Super Tuesday In Newton Means Citywide Northland Vote, Too

NEWTON, MA — Super Tuesday in Newton coincides with a citywide vote that will decide the future of a developer’s planned housing and shops on three plots of land making up a 22 acre project in Newton Upper Falls.

A "Yes" vote would set the project in motion. A "No" vote would send the project back to the drawing board. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. across the city.

Oh, and also: Democrats or un-enrolled can head in to cast a ballot for their favorite Democratic Presidential Candidate. The Bay State awards 114 delegates to presidential conventions and the majority of assignments are based on the outcome of the primary. California (494) has the largest delegate haul in the country.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren hopes to gain ground on Democratic front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders now that Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg and Tom Steyer dropped out after the South Carolina primary.

They're all still on the ballot, but only five candidates are still technically running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

If you're enrolled in the Republican Party you can also cast a vote for one of the two names on the ballot challenging President Donald Trump. There are primaries for the Green Rainbow and Libertarian parties, as well.

You can find your polling place on the Secretary of State's Website.

On Northland:

In December, city council members approved a zoning change (by a 17 to 7 vote) so that Northland Investment Corporation's project, which Northland and then Mayor Setti Warren presented as a concept in 2016, as part of a pro-active housing plan for the city, could transform three parcels making up the 1.1 million square-feet corner of Needham and Oak streets into 800 units of apartments, including 140 deemed affordable. It would also be home to a park, 750 new trees and 180,000 square feet of offices, businesses and restaurants and a shuttle service to link the area to the MBTA in an effort to attract non-drivers.

The referendum comes after a group petitioned the city council to rescind their own vote on the project, or put it to the Newton voters.

There are two organized camps to get out the vote: both for and against the proposed Northland Development Project set for the corner of Needham and Oak streets.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, who supports the proposal, has said the shuttle service will help cut down on traffic to the area. Others question whether that will be enough to put a dent in the Needham Street corridor that is notorious for slow traffic, especially during the rush hour.

City Councilor Deb Crossley, who stood next to then Mayor Setti Warren back in 2016 with the project was first announced in the Marshall's plaza, said neighbors have been working with the developer since the beginning.

Northland's Peter Standish told Patch he invited neighbors who were protesting the latest iteration to sit down with them and walk through the project, RightSize Newton said that's true, but they weren't convinced they would be heard, so declined the invitations, according to its website.

A No vote would mean Northland would have to start the process over again, which is what RightSize Newton, or The Committee for Responsible Development, have said they want. RightSize Newton members have said if a No vote passes, they believe the developer would be more willing to sit down with them and adjust the project rather than go through a 40B process.

The folks who are in support of the development say this has been years of negotiations and compromise and are happy with where it landed, calling the deal generous and say they worry a No vote would take local control out of the equation.

If Northland decided to turn each of the three parcels into 40Bs, they could build more than 1,200 units and leave out the perks, they say.

In addition to the mayor, some 15 city councilors, 13 community groups and four Newton commissions have endorsed the plan. The Boston Globe's editorial board endorsed the project saying it could pave the way for a "fairer future" for the city.

The Globe also reported that the Yes campaign was funded by the developer.

Resources:

• City of Newton's project website.
• Northland Development's website
• The Committee for Responsible Development (RightSize Newton, against the project)
• Yes for Newton's Future ( The group for the project)

Read more:

• Newton To Hold Citywide Vote On Northland Project In March
• Northland Project Vote: Both Sides To Present At Newton Forum
• Group Pulls Out Of Newton Voter Forum On Northland Project ...
• Newton Wins $400K Grant For Upper Falls Greenway, Intersection

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).