Protecting and Expanding Community Assets and Amenities

Over the course of our many hundreds of conversations with Newton residents, we identified a number of characteristics of our neighborhoods that are valued community assets, such as the quiet of our residential neighborhoods and the historic charm of our architecture. At the same time, there are new amenities that Newton residents would like to see become available, such as expanded wireless Internet access. As we move forward, we must be careful to protect the community assets and amenities we value, even while we explore ways to offer new ones.

Summary of Proposed Solution

We will enforce laws that protect and preserve the quiet historic character, and other valued attributes of our neighborhoods, while exploring opportunities to offer Newton residents new amenities, such as wireless Internet access.

Discussion and Implementation Plan

In order to protect our neighborhoods from noise pollution, we should make sure that the standards of our noise ordinance are as simple and enforceable as possible, and then provide our police and with the training and equipment they need to enforce those standards.

Historic preservation is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, we need to identify and to protect treasured cultural and historic assets. But we need to do so without placing an undue burden on residents who want to improve their homes or businesses seeking to take part in our sustainable growth plan. Our historic preservation strategy must recognize that every day we are writing new history. We should not allow our desire to preserve the past to prevent us from embracing the future. We must develop well-thought-out historic preservation standards that balance these competing interests.

While the WiFi initiative led by Alderman Parker has been delayed by the decision of a vendor not to participate, we should continue to work to develop and city-wide wireless network in Newton. In addition to offering inexpensive Internet access to Newton residents and businesses, NewtonNet will serve to lower operating costs of municipal departments, to improve emergency communications, and to offer free Internet access in hot spots around the City.

The new Administration will work with the Police Department to determine whether changes are needed to the noise ordinance to simplify enforcement and will submit any required ordinance revisions to the Board of Aldermen by September 1, 2010. Adequate resources for enforcement will be included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 operating budget. We will work with the Historic Commission and the Board of Aldermen on historic preservation issues, preparing any needed revisions by January 1, 2011. We will prepare a draft NewtonNet plan by March 1, 2010.