Group Pulls Out Of Newton Voter Forum On Northland Project Vote

NEWTON, MA — As Newton heads into a citywide vote on March 3 to decide the future of the Northland Development - a 22 acre project slated for Newton Upper Falls, a group opposing the project has backed out of a forum designed to help voters understand both sides of the issue.

The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political group, is hosting a forum Thursday, Feb. 13 on the March referendum. The league said it would present the facts of the project and then allow time for both sides of the question to make their case for or against, with a question and answer period at the end.

But Monday, The Committee for Responsible Development, a RightSize Newton group that organized in opposition to the Northland plan announced it was backing out of the forum, citing bias, the league's choice of moderator and the way the forum was organized.

"The League’s format cannot be regarded as a fair and open forum for debate," read a statement for the Committee For Responsible Development sent to Patch from a public relations firm.

According to a statement, the group requested that the moderator be neutral and objective and that the presentation be limited to actual facts about the project, such as number of apartments, size and number of buildings, number of parking spaces.

Then, they said, they got an email that told them the president of the league, who has been openly supportive of the development as a member of Livable Newton, would be the moderator and that she would be the one presenting the facts of the project. Between that and that the no-campaigners said they asked for but would not be permitted to review the materials ahead of the forum, the anti-Northland project group said it was too much.

Additionally, they cited concern that the moderator would not allow questions from the audience to be asked directly, but would collect them and would read the ones she has chosen for the parties to answer.

"While we would be happy to debate the proposed development with Northland, it is clear that the League is not interested in hosting such a debate. The League is hoping that the presence of both sides at their forum will give this patently biased, unbalanced and unfair event an illusion of fairness and objectivity that it does not deserve."

The league said in an unsigned statement after Patch reached out for comment to the league president Marcia Johnson Monday, that the forum would continue.

"Consistent with its long-standing practice, the League invited representatives from both sides of
the issue — in this case, the Committee for Responsible Development and Yes for Newton’s
Future— to present their views and to participate in an open conversation," the league said in a statement released at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

"The goal of this forum is to provide information to residents in order to help them to make an informed decision," the league said in the statement. "The LWVN regrets that the Committee for Responsible Development has decided to withdraw from the event but will proceed as planned in fairness to the other participants and those planning to attend."

The league president did not comment on accusations brought by the Committee for Responsible Development.

According to the league's website, it is a nonpartisan advocacy organization that allows members to take positions on issues, but doesn't support or oppose any political party or candidate.

The organization was formed in 1920 to help women take a larger role in public affairs following the suffrage movement.

Although the group is officially nonpartisan under IRS nonprofit rules, it has been criticized for pushing left-leaning policies. The league's national platform supports tax-and-spend policies, government-run health care, among others.

In Newton the organization has put together and moderated forums and debates for elections and provides one of the more thorough local candidate and issue guides.

Previously:

Northland Project Vote: Both Sides To Present At Newton Forum

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).