19:40:04 From Lara Kritzer : [1] What do you want to better understand about Zoning Redesign? 19:42:41 From Lara Kritzer : [2] Which of the Zoning Redesign goals feel most important to you? And why? (Remember, we’re planning for the next 50 years and beyond!) For context, here are the 3 goals that the Zoning & Planning Committee straw-voted in: (a) Housing: A zoning code more responsive to a demand for housing that serves a range of incomes and promotes sustainable community development patterns (b) Sustainability: Environmental stewardship, fiscal strength and meeting community needs (c) Context: Preserve and protect what we like in our neighborhoods. Encourage new development to fit in the context of our neighborhoods and villages - Prompt 3: - 19:43:09 From Melissa Bernstein to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Housing 19:43:31 From Emily Norton (she/her) to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Is the Planning Dept and ZAP Committee considering any sort of affordability restrictions to new multi-units that could be built by right under this new zoning? 19:44:01 From Melissa Bernstein to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : I want Newton to be more diverse and feel more inclusive 19:44:24 From john rufo : It's hard to weigh one against the other. They are all so important. Housing feels most important because a good housing approach is critical to sustainability. 19:45:08 From Melissa Bernstein to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : I can’t seem to chat with everyone. just you. 19:45:10 From Christopher Pitts to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Can you elaborate about sustainability? Greenspace, trees? 19:47:14 From marie-lauresamson : Hello all, we would like to see that housing size+impervious (paved) surfaces be kept to a reasonable minimum, in order to protect Newton’s “green” identity and sustainability. Permitting too many zoning exceptions is an invitation to drift and abuse towards over-development. 19:48:14 From Phil Wallas to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Can zoning support sustainability by requiring solar panels where practical or no new gas heating installations? 19:49:43 From Lara Kritzer : 3] What do you hope that Zoning Redesign accomplishes? 19:49:48 From william oppenheimer : sustainability has a lot to do with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by allowing more density but fewer cars 19:52:18 From Phil Wallas to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : What can you tell us about what has been done to model the impacts of proposed changes, such as elimination of single family zoning, on schools, water and sewer, police and fire services? For example, if 20% or 30% or x% of single family houses are converted to 2 units, what will that mean for these services? 19:52:32 From Rachel Alpert-Wisnia to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : In my eyes, one of the most effective ways of working toward sustainability while also limiting the negative impact on Newton citizens is making public spaces like village centers more accessible through public transportation and walking rather than automobiles, which would work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 19:53:28 From Rachel Alpert-Wisnia to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : ^It wasn't letting me chat to the whole group for some reason 19:53:35 From Phil Wallas to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Are there examples in other cities where zoning reforms like those proposed have had the desired effect of generating affordable housing? 20:00:09 From Mel Martocchia : This is Mel Martocchia... Hope the zoning redesign provides for more predictable development or redevelopment with less need for special permitting or rezoning etc. 20:00:27 From sue : Im not sure which category this fits into. My question is the impact on house values overall. A house after all is a family’s major investment. 20:01:50 From Lara Kritzer : [4] What concerns you about Zoning Redesign? 20:04:37 From Wanessa Risko to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : I am concerned about Worsening traffic and parking in the village centers. My chat does not allow me to send to Everyone 20:07:35 From Kit and Charlie Stover to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : RE: Phil Wallas' point, is gradual change possible? The pace of current development is rapid, much land has been purchased for development, and the area is targeted by developers and investors for rapid development. The pace is likely to be set by investors and developers, not by the City or individual neighborhoods. I'm not against development. But we as the City are in a weak position to control rapid development. 20:08:08 From Mel Martocchia : Not a concern, believe it is time that it is being done 20:08:21 From Christopher Pitts to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/07/11/housing-crisis-single-family-homes-policy-227265 20:10:17 From Lara Kritzer to Wanessa Risko(Privately) : [5] How do you want to participate with Zoning Redesign in 2021? Here are some examples of how we can engage Newton community members: - large city-wide events with break-out groups - meetings by Ward or Village - meetings by individual topics - Office hours - short info sheets and videos by topic - Steward-based program - Surveys - facilitated debates - presentations by outside community groups who have experienced zoning re-write in their cities - Social Media (Instagram, Facebook) 20:11:50 From billwalker : Surveys work for me. 20:12:58 From Kit and Charlie Stover to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : If the City can't set the pace or schedule on development, it's very likely that the demand for public services (especially schools) will get ahead of supply (more school capacity). 20:22:03 From Lynn Weissberg to Lara Kritzer(Privately) : Let’s remember what Richard Rothstein told us on Nov. 17: zoning reform is a first step towards having housing affordability. -----------------------------90720391937272249643267509384--