City Council
Zoning and Planning (Monday)
- Appointment of Anne Marie Stein to the Newton Historical Commission
- Zoning Redesign and Village Center Zoning: Continued discussion with Planning and Utile about design standards for Village Center Zoning version 1, specific changes proposed for version 2 including priority streets for mixed-use, adaptive reuse requirements, parking standards
Finance (Monday)
- Policies and procedures to collect delinquent property tax payments
Land Use (Tuesday)
- Request to amend special permit for Garden Remedies: Recommitted item to discuss request to update signage at 697 Washington Street – Garden Remedies
- Request for partial release of the Declaration of Affordable Housing Covenants encumbering the property located at 677 Winchester Street – Coleman House
- Three discussion items:
- Requirement for submission of designs for underground utility service lines
- Review and analysis of standard language of special permit council orders
- Process to create and enforce landscape plans
Boards and Commissions
Newton Parks and Recreation Commission (Monday): NSHS Lion’s 5K (May 21), Nonantum Village Day (June 4)
Newton Cultural Council (Tuesday): Member Survey; Questions for MCC Program Officer’s upcoming visit
Newton Commonwealth Foundation (Tuesday)
Countryside School Building Committee (Tuesday): Design Options review; schedule update
Newtonville Area Council: (NEW DATE: Tuesday) Village Center Zoning (Utile images); interview for Council openings
Fair Housing Committee (Wednesday): Fair Housing HUD Comment; Health and Human Services Commissioner Presentation on Fair Housing Complaints
Conservation Commission (Wednesday)
- Notices of Intent: 370 Quinobequin Road (additions and deck), 50 Grace Road (teardown/rebuild)
- Certificates of Compliance: 50 Grace Road (teardown/rebuild), 31 Greenwood (restoration of barn); 0 Suffolk Road (hydro raking of Houghton Pond, trail enhancements); 125 Wells Avenue – Solomon Schechter School – parking lot expansion
- Tree ordinance and Watertown Dam Project Letter
Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council (Thursday): Crystal Lake update from Director of Parks and Open Space, Luis Perez Demorizi; override discussion; winter parking ban; 1149-1151 Walnut update; Village Day update; Area Council vacancy; zoning redesign (Utile visuals); DPW Village Enhancement Project; Northland/Charlemont 40B, Christina Street Rail Bridge
Other
Mayor’s State of the City Speech: Last week, the Mayor gave a speech on the State of the City. “The state of the City of Newton is strong and together we will make it even stronger.” Watch the video on NewTV beginning at 21:57 and see text.
Possible Emergency Housing at Hotel Indigo: Mayor Fuller, in a letter to the City Council, reports that the City recently learned that Mark Development “has been exploring the possibility with the State of using the shuttered Indigo Hotel at Riverside for temporary emergency housing.” She further states that City departments including Housing, Inspectional Services, Health and Human Services, Police, Fire, and Newton Public Schools have been alerted and are ready to provide support. Late last year, Fig City News reported that the proposed Riverside Station development project was delayed due to increases in construction costs and rising interest rates.
State Cherry Sheet estimates released: The Healey-Driscoll Administration released estimated State Aid numbers for the proposed FY2024 Budget last week. In a cover letter forwarding the Cherry Street estimates for Newton, Newton’s Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Yeo stated that although the Healey-Driscoll Administration proposes a 9.8% increase in Chapter 70 educational aid and a 2.0% increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), Newton will see only a $1.2 million increase (i.e., a 4.7% increase) since Newton is a “minimum aid” community in Chapter 70 funds and $136,000 in UGGA aid, reflecting the 2% increase that all cities and towns will receive.
Winter Parking Ban Report: Working with Council President Susan Albright and Ward 3 At-Large Councilor Andrea Kelley, Newton North senior Haruka Nabeshima created this report compiling 492 constituent emails sent to Mayor Fuller and City Councilors sorting them into categories — for the ban, against the ban, and reasons why — and worked with City’s GIS Director, Doug Greenfield, to find corresponding ward and precinct information for the commenters. The report found:
- “All wards except Ward 2 had a majority percentage of emails voting to lift the ban (Ward 2 indicated 45.7% yes).
- Ward 1, 3, 4, and 8 had smaller margins indicating to lift/alter the ban with 60.9%, 59.8%, 55.4%, and 59.1% (respectively) opting yes.
- Wards 5, 6, and 7 had the highest rates of asking to lift/alter the ban with 83.8%, 81.3%, and 74.3% (respectively) opting for yes.
- The responses from Ward 2, 5, 6, and 7 indicate a strong correlation between opinion on the parking ban and where in Newton the resident lives,”
- Different messages sent by different councilors “may have elicited different responses.”
Public Ballot Machine Testing for March 14, 2023 Special Election will take place on Wednesday, March 1 at 9AM in the Cafeteria at City Hall (see Notice)
2023 Road Paving List is now available: The Department of Public Works recently released its proposed 2023 Road Paving List, noting that the residential streets listed are subject to change.
This week’s road construction schedule can be found here.
