According to the Newton TAB: “Bill Roesner of RightSize Newton was collecting signatures for a referendum on the proposed 800-unit Northland development project on Needham Street when he said City Councilor Brenda Noel told him, ’You shouldn’t be here, Bill.” The Newton City Council recently approved the project. “
Read more here.
I am disappointed that the Ms. Noel told the store she wouldn’t frequent it if there were people asking for signatures. 🙁 Our democratic process is important to maintain, and in order to get on the ballot you need signatures. I am often asked at the Library during election season to sign things.
BREAKING NEWS: Nonsensical, absurd “article” in the Tab inaccurately amplified on V14.
According to Councilor Noel, she didn’t say it was illegal. The “article” does not say that Noel said it was illegal. The only information that the “article” contains is that a signature collector felt confronted in a hostile manner. That is not news.
Please delete this…we need to be on the same side of fighting misinformation and amplification of fake and non-news.
The link doesn’t work, which is all the better for this “news story”.
After seeing Roesner collecting signatures, Noel said, “I told the manager that I buy my lunch there every day and I would no longer be buying my lunch there if I would be accosted by an anti-housing advocate every day when I walked in the store,” Noel wrote in the email. “I have subsequently learned it is within [RightSize Newton’s] rights to gather signatures at the door at Whole Foods … which I completely respect and support.”
It concerns me that Ms Noel thinks that the Right Side Newton group is “anti-housing”. Nothing could be further than the truth. It doesn’t take into account the myriad of reasons why people might oppose massive development here in Newton,
@Lisa Right Size has consistently asked to make projects smaller, thereby eliminating housing. Law of transitive property and all that…
I am a great supporter of Councilor Noel and certainly don’t expect perfection in our elected officials. That being said, she should have known that collecting signatures at supermarkets is common, not just in Newton, but all over the country.
As one who’s been in the shoes of the signature collector and had councilors and school committee members publicly express serious anger toward me, misstate my intentions, and demean my good name, I feel qualified in saying that city councilors should set the standard for good civic behavior. When they don’t, they empower people to do completely unacceptable things to others in the community.
I say this as a supporter of the Northland development.
Ward 6(the councilors ward) has a 3.2 units per acre density next to the T. Its a pretty shameful number for ward 6.
Perhaps the ward 6 councilors would prominently present a plan on their website to AT least double that number at ward 6 before pushing it onto someone elses backyard.
At 3.2 with no written proposal to increase it… thats anti-housing
I hope that Councilor Noel will apologize to Mr. Roesner and especially to the Manager of the store she shops at so frequently. She clearly overreacted and I am surprised that she has not experienced people asking for signatures at that store in the past. I go there with far less frequency and have signed many documents-including those to help people get on the ballot. I find people calling other people “anti-housing” very upsetting” and the ability to have a petition to get a referendum the epitome of democracy although some are stating that the petition is undemocratic. I am neither pro or con Northland by the way.
Geepers. Considering all the news the TAB doesn’t cover (this for example), it’s hard to fathom how it was decided to cover this.
Basically we have one person saying one thing happened and a different person saying another. No witnesses. No Independent verification. No comment from Whole Foods.
Now in this highly charged political climate that we live in, we’ll have one group of people siding with the first person and another siding with the second, depending entirely on which set of facts conform to your political goals.
But that doesn’t excuse the inexcusable, which is the lack of any actual journalism here.
I feel that City Councilor Noel owes an apology for having summarily and publicly labeled many of her constituents “anti housing” simply because they are not in favor of the density of citywide or Northland site housing which the Councilor advocates, or are members of any organization such as Right Size Newton advocating less density in housing than the Councilor would like.
I am making this request in earnest, and Village 14 is the perfect forum for Councilor Noel to do this.
@Jim: Leaving Right Size aside for a moment, we know for certain that Bill Roesner is anti-housing. He’s written dozens (hundreds?) of comments here and elsewhere, typically mocking anyone who articulates a pro-growth view. His anti-housing position is indisputable.
Lisa – Right size is Anti-Housing. All their proposal reduce housing.
