Two things to watch in Newton's zoning battle
Two things to watch in Newton's zoning battle
Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.
There are thousands of global, national and Boston-based causes worthy of our support. But please don't forget to include the nonprofits that help make Newton, Needham, Wellesley and Watertown special, including any of the 127 local nonprofits that belong to your chamber.
In addition to contributing financially, our nonprofits often need volunteers, both to assist with specific tasks or where you can lend your expertise on a committee or board. Reach out and raise your hand.
If your office in Wellesley is located at any of the following addresses, you now have a new landlord: 6 Abbott Rd., 40 Grove St., 16 Laurel Ave., 10 and 16 Prescott St. and 326-332, 336 and 366-370 Washington St.
The eight properties, comprising 150,000 SF, are part of the $45.5 million sale to Jumbo Capital from Haynes Management, reports Joe Clements at the Real Reporter.
Haynes has been looking to sell a 21 building portfolio for at least the past 18 months.
The properties were part of a full portfolio that once included upwards of 45 buildings assembled over seven decades by the late G. Arnold Haynes. It once included over one million sf of office, residential and retail in Wellesley, Newton and Waltham.
The Haynes estate put much, but not all, of that portfolio (mostly Class B office) on the market in May 2022. But low demand for older office space clearly slowed the process.
It’s not clear what the status is of unsold portions of portfolio, Clements adds.
Two things to watch for when Newton's City Council zoning marathon returns tomorrow
The Newton City Council is jogging to meet a New Year's Eve deadline to comply with the state’s MBTA Communities Upzoning Law.
Major concessions and compromises have already been made by supporters since the Village Center Overlay District proposal was approved 5-1 by the Zoning & Planning Committee just last month.
That plan looked to enhance all of the city’s village centers by gradually allowing for more middle market multifamily housing city-wide.
It's now expected the council will approve upgrading only five village centers (Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Waban, West Newton and Newtonville) the minimum needed to comply with state law.
(For a recap of last week’s three hour meeting and the events leading up to it, checkout Taylor Driscoll’s Biznow article.)
Here's two pending decisions worth watching when the council reconvenes tomorrow (Weds.) at 6:30 p.m.:
- Auburndale: Will Newton 'thumb its nose' at the governor?
If you’re not fully up to speed on the very important Auburndale issue, stop and read this excellent summary (no paywall) by the Globe’s Alan Wirzbicki from Monday's “Are We There Yet?” newsletter.
As Wirzbicki suggests, failure to upzone Auburndale could jeopardize a 20-year leffort to renovate all three of Newton's commuter rail stations just as it enters the home stretch.
And if there was any doubt, James Sanna at Banker & Tradesman erased it yesterday with his reporting on the Auburndale issue:
“A MassDOT spokesperson confirmed that its current scoring system for transit projects includes a section that weighs whether or not a particular investment unlocks or connects with ‘transit-supportive land use.’ The rubric also includes points for projects that reduce pollution, something housing advocates argue more density around transit nodes will help do. Those two factors contribute a combined 20 percent of the project’s total score,” Sanna reports.
In spite of all that, some city councilors still oppose adding Auburndale, only wanting to upzone enough to meet the law. Others support adding Auburndale but fear it could lead to a referendum challenge.
The Globe’s Wirzbicki wondered yesterday about what might happen as well:
“It’ll be interesting to see whether the Healey administration really plays hardball here,” he wrote. “If Newton doesn’t include Auburndale in its rezoning, the city won’t be violating the letter of the new housing law. But it certainly will be thumbing its nose at a governor who has made housing a priority — and giving the Healey administration a good reason to spend its transportation dollars elsewhere.”
- Border Street: Will the council respect these small business owners?
There’s one more big zoning decision waiting action when the council meets tomorrow: Whether or not they'll honor the requests of virtually every business owner on Border Street to be included in West Newton's MBTA upzoning district
Within walking distance of the train, restaurants and shops, Border Street is an ideal location for transit-oriented development. And the short, underdeveloped street was part of an earlier draft of the plan. But somewhere along the way Councilor Julia Malakie, whose ward include West Newton, convinced her colleagues to remove it from the plan due to some flooding concerns.
Then last week seven Border Street property owners wrote to the council saying they believe they were misled by Malakie and want their businesses included in the district.
“..this flooding only happens during extreme rain and has been more of a nuisance than a damage-causing event” the small business owners wrote.
