Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller recently outlined the Newton Centre Pilot Plaza Project, sparking worry among business owners who say they’ve already been affected by a lack of parking in Newton Centre.
The new plaza will clear 16,000 square feet, removing roughly one-fifth of the parking lot currently located on the western side of the Newton Centre Green.
While Fuller claims new public parking spaces will be added in the area, local business owners are worried about what the loss of customer parking space will mean for their businesses.
Karen Masterson, co-owner of Johnny’s Luncheonette in Newton Centre, expressed strong opposition to the mayor’s plan to convert a parking lot into a plaza. She emphasized that the city has not yet adequately addressed the parking needs of businesses, an issue that will be exacerbated by the loss of 51 parking spaces.
Masterson explained most businesses don’t have parking associated with them, making it a struggle for even owners and employees to find parking during busy times.
“We currently do not have enough parking for the business that we do have, so to take away spaces without addressing the current … spaces is counterproductive to the success of our businesses,” Masterson said.
Masterson explained that the local businesses in Newton Centre were not consulted or informed of the changes until the mayor’s newsletter was published last week.
“We provide a lot of benefits to our whole region, and we do support the community in a lot of ways,” Masterson said “So to be completely shut out of the planning process for this just doesn’t feel right because they’ve already got a timeline, and then started talking to us. So it’s like, well, so you’ve [the local authorities] already decided.”
“It does seem to be a little less of a collaborative effort,” says Ericka Harindranath, owner of Farmstead Table, regarding the relationship between businesses and city government when it comes to conflict resolution.
Harindranath confirmed that the city failed to voice their plan directly to owners in the area, as the plan came to her knowledge through a Newton Chamber of Commerce meeting, rather than authorities speaking to the business owners themselves.
The parking in Newton Centre is a known issue for the business owners in the area, explained Harindranath.
“I think I’m probably in line with a lot of other business owners on this one,” Harindranath adds. “It’s probably the opposite of what the area needs right now.”
Customers who come to Newton Centre looking to dine locally often cannot find parking space within a reasonable distance of the area, explained Harindranath.
“It’ll really just drive traffic away from here in favor of restaurants in the Chestnut Hill district that have dedicated parking lots,” Harindranath said.
Although the area lacks parking, the project is meant to invite visitors to grab something to eat and hang around Newton Centre, supporting local businesses.
“I am not sure it will increase foot traffic per se; however, I do think that it will keep the people that are in the Newton Centre area here by giving people somewhere pleasant to hang out,” said Lydia Reichert, owner and manager of Jinny’s Pizzeria.
Reichert supports the Plaza Project and hopes it will encourage more people to shop in the area.
“[They could] consider getting takeout from restaurants and sit in the park while their kids play, or grab a coffee and chat with a friend,” Reichert said.
To address the loss of 51 parking spaces to build the plaza, the City of Newton identified 67 new permanent parking spaces around Newton Centre. Furthermore, Reichert pointed out that there is plenty of street parking available near the area.
“The only time parking becomes a challenge in the area is when there are festivals in the Newton Centre Green, most recently the WinterFEST, which brings a lot of people and traffic,” Reichert said.
These festivals can exacerbate the shortage in parking, but they also offer an opportunity for local businesses to further thrive with increased visibility, explained Reichert.
“Every time there is a festival on the Newton Centre Green we see new faces, and hopefully new returning customers at the restaurant. ” Reichert said.
Masterson relates the intercommunity struggle to a broader picture of communication and relationships with one’s government.
“It’s an important issue to understand from the standpoint of bureaucracy and business and communication and how decisions get made,” Masterson said. “It’s just an example of how important it is to talk to the stakeholders—because the proper steps weren’t taken to build bridges and partnerships, there’s going to be points of contention.”
Leave a Reply