Newton Candidate Profile: Stephen Farrell For City Council

NEWTON, MA — With the Newton Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Stephen Farrell, who is running for City Council in Ward 8. Farrell is facing Holly Ryan, an incumbent seeking a third term.

Farrell, who will be 79 as of Election Day, is retired after a career managing large nonprofit governmental projects.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Stephen Farrell

How old will you be as of Election Day?

79

Campaign website

http://www.farrell4newton8.org

What city or town do you live in?

Newton Centre

What office are you seeking?

City Councilor

District

Ward 8

Please give us your party affiliation
Democrat

Education

Columbia University, BA in Government

Occupation

Retired. I have spent my life listening, organizing, communicating and successfully managing large non-profit and governmental projects, including: The Massachusetts College of Art; the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation; and, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

Family
Sarah and I have lived in Newton for 24 years. We share our home with our 11-year-old dog, Bandit.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I worked with the City of Boston’s Little City Hall Program and wrote and managed a nationally recognized, federally funded $1.4 million diversion program for young people during Boston’s busing crisis of the 1970s.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running to represent Ward 8 residents who are frustrated and alienated by an unresponsive
government and representatives who don’t believe city government cares about them. It is my intention to ensure that Ward 8 residents will have a city councilor they can call about any city issue, and who will listen and respond fully; to ensure Ward 8 residents that I will proactively communicate through regular newsletters and ward meetings about what is happening in Newton that residents SHOULD be aware of; and, to ensure that the City Council and all appropriate committees and departments understand the interests and concerns of Ward 8 residents.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______ and this is what I intend to do about it.

The lack of local representatives who reach out, listen respond to issues of concern. Why can’t City Hall fix my road? Why are we losing so much affordable housing? Why can’t my kids, and parents, afford to live in Newton anymore?

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Number One: Communication. I will reach out to residents through regular newsletters. The incumbent has sent one letter in nearly 4 years — 6 weeks ago. I will meet with residents in convenient locations to discuss issues and concerns. I have never been invited to meet with the incumbent. I will make certain that the City Council, its committees and appropriate departments will know and respond to Ward 8 interests and concerns.

Number Two: I do not support zoning that allows By-Right development for 14,500 mostly market-rate housing under the MBTA Communities Act/VCOD program. I support adhering to the 8,330 rezoning requirement. My opponent supports rezoning 14,500 mostly market-rate rezoning.

Number Three: I do not support allowing any By-Right developer in the VCOD to build without requiring parking. My opponent does not require parking for all 14,500 units in the VCOD.

Number Four: I am opposed, and have been for nearly a year, to the massive luxury development at 528 Boylston Street (Route 9). My opponent did not speak in support of residents until she learned that 1,200 residents signed a petition.

Number five: I have worked for nearly 3 years with over 800 residents against the developer who
destroyed Newton’s 4th oldest historic home. I believe that the City should take this property by eminent domain immediately before the developer declares bankruptcy and refuses to pay the $269,000 in fines he owes. My opponent has been silent on this issue for nearly three years.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

As stated above, the incumbent has not been a visible and proactive representative of Ward 8
throughout nearly 4 years.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

In addition to my commitment to regularly communicate with residents, I will proactively represent Ward 8 on all issues from road repairs to the increasing and devastating flooding that we are experiencing. Newton must have a green storm water infrastructure plan run by people trained in watershed and sub-watershed flooding. I will work to ensure maintaining and expanding our tree canopy with regulations for compliance at all levels, including one and two-family lots.

Education: I completely support creating and maintaining the highest quality facilities for students and teachers. I fully support competitive salaries for teachers, teachers’ aides and custodians. I will work to ensure that we quickly address the loss of educational opportunities for all students due to COVID-19.

Better Streets: The condition of our streets is horrible. We need a well-planned, ten-year strategy to repair and replace our neighborhood streets. Neighborhoods deserve to know when their streets will be taken care of. “Next year” is not an appropriate response. See above for “flooding” and “tree canopy” concerns.

Responsible Zoning: As stated earlier, I do not support the proposed zoning that allows By-Right development for 14,500 mostly market-rate housing under the MBTA Communities Act/VCOD program.

I support adhering to the 8,330 rezoning requirement. My opponent supports rezoning 14,500 mostly market-rate rezoning.

Number Three: I do not support allowing any By-Right developer in the VCOD to build without requiring parking. My opponent does not require parking for all 14,500 units in the VCOD.

I support the crucial development of our village centers, but not by By-Right development. The village centers are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, and the city should not remove itself, and the local neighborhoods, from direct oversight in their development. We need to be engaged in the overall planning, design, housing types and commercial rental structures. These must be villages that meet neighborhood needs, not developer profits. I am deeply concerned with the character of the open spaces that must be available.

Climate Change: Every aspect of our future development must include acknowledging and preparing for the huge changes we are already experiencing. I have written earlier about flooding and protecting our tree canopy. I would include here that Newton is moving to full electric capacity, but it must include the sourcing of that power. I also believe we must continue to change all our fleet of vehicles to electric power. I believe in increasing NewMo and working with our state legislators to gain increased support from the MBTA in cross-town transportation resources.

Financial Responsibility: It is clear from the recent defeat of the mayor’s April Override Request (my opponent supported it completely) that residents are greatly concerned about how their tax dollars are being used. I voted for the two new school propositions but felt that the majority of projects highlighted by the mayor would more correctly be included in her annual budget so that the City Council could review them in context with all the items.

When the Mayor “found” funding for the majority of items in the Override, it became very clear that greater planning and oversight is critical before any consideration of increased taxes. We must also encourage a balance of commercial with residential development as both are needed for our future.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My personal experiences over the past 24 years trying to work with Newton’s city government,
combined with the extraordinary opportunity to knock on literally thousands of doors throughout Ward 8 during this campaign, have given me a sound understanding of the interests, concerns and frustrations of our residents. Now, using my professional lifetime of listening, organizing, communicating and successfully managing large nonprofit and governmental projects, I believe that I will be a very effective advocate for Ward 8 on the Newton City Council. I respectfully ask that you consider voting for me on November 7. Thank you.