I live in Ward 6 and would welcome denser development in Newton Centre, especially building up on top of the single story shops (Johnny’s, Walgreens, DD etc.) with parking lots behind them.
@Lucia — Ditto for Newton Highlands village, currently a pretty sad and empty place.
Greg,
Leaving Bill Roesner aside for a moment, Councilor Noel’s statement was directed or implicitly directed at Right Size Newton, especially, as reported in the TAB, the Councilor stated in connection with her “anti-housing” statement: “I have subsequently learned it is within [RightSize Newton’s] rights to gather signatures at the door at Whole Foods…”
Again, Village 14 is the perfect forum for Councilor Noel to clear this up.
@Jim: How do you know that? There were no witnesses. No comment from Whole Foods. If this isn’t fake news, it is certainly unsubstantiated news. All we know for certain is that we don’t know jack about what happened.
As for Right Size, we know a lot. We know that they haven’t supported anything yet. I’m sure some members of their coalition support modest housing but clearly its loudest voices — like Bill — don’t.
And as they say, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, guess what?
Lucia and John White (and Greg),
According to the online Right Size mission statement, in terms of housing, the organization is merely against “developments [which] would transform Newton from a collection of unique villages into a series of dense, urban enclaves. Along with increased density, these developments will bring more traffic congestion, strain city finances and schools, and in fact change the very nature of Newton.
RightSize Newton’s philosophy is summarized by board member Leon Schwartz: “We are not anti-development! We favor smart, properly-scaled development in Newton.””
Greg,
OK, you do acknowledge Right Size support for what you term “modest housing” or what Right Size terms “smart, properly-scaled” housing.
And as I said, if there’s any question as to what Councilor Noel stated exactly in connection with her reported “anti-housing” label, “Village 14 is the perfect forum for Councilor Noel to clear this up.”
Jim, i don’t speak for Right Size and as far as I know you don’t either. But I do believe actions speak louder than words so I’m now going to ignore your “non spokesman” words and base my perception on what I see.
I’m done debating this with you. Have a great day.
I don’t think Councilor Noel has any obligation to respond to reporting that can’t be substantiated. The onus is on the Tab to prove that the story is accurate, not the councilor.
@Amy –
Originally, i was supportive of the Northland project. I told Deb Crossley that when i spoke to her the other day. I just got home from shopping at Whole Foods where i ran into a genial, pleasant, not at all angry gentleman who was seeking signatures for Right Sized Newton, My guess is this individual was Bill Roesner. Tired of the reprehensible, incessant drum beating on V14, NextDoor Newton, the Newton TAB, and on various social media outlets for the project by the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce, various city councilors, Greg Reibman, Sean Roche, and yes, even Deb Crossley, i was already giving this project a second look. Mind you, this second look had nothing to do with the project itself but rather the behavior and obnoxiousness of the people supporting it. Some people will tune you out if your message becomes overbearing, others like myself will
punish you for the abuse. With some hesitation, i signed the Right Sized form. After
reading about the bad behavior here by councilor Noel, i am not only no longer feeling hesitant, i’m feeling quite happy i signed that form.
Gail,
Well, NewtonMom says above, per the TAB, “Noel said, “I told the manager that I buy my lunch there every day and I would no longer be buying my lunch there if I would be accosted by an anti-housing advocate every day when I walked in the store,” Noel wrote in the email.”
I guess proof would be in the cited email, wouldn’t it?
Anyway, you’re right, Councilor Noel has no legal or other obligation, it was merely a request of her. She can elect to ignore it if she prefers.
Greg,
OK you have a great day too! This (“ignoring my words”) is becoming routine for you at the precise point where it seems you’re unable further to muster a substantive statement on the point raised.
@Rhanna says: “According to Councilor Noel, she didn’t say it was illegal.”
@Tab says: “In an emailed response to the Tab on Tuesday, Noel said, ‘I did not know at the time that legally what [Roesner] was doing was not solicitation.'”
@Greg and @Rhanna — Are you accusing the Tab journalist of creating “fake news” by falsifying a quote from an email statement from Councilor Noel?
At time she thought it was illegal and intervened with a local business to stop it. Now she knows it wasn’t. She admits that. No hearsay, inconsistency, or need for witnesses to the event.
