Letter To The Editor: A Response To The Newton Zoning Question

NEWTON, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by Newton City Council President Susan Albright and Vice President Rick Lipof.

The letter which appeared in the Patch this week (Oct 14) regarding rezoning was more than just a little strange to many of us deeply involved in this issue. It was, in fact, totally disingenuous.

As everyone involved in this issue knows, the letter was nothing more than a slightly revised version of one sent to the entire Newton City Council by virtually the same group of people way back in September of 2020! It's up to others to guess why such a letter would suddenly be re-sent to the Patch just three weeks before the election.

What is important are the facts and the truth.

In 2020, the Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) spent a majority of the year both studying flaws in our current 1953 residential zoning as well as exploring ways to control the scale of new development as many feel many new homes are too big.

Ideas were floated to expand attainable housing options as well. What some Councilors not on ZAP "forgot" is that we don't vote on ideas - we consider them. Some ideas were repeated and advertised as though we were ready for a vote. Unfortunately, this led to fear about ideas on which there was no consensus let alone debate.

Some architects and building professionals helped the committee by testing and critiquing a range of ideas. Others wrote the earlier version of the Patch letter. It became clear to ZAP that much more study on a range of ideas was needed.

By December of 2020, a full 9 months ago, the committee voted unanimously to take the residential draft off the table, agreeing that it required more analysis. Simply put, and as the writers of this letter knew, there is no proposed rezoning before the City Council.

Since early 2021, ZAP focus has been on village center mixed-use and commercial districts while research on residential was ongoing. We are at the end of a five-month community engagement process to be discussed on Oct 25, after which ZAP will begin to discuss policy directions seeking to reinvigorate our villages.

Despite what the missive in the Patch implied, every issue, not just rezoning, has been and will be discussed, analyzed, and vetted in the public square. Any implication to the contrary does a disservice to all those who have labored tirelessly to see that all voices are heard and all viewpoints are considered.

Susan Albright, President Newton City Council
Rick Lipof, Vice President Newton City Council