Thanks to the Beacon for reporting on the proposal before the Newton City Council that would mandate large property owners to reduce energy use over time or be subject to fines.

The Charles River Chamber and our property owner members recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to move away from fossil fuels.

However, we’re concerned that the consultant quoted in your article who presented the BERDO program to the Zoning & Planning Committee, glossed over the costs of this program to local employers. Saying some of these initiatives would “only” drive up rental costs by 4 percent, overlooks all the other costs that drive up rents annually, including Proposition 2 ½ tax increases, water and sewer fees, and ever-rising insurance and maintenance costs, to name a few.

So really a local business could be looking at more like an 8-to-12 percent annual rent increase. That’s real money, especially at a time when a glut of space in the commercial market could make moving to a community that doesn’t have these same rules in place tempting.   

Greg Reibman

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber