The letter below was approved by the LWVN Board on recommendation from the CPC Committee, and then presented to the Newton CPC Commission
Volunteer readers from the League of Women Voters of Newton (LWVN) have reviewed the application for the Auburn Street affordable housing proposal. We strongly recommend that the Community Preservation Committee support this proposal for the following reasons:
The application is complete, thorough, well written and clear.
It has the support of the State and Newton Historical Commissions, Massachusetts EOHHS Department of Developmental Services, and the Village Bank.
The project will fulfill a need in Newton for diverse housing made available to citizens whose needs are not traditionally met in our community.
Our readers did express concern about the expected rise in property taxes, as the current building now pays around $10,000, but will add new units. They also noted that in the body of the application, there is a description of the site’s proximity to the Newtonville Commuter Rail station. We assume this is a typo, since the site is nearly on top of the Auburndale Commuter Rail station.
We are delighted to see this application for affordable housing, and urge the CPC to support it.
Many thanks to the members of the CPC Committee, including Andreae Downs (chair), AnnaMaria Abernathy, Pia Bertelli, and Andrea Kelley for your work evaluating this application.