Northland Note
As you may know, I strongly support this project—my reasons are here. I will be voting to uphold that vote on March 3 (Super Tuesday) or earlier (early voting is available from Feb. 24-28). Please join me in voting YES.

If you would like to help with the YES campaign, their website is here
Important dates:

• Thurs., Feb. 6, 7pm Open Space & Recreation Plan public listening session
• Sunday, Feb. 9, 4-6 Party for Cold Spring Park!
• Wed., Feb. 19, 7pm PS&T public listening session
• Saturday, Feb. 22, 10-12 noon, Open Office Hours
• Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7-9pm Forum on Climate Change
• And a number of hearings on Riverside

 
Tell us your Transportation Priorities!
 
The Public Safety & Transportation Committee wants to hear your top transportation priorities before we set our legislative agenda for the new term. Come talk with us!
We will be taking public comment Wednesday, Feb. 19th at 7 pm in Council Chambers. Or you can email us directly
 
 
Party for the Park!
 
Cold Spring Park is one of my favorite places to run or wander. I am hosting a fundraiser for the Friends of Cold Spring Park—snacks and drinks with a park theme to add to the fun of meeting your park-loving neighbors and learning a little about this gem in the heart of Newton. Suggested donation is $50. Details and to RSVP here.
 
Climate Change Forum
 
The League of Women Voters of Newton is hosting a forum Wed., Feb. 26 on climate change with the leagues of Framingham, Needham, Wayland, Wellesley and Weston 7-9 pm at the Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St., West Newton. More details here.
 
Riverside
 
The Land Use Committee is holding a series of public hearings on the proposed development at Riverside. Please use this forum, or email the clerk’s office (dolson AT newtonma.gov) to let us know your thoughts. Dates so far are

• Feb. 11,
• Feb 25 and
• March 5.

All hearings are in the Council Chambers, City Hall, at 7. The good news is the new screens make viewing the slides much easier for all.
 
Open Space & Recreation Plan
 
Please respond to the City survey on your priorities for open space and recreation in Newton. Or come to the Feb. 6 public hearing, 7pm at City Hall.
 
I heard from thousands of Newton residents that green and open space, playgrounds and natural areas are highly valued—let’s make sure the plan reflects those values.
 

Here are a few things that you may have missed in the flurry of docket items (proposed legislation) that City Council passed in recent weeks, and my thoughts about them:
 

• Washington Street
• Energy Efficiency Zoning
• Bulky Item Fees
• Parking Meters
• Newtonville improvements
• Carriageway repairs
• Sidewalks on Nahantan

 
Washington Street Vision
 
I am glad this passed. Late amendments included exploring parking maximums, lowering heights on the westernmost edge of the study area (Webster Street).
 
Some of the comments both in the Chamber and in letters demonstrates conflation of vision and zoning. The vision is just the envelope for the zoning—in the zoning discussions next term, Council will tackle the difficult task of determining where exactly six stories will be allowed and under what conditions—I expect this will be by special permit only. In the original proposal for heights (remember Hello Washington started out with 20 stories?) taller heights were conditioned to specific transit improvements and improvements to the tax base (ie all commercial). I thought that was a good stipulation.
 
Zoning to allow more energy-efficient homes
 
Council also unanimously passed zoning to make it easier to insulate, add electric heat pumps for cooling and heating, creating better shading, and allowing some flexibility for solar panels. This amendment was the direct result of the Climate Action Plan which we passed in November.
 
Bulky Item Fee
 
The cost of throwing stuff “away” is going up, and many councilors would like Newton residents to think more carefully about how to dispose of unwanted bulky items. Council voted to impose a $20 fee for bulky items left on the curb for pickup and $25 for white goods (thnk-appliances). All our surrounding communities charge at least $25 per pickup, if not per item, and a very few Newton residents use this service regularly, costing all of us more.
 
Like having to pay a fee for each bag you get at the supermarket, this fee is intended to prompt thought, not to penalize residents—and there are many ways to dispose of most usable stuff:
 

• Craigslist, if you think you can get money for it
• If not--Freecycle 

https://www.freecycle.org/
or at the Newton Swap Shop
http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=30495.02&BlobID=90914
 
To know: If you put items out for a scheduled pick up and someone else picks them up to re-use, you still pay the fee (because it costs Waste Management, our contractor, to send a truck to you).
 
