As a frequent customer of Newtonville restaurants and shops, I am invested in supporting our local businesses and fostering a thriving Newtonville Village. The best way to increase foot traffic for local businesses is to provide attractive public open space, with tree-lined walkways, benches and outdoor dining which encourages customers to stroll, linger and shop in the Village.

The B’nai B’rith Housing plan for Austin Street offers an innovative way to incorporate more green space into my neighborhood center. It creates a tucked-away, grassy promenade behind Newtonville’s shops with public seating, shade trees, old-fashioned street lamps and easy, pleasant access to parking. Their plan for a brick courtyard with outdoor dining at Austin Street anchors the open space, transforming the unsightly alleyway into a lively gathering place. The historic look of their proposed residential development provides an attractive streetscape and a buffer to the Star Market lot and Mass Pike.

The B’nai B’rith plan sets aside nearly 40 percent of the site for open space, significantly more than any of its competitors. Newtonville has everything to gain from such innovative thinking…more.