Zoning and Planning Committee will meet in person (Council Chamber/Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, November 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to amend Chapter 30, Newton Zoning Ordinance, to allow animal service establishments by right in BU1 and BU2 zones (see Planning Memo).
Chair’s Note: There will be a presentation and discussion regarding the results of the recent Community Engagement period and feedback tool, along with follow‐up Councilor questions from and subsequent to the 10/24/2022 Zoning & Planning Committee meeting (see Planning Memo).
- Request for a 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. (formerly #88‐20) (see Planning Memo)
- 2 Reappointments to the Urban Design Commission
- Michael Kaufman
- Visda Saeyan
Finance Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, November 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to appropriate and expend $150,000 from June 30, 2022 Certified Free Cash to purchase purchasing a replacement of a 2004 trackless sidewalk clearing tractor.
- Request authorization to transfer $55,000 from the Financial Services Full Time Salaries to a Department 111-Non-Lapsing Police Technology Upgrade Account.
- Request authorization to transfer $800,000 from June 30,2022 Certified Free Cash to fund the replacement of Fire Engine 7.
- Request approval to spend $33,333 in transportation mitigation funds from the 15 Riverdale Avenue development for NewMo operations consistent with the transportation demand management plan set out in Special Permit #01-20 and the approved Request for Determination of Insubstantial Change dated 2/2/22.
Land Use Committee will meet in person (Council Chamber) and virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, November 15 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to withdraw a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to raze a portion of the existing building and reconfigure the existing parking to allow for construction of a drive-in and relief for a free-standing sign at 940 Boylston without prejudice.
- Request for an Extension of Time (November 15, 2024) to exercise a previously approved Special Permit/Site Plan Approval (Special Permit Council Order #33-21(3), to amend Special Permit Council Orders #40-97, #40-97(2), and #33-21 to amend the site plan, to allow a lab and research facility use and to allow height up to 96′ and 8 stories at 275 Grove Street
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to allow a for-profit education use at 49-51 Winchester Street (see Special Permit documents and Planning Memo)
- Request to amend a previously approved Special Permit/Site Plan Approval (#135-18) to convert office space into a fourteenth residential unit at 429 Cherry St, Newton (see Special Permit documents and Planning Memo)
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to allow a rear lot subdivision to construct a single family dwelling, relocate the existing dwelling forward, and waive the definition of “rear-lot” at 113 Grove Street (see Special Permit documents and Planning Memo).
Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, November 17 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to review and modify the parking in and near the West Newton Village Center along Watertown Street, Washington Street, Waltham Street, Chestnut Street and Elm Street. These changes may include modification of the time limits at metered and unmetered spaces, the addition of parking meters in areas that previously were not metered, the addition of a loading zone, and related changes- NOTE: This item was held on 10/27/2022 to develop a final set of meter-related changes and use of curb space in the W Newton Sq. area based on input received, and to develop official TPR language, to be voted on at a subsequent Traffic Council meeting.
- Request temporary and permanent changes in terms of the location, duration, and pricing of public parking spaces, location of traffic signals, and changes to traffic circulation within and proximate to the Washington Street corridor in West Newton, to include abutting blocks of intersecting streets, in order to facilitate the reconstruction of the Washington Street corridor – NOTE: This item was held on December 13 2018 for a trial of the following: Temporary and permanent changes in terms of the location, duration, and pricing of public parking spaces, location of traffic signals, and changes to traffic circulation within and proximate to the Washington Street corridor in West Newton, to include abutting blocks of intersecting streets, in order to facilitate the reconstruction of the Washington Street corridor. Changes during the trial period will be approved by the Commissioner of Public Works in conjunction with the Director of Planning and Development and the Traffic Bureau Chief.
- Request for a discussion with residents of Cook Street, the section of Chapel Street south of Watertown Street, and the block of Green Street between Cook Street and Chapel Street on the advantages and disadvantages of creating Phase 1 of a Nonantum Village Parking District on these streets. A Nonantum Village Parking District would feature $25/year parking stickers along with free visitor placards, available to residents of these streets, which would override new time limits, which would be posted, and which would apply to all vehicles parked on these streets. Depending on public feedback, this docket item could be used by Traffic Council, at a subsequent meeting, to implement this new Parking District. This item may also include a discussion of adding meters into the City’s Chapel Street and/or Adams Street Public Parking Lots in Nonantum, and converting the 3-hour parking spaces into a combination of short-term and long-term metered parking spaces.
- Request for changes to the parking regulations in the area of Watertown Street near 687 Watertown Street, and possibly abutting blocks, to prepare for the move of the Newton Early Childhood Program to 687 Watertown Street.
- Request for an extension of the No Parking restriction on southbound Centre Street, just north of Allerton Road.