Newton Residents Speak Out In Favor of NewCAL Plans

NEWTON, MA — Several weeks after Neighbors for a Better Newtonville filed a lawsuit against the City of Newton to protect the current Senior Center building, a group of residents have spoken out in favor of the city’s plans to tear it down and build a new Center for Active Living (NewCAL).

The building, formerly the Newtonville Branch Library, was constructed in 1938 to serve as the largest of the city’s branch libraries. At its dedication in 1939, an array of prominent officials were present and the event was headlined by Robert Frost, who read his poem, "Mending Wall," lines of which are contained in the building's stained glass windows.

Despite the Senior Center's history, the Newton Historical Commission (NHC) voted in March not to nominate the Senior Center for further landmark study, allowing the city's plans to replace it with a brand new building to continue.

Since then, some residents have said the city could have found another location for a new Senior Center to preserve a piece of Newton’s history or worked to renovate rather than tear down. Others say the city did everything they could to involve residents in the process and reconstruction at the existing site was the only viable option.

“The city embarked on a process that was hugely inclusive across four years beginning in 2018,” said resident Bob Fox. “The meetings were balanced and fact based and I thought the process was a very fair involved community effort with literally thousands of people participating. I think that’s really important when you’re making a decision that is going to affect people for another 50 to 100 years."

“When the feasibility study was finished, the new center rather than renovate the old building was fact based,” he continued. "The economics of building a new center were significantly different than renovating the old building. The renovation was 18.6 million and a new building was 16.1 million. The city is already struggling with its operating budget and people think, ‘We can afford it.’ No we can’t. I think the city has done a great job of balancing needs of school, police, fire, aging, and everyone else in between. It’s tricky."

“At some point, you have to say, ‘Which things are worth preserving and which are not?’” Fox concluded. “There are thousands of buildings in Newton that are the same age and style as the Senior Center. How do we preserve our history and still move forward?"

According to the NewCAL plans, the new building would have 30,000 square feet of indoor space, or more than three times the amount of space than what is available in the current Newton Senior Center, as well as a fitness center, shaded outdoor deck, library, art room, game room, and more.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller also recently announced her plans to ask for City Council approval to use ARPA funding to acquire the property at 47 Walnut Place, land directly adjacent to the current Newton Senior Center, to create more than twice the open space currently available to seniors.

Between the size of the current building and issues with accessibility and functionality, including a poor heating and cooling system and roof leaks, many residents have referred to it as “an embarrassment."

“I have been a Newton resident for over 38 years and I always felt the Senior Center was and is a pretty shabby building,” said Ellen Penso. “There isn’t enough space, the building itself is old, and the interior is really shabby. It’s really pretty embarrassing for a city the wealth and size of Newton not to have better facilities."

“When it comes to seniors, I feel like this is the first time the city has really tried to do something for the citizens of Newton,” she continued. “Trying to find some place, any place, in the City of Newton to build this was impossible. I trust Josh Morse and the city on this.”

“The old building is woefully inadequate,” said resident and member of Newton’s Council on Aging Naomi Krasner. “It is the most uninviting, unfriendly place. I haven’t even gone to that many classes because there is no space to do it. We need a place that is inviting and has space for the activities that people do, because people of all ages are very active. I like many people hope it will be completed in my lifetime.”

"I think the plans for the new senior center look amazing,” said resident Elizabeth Dugan. "My friends and I can't wait to play pickleball, indoor soccer in the winter, and to meet other Newton residents. I am on the Newton Council on Aging and am well-aware that our current building is totally insufficient to provide services and supports to the older residents in Newton. A new gathering spot for physical and social activities will help us to stay healthy and connected as we grow into our 100-year lives.”

According to the city, historical elements of the current Senior Center, including the stained glass windows, will be incorporated into the new building, a plan that some say isn’t doing enough to preserve history and others say is all that can be done.

"The building does not meet any of the [landmark] criteria according to the professionals, and I trust that, and I would really like to see that building torn down and a new center be built for our seniors,” said resident Ellen Meyers. "The people who are working on the design have done a great job incorporating historical elements there are ways to preserve history without preserving a building that has outlived its useful purpose.”

In their lawsuit, Neighbors for a Better Newtonville mentioned the lack of adequate space in the NewCAL plans, including that it is being built on 0.6 of an acre when the NewCal design team determined that they needed 2.5 acres and has 31 parking spaces rather than the 97 it needs according to the feasibility study and 210 according to the zoning guidelines.

Despite these concerns, many residents are saying they still want to see the city follow through on the current plans, as there is only so much space a city so close to Boston can offer.

"You could always wish for more,” said resident Julie Norstrand. "I think that's one of the issues we’ve learned throughout this, you have to go with what you have and make the best of it.”

On June 15, the Design Review Committee voted unanimously to recommend the NewCAL project for site plan review and approval by the City Council. To be approved, the plans require a two-thirds positive vote rather than just a majority vote.