A new zoning ordinance regulating the maximum frontage of a residential building is scheduled to take effect on March 1. It was passed by the City Council on October 20, 2025. The ordinance pertains to what is called the “Residential Facade Build Out Ratio,” which is the ratio of the…
Posts published in “Housing”
Concerned about how a proposed 234-unit multi-family development in Nonantum would impact traffic, parking, and affordability in the city, dozens of people showed up to speak at the January 28 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting. Adam Lunin, a Newton resident who lives near the proposed project, said he is…
Across the United States, affordable housing has become a defining crisis of our time. Rising costs, limited supply, and growing economic segregation are reshaping where people can live, work, and raise families. The consequences are no longer abstract: they show up in workforce shortages, longer commutes, declining school enrollments, and,…
Join renowned housing policy researcher and Newton native Amy Dain as she reviews the first wave of VCOD projects in her talk —“Two Years of VCOD: Where Are We, and What’s Next?” at Congregation Dorshei Tzedek (60 Highland Street, West Newton) & on Zoom on Thursday, March 19 at 7PM.…
The December 21 Boston Globe editorial (Fewer Meetings, More Housing) criticized Newton for taking 18 years to approve the plan for Riverside. This shows how little the Globe understands Newton’s Riverside development. The real story is how quickly Newton moved to review and approve the latest plan for Riverside. The…
Vertical construction is underway at the Northland development on Needham Street, Northland Founder and Chairman Larry Gottesdiener said in a January 12 statement. The real estate firm recently secured $220 million in financing from JPMorgan Chase & Co. for this next step in the construction process. The first phase of…
Newton For Everyone will screen a short film, Does “Luxury” Housing Help or Hurt the Unhoused?, on Thursday, January 29 at 7PM in the Nordic Hall of the Scandinavian Living Center (206 Waltham Street, West Newton). With popcorn! Register here. We often talk about the need for housing that is…
When Marc Laredo steps into the Mayor’s office January 1, he will do so with an unusual distinction: having served both as Chair of the School Committee and as President of the City Council. Laredo believes this background will be an asset in his new role. “Especially with a brand-new…
On December 1, the City Council approved three remaining items needed for Mark Development’s project to proceed adjacent to the Riverside MBTA station. The project needed approval of a revised special permit and two zoning changes, and if these were not approved by the end the current City Council’s term…
Hundreds of business owners, civic leaders, and elected officials gathered Friday morning at the Newton Marriott for the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Fall Business Breakfast, celebrating the organization’s 110th anniversary. The event featured remarks from outgoing Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and a conversation with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who…
Newton City Hall hosted the state’s first Fair Housing listening session on November 6, moved at the last minute to the City Council Chambers as the building prepared to host former Mayor Setti Warren’s wake later that afternoon. “It’s an unusually strange day in our city,” said Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. …
After nearly eight years, over 500 public meetings, and an incredible amount of effort put in by a few thousand residents, staff, consultants, and contractors, the Cooper Center Project is almost ready to open. The grand opening weekend will begin with The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10AM on Friday, December…