One of the goals of the Newton Village Center Rezoning project is to increase affordable housing options in the city. A strategic and systemic plan for increasing density is a powerful and necessary tool for achieving this critical housing affordability goal. Other cities across the country have realized this fact. Minneapolis and three other…
Posts published in “Letters to the Editor”
We publish here Letters to the Editor with the intent to reflect a broad range of opinions and insights of Newton residents. Please note our submission guidelines and send letters (maximum of 300 words) to [email protected].
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Thank you to Councilor Marc Laredo for his recent questions to the City Council, as reported in Fig City News, regarding the zoning proposal. His thoughtful and thought-provoking questions raise many of the issues that the City has so far failed to address, despite similar feedback. He not only raises the…
Adding density, as legislated in the MBTA Communities Act and proposed by Newton, would transform the built environment in our village centers from New England village feel to Urban/City. It is unnecessary and does not address housing affordability. The Urban Institute has concluded that up-zoning does not lead to greater affordability.…
With the pervasiveness of gun violence in our country, many people are asking, “What can I do?” In Massachusetts, we are lucky to have some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, corresponding to lower rates of gun ownership and gun violence. Yet, even here in Newton, guns have…
Kudos to the Boston Globe‘s John Hilliard for his article about private golf courses in affluent communities and the tax breaks they receive. During the winter of 2021-22, my husband and I were snowshoeing at Charles River Country Club here in Newton. An employee of the club approached and told us that…
Dear Fig City News: While applauding your new Apple app,I’m appalled by the deep Android slapThat ignores all the non-Apple techies,Making them want to wring all your neckies. I hope you address this omissionAnd sooner than later commissionA coder who’s solely employedTo develop your app for Android. Sallee LipshutzCouplet Writer…
Looking at the recent plantings, the massive use of concrete and the surprisingly steep rebuilt banks at Levingston Cove, it seems like there will be very few places where you can spread a blanket. Eric BenderNewton Centre
The article Village Center Zoning Redesign, version 2.0 is inaccurate in several aspects. It gives the false impressive that the Newton Planning Department recommends new zoning that far exceeds the requirement of state law. The article states that the Planning Department Version 1.0 of new zoning maps would allow the…
Recently we were guests on Ken Parker’s NewTV program, Common Ground, for a discussion regarding the proposed Village Center and MBTA-related zoning changes. (See NewTV’s video here.) We are sharing it here with you, as it offers a much-needed critique and additional photo-realistic illustrations of the actual impacts of the…
I am a retail development consultant with 30+ years’ experience. I worry about the impact the proposed new zoning code would have on our Village Centers and its retail shopping environment. The proposal reflects outdated mid-20th century thinking instead of 21st century retail realities. The fact is the current generations…
Cultural awareness days are student-led by design, giving student’s agency and voice in sharing their background with other students and staff. These days are important to our students in building awareness of and respect for the many different cultures and identities that make up our diverse community. So far this…
I urge all parents of students at Newton North to keep their sons and daughters home from school this April 14, as a protest against the school’s plan to have them view a self-described “whore”, a man dressed as a woman, exhibit, at taxpayer expense, sexually provocative, indecent behavior. Ask…