Councilor Malakie questions seeking LGBTQ opinions on zoning
In an effort to solicit public input about the future of village centers, the Planning Department has been reaching out to groups that aren’t typically asked their opinions on municipal matters. Groups include high school students, people with disabilities, the...The Gun Store Debate Continues; Accusations of sexism on city council
Last night’s city council meeting took an interesting turn when the city council split on how strong to make the zoning ordinance. On one side are a group of councilors who believe that there is a chance that we can entirely prohibit gun stores and want to hold...
Globe Editorial Board: Tear down this paper wall, Newton
Read the full op-ed here. Now, as they begin crafting broader changes to the city’s housing rules, Newton’s leaders ought to take the March referendum results as a bellwether of a heartening shift: The longstanding consensus against denser, more affordable housing in...
‘Housing Zoning reform will test white support for Black lives’
The Globe Ideas Section story’s headline is “Housing will test white support for Black lives” and it includes multiple references to Newton, even a photo of a “Right Size Newton” sign.
But for Newton, the headline might as well read: “Zoning reform will test white support for Black lives.”
Increasing the housing supply for Black Americans would be one of the quickest and most effective ways to bring about a more just society. Even now, the legacies of

BU professors take Newton to task
The Boston University professors whose research found that most people who come to public hearings to oppose new housing tend to skew older, whiter, and more conservative than the overall city or town they’re in, took Newton to task in a Boston Globe op-ed this...Building Green – Two New Ordinances
Mayor Fuller released this via her email newsletter on Wednesday. Building Green in Newton Two new “building energy efficiency” ordinances will help make Newton greener. The City Council passed the new ordinances on Monday. One ordinance allows homeowners and...City Council approves Washington Street Vision Plan
In its final act of its 2018-19 term, the Newton City Council approved the Washington Street Vision Plan by a 17-6 vote Monday. The plan allows for buildings in some limited locations to potentially be up to six stories high. But its important to note that is just a...
Turning Newton into Boston… or Boston into Newton
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. ...VIDEO: Watch NewTV’s election night interview with Mayor Fuller here
NewTV’s election night coverage Tuesday began with a wide ranging interview with Mayor Ruthanne Fuller where she discussed Webster Woods, NewCAL, Newton Power Choice, Northland, Riverside and other developments (including breaking news about a residential tower at Chestnut Hill Square) and zoning (along with what types of development projects might be proposed in the future).
This same video also includes interviews with Gail Spector and a BU student journalist, School Committee member Steve Siegel, City Council President Marc Laredo and Councilor Cheryl Lappin, following by election results and analysis.
Newtonville resident discovers what became of an old factory near her home
Newtonville resident Amy Dain wondered whatever happened to an old factory in her neighborhood.
The abandoned factory of my childhood memories was not like nineteenth century riverfront factories, brick splendor punctuated by regular windows. It was also no concrete box of the modern era. It was all murky glass, pre-modern, ghostly. I recall no signs on the building, no indication of what was fabricated within. It was so out of place that I questioned if I had made it up. Google proved useless to answer.
What Dain discovered as she tried to find out what happened unearthed a public debate — and zoning decisions — that sound familiar today.
Newton needed to decide what could replace the factory, on the park, next to an excellent elementary school, and a short walk to CVS and the commuter rail. One suggestion was