On March 4, the Newton City Council will vote on the question of passage of the Phase 3 Solar Proposal – there are two sites left to approve. Please send a short email to Newton City Councilors to let them know how strongly you support all the proposed/approved Phase 3 Solar sites, but especially the canopies at Brown Middle School and the Newton Public Library.
Letters for all City Council members may be sent to: dolson@newtonma.gov. Please consider writing directly to your own City Councilor as well. Info HERE.
The Brown Middle School revised proposal removes a canopy originally planned close to the trees at the edge of the parking lot, placing it instead at the front of the entrance to the school. This change means only one tree rather than 20 will be removed.
At the Newton Free Library, revised plans would create approximately 32 new parking spaces and improve drainage in the parking lot. Newton’s Director of Urban Forestry Marc Welch estimates that seven of the 12 trees in the parking lot are small enough to be moved to accommodate the solar canopies. While seven trees would be cut, over 60 new replacement trees will be planted. The Library Board of Trustees has conditionally approved the new plans. The Trustees are excited that the solar canopies proposed for the library parking lot would generate 39 percent of the library’s electricity use.
To quote GN member Alan Nogee: “In the world of energy choices, if you’re concerned about trees, Solar Phase 3 is about as good as it gets.”
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