New Parking Meters
 
While we passed dynamic pricing—charging the least amount possible to ensure some availability in each block—that program can’t get started without working parking meters. Many of Newton’s analog meters are broken, and the manufacturer no longer makes parts. Council approved funding for new parking meter heads for all on-street meters, but this will take time to implement. Eventually, all of our meters will accept coins and credit cards—and of course the phone app—for customer convenience. New meters will also be remotely programmable, saving our transportation planners time and money to adjust pricing. I am thrilled that this is moving forward, albeit slowly, so that drivers in Newton can stop circling to find an in-demand spot (less traffic!) while also adding convenience and reducing city costs.
 
A better Walnut St. in Newtonville
 
We are finally out of the planning stages with the Newtonville improvements. Council unanimously approved $5.7 million to fund the construction of wider sidewalks, adding safer crossings, adding street trees and other furnishings that will beautify and enhance Newtonville from the bridge over the MassPike to Newton North High School. The contract will be awarded in July and should be complete by fall of 2021. I can’t wait to see this complete!
 
More green on Commonwealth
 
We approved the mayor’s request for $200,000 to further design and engineer the western end of Commonwealth Avenue. The preliminary design would restore the Carriageway as a primarily low-stress alternative for biking and walking this strip, and reduce the difficulty of crossing the main stem of the road, where Newton has had fatalities in the not-distant past. Once Newton has brought the design to 25%, it can be appended to a $10+ million state Department of Transportation project to fix the bridge over the river and Rt. 128. If completed, this would repair a link in the river paths from Lyons Field to Riverside and would connect our Carriageway to a proposed protected multi-use path along Rt. 30 all the way to Natick. With the increasing sales pedal-assist e-bikes, this could be the first corridor in a west – suburban Emerald Network that allows more residents to travel car-free without fear. I’m hoping to be able to bike the Carriageway all the way either to Natick or to Boston.
 
A more complete Nahantan Street
 
The Council approved $129,250 in state transportation funds (from Uber & Lyft) to design engineering for the intersection of Wells Avenue and Nahantan Street. The plan is to make this a more complete street by adding continuous sidewalks to & over the bridge over the river, make safe pedestrian crossings, add bike lanes, and to upgrade the signals. This will allow those using the Jewish Community Center or those wanting to walk in the parkland on the Wells Avenue side to get where they are going without being forced to drive, and I welcome this design.
 
Office Hours
Come talk with me and sample the coffee at Central in Newton Centre during my monthly office hours. 10-11:30 am on Sunday, January 26!
 

In this update, I summarize the recently-completed Fiscal 2020 city budget
Overview
New Knowledge
Energy Efficiency & Environment
Operational Efficiencies
Good to Know
Ongoing Issues
Office Hours
One of the most important tasks of City Council is to pass the city’s annual budget. Where we put our resources tells you what the community values. I think most of us know that the public schools get the largest portion of city revenue (more than 55%). To my thinking, that’s appropriate.
 
The rest is municipal (30%), retiree pension & benefits (10%) and debt service.

Overview
In broad strokes—the operating budget ($430 million in Fiscal 2020) is primarily funded by property taxes (83%). Our tax rate grows by 2.5% (on the whole, individual properties may differ), to which is added “new growth” from expansions or new buildings. This year’s new growth is $4.3 million; last year’s was $5.7 million. Debt service (primarily linked to school building projects) is $3.5 million, up from $3 million last year.
 
Newton’s ability to take on new initiatives is handicapped by pension and retiree benefit obligations. Newton has a $600 million retiree health obligation on top of a pension fund that is still not fully funded.
 
That said, the city is moving forward:

• Updating and integrating many of its functions from paper to paperless—it will be great when everything from permits to proposed ordinances are all searchable and accessible to multiple departments.
• The city website will also get upgraded software, with a focus on better search functions.
• A study of the western end of Commonwealth Avenue, near the Marriott, could enable Newton to piggy-back on the state highway department’s planned rehabilitation of the bridge over 128–in other words, saving Newton several million dollars, for construction to connect several river paths and make that section of road safer and more pleasant for driving, cycling and strolling.

