At the Zoning and Planning Committee meeting (in-person: Room 204; virtual: Zoom link) TONIGHT, January 9 at 7PM, resident input on Village Center Zoning will be limited to community groups, not individuals. At the various Village Center Map meetings over the last six weeks, Chair Deb Crossley had indicated that there would be time designated at two Zoning and Planning Committee meetings — January 9 and 23 — specifically dedicated to receiving public comments. The agenda for the January 9 meeting suggests that comments will be limited to “hearing from community groups on Version 1.0 of the draft zoning text and draft maps.”
The Public Safety and Transportation Committee and Finance Committee will meet jointly (Zoom link) TONIGHT, January 9 at 7PM to discuss an appropriations request for $258,524.10 from Free Cash for the purchase of four Hybrid Ford Police Interceptor Cruisers.
The Finance Committee will then continue its meeting with four grant acceptance requests, a request to transfer funds from Health and Human Services/Youth Services/Personnel/Other Stipends to a Health – Awareness/Expenses/Consultants account, a proposal to increase the curbside mattress recycling fee from the current $50 to $60, a request to use TRIO mitigation funds to fund NewMO, and $3,240,000 for Newton South High School Synthetic Turf Fields and Perimeter Track (see Agenda).
The Land Use Committee will meet (in-person: Council Chamber; virtual: Zoom link) on Tuesday, January 9 at 7PM to consider two Class 1 Auto Dealer License requests, 6 Class 2 Auto Dealer License Requests, and 5 Special Permit Requests in its meeting .
The School Committee will meet TONIGHT, January 9 at 6:30PM (Zoom link – link not working), and among the agenda items are:
- Countryside Project Educational Program and Space Summary
- Revised KCDE policy (equity in gifts and donations)
- Interim Superintendent Goals
- 5-year contract request for Special Education Transportation
- Out-of-State/Out-of-Country Field Trips
- School Lunch Update
- System-wide Goals Update: Human Resources: Attracting/Retaining Staff
- 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
- Superintendent Search Update
- Preview of Enrollment Analysis and Class Size Report
Board and Commission Meetings this week: See the Weekly Calendar below for dates, times, Zoom links, and documents for these meetings. Or click the links below for full details.
- Auburndale Historic District Commission: Certificates of Appropriateness for driveway at 16 Hawthorne Avenue and relocation of 24 Robin Dell and new building at 120 Seminary Avenue in Lasell Village. The application for the 169 Grove Street and 136-144 Hancock Street, Walker Center proposal was withdrawn and rescheduled for the February meeting.
- Commission on Disability: MAAB Variance-Golda Meir, CDBG Report, Final vote on FY24 CDBG Access Projects
- Community Preservation Committee: CPA program outreach, existing and potential projects, current finances
- Design Review Committee: NewCAL design updates, Lincoln-Eliot updates to building addition, costs, and schedule
- Designer Selection Committee will meet twice this week to select RFQ respondents — on Monday for on-call architectural services and on Tuesday for on-call LSP services and environmental engineering services
- Economic Development Commission: 1314 Washington Street project, Outdoor dining 2023, Pop-up Retail grant, Life Sciences permitting, liquor licenses, building permiet, MBTA Commuter Rail Station funding, Village Center Zoning, 2022 annual report, 2023 goals
- Election Commission: Polling location changes (Senior Center, Peirce School), recommended dates for early voting, municipal election calendar, pro/con statement providers regarding override
- Newton Affordable Housing Trust: Existing housing projects and initiatives, letter of support for MAPC Housing Needs Assessment, Village Center Zoning speaker for January 23 public hearing
- Newton Housing Authority: Haywood House update, strategic plan update, REAC scores update
- Newton Upper Falls Historic District Commission: Certificates of Appropriateness for retaining wall and patio at 207-209 Elliot Street and stair, patios, pathways, and trellis at 15 Oak Street.
- Urban Design Commission: Sign permits, fence appeal, design reviews for 528 Boylston Street and 290 Watertown Street
- Zoning Board of Appeals: Public hearing on request for a Comprehensive Permit to redevelop West Newton Armory into mixed use — affordable housing, community space, office space, and parking
No events are currently scheduled in the City’s Override public meeting calendar for January. Presentation materials and video recordings of previous meetings may be found here.
This week’s road construction schedule can be found here.