19:40:28 From Jennifer Steel : [1] What do you want to better understand about Zoning Redesign? 19:49:47 From Jay Walter to Jennifer Steel(Privately) : I think that there is a universal desire to keep the character of the villages, everyone wants that 19:51:37 From Jennifer Steel : - [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!) 19:51:43 From Jill Goldstein : the issue is not only about size of house but has to do with density of the number of people who would be living in multiple unit housing that would also change the nature of a neighborhood 19:52:26 From Jill Goldstein : density of housing units also includes density of cars and transportation issues 19:55:13 From Julia Malakie : Everyone should check out Councilor Pam Wright’s analysis of lots on which teardowns have occurred: what was there, what was build & what it sold for, and what could be built (usually bigger) under latest draft of new zoning. 19:56:44 From Lakshmi Kadambi : Similarly I like the idea of zoning redesign bring affordability, accessibility and diversity to our city while we work on ustainable transportation. 19:58:57 From Brad Seamans : I agree with Lakshmi. 20:00:07 From Jennifer Sulewski to Jennifer Steel(Privately) : +1 to what others are saying about building in high environmental standards! 20:01:22 From Jennifer Steel : [3] What do you hope that Zoning Redesign accomplishes? 20:01:45 From RICH KAPLAN : Zoning is one tool to enable reasonable controls over land use development. To allow unrestricted as of right multifamily zoning will serve to permit abandonment of the responsibility of our administrators and councilors to preserve the integrity and character of our many villages. Yes, our zoning code needs to be updated, but I would like to see no blanket as of right multifamily zoning, more design review and standards, FAR standards should be maintained, and we really need to think carefully about what we want Newton to look like in the next 50 years. We have been residents of Newton since 1980, and zoning can easily work to permit crowding and unanticipated results without proper standards and safeguards for the community. 20:01:51 From Lisa Gianelly : I'm a former North Ender and so am accustomed to true urban living. I have also worked in the affordable housing area. No one so far has explained to me how Newton can prevent a homeowner from selling a home at market value to a builder and then have that home be converted to affordable housing units without public subsidies. 20:02:44 From Jennifer Steel to Nevena (Tech Support)(Privately) : I cant figure out how to record the chat. 20:02:44 From Jill Goldstein : I agree with the thoughtful comments of Rich Kaplan 20:05:32 From Julia Malakie : Or is there another community anywhere?? 20:06:11 From Jennifer Steel : [3] What do you hope that Zoning Redesign accomplishes? 20:07:38 From Julia Malakie : I don’t want to take time away from members of the public, but I want to see a buildout analysis and fiscal analysis of any new zoning. 20:10:06 From Jill Goldstein : Higher density does not necessarily lead to better climate controls. It can lead to other adverse consequences that impact climate (about which we are all concerned). 20:10:16 From Pamela Shufro : How can we provide housing priced at $500,000 for middle income people..say two teachers making together $120,000. 20:10:22 From Alice Ingerson : Income-restricted, officially affordable housing will always require public funding for subsidies, which are therefore the strongest limiting factor for such housing. But sites are also a limiting factor. Zoning could provide more incentives than Newton's zoning does now for creating several smaller, less expensive, but unsubsidized units on a given lot (or within an existing large historic house) rather than a single, more expensive home. Also, as Lisa could explain better than I can, allowing more, smaller units on a given lot or in a given building is a different kind of subsidy (allowing the same or possibly a greater return on investment than a single house might), it just doesn't involve a cash subsidy from public funds. 20:10:23 From Jennifer Steel : [4] What concerns you about Zoning Redesign? 20:10:59 From Julia Malakie : On affordability, Newton is expensive because it’s desirable. Newton will be less expensive if demand for being near Boston goes down because more people are working remote 3-4 days a week, and/or companies decide office space in Boston is not so appealing. And if the bloom is off the rose on Newton schools, after how we look on time in school compared to other districts. We are getting so many emails from ppl saying ‘why did we move to Newton?’ 