Monday, September 12 will be a busy night for the Zoning and Planning Committee, which will meet both in person (City Council Chamber and then in Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) at 7PM. The Committee will hold two public hearings:
- The first will be on proposed amendments to the section of the Zoning Ordinance regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which would allow detached ADUs by-right and amend setback requirements (see Planning Memo).
- The second will be on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding Inclusionary Zoning, which would designate the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to receive one-half of the new incoming Inclusionary Zoning funds.
The Zoning and Planning Committee will also discuss a request from the Community Preservation Committee to appropriate $1,948,056 to the Affordabe Housing Trust Fund to provide funding for projects that meet the CPA’s eligible funding categories for community housing projects (see CPC Memo).
In addition, the Committee will discuss the City”s recent Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) and Safe Harbor Calculation in terms of progress made and a request to post the SHI on the City’s website. (See Planning Department Memo and Memo from City Councilors.)
The Commitee will also receive a brief update from the Planning Department regarding community engagement efforts on Village Center Zoning. (See Letters Received Regarding Village Center Zoning Redesign and Zoning Community Engagement Presentation Comments.)
The Finance Committee is also meeting virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, September 12 at 7PM and will be reviewing requests to:
- Spend $36,000 in Special Permit Fees for speed feedback signs and repairs to ADA ramps, curbcuts, and sidewalks on Langley Path pursuant to Board Order Conditions #9 and #17 for Special Permit #285-17;
- Approve two grants and one donation: $272,000 for Bluebikes bike share program, $635,454.54 reimbursable Assistance to Firefighters grant from the Department of Homeland Security, and a $60,000 donation from UMASS Amherst – Mt. Ida for NewMO;
- Appropriate $950,000 for simulcast public safety radio infrastructure;
- Appropriate and expend $25,000 to settle a worker’s compensation claim;
- Appropriate and expend $486,500 in CPA funding for Phase II of Gath Pool project to make it shovel ready, and
- Reappoint a Constable. (See agenda).
The Land Use Committee will meet in-person (Council Chamber) and virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, September 13 at 7PM and, along with six other Special Permit/Site Plan Approval Requests, will continue its hearing on the Special Permit/Site Plan Approval request for a retail marijuana establishment at 1185 Chestnut Street (see agenda). The petitioner, Nuestra, LLC, has provided updates from the last public hearing, including information related to working with the daycare/kindergarten program that is located within 500 feet of the proposed site, modified its photometric plan, updated its site plan to include an additional visual separation from an abutting driveway, improve the site plan regarding the encroachment onto the MBTA Greenway property, added a turning movement plan, and provided responses to the City’s Peer Traffic Review (see Planning Memo).
The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council – (Newton SEPAC) will hold a virtual open board meeting (Zoom link) on Tuesday, September 13 at 7:30PM and will be discussing their 2022-2023 Goals (see agenda).
This month’s Traffic Council agenda includes posting Administrative changes made to the TPR since the last Traffic Council Meeting. The Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, September 14 at 7PM.
Lincoln-Eliot School Building Committee (LESBC) meeting is canceled. Commissioner Josh Morse sent an email stating that the LESBC is invited to join the Design Review Committee (DRC) virtual meeting (Zoom link) on Wednesday, September 14 (see agenda) now that they are in the Design Development phase of the project, and that the DRC will take the lead on the project. The DRC will first discuss design development progress on the NewCAL project beginning at 6PM and is expected to discuss the Lincoln-Eliot project at 7:30PM.
Two local historic district Commission meetings this week:
- The Auburndale Historic Commission will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, September 13 at 7PM and will take up a two window replacement projects, a request to amend a previously approved design concept for the Walker Center project at 169 Grove Street, and a request for feedback on a proposal by Lasell Village to build approximately 42 independent living units at 24 Robin Dell (possibly involving demolition, renovation, or relocation of an historic structure) (see agenda).
- On Thursday, the Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission will meet virtually (Zoom link) at 7PM and will take up seven requests including one for final project approval of underground utilities, utility pole locations, and landscaping along the street at 45 Old England Road (see agenda).
Two community meetings on Thursday, September 15:
- The first is a virtual community meeting (Zoom link) sponsored by the Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department on the future of Crystal Lake Park and Beach (see Meeting Flyer) at 6PM.
- The second is a virtual community update (Zoom link) on the NewCAL project beginning at 6:30PM (see Meeting Announcement).
This week’s road construction schedule can be found here. It notes that there will be a BC Home Football Game on Saturday, September 17 at 7:30PM.