Needham Say More: Recent Episodes
Aaron Pressman
Doug and Aaron discuss Needham’s plans for renovating the Pollard Middle School, rebuilding the Mitchell Elementary School, and renovating the High Rock School to convert it back to an elementary school. The projects could take more than a decade and cost more than $400 million. Some related links to learn more:
State green-lights funding support for Pollard renovations (Needham Observer, December 13, 2023)
MSBA Invites Pollard Middle School into Eligibility Period (MSBA press release, December 13, 2023)
Needham Public Schools Master Plan PDF (August 31, 2023)
Episode S2/3: Which school to renovate next and when? (Needham Say More, January 31, 2021)
Doug and Aaron discuss plans from the Needham Housing Authority to add more units of deeply affordable apartments and homes. The plans will also be discussed at a public meeting on December 6 (details below). Some related links:
Needham Housing Authority's Preservation & Redevelopment Initiative
Housing Authority marks 75 years, looks to future (Needham Observer, October 11, 2023)
From Vision to Reality: Unpacking Needham’s Housing Plan (Needham Channel, April 2023)
Needham Planning Board and Housing Authority Joint Community Meeting, December 6, 2023, 7 p.m. at the Broadmeadow School Performance Center.
Doug and Aaron discuss how Needham must change its zoning laws to meet the MBTA Communities Act by allowing for hundreds of new multi-family units and apartments. Needham plans to have a public workshop to gather input on the zoning effort on November 9, 20223, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Some related links:
Housing Needham (HONE) Advisory Group
Needham MBTA law page and community meeting notice
A Boston Globe Spotlight Report Into the Massachusetts Housing Crisis
Massachusetts Section 3A guidelines for determining compliance
Doug and Aaron discuss a proposal for the town of Needham to spend $2.5 million to buy 34 acres of undeveloped land known as Castle Farm, which is adjacent to the current Ridge Hill Reservation in west Needham. The multi-part deal also involves a developer buying part of Castle Farm to build 70 townhouses. Some related links:
Needham Town Meeting will decide on $2.5 million land purchase along Charles River next month (Boston Globe, Sept. 23, 2022)
Presentation from Northland Residential to Needham Select Board–PDF (Oct. 11, 2022)
Town of Needham web site on Castle Farm purchase
Needham Castle Farm FAQ–PDF
Doug and Aaron discuss how the developer of a senior living project in the old Carter Mill building in Needham Heights has changed the plan since they sought and obtained a zoning change for the area. The old plan included independent living apartments. The new plan has only assisted care and memory care units. (At one point in the podcast, Aaron misstates the number of affordable independent living units proposed in the original plan. It's nine, as Doug points out.)
Needham Say More, Episode S2/1: New zoning for Avery Square in the Heights (September 27, 2020)
Needham Planning Board meeting (February 1, 2022)
Needham Select Board, discussed starting at 2:42 (August 9, 2022)
Needham Planning Board public hearing, discussed starting at 1:28 (September 20, 2022)
Doug and Aaron discuss a proposed development of almost 500,000 square feet of lab, office, and retail space at the old Muzi Ford site on Highland Ave near 128. The proposal is before the Needham Planning Board, which must decide whether to grant a special permit to allow the development. Some links related to today's discussion:
Muzi property sells for $57.5 million (Needham Times, December 27, 2021)
Needham’s old Muzi dealership could make way for lab or office ‘headquarters location’ (Boston Globe, April 12, 2022)
Greater Boston’s biotech industry has spilled out all over the region, leading some to ask: How much is too much? (Boston Globe, June 4, 2022)
Town of Needham information site about 557 Highland Ave. (includes traffic study, financial impact report)
Developer Bulfinch Companies website for the project (with mock up pictures)
Doug and Aaron discuss articles that will be considered at Needham's upcoming Spring Town Meeting, which starts May 2, 2022. Issues of interest range from a study of parking problems to paying for renovating the Emery Grover school administration building plus approving budgets and lots of other goodies. Will Doug finally get curb side trash pick up? We discuss. Some links related to today's discussion:
Prior episode S2/6: Trash pickup and the RTS in Needham
Prior episode S1/9: The police funding debate in Needham
May 2022 Annual Town Meeting Articles
May 2022 Special Town Meeting Articles
Q&A from TM members and article proponents
In a longer-than-usual episode, Doug and Aaron discuss the upcoming Needham town election on April 13. Four candidates are running for two seats on the Select Board and three people are running for two open seats on the School Committee. Doug also wanted to draw attention to some of the competitive Town Meeting races. Some links related to today's discussion:
Needham League of Women Voters: Candidates Night March 24: Featuring Candidates for School Committee and Select Board
LWV's Gateway to the April 13, 2021 Needham Election
Candidate web sites:
http://www.moehandel.com/
https://www.lakshmiforneedham.org/
http://www.votemarcusnelson.com/
(No web site listed for Serge Zdanovich)
https://www.votelizlee.com/
https://www.rebeccawaber.com/
https://www.mikeforneedham.com/
Doug and Aaron discuss the new bank going into the old laundromat space and the 2009 zoning changes that didn't end up changing much in Needham center. Also, follow up to Season 2: Episode 6 on trash pick up and the RTS.
