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LWVN Supports Updates to Accessory Apartment Ordinance

On October 13, 2022, LWVN sent a letter to the City Council expressing its support for proposed updates to the Accessory Apartment Ordinance.  These changes will amend the Accessory Apartment Ordinance originally adopted in December 2017, which allows homeowners to create an accessory apartment, as of right, within the main residence.

The proposed updates are primarily intended to address the two things that were not adopted five years ago by allowing:
1. The building of detached accessory apartments, by-right, up to 900 sf in size (these will continue to conform with other rules for accessory buildings).
2. The creation of an accessory apartment in a newly built home, thus eliminating the requirement that the main residence be at least four years old before an accessory apartment can be built.

You can read the entirety of LWVN’s letter below.

LWVN Letter in Support of Changes to Accessory Apartments

2022 Harvest Fair

Please stop by and visit the League of Women Voters’ booth at this upcoming community event…

Newton’s 2022 Harvest Fair

Sunday, October 16
with Vendors and Exhibitors (including LWVN)
11am to 4pm
Newton Centre Green

Our tent will have election flyers as well as information on voter registration and our recent advocacy.  Stop by to see how you can get involved or send a friend or neighbor to learn how they can join LWVN!

Give Your Feedback on Proposed Changes to Village Center Zoning

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Please Provide Your Input on
Proposed Changes to Village Center Zoning

The City is considering updates to its zoning rules for our village centers and wants our feedback using this online Feedback Tool.  The end of the Feedback Tool has a free response section where you can write additional thoughts, and we encourage you to express your thoughts about the proposed zoning changes.  FEEDBACK IS DUE BY OCTOBER 16.

For more background, the last comprehensive update to Newton’s village center zoning was in 1987, almost 40 years ago. Zoning laws regulate how land in Newton can be developed and what kinds of new buildings are allowed. Zoning can influence store and business activity through parking and density requirements, whether green space or public spaces are required in new developments, the amount of housing supply near public transportation, and decisions people make about how to move through our spaces.

Helpful resources:

  • Watch this episode of the League Presents, with City Councilor Deb Crossley, speaking about  the Village Center Zoning Redesign efforts.
  • View 2022: Shape the Future of Your Village Centers Interview with City Councilor Deb Crossley
  • Visit the Newton Free Library’s interactive exhibit. You can view that exhibit in person, 2nd Floor Room C, or virtually here.
  • Read here for more information on the City’s Zoning Redesign Process and Village Centers Zoning Updates.
  • Read a Boston Globe Article  on Newton’s efforts to gather public feedback on proposed changes to Village Centers Zoning.

2022 Indigenous Peoples Day & Harvest Fair

Please stop by and visit the League of Women Voters’ booth at two upcoming community events this month…

Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

 Monday, October 10, 2022
11am to 5pm
Albemarle Park

We will have information on the upcoming election as well some resources about the role of indigenous women in politics and the voting rights movement.  To learn more about all that is being planned for this special event, visit https://www.ipdnewton.org/

 

Newton’s 2022 Harvest Fair

Sunday, October 16
with Vendors and Exhibitors (including LWVN)
11am to 4pm
Newton Centre Green

State General Election is Tuesday, November 8. Don’t Forget to Vote!

Vote by Mail, Vote Early In-Person, or Vote In-Person on November 8.

All registered voters in Newton and across Massachusetts now have the option to cast a vote-by-mail ballot and vote early, by mail or in-person, in all elections.  For detailed information on Elections and Voting, visit the Secretary of State’s Elections Division website page.

Read more below for information on voting early by mail, voting early in-person, applicable deadlines, and what is on the ballot.

Read more →

Women’s Inequality Day – August 26

August 26, the anniversary of the certification of the 19th amendment, is often known as Women’s Equality Day.  Yet with our voting and reproductive rights under attack, women are still not equal in our democracy.

This year, LWV is observing Women’s Inequality Day and demanding that our representatives:

1. Pass voting rights legislation;

2. Add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution; and

3. Restore reproductive freedom to women and those who can become pregnant.

Join us in taking a stand and sharing #WomensInequalityDay across your social networks.

We may not yet be equal, but together we can’t be ignored.