Good Morning,

Max Woolf here.

We begin today’s newsletter with two significant leadership transitions in our region and state, plus a housing expert says something good about Newton zoning.

John Fogarty to retire from BID Needham

One of our region’s most consequential health care leaders will retire early next January, the Needham Observer reports.

John Fogarty has led Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham for the past 15 years, guiding it — and the community — through some of the toughest years in modern health care and significant expansions too.

Since becoming president and CEO in 2011, he has overseen expanded services in breast screening, outpatient and surgical programs, the construction of a comprehensive cancer center.

Through COVID, severe staffing shortages, rising skepticism of the health care system, and even the surge in emergency visits after Norwood Hospital’s closure, Fogarty didn’t just keep the hospital steady — he helped it grow.

Of course, BID–Needham is also one of the town’s largest employers and a critical economic engine.

We’ve always appreciated his leadership and commitment to our community.

Healey’s housing secretary is also stepping away

Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus will step down at the end of the month to become CEO of UniBank.

One of Gov. Maura Healey’s earliest signals that she was serious about tackling the housing crisis was restoring housing as a standalone cabinet-level secretariat, and she gave the important task of building this new agency from scratch to the former Worcester city manager.

Although only in the role for 3 years, we could not have asked for a more relentless housing advocate.

Augustus launched the state’s first-ever five-year statewide housing plan, successfully implemented the MBTA Communities Act, and shepherded a $5 billion housing bond bill that opened state land for housing and legalized ADUs.

Just this week, Augustus made it clear that the state will not back down from its plan to allow up to 180 units on a MassBay Community College parking lot, a plan we’ve been assured still has the Healey administration’s backing.

In his place, Healey is naming former state rep and New England’s current HUD administrator Juana Matias as the next Secretary.

A Biden appointee, Matias managed $8.47 billion in annual federal housing funds across the region. She will begin the role on April 1, with current Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox serving as interim secretary.

MassBay housing plan draws skepticism from all three candidates

At last week’s League of Women Voters debate, none of the three candidates looking to fill two seats on the Wellesley Select Board said they support the state’s plan to build housing on MassBay’s parking lot.

We believe the state’s proposal represents a meaningful opportunity to attract young professionals, support local businesses and strengthen MassBay as a community asset. But that view was absent from the discussion, as each candidate instead focused on what they didn’t like about the state’s project. (Start at 1:09:20)

Challegner Marc Charney, who currently chairs the Planning Board, said he has “serious concerns” about the state’s plans and argued that “before we can even contemplate doing anything at MassBay, we need to have a master plan for the campus.”

Select Board Vice Chair Tom Ulfelder explained that he “doesn’t agree with the development of that property,” calling the state’s process “wrong from the start” and arguing the state should not “have the right to interfere with how this community decides how we build out our housing stock.”

And Select Board member Beth Sullivan Woods stated she could not take a definitive position because “we (the Select Board) have retained counsel.”

This week, the Swellesley Report offered an interesting analysis of the race, with Bob Brown noting that the election's outcome could result in a dramatic shift on the board, which could impact MassBay and other developments.

And, of course, we will be sure to ask the candidates directly where they stand at our Select Board Debate one week from today, Friday, Feb. 27 RSVP.

Now on deck in Watertown Square:  The intersection

It’s been more than a year since the Watertown City Council adopted its Square Area Plan and subsequently approved sweeping zoning changes to allow for greater density. 

Now, a central component of that vision — redesigning the massive five-way intersection at the heart of the square — is advancing, with the city announcing it has hired Bowman Consulting Group to translate the Council’s preferred road layout into a buildable plan.

It will take two years to complete a detailed roadway design that aims to open up sidewalks, improve the public realm and discourage cut-through traffic between the Pike and Cambridge. Construction will then follow once funding is secured.

While transformative projects like this one promise long-term benefits, they also bring near-term disruption, requiring the city to carefully consider how construction impacts will affect our existing businesses. 