20:12:07 From Lisa Gianelly : A chief concern is builders taking over and buying homes and then converting them to luxury condos like the new ones on Newtonville Ave near Cradles to Crayons. 20:14:02 From Lisa Gianelly : A reason that some Newtonites are overhoused is the tax bill owed upon sale of a home that was once affordable. It's often cheaper to stay in a family home than to move to a $2500/month 1 bedroom. 20:14:29 From Julia Malakie : So let’s stop tearing down the small bungalows like mine. 20:14:43 From Alice Ingerson : How to be engaged: I'd really like to have more community conversations, perhaps even with the same small group of people from different neighborhoods, with diverse points of view, coming together to talk to each other more than once over time, about HOW to tackle the big-picture goals that many of us support. 20:15:30 From Brad Seamans : Alice I like that idea. 20:17:01 From Jill Goldstein : A brief note - It is difficult to have this going on during COVID so I hope that the discussions will continue beyond the confines of COVID, i.e. zoom. 20:17:20 From Julia Malakie : Absolutely, need to put something in the water bills letting people know this is going on. And a Zoning Redesign button that’s impossible to miss on the (new) home page of newtonma.gov 20:17:21 From Alice Ingerson : Question for all: When I worked in City govt (retired Jan 2020), my program once sent out a flyer in all Newton water bills, but then we heard from condo owners who didn't get it, because they don't get water bills directly. Would a flyer in tax bills be better? 20:17:53 From Betsy Harper, Green Newton : I disagree entirely that this conversation shouldn’t happen during COVID. Zoom provides MORE access to the conversation. 20:17:54 From Jill Goldstein : The local meetings with our representatives have always been very effective to obtain public opinion and we cannot do this during COVID 20:18:08 From Julia Malakie : Do both? Renters aren’t getting tax bills. Owners may be absentee. 20:18:40 From Lakshmi Kadambi : I agree that this effort needs to be multipronged, zoning alone cannot be the solution for affordability but it definitely seems to be a good solid start. I see the very same people in these meetings, it would help for meetings to get more diverse. 20:20:02 From Julia Malakie : Zoom is only more accessible if you’ve got a new enough computer and live on the internet. 20:20:09 From Lakshmi Kadambi : zoom is a wonderful platform for everybody to be included... 20:21:21 From Jennifer Steel : [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) 20:22:56 From Julia Malakie : Why do people think people who need affordable housing don’t need cars? Who here is living without a car in Newton? T is going to cut back before they improve service. Commuter Rail was only ever useful for commuting to Boston at daytime working hours. 20:23:50 From Lakshmi Kadambi : I do not agree that we should be zoning only certain areas to be affordable. 20:24:09 From Lisa Gianelly : Newton generally has inadequate transit such that cars are necessary for running errands and getting to the library, etc., not just for getting to work. 20:25:23 From Nevena (Tech Support) : From Jay Walter: I don’t think the zoning is trying to equalize ‘affordability across the city. The growth and density should be pin pointed around transit and village centers 20:25:27 From Julia Malakie : For starters, will we be able to watch the video of the other breakout rooms from these sessions? Otherwise we are just in our own silos, which is one of the problems with breakout rooms. 20:26:37 From Nevena (Tech Support) : Hi Julia, yes, I believe we will be able to post all of the videos. I know for sure we will share the chat boxes of every room. 20:27:05 From Lakshmi Kadambi : Could we have meetings organized specific to our villages on zoning redesign and impacts on our village centers 20:29:13 From Lisa Gianelly : For engagement: please ensure that city residents are actively encouraged to become involved and ultimately feel heard. 20:29:41 From Julia Malakie : Thanks, Nevena, videos would be great since Chat hasn’t captured everything. 20:29:58 From Pamela Shufro : Mailers on z oning are not junk mail, so please consider sending mailers to everyone in the city. 20:30:31 From Lisa Gianelly : For engagement: renderings of possible outcomes would help too 20:30:43 From Julia Malakie : We should not be voting on this in the post-2021 election period. It should be a subject of debate in next years campaign, voted in 2022.