New Knowldege
Council’s annual review of the budget is also a time when I always learn something new about what our city departments are doing. Here are some of these:
 
Energy Efficiency & Environment

• The city has 12 solar sites, which saved $550,000 in last year’s budget. The next phase of solar installations (Phase 4) is moving forward, but the incentives are less rich than they were for the previous three.
• The early childhood program building—which is currently housing the Horace Mann elementary school—will be retrofitted before the preschoolers move in and should be entirely electrically heated and cooled—a move away from fossil fuels in public buildings here.
• Over 50% of schools and municipal buildings have switched to LEDlight fixtures.
• Food waste is being collected for compost at Angier and Zervas, and organics collection is being explored for all of the schools. This will also save on trash hauling costs by lowering tonnage. 

Operational Efficiencies

• The city treasurer is making it possible for residents to pay for more city services with a credit card or on-line payment.
• Angier and Zervas building projects have come in under budget. Cabot looks to be on track to do so also, as the Building Department found few surprises. Day and Bigelow middle schools are getting new, more efficient, boilers.
• The Building Department is aggressively working to reduce its maintenance backlog and creating capacity for preventativemaintenance. This will also save the city money.
• Our street paving is starting to pay off—in terms of average condition, more streets are in good shape.
• There is more money in the traffic calming budget, but a backlog of 43 requests, some going back decades, and at current funding levels, Newton can address about 10 of them each year. That’s still 10 more than two years ago, and some are addressed when streets are reconstructed, but I’d like Newton to be able to address more of these, sooner.
• Newton’s analog parking meters will finally get upgraded so they can take credit cards (as well as coins) and be remotely adjusted—this will also make parking management easier. The app for the meters, parking enforcement hand-held devices and pay-by-phone software should also be able to handle digital parking permits.

Good to Know

• The Library is adding summer Sunday hours as of July. Newton is now second in usage and borrowing (in the state) after Boston.
• The city is spending more next year on park maintenance. 850 trees will be planted, which is the maximum that can be maintained—the forestry division also does not want large swaths of street trees hitting the end of their lives at once.
• Director of Special Needs Mark Kelly is getting a well-deserved national award for his work in Newton creating special needs camps and programs.
• If you need medical equipment like walkers, crutches, etc., the Senior Center has a lending program. It’s also a good place to donate durable medical equipment (not orthopedic boots).
• Newton Corner may be getting a new neighborhood association! This neighborhood was fractured by the MassPike; it would be good to have a community organization to help build better social connections.

Ongoing Issues

• Newton is hiring crossing guards. Anyone interested should contact the Police Department!
• About two signals or street lights is knocked down per month. These cost $10,000 each to repair.
• Vaping and opioid—or now fentanyl—misuse are ongoing challenges in our community, with both the Health department and the police taking on prevention 

Office Hours
I plan to join Andrea Kelley (W3, at large) Saturday, June 22, 3:30-5 pm at L’Aroma. Come join us for tea and conversation!
 
Are you around in July and August? Council has a lighter schedule, but if you are interested in office hours in your ward, send me a note, and I will schedule. Otherwise, I will resume office hours in September.

Enjoy the early summer!

In this update, I want to give everyone some background on the criteria for granting or denying a special permit.
Background
Criteria
Fair Housing rules
Elections! Already?
Office Hours
Background
Since these are the rules City Council must abide by for both small home renovations (particularly until the Zoning Code is revised) and for large projects, they are clearly vital to understanding how we in City Council go about our business.
 
Both special permits and zoning changes require a 2/3 vote to pass, or 16 votes in our council.  But there are important distinctions.
 
According to our Law Department:
“…while City Councilors serve broadly in a legislative/political role, when acting as the special permit granting authority the City Council is acting in a judicial role and is conducting what is commonly referred to as a “quasi-judicial process.” City Councilors are not acting on behalf of their constituents when voting on special permits.” (Emphasis mine).
 
This tension councilors face is probably why Newton is one of the few communities in which a political body makes special permit decisions (it's in the charter). Most Massachusetts cities and towns use an appointed body.
 
Best practices are here.
 
