Next Meeting:

4 AC Debates
Meeting Date:
Saturday, October 18, 2025 - 1:00pm

You’re invited to the Four Area Council Candidate Debates—a community forum informing Newton voters since 2013—presented by the Waban, Newton Highlands, Newtonville, and Upper Falls Area Councils.

Drawing on findings from our recent citywide survey, moderators will ground their questions in real resident concerns, giving candidates a chance to address what matters most to you. Led by experienced, well-informed Newton citizens, these debates offer a fair, substantive opportunity to hear how candidates for Mayor, City Council, and School Committee plan to meet the challenges ahead.

All debates are free and open to the public. Attend in person at Zervas or watch the livestream; links are below.

Event Details

Dates: Saturday, October 18 & Sunday, October 19 
Location: Zervas Elementary, 30 Beethoven Ave, Newton, MA
Livestream: wabanareacouncil.org and all Area Council websites

Saturday, Oct 18 

Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/HjE3XRGVYi0?feature=share

  • Mayor — 60 min — Moderator: Marjorie Arons-Barron — Start: 1:00 PM
  • Ward 6 City Council (At-Large) — 45 min — Moderator: Alan Spatrick — Start: 2:15 PM
  • Ward 4 City Council (At-Large) — 45 min — Moderator: Alan Spatrick — Start: 3:15 PM
  • Ward 5 City Council (Ward) — 30 min — Moderator: Chris Markiewicz — Start: 4:15 PM

Sunday, Oct 19 

Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/A8OdvvcLX8M?feature=share

  • Ward 8 School Committee — 30 min — Moderator: Adam Bernstein — Start: 2:00 PM
  • Ward 2 School Committee — 30 min — Moderator: Adam Bernstein — Start: 2:45 PM
  • Ward 6 School Committee — 30 min — Moderator: Amy Sangiolo — Start: 3:30 PM
  • Ward 5 School Committee — 30 min — Moderator: Amy Sangiolo — Start: 4:15 PM

Moderators2025v2_Optimized.jpg

Moderators (left to right)

Marjorie Arons-Barron — Former Editorial Director, WCVB-TV; producer/host of Five on Five; commentator; blogger at marjoriearonsbarron.com; Editorial Advisory Council, The Newton Beacon; 2019 Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee; moderator at every 4 Area Councils debate since 2013.

Chris Markiewicz — Newton resident for 34+ years; management consultant to Fortune 100 firms and governments; CPA; former 6-year Newton City Councilor; board member, Charles River Watershed Association and All Newton Music School (former Board President, 2014–2017).

Amy Sangiolo — Attorney, community advocate, and former Ward 4 City Councilor (20+ years); currently the 11th Middlesex State Representative; former mayoral candidate; long-time champion of policies benefiting Newton and the Commonwealth.

Alan Spatrick — Newton homeowner since 1993; reporter and board member, Fig City News; board member, Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation; Managing Principal, Meketa Investment Group; CFA; Brandeis University graduate.

Adam Bernstein — Director, Fig City News; Newton resident; interviewer of local candidates and leaders; NPS parent; policy-focused journalist drawing on prior energy-policy research experience; Emory University and Dartmouth College graduate.

Please feel free to forward.

Waban Area Council

The mission of the Waban Area Council is to hear, respond to and represent village concerns and issues; to provide a forum for Waban issues, and to encourage resident involvement in local government.

TO REACH ALL WABAN AREA COUNCILORS, SEND E-MAIL TO: wabanareacouncil@newtonma.gov

We meet regularly on the second Thursday of each month at the Waban Library Center and/or Online.

Please join the WabanNewton Google Group

City of Newton documentation of current issues and schedules:

VCOD Version 3.1 - revised & final Zoning text & Maps
The City Council is in the final phase of considering and voting on the Village Center Overlay District zoning and maps. It is expected to be voted out at the City Council meeting on November 20, 2023. Here is the link for the zoom meeting - https://newtonma-gov.zoom.us/j/88259055774
Action Summary:

Please consider attending the City Council meeting on Monday, November 20, 2023, 7:45pm for the final vote on the Village Center Overlay District Zoning + Maps. 