The tensions surrounding the Mount Auburn Street redesign offer a clear reminder that these efforts work best when merchants and restaurants are treated as partners from the start.

Friday Grab Bag

• It's your last chance to weigh in on whether Great Plain Ave in Needham Center should stay at four lanes or be reduced to three or two lanes. The Envision Needham Center survey closes this Sunday (Feb. 22). It's open to everyone!
  
• The Newton City Council has approved Mayor Marc Laredo’s nomination of Timothy Cohoon as the city’s next police chief. The 30-year law enforcement veteran previously led the Braintree Police Department. (Fig City News)
  
• Ahead of Needham’s April 14 election, three candidates have been certified to compete for two seats on the Town’s Select Board: incumbent Catherine Dowd, former state representative candidate Bill Dermody, and private equity executive Richard Adduci. Five-term member Marianne Cooley is stepping down from the board.
  
• Additionally, an open seat on Needham’s Planning Board could also draw a competitive race. Architect and Needham Housing Coalition member Oscar Mertz will be on the ballot. Former NRTZ-endorsed candidate Ken Buckley and home builder Gary Lesanto, are awaiting certification. The Needham Observer has more on all town-wide races.
• Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli at Newton Four Corners is closing. It appears the 57 Lincoln Kitchen in Newton Highlands has already closed, although there’s been no announcement.
  
• Watertown News’ Charlie Breitrose breaks down Watertown BIO’s new report on the state of the city’s biotech industry. The report will be the focus of our “Charting Watertown’s Life Science Future” event on March 10 at 8:30 a.m. at 100 Forge Rd. Register.
  
• The Massachusetts Cannabis Commission is considering a pause on issuing new retail licenses in response to market “oversupply” that regulators say is driving down prices and squeezing operators. (State House News)
• Today (Friday) is the final day for chamber members to enjoy an early bird discount for our Fireside chat with Martha J. Sheridan on March 13.

Newton’s zoning is ‘a model worth expanding’

Completed four-unit adaptive reuse project in Newtonville, steps from shops and the commuter rail station. Credit: Amy Dain

Yes, you read that headline right — Newton’s zoning may become a model for other communities and even the state.

That’s according to Amy Dain of Boston Indicators, whose new report highlights a lesser-known part of Newton’s recent MBTA Communities zoning changes.

The reform allows property owners in certain areas to build up to four units on a lot by right. If they keep the existing home on the property, they can often add even more units. In other words, it incentivizes owners to preserve an older house and build around it, rather than tear it down.

And it’s working! So far, this zoning has led to more than a dozen projects creating 49 units — 34 of them net new — with most retaining the original structure. This is exactly the kind of “small-scale” development that we constantly hear calls for.

That’s why Dain (who lives in Newton but has certainly been critical of city housing policies before) holds it up as a promising model: it shows that modest reform can produce neighborhood-scale housing while preserving character.

But Dain cautions that it’s too limited to solve the housing shortage on its own. Because this zoning applies only to a small portion of Newton, it would need to be allowed much more extensively — here or elsewhere — to make a real impact.

Introducing the Kindness Cafe

The Price Center has been connecting adults with developmental disabilities to meaningful job opportunities for more than 50 years.

Now they are creating their own on-site workplace with their newest initiative, the Kindness Cafe.

The cafe opened last Friday and provides participants with hands-on barista training, helping adults build practical workplace skills in a supportive, public-facing environment, reports Charlie Johnson of Fig City News.

“This is an absolute labor of love and a dream come true for our individuals,” said Price Center CEO Abigail Parrilla, emphasizing how the project empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work, and thrive. 

The cafe is located at their Christina Street headquarters off Needham St. and operates three mornings a week on a invite only basis.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know why I can't wait for February to end.

Max Woolf (he, him)

Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager

Charles River Regional Chamber

617-431-6101

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