One of the NIMBY refrains is that those of us who would like to see increased density in Newton are trying to turn Newton into something else. I’ve heard people derisively use cities like Chelsea, Lawrence and Lynn. Sometimes Brookline and Cambridge come up.
But a glitch in the matrix this week created an accidental map that overlayed Newton’s borders on the City of Boston. It’s an interesting mind game to help us think about how much land we have and how that same land is used differently by different municipalities. I’m sure you could overlay the map of Newton on a community in the western part of the state and see something completely different.
Just a bit of food for thought. And cue the shouts of people accusing me of wanting to turn Newton into Boston… or that I should go live in Somerville.
Nope, you’re right and it bugs me to no end that we haven’t built Newton Center up to at least 5 stories. There are denser places with less transit across the state. We need to do our part
What is this trying to prove, exactly? I agree with developing Newton but you could put this over Wyoming and have it be open land. So what?
Now overlay a map of Weston – also on the commuter rail and close to Boston.
All local towns can do something, but when are towns like Weston going to step up?
Weston residents just orchestrated a highly-coordinated, highly-funded PR campaign to stop the construction of about 200 units of dense housing. Olympic-level opposition. Google “Weston Whopper”. NIMBY’s basically reduced the apartmdnt complex to what they purported would be apocalyptic quantities of traffic and free-flowing sewage.
Now this is NIMBY fear-mongering …in the extreme!
While many in Newton are pushing for some moderation in development, almost no one wants a total freeze on development like Weston.
We should stop cajoling the development cautious in Newton….it could be far far worse. It could be Weston.
NIMBY SHIMBY. Newton needs more trees planted, not more housing constructed. Newton’s natural environment is finite. Why not focus on more housing for birds.
Bulldoze it all and allow the natural woodland to come back and flourish
Chuck
My neighborhood already has apartments,low income housing ( large buildings across from ho Mann ) multi family and the joy of the mass pike for as long as I’ve lived here. When you call the mayor NIMBY – on this v14 site, by name, for living in a 7000 sq ft house, in a single family area – then you can call the residents of nville NIMBY. Until then, free speech aside, I would ask you to refrain from such nonsense.
Here we go again. Yawn. Chuck, you should be working for the Principle Group (who ‘revitalized’ Union square (yes) Somerville). Kudos to the activists in Weston! We should be so lucky. :/
Newton is NIMBY at its finest, but not in the way that Chuck and his cohorts refer.
Density (Northland NND) is good, unless it’s in *MY* backyard, ie the Mayor’s 7,000 sq ft home , and the fact that none of the Ward 5 Councilors actually live in Upper Falls.
Sad but true.
I believe the Mayor sent a note recently about a residential tower that is part of the Chestnut Hill Square project. If you want to argue that it isn’t in her backyard since it’s on the other side of Route 9, I would agree with you. But by that same logic, most of the Lower Falls is also distant from Riverside, yet regularly commented that it’s right in their neighborhood.
@Matt Lai – Councilor Crossley lives on Circuit Ave in Upper Falls. Besides, parts of the Highlands are closer to the Northland project than your Upper Falls house or my Upper Falls house.
Really what this whole argument about is a disguised form of class distinction.
I will refrain from using class warfare.
Except, it has gotten to the stage where many of us on the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak, in the already dense neighborhoods are highly educated and in some cases have more disposable assets than those in Newton center or chestnut hill, who may be highly leveraged in their affluent lifestyles.
So, it’s not the 50s any more. Their are plenty of people with political experience in advocating for their positions now living on the north side. And money to back it up. I think that If elections have consequences, as they say, and the re-election of councilor norton and the election of Councilor Malakie speak volumes to that.
And when people in already dense neighborhoods are called NIMBY, we will hold up mirrors and say ok Newton Center, Waban, chestnut hill, west newton hill, take a good look in the mirror. Because that’s you. and your SUVs.
I don’t see the Julia Malakie election in the same light. She has spent years building her personal brand in Ward 3 and has run before. Her name recognition locally was high and many have interacted with her personally.
Her brand, especially around trees and tree advocacy, is very strong. I think she would have won even without the current development climate.
@jerry, actions speak louder than words. Despite strong opposition to NND (primary from the Upper Falls community) she has not shown much empathy on the matter, and if you ask me, she considers herself more Highlands than Upper Falls – particularly given her active participation in the Highlands listserv as I am told.