Proposal would require all home builders to help create affordable homes
Mayor Warren’s Planning Department floated some ideas last month designed to create more affordable housing in Newton through changes to the city’s inclusionary zoning policies. I’m hardly an expert on zoning but will try to explain it as best I can. I hope others who know more about this will jump in, correct me and expand on this.
Under Newton’s current inclusionary zoning rules, when a developer builds a housing project of more than
Pattern Book – Phase 2 Zoning Reform
The draft of the Phase 2 Pattern Book for Newton’s Comprehensive Zoning Reform Initiative Is available. It’s an interesting read with a timeline of development growth in Newton over centuries, some great photos, lots of maps and a comprehensive analysis of...
Wells Ave 40b Proposal and the SJC
If you have a bit of time this is a worthwhile thing to watch. It’s the oral arguments in 135 Wells Avenue LLC v. Housing Appeals Committee. I found the questioning and discussion around the dual role of the City Council to be of interest. But there are great...State keeps saying Newton hasn’t met its 40B threshold. So why does the city keep claiming we have?
Various state agencies have continually determined that Newton has not met the 1.5 percent threshold that would provide a 40B exemption. So why does Mayor Warren’s Planning Department and ZBA continue to dispute that? Read Jonathan Dame’s latest story for Wicked Local Newton here.
Snout houses proposed for St. Philip Neri, ZBA this Thursday
The project at 1521 Beacon, listed in the Mayor’s housing plan as a target for medium/high density housing, has gone from the original 40B proposal with dozens of affordable units down to two homes and eight townhomes, only two of them affordable. This site was...
Do you ‘heart’ our current zoning?
Just weeks before our national election, one might have expected to see a lot of Hillary Clinton, or perhaps even Donald Trump, campaign buttons or signs at Newtonville Village Day on Sunday. And if not that, perhaps citizens campaigning for or against any of our...