Actually Jack, I’m going by this line from the article which clearly reads…
@Chuck: “@Lisa Right Size has consistently asked to make projects smaller, thereby eliminating housing. Law of transitive property and all that…”
“I also served, as a strong voice, for the neighborhood in a Commonwealth Avenue project initiated by B’nai B’rith, a non-profit developer of affordable housing. My efforts reduced the project from the initial ten-story plan to four stories, while creating affordable and modestly priced housing. My work involved negotiating with the neighbors and developer to redesign the project to fit the scale of the local neighborhood while also making the economics work for the non-profit developer.” – https://ruthannefuller.com/ruthannes-experience/
@Amy. Key word is “consistently.”
“I joined my local civic association (the Chestnut Hill Association), where I worked with residents, businesses, and the aldermen and city bodies like the conservation commission and the community preservation committee to provide connections among our neighbors and preserve our neighborhood. As President from 2004-2010, I helped shape projects along Route 9 at both the lower and upper areas of the Chestnut Hill Mall, and at Boston College to create traffic and parking plans that worked for residents, businesses, and BC’s, employees and students. ” https://ruthannefuller.com/ruthannes-experience/
Note the new residential tower underway that was agreed to early on.
This isn’t to say that Chestnut Hill is, in any way, an example of density.
Oh right! I forgot how active the Chestnut Hill Association was in reducing the number of housing units at that development. Wasn’t that the same location that the Aldermen were trying to zone as PMBD?
@Greg — it seems she didn’t tell the canvasser it was illegal but instead told the manager it was illegal and demanded intervention. Otherwise no need for her statement?
My point exactly Jack, we shouldn’t need to read the tea leaves here. As I said earlier we don’t have enough information to know. There are no witnesses. Nothing from Whole Foods.
So everyone is going to decide what they think is true based on their own desired interpretation.
Truth is we don’t know because there’s insufficient reporting to justify publishing this article.
@Greg: “As for Right Size, we know a lot. We know that they haven’t supported anything yet” Weren’t they the ones who put forth a zoning proposal to allow for significant development of the Riverside MBTA Station that will create up to 600 units of housing that the Mayor, City Council and developer support?
Are we really questioning the Tab’s journalistic integrity….here on V14??
PS. I don’t think people would be as fired up about this, if the Councilor hasn’t consistently branded herself as the, “social worker that wants to help people”, especially on the night of the Northland vote.
You may or may not support this petition drive, but I have to be impressed that the petitioners secured more than 4,000 signatures in such a short period of time. This was during a two week period that saw some of the most horrid December weather I can recall — ice, snow, freezing rain, huge mounds of slush, sharp and frigid winds, and where the pending Winter Solstice meant there was precious little daylight in which to operate. I was doubtful they could pull this off, but they did.
I just learned from a friend that Right Size petitioners have actually collected more than 4800 signatures.
@ Matt Lai, ..Or MY integrity !
As a former 24 year serving member of the Newton Historical Commission, a passionate preservationist, and an advocate for the maintenance of naturally affordable housing here in Newton , I’m here to tell you that I was told that the solicitation of signatures on storefront property was ILLEGAL, by a city lawmaker.
I didn’t argue with her, ( I’m not a lawyer ), left the location, reported the situation and returned the following day at about the same time to be told by the store manager ( not yesterday’s Assistant manager ), that there was no problem being there, but not to stand at the stores entrance, but at its exit.
From 2008 until 2018 I lived in a beautiful 1912 gothic revival cottage standing on a corner lot, zoned 2 family, in Waban. During that period I watched unbridled teardowns on 8 properties ( twelve units of naturally affordable housing), all within 200 feet of my home. Given overly generous zoning regulations city wide, developers replaced this housing with 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 million dollar, Mc Mansionized units.
Yes I am a proud NIMBY ! I’m also a founding member of the NVA ! And a concerned citizen / architect for the preservation of the design fabric and architectural character of my adopted city of the past 45 years.
