Two weeks after Ward 4 Councilor at-Large Lenny Gentile chartered a $500,000 request from the mayor’s office to fund a master plan/rezoning project for the Washington Street Corridor, City Council approved the money Monday night by a 17-6 vote.
At issue was whether the city should have put the project out to bid, rather than immediately sign a contract with the Principle Group, the Massachusetts-based consulting firm that has been recommended by the Planning Department as unique and the only company able to produce a near-finished master plan, zoning map of Washington Street from Newtonville to West Newton Square. The area is being eyed for major mixed-use redevelopment by Newton resident Robert Korff, of Mark Development.
Gentile explained he’s never favored the chartering provision that allows one councilor to delay action on a given item until the following meeting, but said failing to go out to bid for the project would be “making a major mistake in our role as City Council.”
“We are supposed to be a check and balance” on the mayor’s office, he said.
But Ward 2 Councilor at-Large Susan Albright said it is critical to get started on what is expected to be a 13-month project.
“We need this,” she said, noting that the Principle Group would produce a “base code” for zoning by October and has an “unusual ability” to assist the city as it attempts to get out in front of development in the area.
Gentile, Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton, Ward 3 Councilor Barbara Brousal-Glaser, Ward 4 Councilor Chris Markiewicz, Ward 8 Councilor Cheryl Lappin and Ward 1 Councilor at-Large Jay Ciccone voted against funding the no-bid contract. Brousal-Glaser reversed her opinion from the previous meeting. Councilor Andreae Downs was absent.
Two friendly amendments, by Council Vice President David Kalis and Albright, were unanimously approved. The amendments mandate the Planning Department provide the City Council with a monthly reporting requirement that includes a list of itemized expenses, a timeline and list of “deliverables.”
The West Newton Square Enhancement project, the Washington Street project, and the Walnut Street Enhancement project all seem complimentary. Perhaps in a few more years it will be safe and beautiful for families to walk & bike through that part of Newton?
@Andy: I’d bet you a nickle that the “TAB Staff” couldn’t pick Councilor Gentile out of a line up.
I watched the Council meeting last night and I fully support the eloquent remarks offered by Councillors Lappin and Norton.
This rezoning project plan should have gone out for a competitive bid. After all, this is taxpayer money. Perhaps, the no bid award will be challenged to the State Inspector General and the Attorney General. It sets a bad precedent.
Just discovered the TAB again did not have staff present. Wicked Local Newton does have a brief online with the vote result, but it has an unusual “Special to the TAB” attribution and reads like something compiled from city info. Weird….
FYI to the TAB: Lenny Gentile is the councilor who looks a bit like Tommy Heinsohn (I think so anyway.)
Thanks Andy for staying involved and for posting here.
I am pleased that it passed even though there were reasons presented not to – some reasonable and some not.
I want to thank Councilor Albright for attending the Finance Committee meeting and speaking out against Councilor Norton’s attempt to persuade the members that an outside professional was not needed because the Newtonville Area Council had already conducted their own study which should be followed.
Personally, I’d love the opportunity to “pick Councilor Gentile out of a lineup.” Like the other 23 councilors, the man is a thief who stole a legally binding ballot box vote. Lock em’ up!
*In the absence of democracy and the respect voters are entitled to, none of these other things [like the Washington St. study] mean a damn thing to me. Every comment I make and every breath I take is going to be dedicated to restoring the vote that was stolen by Fuller, Gentile, and the rest of the City Council. We are in dangerous territory here. Democracy has been bloodied. Our city no longer has a viable newspaper, and Village 14 offers the only real opportunity to fight back in a public forum.
Andy – thanks for covering the discussion and the vote. I’d like to clarify one thing. It is important because it was part of the contention around this project. That contention had to do with how the Washington St. Corridor zoning ordinance will integrate with the base code ordinance that ZAP is working on right now.
The ZAP Committee is engaged with the Planning Department and citizens (through the 9 monthly meetings run by planning) in developing a new draft base code. That draft base code will be delivered to ZAP in October and it will probably take the remainder of the term to go through that new zoning ordinance section by section and line by line before it goes to a public hearing and hopefully approved.
The Washington Corridor Project will result in new code for the Washington St. Corridor. Soon, ZAP Committee will receive a timeline for this project and we will know exactly when the Washington Corridor code will be delivered to ZAP for review.
These two pieces of code – the draft Base Code ordinance will meet up with the Washington Corridor code and become one as ZAP continues to review the complete ordinance. There will most likely be other master plans for other villages as the years go by and they too will amend the base code as they are finished.
You are correct in reporting that I mentioned that the Principle group does have unusual expertise in bringing citizens, staff, and councilors together to produce a vision for the Corridor using planners, designers, and architects.
p.s. i have alternately used the term code and ordinance – they are the same thing, i.e. the zoning code=the zoning ordinance.
Thanks Councilor Albright.
One other point I should have mentioned (but had to take my son to get his braces repaired) is Principle’s special ability to be active within the community, according to the Planning Dept. and city councilors.
What a waste of taxpayer money, the city council is ripe for significant changes to the zoning ordinances. They plan to change the Washington St. corridor to MU4. This means more mixed use development. Say good bye to our historic area and get ready for a significant increase in rental housing.
Another big change will be along Grove St. in Auburndale. A well known developer is hoping to tear down the Indigo Hotel and replace it with rental apartments.
Slowly, Newton will lose much of its commercial space to rental housing. I know people who work at the Indigo who will be stunned to hear of this new project. Hotel space in Newton is scarce. This will be a big loss for many.
Our city council has one objective. Tear down where possible and add more housing. What a mistake! This does not serve well the residential community of Newton.
So Colleen: If a developer replaced the Hotel Indigo with a similar sized (or larger) hotel AND added commercial space, would you support it?
I love the NAC but if anyone thinks they substitute for a competent planning/advisory/zoning firm, well, that’s just not true. Volunteers can power a lot of this city (and do!) but on a couple of posts now folks are pushing this volunteer board/volunteer Advisory counsel as expert substitution. It is certainly fair game to question experts, push the city to hire the right experts, etc. But it is also important to recognize skill is needed for many tasks that doesn’t come from good will or volunteer hours.
I’m glad it got approved with feedback on deliverables. That’s the right move as well.
For better or worse, change is coming to Washington Street. Even if our zoning doesn’t change, change is coming. Between current zoning and 40B, there are options to move forward on development along the corridor.
This is a process that should help us define what we want there, how we can mold and shape it, and how the roadway and transportation can be improved. It is definitely time for further study and future planning.
What is the unusual expertise that the Principle Group has in community outreach?
What does the title of the group mean?