world have been playing whack-a-mole with refrigerants for over 100 years, but pollution still exists,” CEO Adam Slavney said at the ribbon-cutting for its new East End office last week,  

City Council President Mark Sideris welcomed the company, telling the team, “You’re walking into a city that cares deeply about its neighbors” and emphasized Watertown’s commitment to helping Pascal grow.

While Watertown is best known for biotech, Pascal, a Harvard spinout, joins a growing wave of cleantech companies, including Via Separations, also in Watertown.

Massachusetts now has nearly 11,000 climate tech businesses and 163,000 jobs, more than biotech, according to the Globe.

If we’re rebuilding the Green Line, let’s get it right 

The MBTA is in the middle of a $51 million overhaul of Brookline’s above-ground Green Line C stops. But a new Boston Globe report revealed that some of the work will eventually need to be revisited.

The T is raising and widening platforms to make stations accessible for today’s trains. But the incoming Type 10 trolleys require a different platform height, meaning another round of work — and disruptions — down the road.

One rider who uses a power wheelchair told the Globe’s Diti Kolhi the T ideally would have “thought about [this] in advance.”

April Gabriel, owner of Boston General Store in Coolidge Corner, was more direct: “It’s poor planning on the T’s part.”

That’s frustrating. But even more concerning is that we may be spending millions rebuilding stops that shouldn’t exist.

The C Branch has 13 stations over just 2¼ miles of Beacon Street. That roughly 900-foot average stop spacing is a legacy of the 1800s and contributes to painfully slow trips.

So slow that in a recent Brookline.News race along Beacon Street, the T took 33 minutes, compared with 14½ minutes by car and 11 minutes by bike.

The MBTA is already acknowledging that some consolidation makes sense. As part of the current project, Fairbanks and Brandon Hall will be combined into one station, while Kent Street will be eliminated.

But Brookline has previously examined going much further. Its transportation committee looked at reducing the C Branch to seven stations, potentially shortening trips from Coolidge Corner to Washington Square enough to make the Green Line a competitive choice on Google Maps.

Consolidation would involve tradeoffs, but we think it’s worth exploring. The T is among Brookline’s greatest assets. If we are going to spend this much money — and put riders and businesses through repeated shutdowns — we should be asking whether we are rebuilding the right system.

If you are a business along Beacon St., let us know what you think.

Limited lab demand leads to an unfortunate pivot 

The building at 64 Grove Street in Watertown’s east end was approved for labs in 2021. Now Spear Street Capital wants to turn it into a 580-unit self-storage facility.

We're disappointed, of course. But the building sits empty and an empty building helps no one. The developer is making a practical call in a tough market.

We appreciate that the new plan includes adding a walkway through the property connecting Grove Street and the Watertown/Cambridge Greenway, according to Hannah Green at the BBJ.

The new upgrades will be roughly in the same footprint and will not present the aesthetic concerns traditionally associated with older storage developments, according to Spear Street.

Friday grab bag

• Sunday’s Brookline Day has been canceled ahead of the upcoming Nor'easter. And Brookline Porchfest, which was scheduled for Saturday, has been rescheduled for next week on Saturday, Oct. 3.
  
  
• If you’re looking for a sweet treat to tide you over through the storm, consider stopping by Newton’s fifth annual Bakery Crawl, which is still on for today and Saturday. The 24 participating Newton bakeries are offering specials and deals throughout the weekend. Find participating bakeries and offers here.
  
  
• The Newton City Council has approved plans for the Newton Design Center at 78 Needham St., a new four-story commercial building on Needham Street that will bring kitchen, bath, furniture, fixture and other home-design showrooms together under one roof.
  
  
• Wellesley’s Select Board met in yet another executive session this week to discuss the town’s ongoing taxpayer-funded lawsuit challenging the state’s efforts to build housing on the MassBay Community College parking lot. Earlier this month, the Norfolk Superior Court allowed the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust and a residents group to join the town’s side in the litigation.
  
  
• Three Newton organizations will field teams at this Sunday's Ride & Stride for Food, an annual fundraiser to fight food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts. Donate to the Centre Street Food Pantry, Newton Community Farm or Newton Food Pantry teams. (The event’s FAQs say it's rain or shine, with no rain date.)
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• The Watertown City Council will hold a special meeting on Oct. 6 to review cost options for a proposed new middle school, followed by a presentation, discussion and vote on the issue. The time and location will be posted soon on the city calendar.
  
  
• The Needham Housing Coalition and Build a Better Wellesley will co-host an information session on Ballot Question 7 at the Needham Free Public Library on October 8, 7 p.m. Details are available in the event flyer.
  
  
• Two Newton businesses were recognized at the Boston Business Journal’s Corporate Citizenship Awards. The Village Bank was honored among the state’s top charitable contributors and shared a Community Collaborator Award with the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton, while Global Partners was also honored for its charitable giving. (Fig City News)
  
  
• Watertown State Sen. Will Brownsberger sat down with the Globe’s Joshua Miller to discuss what he learned from his 35-vote primary victory over challenger Daniel Lander earlier this month.
  
  
• We Are ALX will host "The Competitive Case: Massachusetts and the Economic Power of Latinas," a webinar on Oct. 5, 10 a.m., that draws on findings from the report "Data Beyond Demographics: U.S. Latinas' Economic Power, Influence, and Growth."
  
  
• Needham nonprofit Circle of Hope, which distributes clothing and toiletries to people living in shelters across Boston and MetroWest, will host an open house at its new space at 1329 Highland Ave., Suite 3, on October 14 at 4 p.m., and clothing and hygiene donations are welcome.

Wellesley’s arts calendar is packed this fall 

Wellesley’s arts scene has plenty going on this fall, but keeping track of it all can be a challenge.

That’s why we appreciated this latest roundup from Deb Brown of The Swellesley Report, which pulls together some of the biggest arts and cultural events coming up in and around Wellesley.

Highlights include:

• Sept. 27: The Wellesley Symphony Orchestra opens its season with “Musical Tales” at MassBay.
• Wellesley Society of Artists: Artist Jane Lincoln presents “Eyes Open to Color” Oct. 18 at the Wellesley Free Library, followed Nov. 8 by “The Breaking Sea,” a live painting demonstration by Don Demers.
• Wellesley College: The Davis Museum hosts a free opening celebration Sept. 24, followed by Oct. 2 with Art Wellesley’s third annual Small Art, Big Party at the Lulu Wang Center.

It’s a good reminder of just how much is happening locally. Please consider supporting a local institution on your next night out.

A new way to promote shopping local 

Drawing foot traffic into our small downtowns and village centers can be difficult. That’s especially true since the pandemic, as online shopping, DoorDash and other conveniences have made it easier to stay home.

The best solution is putting more people within walking distance of our neighborhood businesses through new housing. But in a tough development market — and with exclusionary zoning still a limiting factor — good old-fashioned marketing has an important role to play.

Newton’s new economic development team, led by Lauren Berman, is taking a creative approach: building dedicated websites for each of the city’s 13 villages. Last week, the city launched its Newton Highlands page, featuring places to eat, shop and visit, along with upcoming events.

Berman says pages showcasing what makes other villages unique will follow.

She hopes the initiative will also serve as a resource for larger employers considering where to locate in Newton and what amenities their employees would have nearby.

It’s a model we hope other municipalities might emulate.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know why using the word “Nor’easter” is a “lamentable affectation, the odious, even loathsome, practice of landlubbers who would be seen as salty as the sea itself.”

Max Woolf (he, him)

Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager

Charles River Regional Chamber

617-431-6101

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