Some links discussed in this episode:
Needham residents embrace revised “Theater Block” plan, with some questions (Needham Times, May 25, 2011)
Theater Block Update: Alternative Plan Would Reduce Number of Apartments (Needham Patch, February 22, 2012)
Filling storefronts a work in progress (Needham Times, March 20, 2014)
May 2009 Annual Town Meeting items
Needham Center Development Plan, Executive Summary (March 30, 2009)
Strategic Plan for Needham Center: Small Town New England, not Anytown USA
Doug and Aaron discuss plans to renovate or replace the Emery Grover building in Needham center, which currently houses the Needham Public Schools administration. Some linesk related to this episode:
Most recent 2020 Emery Grover feasibility study (starting on page 100 of this PDF)
Report on the 2010 Emery Grover study
Doug and Aaron discuss the lack of curbside trash pick up in Needham, the history of the town's "dump," and a proposal to fine people who leave their trash cans out overnight. Some links related to this episode:
The Needham Recycling & Transfer Station
Needham RTS FAQ
Doug and Aaron discuss incidents of racism in Needham and efforts to address the situation, including the Needham Unite Against Racism Initiative, also known as NUARI. Some links related to this episode:
Needham police accused of racial profiling and handcuffing Black man on his way to work (Boston.com, July 21, 2020)
Needham police complete internal investigation following racial profiling allegations (Needham Times, Jan. 27, 2021)
NUARI - Needham Unite Against Racism Initiative
Unite Against Racism Initiative (YouTube playlist of meetings)
Needham Unite Against Racism Initiative January 11, 2021 meeting about policing
Doug and Aaron discuss a revised proposal offered at a community meeting to change the zoning governing the Muzi Ford and Channel 5 site. The revised plan lowered maximum heights and density while adding the possibility of residential development. Some links related to this episode:
Links to materials about the zoning change for Spring 2021 Town Meeting (Includes traffic study, fiscal impact, and recording of Feb. 3 meeting)
Needham officials warn of Amazon distribution center if zoning plans founder (Needham Times, Jan. 28, 2020)
Doug and Aaron discuss the Needham school facilities master plan, which includes possible renovation or reconstruction of the Mitchell Elementary School, Pollard Middle School, and High Rock School. Some links for this episode:
Executive summary of the recent school department master plan
(The condition of schools chart Doug mentioned is on page 13.)