In short— Of course I want to hear from you, and any light you can shed on an upcoming permit is tremendously useful. But, it is best to do so in a public hearing, or via an email to the whole council (citycouncil-AT-newtonma.gov). Also, I won’t be able to tell you “how I am going to vote,” because I can’t. In this role, City Councilors should weigh all the evidence first—and until right before the final vote, we don’t have all the evidence.
 
Criteria
The special permit criteria are outlined in Newton’s zoning ordinance. A project should, in Council’s judgement:

• Serve the public welfare
• Be in an appropriate location for the use or structure
• Not generate a nuisance or safety hazard (this may apply to traffic)
• Have appropriate access
• Be sustainable, both in energy and other natural resources

 
Fair Housing rules
Additional guidance is provided by Fair Housing laws, which requires that opportunities for housing and employment are not just equal, but that governments proactively work to reverse discrimination based on:

• Race
• Color
• National Origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial Status (families with children under 18)
• Disability
• Source of income
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity and expression
• Veteran/military status
• Genetic information

 
In a city-sponsored training for decision makers in Newton last month, we learned that these laws apply to both decisions that clearly intend to discriminate as well as those that have a discriminatory effect. Among the case studies of illegal decisions were:

• Prohibiting or severely limiting multi-family housing, especially rentals (renting requires half the income of ownership)
• Limiting new housing to studio and one-bedroom apartments
• Decision-makers (us) using language during the process or deciding in a way that can be interpreted as discriminatory intent (examples: associating rental housing with transients; not wanting school children, not wanting urbanites...)
• Not allowing reasonable changes to buildings that would enable access for a person with mobility issues
• Using maximum occupancy standards to prevent a group home for individuals with a disability—this applies not just to the developmentally disabled, but to sober houses—except to protect health and safety related to overcrowding.

 
Related to Fair Housing, some historical background:
 
Our zoning code harkens back to the dark days of the 20th century when single-family zoning was intentionally used to segregate minorities (mostly African-Americans, but also "undesirable" immigrants like Italians, Jews, Irish...) from "white" people. Multi-family homes in the urban core were “red-lined” by banks (they would not lend to these areas) and left to minorities. Suburbs, even in the 1950s, were usually too expensive and often actively prohibited minority ownership. (Interesting: Nonantum and Upper Falls were red-lined in the 1930s)

Newton currently only allows multi-family housing (3-or-more-units) by special permit. Some argue that this is exclusionary, and is compounded by having our special permits (for all multi-family housing) made by a political body. What do you think?
 
I take special permit decisions seriously: I listen carefully and read everything I can that’s related to them. One looming challenge for the city is managing traffic that may be generated by a project. Councilors and the Planning Department have been discussing several tools—including measurement and enforcement—that may help the city to mitigate traffic. One of these tools is parking. I have covered this in earlier emails, see here.
 
Elections! Already?
 
I will be running for re-election this term. The city has made progress in making it safer to walk and bike; we have gotten the attention of the MBTA on issues such as station accessibility and service frequency; we have started to plan for a greener, more vibrant, more welcoming city.
 
But there is still much to do, including Zoning Redesign for the whole city, and implementing climate action plans. I’m willing to do that hard work. Ours will likely be a contested race. I am hoping for your support!
 
Launch Party—is Thursday, May 23 at 6:30pm. Pia Bertelli has kindly opened her home at 31 Locke Road, Waban. There will be great company, which I hope includes YOU! If you can’t make Thursday, there will be more events listed on my website and Facebook page.
 
Office Hours
I will also be holding regular office hours at the Newton Innovation Center, 124 Vernon St., Newton Corner, from 3-5 pm Saturday, May 25th. And, you get more: Councilors Alison Leary and Maria Greenberg, both of Ward 1, will also be there. 
 
Hoping spring arrives soon!

Forward to a friend
Copyright © 2019 Newton City Councilor Andreae Downs, All rights reserved. 

In this update, I outline how my city legislative priorities are tied to Climate Change

1. Parking
2. Zoning
3. Connectivity
4. Solar initiatives
5. Office Hours

 

1. Parking

If you have read some of my earlier posts, you know that I’m passionate about parking. Parking:

• makes housing and commerce more expensive,
• distorts the look and walkability of village centers and
• creates heat islands.