Given my recent marriage, the combination of two households, and all of the sweat equity invested in my Waban property I couldn’t bear to see it become the 9th teardown there, upon it’s sale. So I designed a Newton Historical Society award winning, attached 2nd unit and selling both to find myself able to call myself, in my dotage, a “Developer”as well.
Newton is currently undergoing a real estate development assault I believe is compromising the character of the city we have invested in. The Northland project in particular is not the “Right Size”, and so being, I will continue to gather signatures, at Whole Foods, in an effort to record the feelings of my fellow citizens for the duration of this campaign.
Standing by and taking cover for incoming, which I will not be responding to.
Are people who are in favor of family planning anti child?
Only economists and tumors think that growth without limits is a good thing.
It seems the Wicked-Local/Tab has become a public relations site for anything that most any Newton resident can use to profer their side of controversial issues – with very little journalism included.
The Title of the Tab article is “Resident: Newton Councilor Noel said signature gathering at store is ‘illegal.’ It wasn’t.” Obviously a resident, Bill Roesner, perhaps persuaded by members of RightSize including Amy Sangiolo, reached out to Julie Cohen asking for this non-incident to be in the Tab. She shouldn’t have listened.
What followed was a mid mash of he said she said arguments. It started with Bill Roesner saying that Councilor Noel said he shouldn’t be there – which she corroborates.
And morphs into members, including attorney Kovacs, of Right Size claiming that Councilor Noel’s words and actions were “reprehensible and unacceptable,” all because she told a manager at Whole Foods, who declined to comment, that Bill’s signature gathering was solicitation which is illegal while just telling Bill that he shouldn’t be there.
When she acknowledged her error, Noel said RightSize Newton has a “responsibility to be honest and transparent with not only the folks at Whole Foods about what they are doing but from the individuals they are gathering signatures.” This statement leads to a supposition that, as I and others have seen and heard, that Right Size is either misleading its signature gatherers or is fine with lying about what the signatures are for.
If anyone should be apologizing, it’s Right Size and it’s members for their tactics used to attempt to overturn the vote by a supermajority of our elected officials to allow Northland to add among other things housing, commercial and 10 acres of parkland to a blighted area of Newton and refurbish the old mill on its property instead of tearing it down.
So much hyperbole in two sentences. There’s been months of careful planning, adjustments and limits imposed on this project.
Greg,
That’s why it’s more than a shame that you refused to consider or support the one extra step, as I explained, in the window between City Council vote and referendum signature submission — in order to preserve the project likely entailing only modest further modification.
The fact of the matter is that Noel never said it was “illegal,” she said something else. Whether you agree with her or not – is irrelevant to me.
When you publish something in quotes it indicates it is a direct quote/verbatim what that person said! Journalists know this. Recently, I was interviewed in a Globe article. They called me to confirm the quote was correct before putting it in quotes. As a former journalist and grammar geek, I’m disappointed *again* in the Tab, but that ship sailed on election week, didn’t it?
@Greg I wasn’t limiting my statements to Northland. Just pointing out that economists have been slow to realize the cost of “externalities” such as pollution etc. caused by economic growth.
The term “anti-housing”, which gets used here frequently, is the most common hyperbole of them all.
@Marti: I had nothing to do with the article and have not spoken with Julie Cohen in months. I’ve been busy – having gone down to the border to interview detained children, working with Legal Permanent Residents through their naturalization process, and working on Boston City Councilor, Julia Mejia’s recount. Oh – and doing my most excellent newsletter!
The bottom line here is the petitioners have every right to get this on the ballot. Greg Reibman as the Chamber President and the voice of Village 14 has every right to advocate for more development. It would be helpful for Greg to let the readers know if his stand is his own position or is he speaking for the Chamber.
What BlueprintBill said. Greed is killing our city. Those of us who haven’t drunk the punch have no trouble seeing it. 21st century gold Rush fever in a nutshell. :/
Unless the councilor identified herself to the Whole Foods Manager as a ‘councilor’ rather than a private citizen, there’s really not much more to talk about here..
.. other than the councilor is PRO housing density in everyone ELSES backyard except for her own. Please point me to where her website is advocating density in Newton Centre by at least double digits… The text book definition of Not In My Back Yard.