A card arrived in yesterday’s mail at my Upper Falls home. It begins “Lies About Traffic Continue for the Proposed Development on Needham St”
It urges the reader to call the following City Councilors and “let them know how you feel” about the Northland Project and it lists 11 of the 24 councilors (Markiewicz, Schwartz, Gentile, Baker, Norton, Lipoff, Krintzman, Cote, Lappin, Brosal-Glaser, Laredo). It’s odd that some of the Councilors who have been most involved in the negotiations with Northland aren’t on the list, and none of the councilors (Rice, Crossley, and Downs) from Ward 5 where the Northland project is being proposed are on that list.
Also curious, the card ends with “Hope to see you there! Paula Kelleher, Elliot Ter, Upper Falls. I am not a member of any group, just a concerned neighbor”
That’s followed by:
Website: rightsizenewton.org
“RightSize Newton is a grass-roots, non-profit civic organization. They are our neighbors advocating for developments that are appropriate for our existing neighborhoods and residents.”
At first glance it appears to be a mailing from RightSizeNewton but on closer examination it seems like it may be a personal mailing from a neighbor who is “not a member” of RightSize Newton but an enthusiastic supporter of the group.
Whether it’s a personal project or an effort of RightSize Newton, it seems like a bad plan to only try to have your voice heard by 11 of the 24 people who will be voting on the Northland project.
Sounds kind of desperate. It’s pretty clear that those are the 11 candidates Right Size believes are most likely to vote against Northland so that’s who they’re focused on.
Unfortunately it only takes a handful of votes to kill a project, even if it has support of the majority of the council and the residents who elected them.
What are those lies about traffic? Does the flyer say?
Are they actually lies, or are they projections about traffic by professionals that someone doesn’t believe?
If so, is there alternative analysis showing something different (“the truth”, presumably)?
Greg, with all due respect it seems you never met a project of the densest possible development you didn’t like.
If you were in charge, Newton would be largely paved over at every conceivable site with the most dense cheapest possible housing, offices and commercial facilities, and bike lanes and busses running everywhere with severely limited access for automobiles.
And then you would proclaim it all in the name of climate change and social justice.
Just sayen.
I made a vow a long time ago to not debate climate change with climate change deniers. It’s just not worth the ions.
But for proper perspective let’s keep in mind that the two biggest projects before the city — Northland and Riverside — are being built on largely parking lots/impermeable surface. Nothing is being “paved over.” Both projects are very focused on sustainability and ecological practices, which is why most environmentalists in the city have been supportive. Just saying.
@Mike Halle – in regard to traffic, the card says:
city councilors say this project will NOT impact neighborhood traffic or parking. This is a lie!
it also says
This is not a Transit Oriented Development. No amount of facts can change that.
Shuttle buses are not a solution. There are also logistical isues, where would buses park? Highlands T stop?
Greg is paid to advocate for certain views, while the rest of us are focused on doing what’s best for the City (even if we disagree).
Greg isn’t really a legitimate voice on this and many other issues. He’s a lobbyist.
Just sayin’.
To be honest, I can’t tell the difference between Greg posting 10 year ago in his prior job and Greg posting now. He’s been intellectually consistent, sometimes frustratingly so. 😉
I get why his current job makes him a lightning rod, but does anyone not know his current position? I mean it gets posted every couple of days.
So he doesn’t hide anything and his positions have been consistent. He has a job that makes some question if he is posting personally or because of his position. So be it. But also, so what?
But keep posting the line of argument if it makes you feel better. I just don’t think it moves the needle any. Greg is still going to post. Hopefully you will too.
The sun will rise, the sun will set, and we’ll all have lunch sometime.
Greg,
Since you say and/or imply that I am a “climate change denier”, I feel there needs to be some clarification.
I don’t deny that the climate changes. It has been doing that on planet earth, up and down, for eons — since its creation (e.g., do some research on warm weather periods during the middle ages when certain agriculture occurred in northern European areas not now possible due to current cooler temperatures).