But one of the least-appreciated effects of ample, cheap parking is that it induces driving. Your choice to drive rather than use another mode for short trips is affected by three things:

1. Whether there’s a car in your driveway
2. The amount of cheap, available parking at your destination
3. How comfortable (i.e. safe & pleasant) your trip is via transit, foot, or bike

Even item [c] is essentially about parking. Too much parking makes your trip windswept and unpleasant—or if it is structured, it can mean an ugly blank wall or unnecessarily tall, monolithic buildings along your walk.
 
In Massachusetts, the rough estimate is that 40% of current emissions (and climbing!) is transportation – which, if you’ve been reading your congestion reporting, is driving cars.
 
Cruising for parking also creates emissions—which is why I and colleagues have docketed an item to allow the City to charge the lowest price necessaryto free up public, metered spaces. In some cases, this will raise the meter price, in some it will lower the meter price. City staff will assess the effectiveness of the price change every six months. If it needs further adjustment, and if they can remove time limits (I hear you, Newton Centre!), they will.
 
Surface parking lots also contribute to heat island effect. But in many cases, they are required by our Zoning Code, which is why I support removing parking minimums in the Zoning Redesign. Because we want developers to produce the least amount of parking necessary to create a successful development, not some arbitrary number in a 1950s-era “parking handbook.”
 

1. Zoning

Of course, if all of your destinations are far from where you live, driving is essential. That’s why getting Zoning Redesign right is so critical to advancing Newton’s climate goals. The draft we have before us moves the needle—some would say not enough—to adding housing and commerce near transit. Newton and the rest of the communities within 128 need to add enough housing that is affordable to our employees (both public and private—our firefighters, police officers, teachers, city staff, nurses, etc.). Otherwise, expect to see more parking lots instead of parks or homes near schools, etc.
 

1. Connectivity

I have joined other councilors and the mayor in advocating for better transit service, better stations and bus stops and more frequency of trains and buses to serve Newton. The City has some areas we can control around transit:

• make buses faster by giving them signal priority (red lights that turn green when a bus approaches).
• move stops to the far side of signals.
• add bus shelters. (fun fact—not having a shelter is one of the most-cited reasons to not take the bus)
• But where the City has the most leverage is in adding pedestrian connections (bike connections, too) to stops. That means sidewalks, safe crossings, but also off-road connections like the Upper Falls Greenway. I’ve been working
  • to ensure that the Greenway connects to and under Rt. 9 at Winchester Street, and
  • to get a bridge and connection to Needham on the Greenway spur.
  • I support completing the bike network (and have filed a docket item to advance it), and
  • connecting the parks near Riverside to the station site. Talk about a pleasant walk to the train!

 

1. Solar Initiatives

If you have read this far, you have probably guessed that I support all the installations in the Solar Phase III proposed by the mayor. We can quibble about aesthetics. But the number of trees to be removed or relocated has been reduced to just a few. The cut trees will be replaced and then some within the same neighborhood. No tree trimming is necessary for the realigned installations. And we will see our electricity production increase to about 40% of municipal and school electricity use. Of course, most of Newton’s energy use is in the private sector (mostly residential), but at least the municipal fossil fuel budget can be reduced, and set an example for the rest of us.
 

1. Office Hours

I’m always happy to chat in more depth at my office hours.

• Saturday, March 16. 9:30 -11:00 am at Central in Newton Centre. Am sharing with Councilor Noel, so the joint will be hopping!
• Saturday April 6th 10-11:30 am at L'Aroma in West Newton

All the best--
​Andreae

In this update, answer common questions about the first draft of Zoning Redesign for Newton:

1. Overall goals
2. What parts City Council needs to decide
3. Questions on the current draft
4. Office Hours
5. Where to learn more

 

1. Goals

The draft aims to address the following challenges in the current zoning code:

• Tear-downs and those super-large replacement homes
• A special-permit process (which can be unpredictable and expensive) even for moderate changes (dormers, mud rooms)
• Excessive on-site parking requirements that distort and dismember village centers
• Advantaging deep-pocketed developers with grandiose plans over ordinary homeowners wanting small improvements
• Nasty surprises for neighbors, because with 85% of all residences non-conforming, there is little predictability from the ordinance on what will next be built.

