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Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Ave
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-796-1000
TDD/TTY 617-796-1089
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Monday - Friday
8:30am-5:00pm
Tuesday
8:30am- 8:00pm
Mayor Cohen's press conference: March 27, 2006
First Inclusionary Zoning Units Available in Newtonville
The City of Newton has always been committed to housing choice diversity, and our track record reflects that. In 1977, Newton was one of the first cities in the country, and the first in Massachusetts, to adopt an ordinance mandating that a percentage of any residential development requiring a special permit provide affordable housing.
Over the years, this so-called “Ten Percent” Ordinance developed hundreds of units of housing and provided several million dollars for affordable housing units in the City of Newton. By the early part of this decade, however, it became clear that the ordinance needed to be updated for several reasons. First, the required number of units was too low to appreciably increase the percentage of affordable housing in the City. Second, many of the affordable units under the original ordinance expired after terms as short as 15 years and were subsequently being rented at expensive market rates. And third, the housing created was exclusively rental housing, with no opportunity for affordable homeownership.
In 2002, I appointed an Inclusionary Zoning Task Force, chaired by Ed Dailey and made up of Aldermen, business people, bankers, developers, planners and other interested citizens to review the old ordinance and make recommendations to update it. After a year and a half’s hard work, their recommendations were adopted by the Board of Aldermen in 2003.
The new ordinance requires that 15% of the units of a new development be affordable; restricts those units in perpetuity; and allows ownership as well as rental housing. I am pleased to announce that the first affordable units under the City’s revised Inclusionary Zoning ordinance are now available. There is a 2-Bedroom, 1.5 Bath unit available for $143,000; and a 3-Bedroom, 3 Bath unit for $154,200 at The Oxford House. The Oxford House is the former Christian Science Church at 391 Walnut Street, at the corner of Cabot Street, in Newtonville.
To learn about the details of the eligibility requirements and the application procedures, please mark Tuesday, April 18 th at 7:30 pm on your calendar, for a public information workshop that will be held at Newton City Hall in the War Memorial Auditorium. Completed applications and required income documentation must be postmarked by Wednesday, April 26 th to be eligible. An affordable housing lottery will be held on Thursday, May 16 th to determine the two lucky winners.
The myth that Newton is only home to wealthy homeowners is just that: a myth. Nearly 4,000 households in Newton are living at or below the poverty line, and recent surveys show that there are 83 individuals and families living in transitional housing here. We can, and must, do what we can to find adequate housing for these, and other families who need our help. The revised Inclusionary Zoning ordinance is an important step toward that end. I am also very pleased with the other affordable housing initiatives that are at work in the City. Over the last 8 ½ years, the affordable housing stock in the City of Newton has increased by 60%.
There are many people who deserve our gratitude, including Aldermen Susan Albright, Lisle Baker, Ted Hess-Mahan, Marcia Johnson, Cheryl Lappin, Stephen Linsky, and Brian Yates. Also Ed Dailey, the Former Chair of the Inclusionary Zoning Development Task Force; Mark Coppola, the Oxford House developer from World Realty; and Steve Gartrell the Associate Director for Housing & Community Development in the Planning and Development Department. With us this morning are Alderman Hess-Mahan and Steve Gartrell. Thank you for being here, and I invite you up for some comments.
Nicole’s Law
Very often it takes a terrible tragedy to move us forward and to make important changes to make us safer. That is the case on the issue of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is likely to be the single most toxic substance that any of us will come into contact with in our lives. It cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, but as we have tragically seen in the state of Massachusetts, it can be deadly.
You may recall the news story of January, 2005 about a 10-year-old Plymouth girl named Nicole Garofalo who died from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Nicole was overcome by the carbon monoxide emanating from the family’s propane-fired boiler, after the boiler’s vent was blocked by snow from a 38-inch snowstorm.
This tragedy was the impetus for Nicole’s Law, which goes into effect statewide this Friday, March 31 st. Carbon monoxide detectors are now required in all residences with fossil fuel-burning equipment, such as boilers, furnaces, and hot water heaters. The detectors must be placed on every floor and within 10 feet of sleeping areas. Massachusetts fire departments will now be inspecting homes that are being sold or transferred for both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
The Newton Fire Department is always available to residents who may have questions about the details of the requirements of this new law. You are encouraged to call 617-796-2230 for any further information. As I have been saying for some time, the best way to stop tragedies is to prevent them from happening in the first place. This very important law will help protect the safety of Newton residents, and those all across the Commonwealth.
I want to thank Chief Joe LaCroix, and I commend the Massachusetts state legislature on this important new regulation. Together, we can honor the memory of Nicole Garofalo by protecting our own loved ones from the silent killer, carbon monoxide. I now invite Newton Fire Chief Joe LaCroix, who does so much to protect the safety of Newton residents, to the podium for his thoughts on Nicole’s Law.
GreenUp Newton
Some of you may have noticed the colorful banners that have gone up around the City, reminding citizens to recycle more paper. These banners serve as a reminder that here in Newton we take recycling very seriously, as it has a significant impact on our environment and on our municipal budget.
I am pleased to announce today that April is GreenUp Newton month in the City of Newton. It is our hope that this will be a month when the City’s spotlight on recycling will help engender recycling into the daily lives of our residents and our business community. This year we will celebrate Earth Day all month long, and I hope you will join with us to make GreenUp Newton a big success.
With well over a dozen activities throughout this month, together we can make a real difference in greening up the Garden City. In the month of April you can learn how to compost by attending a How to Compost Workshop on April 4 th, attend a Recycling Committee meeting on April 6 th, visit the Environmental Affairs office on their Open House day April 7 th, attend a presentation on Innovative Environmental Projects in the Newton Schools on April 24 th, or visit the Recycling exhibit at the Newton Free Library, which will be ongoing all month. For the business community, you will have the opportunity to recycle your old computers, TVs, electronics, batteries, and many more products that cannot be simply thrown in the trash. Businesses who register for this event can simply bring their old electronics to Rumford Ave. on April 21 st, and we will do the rest. Also, we are pleased to announce our one-time Free Paper Recycling Days on April 25 th – 27 th. Just register your business with us, and we will come to your business to collect your recyclable paper.
I hope many of you will join us for some or all of the activities of GreenUp Newton month. But besides the exciting activities of GreenUp Newton month, there is more good news on the environmental front. I am pleased to announce that the City of Newton has been awarded a Municipal Waste Reduction Grant by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection that is valued at more than $4,700. The City will receive 2,000 waste reduction bookmarks, 1,000 Yard Waste labels, 300 junk mail kits, 225 water conservation kits, 50 home compost bins, and discounted rain barrels as a result of the grant.
The City of Newton is pleased to partner with the Department of Environmental Protection on these important materials, as we continue to educate our residents on the importance of recycling and to promote conservation.
I want to thank Barbara Herson, the City’s Recycling Coordinator; and Courtney Forrester, the Solid Waste Manager, for all they’ve done to make the Garden City a more environmentally friendly place. Their hard work has truly made a difference in the quality of our air and water, and in the quality of life here in the City of Newton. It is my pleasure to welcome Barbara and Courtney up to the podium to say a few words.