Priorities
Zoning Redesign
The City Council is considering significant changes to Newton’s zoning code. An early proposal would have eliminated single family only zoning, and allowed multi-unit housing in all areas of the City. I do not support this change, as it would not create more affordable housing. Currently over 70% of our residential lots are in single-family-only zones. Unless we attach conditions to new construction to require a certain amount of affordability, we know what will happen because it’s happening already: developers buy older homes for $800,000, tear them down, and build new 2-family homes in their place, selling them for $1.5 million or more per unit. That would increase tear-downs, and expensive housing, but it would not increase affordable housing.
Zoning lays out rules for our built environment, and thus strongly affects our neighborhoods, village centers, business areas, open space and more. If done right, we can make changes that incentivize more affordable housing, fewer teardowns, more open space, and climate resilience. But the devil is in the details. If elected I will be supportive of zoning that requires new construction to be more environmentally sustainable; that increases the amount of housing affordable to low and moderate income families and individuals; and that offers opportunities for home-ownership. I will also insist that we listen to what residents want, because ultimately our City belongs to all of us, so we should all have a say. As the 2011 Newton Comprehensive Plan put it, “Development is to be guided to reflect the character held or sought by existing residential neighborhoods, protecting the qualities of that which exists.” In fact I believe any significant change to citywide zoning should be put to all the voters to ensure there is community buy-in.
Affordable Housing
Newton is increasingly unaffordable to people of low and moderate means, particularly when it comes to buying a home. I was able to move to Newton because of the affordable housing that already exists, and in fact I am still renting the same apartment I moved to in 2009. If we want Newton to be welcoming to people of all income levels, we need to ensure we protect the existing affordable housing that is already here, and create more affordable options, particularly in terms of home ownership.
Partner with nonprofit affordable housing organizations to develop all-affordable projects on municipal land such as parking lots. The Austin Street project has shown that we can have developments over parking lots while maintaining public parking. The Austin Street project went to a private developer - if instead we partner with nonprofits, we will achieve more affordable units.
Require larger developers to increase the percentage of affordable units in their projects.
Expand accessory apartment ordinance to allow detached dwellings by right, such as garages and carriage houses.
Demand private developers create more opportunities for home ownership, rather than the rental-only developments we see them build.
Work with landlords to incentivize them to maintain existing naturally affordable housing, which exists today in many parts of the city such as Newtonville, Nonantum, Lower Falls and West Newton.
Environment
The science is clear: we are in a climate crisis. Newton has a well earned reputation as an environmental leader: an early adopter of the stretch energy code, and with the Newton Power Choice program, which powers Newton with more renewable energy than any other municipality in the Commonwealth. But there is so much more we can and must do. For example, the Newton City Council approved an ambitious Climate Action Plan, but now we must turn that plan into action. I will be a champion for making it easier for homeowners and renters to heat and power their homes and cars with clean energy rather than dirty, polluting fossil fuels, and also switch to electric bikes and cars rather than gasoline-powered vehicles. I will advocate for investments in our parks and green spaces in all areas of our City so that residents of all income levels have access to nature, which has been even more important during the pandemic. I will also work to expand our tree canopy, particularly to reduce “heat island” effect in areas of the City with more asphalt. Low and moderate income residents currently have less access to green space and tree cover, and I will work to reverse this environmental inequity.
Racial Justice
It has been reassuring to see Newton residents demonstrate strong support for racial equity and the Black Lives Matter movement by posting lawn signs and joining marches. But there is so much more we can and must do. We must look at our hiring practices in all municipal departments and the school department and set ambitious goals, timelines and strategies to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. I welcomed the unanimous support of the City Council to create a police reform task force, and I look forward to their recommendations in early 2021.
We must expand affordable housing options, and design affordable housing lotteries to ensure those who have been systematically excluded for decades due to historical racism, can benefit. Simply creating more housing, without ensuring that the new units are affordable, will have minimal impact on increasing racial diversity. A recent report found that the average white household in Boston has a net worth of $250,000, a Black household has a net worth of $8, and a Dominican family has a net worth of zero. If we want more diversity, we must expand truly affordable housing.
Education
The pandemic has forced instruction to take place remotely for most of our students for many months. This has been incredibly stressful for students, parents, teachers and staff. I support taking whatever measures and/or investments are necessary to restore in-person instruction as soon as possible, while safeguarding the health of our teachers, staff and students. Twelve members of the City Council recently took the unusual step of sending a letter to the School Committee asking for more of a sense of urgency when it comes to bringing students back into school buildings, especially at the high school level, where students have been entirely remote since late March. I would have signed onto that letter. Other communities have found a way to restore in person instruction more quickly than Newton. With the incredible breadth of expertise within our community, I am confident we can find a way if we set our minds to it, especially as the school department has invested millions in upgrading our HVAC in our school buildings, and as we are seeing the increased availability of surveillance testing.
Once we get past the crisis of the pandemic, our school system still has many needs. While the School Committee has primary responsibility over the schools, the City Council plays an important fiscal role. I will be a strong supporter of investing in our school buildings and playgrounds so that our students and teachers have clean, safe, and modern facilities in which to teach and learn.
Transparency
I serve the residents of Newton, not special interest groups. As your City Councilor, I pledge to be informative and transparent. It is always challenging to follow what is happening with our city government, but this is especially true during the pandemic. I will prioritize keeping you updated on issues that affect you, such as the zoning redesign process. When I served on the Newtonville Area Council, I helped lead a survey about the Washington Street visioning effort that reached thousands of residents, because I am genuinely interested in your views. As your City Councilor, I will use email and office hours to ensure you are informed when it comes to decisions that affect you. I am running to be your voice on the Newton City Council!