Citizens for Needham Schools summary of master plan and more links
Town of Needham Facilities Master Plan (2014)
Doug and Aaron discuss two proposals coming before Special Fall Town Meeting to use Community Preservation Act funding to help renovate two churches in Needham. Some links for this episode:
Needham committee members wary over town funding proposed for church restoration (Needham Times, Sept. 30, 2020)
OPINION: The full picture for historic church preservation (Needham Times, Oct. 1, 2020)
MA Supreme Judicial Court Issues Decision in Acton Lawsuit (Community Preservation Coalition, Nov. 5, 2018)
Doug and Aaron discuss a proposal to change town zoning rules to allow a senior housing community in the old Carter Mill Building at the corner of Highland Ave and West St in Needham Heights. The proposal will be considered at Needham's Fall Special Town Meeting on October 4. Some links related to the topics:
Needham board hears plans for senior living facilities at old Carter building (Needham Times, July 5, 2020)
2020 October Fall Special Town Meeting information (Town of Needham web site)
Doug and Aaron recount the debate at Needham's Spring Town Meeting about funding for the police and discuss the broader topics of racism and the appropriate role of the police in town. Some links related to this week's show:
Police budget draws scrutiny at Town Meeting (Needham Times, June 9, 2020)
Instead of ‘defund’ the police, imagine a broader role for them with public health (Washington Post, June 12, 2020)
Doug and Aaron discuss the problem of holding Needham's annual town meeting (and approving next year's budget) during the coronavirus pandemic. Some links related to this week's show:
Needham plans for outdoor Town Meeting (Needham Times, May 22, 2020)
Coronavirus should put an end to the town meeting (Boston Globe, May 4, 2020)
That’s a hard ‘yea’ for town meeting (Boston Globe, May 8, 2020)
The $600 Unemployment Booster Shot, State by State (New York Times, April 23, 2020)
Doug and Aaron discuss a recent episode of the Netflix documentary series Dirty Money that features the story of an elderly Needham resident, John Savanovich, who was put under court-ordered guardianship, moved out of his house, and had his assets sold. Some links mentioned in this episode:
Netflix's Dirty Money, Season 2, Episode 5, Guardians, Inc.
In a ‘forgotten’ corner of Needham, abandoned homes blight a neighborhood (Needham Times, April 20, 2018)
Abandoned homes cleared of trash in Needham’s ‘forgotten’ community (Needham Times, May 8, 2018)
Abandoned homes torn down in Needham’s ‘forgotten’ community (Needham Times, March 19, 2019)
Doug and Aaron discuss how the novel coronavirus outbreak is affecting life in Needham, Massachusetts, including which stores and restaurants remain open. For updates on the pandemic in Needham, check out the Public Health Dept.'s web page. Other links mentioned in this episode:
The Newton Needham Chamber's take out restaurant listing.
A Needham resident buys out a local florist shop's entire inventory.
Mass Audubon and Trustees of the Reservations close their properties.
And up next week, a discussion of Netflix's documentary series Dirty Money, episode 5 of season 2, titled "Guardians, Inc."
Doug and Aaron discuss the huge Northland development, recently approved by voters in Newton, to be built just over the Charles River from Needham Heights. You can see what the project is supposed to look like on the developer's web site. Here's one explanation of the plans to extend the MBTA's green and orange lines near Needham. And finally, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread in our area, please consider donating to the Needham Community Council, which looks after some of our neighbors who are most in need of assistance.
Doug and Aaron discuss the spread of COVID-19, or the coronavirus disease 2019, outbreak as it begins to reach our local area. This is a good overview article from Scientific American that Doug mentioned. The Chinese doctor in Wuhan who died after warning of the outbreak was named Li Wenliang. You can sign up for the newsletter Doug mentioned called The Factual to keep up with various topics. The Atlantic tallied the low number of COVID-19 tests administered in the United States so far. And Needham's own health department is also posting updates on its web page about the status of the outbreak in our area.
Doug and Aaron discuss the challenges for the agency that oversees hundreds of affordable housing units in Needham, after one resident was murdered in 2017 and a state audit found multiple shortcomings. They also discuss the housing authority's 2019 facilities master plan for redeveloping its holdings.
Doug and Aaron discuss complaints about the noise of the commuter rail train horns in Needham and ideas to alleviate the problem. You can watch the 2017 public hearing on the issue, which starts at the about the 45 minute mark, and read the Federal Railroad Administration's info page about train horn rules and the establishment of quiet zones.
Doug and Aaron discuss the hearing on potential new uses at the Ridge Hill-Nike site, including the desire for a local hockey rink. You can watch the hearing online at the Needham Channel's web site (skip to the 25 minute mark for the start of the public hearing). And the consultants report on the site is also on the town web site.
Doug and Aaron discuss efforts to make Needham safer for pedestrians. The town commissioned an audit on pedestrian safety, which you can find on the town web site here: http://needhamma.gov/4707/Pedestrian-Safety.
Doug and Aaron talk about the contentious efforts to re-zone a part of Needham containing Muzi Ford and Channel 5.