Newton Corner Neighborhood Association
Meeting Agenda:
October 5, 2023 7:30–8:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89295885023?pwd=eFN6bkViSCsvMlk5VWR5bHMwNTFBUT09
Meeting ID: 892 9588 5023
Passcode: 692182
Greetings to all members of the Newton Corner Neighborhood Association!
I hope you’re enjoying the change of seasons. It’s hard to believe that Halloween is just around the corner.
Our meeting this month will provide important updates on issues that continue to matter to our community;
—Department of Transportation Study of Traffic Flow in Newton Corner
—Zoning Reforms; Newton Village Centers and the MBTA Communities Law
—Teacher Contract Negotiations
In addition to reports by our Ward 1 City Councilors, Alison Leary, Maria Scibelli-Greenberg, and John Oliver, we will be joined by Ward 7 Councilor Marc Laredo, Ward 1 School Committee representative Rajeev Parlikar and Michael Burtch, a teacher at Bigelow Middle School for the past 12 years.
We have a lot to pack into our hour-long meeting.
Since we always like to begin with good news, I have this to report. Let’s give a shout-out to Agi Deusa for creating a Facebook Page for the NCNA. She’ll be sending out invitations to all members. Please join, and also feel free to contact her with suggested links for our new page. This is a great way to get news out about us and issues of importance to our community. Thank you, Agi!
Issues of Importance:
1. Traffic:
Councilor Alison Leary has been involved with the Department of Transportation for several years and will help us set expectations for the upcoming DOT meeting on October 24, when the topic will again be: “Traffic signal and safety improvements at the Newton Corner.” Here is the Zoom link to information about that meeting:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdot-meeting-flyer-newton-102423/download
Notes from previous DOT meetings are available on our website: https://www.newtoncornerneighborhood.com/traffic
We will also have brief updates from two members of the community who have been involved with the DOT and have concerns about ongoing safety issues:
Nate Gibson will summarize his continued attempts to engage in dialogue with DOT representatives
(as we have been invited to do at each meeting).
Richard Belkin will highlight a particularly dangerous intersection that warrants DOT attention.
2. Zoning:
Councilor Maria Scibelli-Greenberg recently distributed a revised map of proposed zoning changes to Newton Corner. She will update us on what is happening with zoning and also address the progress made on the Community Garden project.
Councilor John Oliver has also been looking at the zoning issue. He will share his thoughts about moving forward with the city’s current proposals.
Councilor Marc Laredo recently sent out a September Newsletter in which he spoke about the importance of making data-driven decisions and his concerns with linking the MBTA Communities Act zones with the Village Center Overlay Districts.
3. Teacher Contract Negotiations:
We are fortunate to have two attendants directly involved with the ongoing teacher negotiation process. Rajeev Parlikar is the elected School Committee representative from Ward 1. Michael Burtch has been teaching at Bigelow Middle School for 12 years. They will share their perspectives on how Newton’s schools have changed over the past decade and options for the future. Please think about questions you would like to ask these two educational experts.
4. Bonus Round!
If we have time, Richard Rasala will make the first in a series of ongoing presentations entitled “Critical Issues in Zoning—What Matters and Why .”Given that the stated goal of rezoning is “to increase affordable housing for young families and seniors,” Richard will discuss why the footprint size of the building is critical to achieving success. In particular, he will focus on why the current proposed 1500 sq ft footprint is antithetical to achieving this goal and not complying with the intent of the MBTA Communities Law.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Warm regards,
Robin Z. Boger
President, Newton Corner Neighborhood Association