For the sake of further clarification, I’ll even assume humankind currently may be, to some more or less degree, a factor in that climate change. What I primarily take issue with is, given the earth’s human population and the degree of modern development, the notion that we can somehow curtail modern civilization at this time to the extent that there is no longer need for fossil fuel (wind mills and solar panels notwithstanding — which require considerable manufactured resources to construct and maintain) is a pipe dream and fraud on the American people. Even if there were some rise in sea level, it would be MUCH LESS costly to adjust our infrastructure and certain location of activities than do what would be required to reduce temperature to any significant degree. Moreover, according to recent study as reported in no less than even the Washington Post, “climate change could cost the U.S. up to 10.5 percent of its GDP by 2100” — COULD cost ONLY 10.5 percent of GDP by the year 2100!!! — that’s it folks, no big deal!
Having said the above, the ONE avenue to take if the climate change “existential catastrophe alarmists” honestly wanted to address the problem, they REJECT — namely, modern generation essentially fail safe nuclear power (which also consumes its own nuclear waste).
(In passing, I’ll just mention that Barack and Michelle Obama are not too concerned, having just purchased a $15 million beachfront estate on Martha’s Vineyard.)
Sounds to me like Paula is just exercising her first amendment rights. Good for her! We can all decide to agree or disagree.
Jim, you’ve mentioned this Obama talking point many times here (and it is a blog talking point). Have you looked at the property? The house isn’t exactly on the ocean. People don’t buy houses for 50-100 years, maybe 20 (or 30 if you are worried about resale value).
But that’s exactly the timeframe we have to be planning for, even if we accept your idea that we need to mitigate rather than prevent.
Is the point that you don’t think he believes in climate change? It’s pretty clear he does.
And there are plenty of influential people like Bill Gates who see nuclear power as an essential part of fighting climate change, and are putting lots of research money into safer technologies.
Mike, OK about the Obama estate (which I believe I only mentioned once before on V14). And glad to hear that Bill Gates is pushing nuclear power,
Regarding the substance of my comments, is there any disagreement, as you don’t mention any?
Homo Sapiens are cooked. An other animal species that over populates sooner or later self destructs. Rats studied in confined environments go crazy, they fight, they kill their young, become catatonic, and exhibit all kinds of extreme anti social behaviors.
How many are we now , 6,000,000,000 and still growing. We’re releasing carbon energy into the atmosphere over the past hundred years or so that took eons of years to be stored up in the form of coal, oils and gas. How could the climate not be affected ?
Food production is reaching limits as fertile soils are being exhausted. Clean fresh water is not sustainable.
The future of our children /grandchildren is really quite hopeless.
Let the developers fiddle while civilization burns. It’s game over. It’s not that we didn’t see this coming back in the 1960’s . Paul Erlich tried to warn us. The great environmentalist Al Gore had 5 or 6 kids. Remember the ZPG mantra. Only Mao who mandated 1 child per couple recognized and acted on the overpopulation problem. We are animals ( very clever ones at that), but the species future is cooked I’m afraid.
And before Paul Erlich there was Thomas Malthus. Both prescient.
Correction: its 7.7 Billion currently with expectations of over 10 + by 2100.
Jim said: “Regarding the substance of my comments, is there any disagreement, as you don’t mention any?”
I don’t mention any because that’s not the topic of this thread. 🙂
Pretty strong arguments can be made for development that even modestly reduces the relative number of car trips, reduces sprawl in the more distant suburbs, and provide stores and businesses in Newton so that people don’t travel as far to get to them.
Those are tangible goals that are both directly related to people’s neighborhood concerns and also to first steps in reducing carbon emissions regionally.
Just because Greg’s view are (as the write postulates) consistent with his view in his prior job does not mean that he doesn’t have a conflict of interests now.
In fact, those view are probably part of what attracted him to his current job heading the Needham/Newton Chamber of Commerce, and what attracted his employer to hire him. His job is to advocate for business and developers, not the community residents.
Greg has a clear conflict of interests on all development projects.
Coming back to the substance of the email, it’s the “lies” that I find fascinating. I don’t think anyone thinks there will be “no” impact on Needham Street. I think the question is whether we can build a project while also mitigating the traffic impact, or at least benefiting from it.
The shuttle buses and nearby shopping help mitigate that. A person living there is likely to shop by foot or bike at either Stop & Shop or Baza. The restaurants will be used by people there without them getting into a car. That doesn’t mean there will be no cars and it doesn’t mean the people will never use a car.