 
The goals of this first draft are to describe and –using better tools, including “form-based zoning,”—preserve what’s in place, while allowing for minor updates that meet residents’ needs (dormers, mud rooms)

2. What parts City Council needs to decide
In short, lots. But the likely areas on which we will need to make tough calls are:

• Where is the line between an administrative vs. a Council decision on development?
• Where are parking minimums (or maximums) appropriate to reduce driving and impermeable space?
• How far are we willing to push the energy efficiency and renewable energy envelope?
• What storm water rules are fair and enforceable?
• Where does the current draft of the zoning map need additional modification?
• How far will we push affordability and housing near transit?
• Can we enforce building rules that will enhance neighborhood connections (front doors, porches..)

 
3. Common questions, claims  

• I’ve read about how Zoning was created in the 1920s to enforce segregation. Will this draft change the basic bones of that for Newton?
  • No. If it were, it would be in the goals, above. If that’s what you want—let City Council know!
• Does the Zoning Draft increase density? Where?
  • Yes, if by density you mean more of housing. But the draft restricts the size of the outside of the building, so the units inside will be smaller. (fun fact: our households are smaller than in the 1970s, but our housing units are bigger).
  • Also, the current Zoning ordinance (formulated in 1941/53, so I’ll call it 1953 Zoning from now on) also allows for more units, but in many cases (Nonantum, Newtonville) the ability to build a 2- or 3-family hasn’t resulted in more 2- and 3-families.
  • The largest areas where multiple unit buildings are located (in the draft) are on the Commuter Rail/Express Bus routes. That’s because the draft follows where the multi-unit buildings are now (see goals about preserving what’s there, above). If the draft changed those areas over to 1-family zoning, folks with a 2-or3-family would need to jump through additional regulatory hoops to make minor changes.
  • There’s not as much land devoted to multi-family housing as some would like near the Green Line. Council could change that.
• Will this mean more affordable housing?
  • Not yet. By preserving the current fabric and allowing just a few changes to allow more units in structures that basically look like what’s here, Newton won’t build its way to affordability. Smaller units are usually cheaper than larger units, but may still be too rich for many pockets (Cool look at modern compact housing here—h/t Ted Chapman).
  • That said, a separate effort to add subsidized units via a tool called “inclusionary zoning” is ongoing.
• Will this mean a housing glut in Newton?
  • Unlikely. You’d need a LOT of willing sellers, a hot market and people willing to invest in construction. 1953 Zoning enabled tear-downs and supersized homes to be profitable in the last decade, but this draft aims to stop that.
• Won’t this be a windfall for large landowners?
  • The draft doesn’t necessarily add value across the board. In fact, developers are complaining that it will cost them in lost value.
• Can you remove units from your multi-unit home? Yes.
• Will large apartment buildings (20 units or more) be allowed near single-family homes in neighborhoods?
  • No. For instance, in the R3, which allows multi-family, the greatest number of units allowed is 14, but only IF that project is super energy efficient or 100% affordable. It would also require a lot of at least 10,000 sf. Is that too dense? Let City Council know!
  • BUT, homes on smaller lots, while they may be big enough for an additional small unit or two, will not be allowed to convert, for the most part. Council could change that.
• Will streets be narrowed and parking restricted?
  • Not exactly. Zoning doesn’t address how many lanes are in a street (do you want your street widened?).
  • Parking? 1953 zoning has meant that a small, non-profit in my neighborhood has been required to add five times the number of spaces (and pavement) than they felt was necessary, despite being located steps from other large parking lots. This is stupid, and we shouldn’t require people to build more of something that will increase traffic, pollution and flooding without a sound reason for it.
• Will it apply to all villages? Yes, but this is just the first draft. The Planning Department and City Council are actively seeking comments. You can expect to see changes as a result of community feedback and the build-out analysis (see below)

 

4. Office Hours
Still have questions? So do I. Come share them at my office hours! Or tell me what I need to know!

• Friday, February 15, 11 am, at the Senior Center again with Councilor Danberg.
• Saturday, March 16, 9-10 am at Central in Newton Centre

 

1. Where to learn more

• Please have a look at the Zoning draft here.
• Find your address here.
• Definitions of terms here.
• Zoning DATES to SAVE: Feb. 25: Build-out analysis of the draft; March 19: Fiscal Impact analysis.