City Council Committee Reports – 5/17/22 – 6/1/22

Land Use – 05-17-22 Committee Report – Watch the NewTV recording here. The Land Use Committee voted to approve the following:

• Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct a second‐story rear addition over the existing footprint, vertically extending the nonconforming side setback at 9 Day Street – See Special Permit documents and See Draft Council Order.

The Land Use Committee voted No Action Necessary on the following item:

• Sustainability Update – discussion of a Feasibility update required by Condition 47(d) of Special Permit #33‐21(3) as part of a previously approved Special Permit/Site Plan approval that was granted to allow a lab and research facility use and to allow height up to 96’ and 8 stories at 275 Grove Street – See Special Permit documents and Heat Pump Feasibility Study

All other items were held.

Traffic Council – 5/19/2022 Report: The Traffic Council voted to approve the following:

• Request to restrict parking on the north side of Clinton Street, to ensure safe access for emergency, trash, and recycling vehicles. This may include removing or relocating accessible parking on the street
• Request for a Safety Zone on Lincoln Street near the Hyde Playground and extending to Walnut Street
• Request for a Safety Zone on Chestnut Street near Bobby Braceland Park and extending to Oak Street
• Request to permanently remove parking on Hagen Road between Sheldon Road and Olde Field Road, to create the counterflow bike lane on this block of Hagen Road, which was implemented temporarily as part of a Traffic Council trial
• Request to permanently remove parking on the south side of Brandeis Road from Adeline Road to the Newton South High School property line, which was implemented temporarily as part of a Traffic Council trial.
• Request for a review and the potential addition of stop signs at the intersection of Grove Hill Avenue and Prospect Avenue.
• Request to add the currently posted “2 hour limit” (on the east side and cul-de-sac of St. James Circle) and the “no parking” prohibition (on the west side of St. James Circle) into the Traffic and Parking Regulations (TPR). Note that this item makes no change in the field and fixes an omission in the TPR

Chair’s Note: The Chair expects to entertain a motion to vote No Action Necessary on the
following two items:

• Request to update the TPR for Floral Street to match existing posted signage. Note that this item makes no change in the field and fixes an error in the Traffic and Parking Regulations.
• Request to analyze and potentially remove some metered parking spaces on Lincoln Street adjacent to crosswalks to improve driver visibility and pedestrian safety

The Traffic Council voted to deny the following:

• Request for a 2-hour parking restriction on Langley Road, except with a Resident Parking Permit, across 393 Langley Road to 412 Langley Road

All other items were held.

Land Use – 05-24-22 Committee Report – Watch the NewTV recording here. All items were held.

Finance – 05-31-22 Committee Report: Watch the NewTV recording here. The Finance Committee voted to approve the following:

• Appointment of Max Stoff to the Financial Audit Advisory Committee
• Request from the Commission of Public Works to approve the following sidewalk/driveway apron and/or curb betterments; said betterments to be levied under the provisions of MGL Chapter 83, Sec. 26, authorizing the assessments of betterments for construction. This is to replace Council Orders 383-19 and 279-21.
• Request for a discussion on the PACE Program(Property Assessed Clean Energy Program) and its possible adoption by the City Council. This program, available through Mass Development since 2020, assists and broadens access to financing for non-profit, commercial, and multi-family (5 units and above) buildings to facilitate energy efficiency upgrades but is only accessible by Council adoption. Approved subject to 2nd call.
• Request to authorize and expend $20,000 from the Law Department Legal Claims and Settlements to settle a claim of negligence against the City. Note: A motion for Executive Session may be entertained

Zoning and Planning – 06-01-22 Committee Report (Part 1): Watch NewTV recording here. The Zoning and Planning Committee voted to approve the following:

• Three appointments to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
  • Peter Sargent
  • Ann Houston
  • Councilor Alicia Bowman
• Request authorization to the City Council pursuant to the 2020 Revised Citizen Participation Plan, to submit the FY23 Annual Action Plan to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the City of Newton Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds and the WestMetro HOME Consortium.
• Request review, discussion, and possible ordinance amendments relative to Chapter 30 zoning ordinances pertaining to Mixed Use, business districts, and village districts relative to the draft Zoning Ordinance.