There is no “perfect” solution.
@Abe Zoe – Having an interest isn’t the same as a conflict of interest.
Greg has always been transparent that he works for the Chamber of Commerce. If he offers an opinion about say the Northland project, its clear to all that his perspective may be filtered through that prism.
I don’t see it any differently than me, an Upper Falls resident, commenting on the Northland project. It’s clear to all that my proximity to the project may color my attitude towards it.
Neither of those are a conflict.
Much trickier are the Villag14 pseudonomynous posters. We have no way of knowing where their vested interests may lie. Even with that, people quickly figure out on their own how to weigh all different folks’ comments. If a new voice suddenly joins the conversation using a pseudonym, begins posting frequently and loudly on a single issue, most readers quickly begin discounting those comments …. until over time they come to trust that it’s not the disguised voice of a shill.
By all mean feel free to remind people of Greg’s Chamber connections if you like … but there’s nothing underhanded or conflicted about it.
Chuck – I think you are right: No Perfect Solultions. And I also think residents of Northland’s 850 apartments will elect to walk (in nice weather) to Baza and the small footprint Stop & Shop and eateries nearby. But, of course, they will also go to many other sites. If I understand the way the roads run, most of their trips will be via Needham Street to get to Newton Center, Rt 9, school drop off/pickups (and school sports events), social occasions, etc. I’m just not sure that Needham Street can handle that incremental traffic. And I don’t see how shuttles to T stops for commutes to Boston solve the issue of getting around locally. There may be no perfect solution, but it sure seems to me that there has to be a far better solution than changing the site zoning to allow such a huge number of residential units.
Jerry—I never said there is anything “underhanded” about Greg’s employment heading the Needham/Newton Chamber of Commerce. But it is a classic case of conflict of interests in this situation.
And if you (or Greg) ever want to point out that, as a long-standing (20+ year) resident of Newtonville, a homeowner and a senior citizen I have a vested self-interest in trying to protect and preserve my largest single life savings investment in my home, please feel free to have at it.
Guys, I think this is just about it for anonymous screen names. It poisons the discussion. If you can’t say something without skin in the game, then don’t say it.
@Patrick Moriarty- I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Seems fairly civil so far. The only pseudonymous comments are blueprint bill and fignewtonville both who are longtime contributors and haven’t said anything the least bit “poisonous”. What did I miss?
… although blueprint bill did get a bit carried away, and away from the topic at hand 😉
Jerry,
Just how off topic and carried away did I go when :
Mike Halle and Jim Epstein and others get into climate change , plans for sea level rising, nuclear power salvation, social justice, and bicycles ( in the snow or rain ), solving traffic problems.
We are a fossil fuel dependent civilization, and that includes automobiles. Let’s not keep our head in the sand and look for pie in the sky solutions.
@blueprintbill – yes, you’re right. Between climate change, rising sea levels, etc, this thread has drifted pretty far afield “Odd flyer in my mailbox”
@abe what I find amusing about your concern around the buses is that the original proposal called for a circulator bus that would move people through Newton. Also, by working with the 128 Business Council there is a chance to create more of a “system” of buses that would move people throughout the 128 belt. Also, I believe the buses aren’t just for commuting but are going to run regularly.
The catch is that by whittling away at the scale and scope we also whittled away at the benefits. There is a point in which the project becomes small enough that we lose the bus system and then people are back to relying on cars.
There’s also an assumption you make when you say “in nice weather.” Hang out in Somerville in January and February, you find a lot of people walking and biking even when there is snow on the ground and a bitter wind in their face. It’s not for everyone, but it works for enough people that if the environment itself is inviting enough, they’ll do it.
Side note: I find it hilarious when people tell me that biking or walking in the wintertime is absolutely crazy because it’s so cold, then they drive to their ski house and spend all weekend outside.
Chuck,
“Circulator bus that would move people through Newton” sounds like the old Nexus.
And those of us here then and watching, all know how that turned out!
These ‘system of buses’ are only going to add to the traffic. Too many routes would be needed to make them useful — and mere circulator, well again, we know how Nexus turned out (I well remember sitting behind those dirty and smelly nearly if not totally empty Nexus buses, waiting in traffic).
