by Amy Sangiolo | Mar 15, 2019 | Newton, zoning |
According to a letter sent to the City Council, the Mayor, with the input of Planning Director, Barney Heath, Council President Marc Laredo, and Zoning and Planning Chair, Susan Albright, has decided to “extend the time of delivery of a final draft zoning ordinance to the City Council to the calendar year 2020.
“My decision was made for two reasons. First, we recently concluded the 1st draft Zoning Redesign ward-by-ward meetings and listened carefully;we know we have considerable work to do on the second draft to ensure we have the
by Greg Reibman | Nov 4, 2018 | City Council, Newton, recreational marijuana, zoning |
Newton City Councilor Susan Albright, who is chair of the council’s Zoning & Planning committee, had some enlightening comments on an earlier thread about the research she conducted in her role as chair of the committee charged with determining where adult use recreational marijuana shops could locate, if Newton voters reject the Opt-Out referendum Tuesday. It seemed interesting and timely, so I republishing most of it here. I have talked to many people from states that currently allow adult use. I asked one woman in the Dept of Public Health in Oregon (whom I had called to find data on teenage use) whether there was an adult use shop in her town. She said yes – I asked her what happened there, was she scared to go there? Were there kids hanging around? Were the police frequently called? Was there Trouble with a capital T that rhymes with P that stands for Pool? (sorry I didn’t ask her about Pool). I wanted to get a sense for how she felt about this shop. She said she never went there but it was totally quiet and caused no problems in the town. I got similar answers from whomever i called, including the son of one of my Tufts college friends who works in one in Denver.
I imagine this is what life was like when they were deciding to prohibit liquor. The prohibitionists scared the public that liquor was the foundation of all our problems and the ruination of society – hence we got prohibition. And then had it undone years later.
Our marijuana zoning ordinance was done with care to protect our citizens and to put a store – which is what an adult use shop is – in a place where it was appropriate.
by Greg Reibman | Oct 30, 2018 | Newton, recreational marijuana, zoning |
Often lost in the debate over whether or not adult-use recreational marijuana shops should operate in Newton is the fact that there aren’t very many properties where these stores can exist under the city’s proposed zoning.
Yes, I know zoning deliberations make most people’s heads ache. Mine included. But, if you have not yet dug into this, it’s worth understanding.
The first thing you need to know is that you should not expect to find these adult-only shops in Newton’s village centers. The next thing you should know is that under state law, consuming cannabis inside or in front of one of these stores is a crime.
Unlike liquor stores, which of course exist in our village centers, these shops will have bunker-like exteriors, intense security and state-mandated safeguards. You must show an ID before you’re allowed to enter a secure showroom. You must show it again when you
by Marti Bowen | Oct 9, 2018 | Newton, recreational marijuana |
There are misleading ads and literature circulating about where retail adult-use marijuana retail stores may be sited in Newton. There are only a few sites that have been approved by Zoning and Planning for the Planning Department....
by village14 | Sep 25, 2016 | 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... by Greg Reibman | Jul 20, 2016 | Newton |
While setbacks and square footage and other factors are points of concern in any discussion regarding teardowns, a group in Needham has decided to focus on just one: Height. The Needham Times report is here.
by Jerry Reilly | Apr 13, 2015 | Newton |
For most people it’s been percolating along in the background, probably under the radar of 99% of residents, but the draft of the Zoning Reform Phase 1 Zoning Ordinance, which was intended to be a re-codification and clarification of current rules, is now...
by Jerry Reilly | Dec 18, 2014 | Auburndale, development |
UPDATE AT BOTTOM Or perhaps I should say the clock is being run out. Tonight at 7pm in the Aldermanic Chambers, the Zoning Board of Appeals resumes its public hearing on the 135-unit apartment building proposed for 70 Rowe Street. As I noted in a previous post before...