Scott Scarpato Jr. at Automatic Laundry Services went further in a separate letter. He claimed Malakie "leveraged her position to befriend and then deceive the hard working residents of Border Street in order to advance her self-interests.
"...Everyone on our street was shocked,” he added.
We heard during the election that some candidates and councilors felt the city wasn’t listening to the small business owners who might be displaced by upzoning.
Here’s a case where every single owner on a street wants to be upzoned. Let's hope the council honors these small business owners’ request.
Tis the season...
- Watertown's Whoville Jubilee and City Tree Lighting will be on Saturday (Dec. 2) from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Commander’s Mansion 440 Talcott Ave. Tree Lighting is at 7pm. Details.
- Needham's Annual Blue Tree Lighting takes place on the newly renovated Town Common on Saturday (Dec. 2) at 5 pm. Santa and other special guests will help with the countdown to the tree lighting. Santa will stay for photos after the event. Details.
- The Wellesley Holiday Stroll and Scavenger Hunt is Sunday (Dec. 3). Head to Wellesley Square throughout the day for holiday activities, merchant discounts with the tree lighting at the Wellesley Square Fire Station at 5 p.m. Details.
- The Nonantum Children's Christmas Party Association will hold its annual Park Lighting at Coletti-Magni Park in Newton Sunday (Dec. 3). Hot chocolate and caroling at 6:15 p.m. and the countdown to turn on the lights at 7 p.m.
Tuesday's grab bag
- Watetown's big three-day charrette where we all get a chance to weigh in on the future of Watertown Square begins tonight. It’s not necessary to attend all the events to bring value to the conversation. And you don’t have to live in Watertown to share ideas, hopes, likes and dislikes about Watertown Square.
- The Needham Housing Coalition is co-hosting an open meeting at the Needham Free Library tomorrow (Weds.). The meeting will provide background information about housing in Needham, update the current housing initiatives and then open up for discussion. This is an in-person event, with a Zoom option. RSVP.
- Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop and Planning Director Eric Arbeene will share a draft plan outlining the town’s proposed approach to the MBTA Communities on Thursday (Nov. 30) at 7 p.m. at the Wellesley Free Library. The goal is to submit the plan for approval at the March 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
- Interested in the future of Washington Street between Chestnut Street and Lowell Avenue between West Newton Square and Newtonville? Join a virtual meeting Thursday (Nov. 30) at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the Washington Street Pilot Project.
- The Mass. Taxpayers Foundation will hold its annual Tax Policy Conference as a hybrid event Friday (Dec. 1) from 8 a.m. to noon. Details.
- Gavin Kleespies will become the new executive director at Gore Place effective Jan. 2. Kleespies was director of programs at the Mass Historical Society. He succeeds Susan Robertson, who is retiring after 37 years.
- MassHire’s next virtual Multi-Industry Job Fair I set for Dec. 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Open to employers with multiple, immediate openings. Employer registration deadline is Dec. 8.
- Mass Cultural Council has launched a new grant program, Grants for Creative Individuals, which will provide unrestricted awards of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners. Deadline is Dec.11
Program would benefit small downtowns and cultural districts
Here's an intriguing idea: A bill being considered on Beacon Hill would invest 5% of sales taxes collected from online purchases to help downtowns and cultural districts across Massachusetts fund marketing, programming and events, reports Lindsay Shachnow for the BBJ.
There are 55 designated cultural districts across Massachusetts. Watertown is in process of applying to be added to that list..
“In the last decade or so we've seen how online sales have continued to really chip away at the fabric of our downtowns,” said Emily Ruddock, executive director of MASSCreative. This program would “reinvests it in our downtowns and our main streets.”
1,000 pieces of stolen local mail recovered
Acting on a report from police in Wellesley, police in Newton were able to pursuit and arrest two suspects in possession of 1,000 pieces of stolen mail after the suspects' vehicle crashed.
The unmetered mail from various communities, including Wellesley some of the mail was believed to have removed mailboxes on Grove Street mailboxes. (Swellesley Report).
Let's do lunch. Sure, your desk or mine?
Finally today, one in five Boston area workers say they skip, or work during their lunch, according to Axios Boston.
Workers nationwide are skipping lunch to get more work done, with 14% saying they never take a lunch break from their workstations, per a survey.
And Boston-area workers are among the worst offenders with 20% saying they never take a lunch break away from their workstations.
That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know what Cookie Monster is actually eating on the Sesame Street set. Me now know.
One more reminder: Give local, right?
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
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