Meeting Agenda:
October 29
7:30 PM

The Zoom link for our next meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84458576918?pwd=DLA1k0hQSe59ftioeDUiVle8NAMNNP.1

Meeting ID: 844 5857 6918
Passcode: 048277

Joining us for the hour-long conversation will be our Mayor, Marc Laredo; our State Representative, Amy Sangiolo; our Ward 1 Councilors, Alison Leary, John Oliver, and Maria Scibelli-Greenberg; and the head of our DOT Task Force, Richard Belkin.

As always, we will begin the meeting with good news. And the good news is this — thanks to the intervention of our councilors and the process for landmarking historic buildings in Newton, the historic home at 36 Maple Avenue will not only be saved from demolition but restored to its former glory (with an addition on the back that won’t be visible from the street). Councilor Leary will review the chain of events leading to this most welcome conclusion and consider the example it sets for all of us who want to preserve our homes for future generations.

Moving on — 

We have three important topics to discuss;

1. The upcoming Override (the source of funding for any substantive work on Underwood School)

2.  Options for potential improvements to Burr Park (including repaving the Burr Park tennis courts).

3. The Newton Corner Rotary, the Department of Transportation  (DOT),  . . .What Happens Next?

Discussing the “Circle of Death” and efforts to improve traffic flow through Newton Corner will be the primary focus of this evening’s meeting. As many of you know, three years ago the DOT approached Newton and asked the city to join with them, other city and state officials, and DOT consultants, to create a multi-year Task Force dedicated to studying how current traffic conditions could be improved to better meet the needs of Newton Corner residents and make recommendations for implementing what, by group consensus, seemed the best choice. There has been a great deal of talk since then but very little action. When the DOT recently cancelled, with little explanation, a long-scheduled meeting to present interim conclusions, the community responded with concern and cynicism. Richard Belkin, a former NCNA president, tapped into these feelings and organized a task force to pursue what have been repeatedly identified as primary community goals. In our conversation tonight, speakers will summarize the history of  DOT’s relationship with the city, the city’s response to both the DOT and to Newton Corner, what progress — if any — was made during the Task Force that met periodically over the last few years, and what seems to be happening now. This is a very complicated problem with intersecting /competing levels of responsibility and/or a sense of benign neglect that has resulted in considerable finger-pointing over the years. For instance, who has responsibility for the intersection at Park and Tremont Streets? For years, parents of children attending Underwood have complained about the speeding cars passing through this intersection on their way to and from the Pike, but nothing has been done. A second example — who is responsible for providing data on the increase in traffic along Church Street after the recent structural changes to the eastbound exit ramp? The DOT promised to provide this data but now insists it is up to the city to do so. While our discussion won’t result in any immediate changes, we hope that by raising awareness we can build consensus and move forward together to remind decision-makers about what really matters to the residents of Newton Corner.

Looking forward to seeing you (virtually) Thursday evening.

Warm Regards,

Robin Boger, President

Newton Corner Neighborhood Association. 

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