Zoom Meeting link

Strong Block Local Landmark
The Strong Block was unanimously approved to be designated as a Newton Local Landmark by the Newton Historical Commission at their August 24, 2023 meeting.      Update (August 14, 2023): The Newton Historical Commission (NHC) will be considering and voting on the designation of the Strong Block as...
Action Summary:

Update (August 14, 2023)

Please consider attending and offering public comment on the designation of the Strong Block as a Newton Local Landmark at the Newton Historical Commission meeting on Thursday, August 24th, 7pm. 

The NHC Agenda with the zoom link for the meeting is here - link. 

Please consider attending the meeting to voice your opinion on the matter.  If you are not able to attend the meeting, you can email your comments to the City of Newton Chief Preservation Planner, Mollie Hutchings (mhutchings@newtonma.gov), and she will forward your email the Newton Historical Commission members.

Visualizations of proposed Waban Village Center Districts

The Waban Area Council have begun the process of applying the proposed zoning to discreet Waban parcels in Google Earth Pro. Shown below is the link to VC1/VC2 visualizations presented at our December 2022 meeting. This webpage hosts recent 3D visualizations for the Strong Block parcel. 
Action Summary:

Climate Change
How will our community address Climate Change? 
Action Summary:

Click here for the City of Newton's Five-Year Climate Action Plan

Newton Zoning 2020
A proposed new Zoning Code is being formulated and discussed in the Zoning and Planning subcommittee of the City Council. Learn how this will impact your property
Action Summary:

Watch the presentation by City Councilor Pam Wright: Webinar copy and paste this Password: %7*hsQ%9

Pattern Book
The Newton Planning Department is currently accepting comments on its draft Pattern Book, an important tool that will help guide future development and inform the zoning reform process. As stated in the draft Pattern Book: To build a zoning ordinance that respects and responds to that which is...
Action Summary:

Historic Preservation
Wabanites have passionately expressed, as have residents from other villages, the importance or preserving many of Waban's historical landmarks such as the Library, the Strong building which hosts most of our village's businesses, Waban Hall where Starbucks currently resides, and many homes that...
Action Summary:

Sudbury Aqueduct Walking Trails
September 26th 2019 WLC Sudbury Aqueduct Trail Meeting -- Joint Area Council event   Since our inception, the WAC has advocated for improvements to the Sudbury Aqueduct trail (especially at the heavily used Stanley/Canterbury Rd. aqueduct crossing). The city needs to “permit” the southern portion...
Action Summary:

Attend the meeting

Future Planning
What will Waban and Newton look like 5, 10, 25, 50 years into the future?  Please join us as we enter the next chapter in our future planning.  as of 2025, we are taking another survey. Sign up on our mailing list to receive a survey. Learning from previous meetings, we've made some changes that...
Action Summary:

Subscribe to our list to receive a survey.

Friends of The Quinobequin
As of 2024, the WAC has put this innitiative back on the front burner under the direction of Sumukh Tendulkar, and several other community members. If you would like to be involved, please reach out to Sumukh or any other Area Councilor.  The Department of Conservation and Recreation has commenced...
Action Summary:

Please contact Sumukh Tendulkar.

Housing and Zoning Forums
Newton is currently revising the city's Zoning codes in a 3 phase process. The final Draft of Phase one is available at this link. The next phase of creating new codes is currently being proposed which among other things, will entirely remove single family housing zoning. Befor Mayor Fuller took...
Action Summary:

Read the information and let your City Representatives know how you would like to be represented.

Storm Water System
Flooding occurs around Quinobequin and other Waban areas after rainstorms due to a variety of factors including storm system overflows. In the document Library is the presentation of newton's plan - starts on page 5.
Action Summary:

Newton has begun a storm system renovation plan.