Newton Candidate Profile: Vicki Danberg, At Large Ward 6

NEWTON, MA — The city will have several contested races in this fall's election, including for ward councilors, school committee and for at-large city council seats in four wards. Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Vicki Danberg, 71, has been the at-large councilor from Ward 6 since 2004. She and the other incumbent Greg Schwartz are vying to keep their seats as Alicia Bowman steps up and makes a run for one of them.

Danberg moved to Newton back in 1977 and raised a family with her husband John. Her son Andrew now lives in Southie, and her son Alex and daughter Meredith live in New York.

She graduated from Simmons College with a bachelors and then got her MBA there. She's been a health care manager for the past 35 years.

She took some time to answer a list of questions we sent her. Here's what she had to say. Patch has not edited her answers.

Previously: Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordable Housing. The future is coming. We need to plan for it!

We need zoning that recognizes need for housing near public transit and villages, respects existing residential neighborhoods and encourages energy efficiency and open space. That is a tall order but it can be done.

I will continue to work through the Planning Dept. and Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) to complete the re-write of our City zoning code, its first major revision in thirty years.

Provisions of the new code will encourage housing near transit and amenities and require more energy efficient construction. I worked for and supported recent easing of hurdles to allow for easier creation of accessory apartments in existing homes and an increased inclusionary (affordable) housing requirement for larger projects. The new code will also make it less lucrative to tear down existing homes and instead encourage re-hab. New construction must mirror the size of homes in the neighborhood, unlike today's ability to build mega-homes in modest home neighborhoods.

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

My focus is on my own issues of concern and making sure I put my attention, time and resources into feeding their needs and making them happen. See two questions below for what those issues are.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community. If you are an incumbent what's still on your to-do list?

As a City Councilor I will advocate for and support affordable housing and zoning that encourages it near transit and access to daily needs. This can be done while respecting the integrity of surrounding residential neighborhoods.

I will continue to support infrastructure improvement, repairing and replacing water, sewer and stormwater pipes. I will work to expand solid waste reduction and organics composting.

I will encourage increasing the number of EV re-charging stations in the City, incentivizing passive house and other green building principles and replacing the City's light and heavy vehicle fleet with electric vehicles in order to move the City toward its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality.
Finishing our zoning reform is very important to shaping the face of the City's built environment for the fifty years and beyond. I will work diligently to get this done.

We need to decide what form the new senior center will take and where it should be sited and how the Washington St. Armory should best be used to benefit the City's needs.

I will work on expanding our sidewalks, crosswalks and bike paths to make sure they are clear during all seasons and safe for all who wish to use them. These are some of the more important issues on my to-do list for the next term.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

My concerns are: Affordable housing; strong schools and public safety; improved public transit, bike safety and walkability; encouraging clean, renewable energy; completing zoning reform that respects housing, open space and existing neighborhoods; continuing investment in roads and infrastructure; encouraging vibrant villages and cultural life.

What accomplishments would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In the past six months, as lead docketer, I successfully shepherded into law the Sustainable Products Ordinance, that requires alternative sustainable products to styrofoam cups, take-out containers, packing peanuts and other polystyrene packaging, as well as plastic stir sticks that land in our landfills and waterways.

I also successfully led the effort to require clear sidewalks in all weather, allowing for safer passage for all who need or wish to walk or use mobile assistance devices to get where they need to go. This was a controversial initiative, but I stuck with it and got it passed.

Remember the three sided restoration of the Newton Centre Train Station I led the effort to accomplish after over 100 years of neglect? Well, the rear was even more complicated due to its proximity to live MBTA wires. It took me another ten years, but drive down Braeland St. behind the building and see the restoration in progress!

It took years of meetings with the T, leaseholders, landlords, architects, OSHA, engineers, union reps, safety personnel government liaisons and more to make that happen. I orchestrated it.

Do you remember what a mess the "landscaping" on both sides of the train station in Newton Centre was for nearly a century? It is now an attractive garden on both sides. I got that done with private funds and lead the Newton Serves effort to weed and re-mulch it every spring.

The new surface of Braeland Ave is about to be re-painted to include bike lanes, widened walkways to increase safety for the many pedestrians walking to the T. Over a number of years, I worked with City traffic engineers, supported this effort to bring it to fruition.

I worked to reinstate a five-year financial forecast so that Newton could gain control of its finances and supported the creation of the Blue Ribbon Commission and Citizens Advisory Group that pointed out numerous shortcomings and pathways to fixing problem issues in our City government.

There is more, but I will stop here.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Someone once said to me "The older we get, the more like our real selves we become." I believe that and have let it guide me to what I hope is the road to always do what I see as right for those who most need their voices to be heard.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I love dogs and have always supported off-leash dog parks. I encouraged the first two dog parks in the City to locate in Ward six, as they were controversial and hard to locate.

My favorite aspect of this city is...

Its diversity and the richness and benefit that that quality brings to all of our lives.

What's your take on the development happening in the city?

A regional housing shortage is sending rents and cost of home purchase beyond the means of many people. We need to create housing for our work force, our seniors, our young talent. Housing with retail near public transit also benefits the environment through reduced need for car travel, efficient use of scarce land resources and opportunities for energy efficient construction. Maintaining control over these projects through the special permit process allows achievement of better projects with adequate amenities.

More on Newton Elections:

• Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election
• Ward 5 Residents To Head To The Polls Sept. 10
• Humphrey, Winters Win Preliminary Election In Newton's Ward 5

More candidate profiles:

• Kathryn Winters - Ward 5
• Bill Humphrey - Ward 5
• Andreae Downs - At Large Ward 5
• Deb Crossly - At Large Ward 5

• Emily Norton (Incumbent)- Ward 2
• Bryan Barash - Ward 2
• Jake Auchincloss(Incumbent) - At Large Ward 2

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.