@jerry I received the same thing and felt like a Trumpian fear driven propaganda campaign had just dropped. I think our community is better than this-we are critical thinkers who have the ability to use data to drive an argument, not emotional over-statements. I just think we should all at least agree to be truthful the next time we try to scare someone into action.
Claudia, I agree with your idea: independent of which side we are on an issue, it is important for everyone to have access to real information that we can debate fairly and with respect. Conversations get better, decisions get better, when they are grounded by facts and anchored by empathy.
As others have said, people have a right to speak their minds. They have a right to speak their fears as well as their hopes. Keeping those fears inside doesn’t help anything either. I always learn a lot by listening to people’s fears. But we should try to mitigate those fears by understanding them, addressing root causes and correcting misperceptions.
People have their own takes on things, and they’ll interpret facts differently. They’ll weigh opinions differently. Be skeptical of different sources of information. They’ll project into the future differently. And they may have very different views of what they want that future to be.
We need to get to a civic discussion where we can disagree and still respect. Where we can question but still trust. Where everything isn’t about selfishness, incompetence, or ulterior motives. Where skepticism doesn’t mean “lies”. Where we acknowledge that anyone can have a good idea. Where we try to make things better when they’re broken, and identify things that aren’t right in order to fix them, not just to ‘”win”.
There are more paths to a better life than through outrage.
‘Anger in the face of injustice is love.’
‘Hyperbole in the face of constructive debate is unhelpful.’
https://www.ft.com/content/008fa4e2-0752-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71
I don’t know Paula well but in the short time we’ve met and chatted, she’s a very nice lady.
While not everyone agrees with her mailing, one thing is clear – she is frustrated that her concerns (and neighbors who share her concerns) are being effectively ignored by their elected representatives.
It’s also probably why both Crossley and Downs were not mentioned – their opinions in prior Land Use Committee meetings have many in Ward 5 feeling these two have gone way too far down the Pro-Northland track to listen to their own constituents.
Finally, while Rena Getz lost Ward 5 by less than 50 votes, the Upper Falls precinct voted overwhelmingly for Rena. November will be interesting in Ward 5!
“Side note: I find it hilarious when people tell me that biking or walking in the wintertime is absolutely crazy because it’s so cold, then they drive to their ski house and spend all weekend outside.”
Not me. Don’t ski, hate the cold. Rather, I hate the rainy New England cold. I grew up in the crisp dry, sunny, SNOWY cold of Syracuse, NY. Big difference between crisp cold and rainy yucky cold of the coast. I can tolerate the former.
This project is the worst of all the proposed projects in Newton. No one I know even goes to Needham Street anymore. It is a traffic, car, pedestrian, bicyclists nightmare. I don’t frankly understand how the project has gotten this far. From where I sit, many of the City of Newton Councilors are listening to their constituents and then going ahead and voting based on their own personal agenda and a “posse” mentality.
@Mike Halle: translation: sometimes outrage is the most appropriate response.
Pat: I think we have to get to the root of why “sometimes” seems to be “most of the time” in Newton.
Let me choose on specific issue: traffic impacts induced by residential units. Look at the Mews apartments in Watertown, across from Russo’s. About 250 units. No great transit, so most people drive. Two lane road. Yet, Russo’s has by far the biggest traffic impact (which usually consists of transient backups behind left turning vehicles).
Look at the Fenway. A staggering number of stores and residential units have been adding in the last ten years, all with parking. Yet traffic hasn’t changed much over the years: backups occur at rush hours and there’s horrible traffic at game time (in part because of heavy pedestrian traffic and people looking for parking). Sure, there’s good transit and walking, but that’s offset by a scale so far beyond anything that will happen in Newton.
I’m not discounting the other impacts of housing, and I’m not saying that these results are obvious. But we can see for our own eyes how residential traffic doesn’t have the kind of impact that you’d logically expect it would in places very near to Newton. You don’t have to believe: you can verify.
That beats outrage.
Another traffic example: Towers at Chestnut Hill. 423 units. Some transit. Main driveway shared by a medium sized mall.
Where’s the traffic jam?