City Council
The Full City Council will meet TONIGHT, Monday, February 6 (see New Docket). Items the Council will vote on include:
- Setting of early voting dates and times at Newton City Hall before the March 14 special election:
- Friday, March 3rd: 8:30AM-5PM
- Saturday, March 4th: 11AM-5PM
- Sunday, March 5th: 11AM-5PM
- Monday, March 6th: 8:30 AM-5PM
- Tuesday, March 7th: 8:30AM-5PM
- Two changes of polling location:
- [Temporary change] Ward 2, Precinct 3 from Senior Center to Cabot Elementary
- [Permanent change] Ward 3, Precinct 2 from Peirce Elementary to Temple Shalom
- Two grant of location requests to install and maintain gas mains:
- Paulson Road
- Elliot Street, Boylston Street, Circuit Avenue, Josselyn Place, Frances Street, Charles Street, and Margaret Road
- Numerous of Special Permit requests including:
- Request to demolish a c. 1900 building and allow a three-story structure (commercial space with parking at the ground level and two residential units above) at 296 Watertown Street
- Request to amend a special permit and create a rooftop solar facility at 255-257 Newtonville Avenue
- Request to raze the existing nonconforming three-unit multifamily dwelling and construct a five-unit dwelling with ground-level garage parking
- Request to rezone 29 Hunter Street from Multi-Residence 2 to Multi-Residence 3 and allow a multi-family dwelling
- Request to allow a 3-story single-family dwelling at 616 Boylston Street
- Request for a rear lot subdivision at 176 River Street
- Request for an extension of time to exercise the special permit for 1149-1151 Walnut Street (sale pending).
- Citizens petition for a moratorium on new or replacement artificial turf in Newton pending completion, public presentation, and public hearing on environmental, health, and safety impacts.
- Request to install and maintain a gas main in Pleasant Street and Tyler Terrace
- Resolution supporting the creation of a city-wide plan to equitably achieve efficiencies, reduce emissions and risks of gas infrastructure and expedite electrification (signed by 15 Councilors)
- Discussion about the use of revolving accounts
- Request to increase the number of units eligible for second water meters
- Request to appropriate $280,000 to cover the completion of Phase 1 of the City’s Phosphorus Control Plan.
Zoning and Planning Committee will meet prior to the start of the Full Council meeting on Monday at 7PM to discuss the proposed ordinance to make outdoor dining permanent in Newton.
Land Use Committee will meet to consider:
- Three requests to amend previously approved Special Permits:
- Enclose an existing porch and alter the size and location of a proposed shed at 43 Prince Street
- Update signage and on-site parking at 697 Washington Street – Garden Remedies
- Construct a rooftop solar facility with four solar arrays at 255-257 Newtonville Avenue
- Request to demolish a c. 1900 building and allow a three-story structure –commercial space with parking at the ground level and two residential units above) at 296 Watertown Street
Public Facilities Committee will take up a resolution offered by 15 Councilors in support of the creation of a city-wide plan to equitably achieve efficiencies, reduce emissions and risks of gas infrastructure, and expedite electrification. Prior to that discussion, the Committee will hold a public hearing on a grant of location to install and maintain a gas main in Pleasant Street and Tyler Terrace. The Committee will also hold a public hearing on a grant of location to install a hip guy and anchor replacement and a request to appropriate $280,000 to cover the completion of Phase 1 of the City’s Phosphorous Control Plan.
Public Safety and Transportation Committee‘s regularly scheduled meeting has been canceled (see Notice).
Ward 3 Councilor Pam Wright submitted supporting documentation to the Planning Department and the City Council regarding her statement that over 3,500 housing units were either approved or in the pipeline to be reviewed and approved by the City Council through the Special Permit process or by the Zoning Board of Appeals through the Comprehensive Permit process — Chapter 40B.
School Committee
The School Committee’s Superintendent Search Committee met this past Saturday for a full-day (8:45AM – 6PM) in Executive Session to interview candidates and recommend candidates to be interviewed (see Meeting Notice).
A regular School Committee meeting will be held TONIGHT, on Monday, February 6. The Committee is expected to take a vote to support the Mayor’s Override Proposals (see Resolution) after receiving this advice on elected officials and campaigning. The Committee will also vote on the McKinney Vento Reimbursement and Out-of-State Field Trips and hear updates on:
- Fiscal and Operations including FY24 Budget Preview
- Facilities
- Buffer Zones
- System-wide Goals: Fine Arts and Interventionists
- Superintendent Search
The School Committee will also meet on Tuesday, February 7, at 4PM in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NTA and NESA and then convene in Open session to develop questions for the Superintendent Finalist Interviews (see Meeting Notice) after the School Committee’s Negotiation Subcommittee’s two additional meetings (in Executive Session) that same day:
- At 12PM to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NESA (see Meeting Notice)
- At 1PM to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NTA (see Meeting Notice).
The Negotiations Subcommittee will then meet again (in Executive Session) on Wednesday, February 8 at 3PM to conduct a collective bargaining session with NESA and discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NESA (see Meeting Notice).
Boards and Commissions
- Planning and Development Board: Discussion and vote on rezoning petition for 11 Florence Street/318 Boylston Street postponed again, continued discussion of Village Center Zoning
- Auburndale Historic District Commission: 2 site visits scheduled for 24 Robin Dell — Tuesday at 10AM and Thursday at 8:30AM.
- Newton Human Rights Commission: Reports from students and police, and complaints received
- Transportation Advisory Group (TAG): Regular City updates and crash updates followed by an override discussion with City staff and the Mayor’s office. NOTE: Different Zoom link for the Override Discussion
- Urban Design Commission: Three sign permits (Jersey Mike’s Subs, Michaels, and Fleet Homes), one comprehensive sign package (1-55 Boylston Street), and one fence appeal (33 Staniford Street)
- Conservation Commission: Continued discussion of 70 Suffolk Road project, Marty Sender Phase II Path Improvements project, three resolutions to violations (65 Harwich Road buffer zone, 158 Otis Street unpermitted tree cutting, and 180 – 210 Needham Street parking lot expansion), demolition of single-family and build of duplex at 42 Parsons Street, Mary Baker Eddy House landscape improvements, Commission’s Tree replacement policy, and the Watertown Dam project.
- Newton Upper Falls Historic District Commission: Two window replacement projects at 1268 Boylston Street (Unit A and B – two options) and house renovation and addition plus new unit at 14 Summer Street.
- Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission: Site visit for 70 Suffolk Road
Upcoming Override Meetings
- School Committee will vote TONIGHT, 6:30PM on supporting passage of the override.
- Charles River Chamber of Commerce Newton Business Community Town Hall on February 7, 8:30AM-9:30AM
- Transportation Advisory Group: Wednesday, February 8, 5PM- 6PM (Zoom link for the override portion of the meeting)
- NPS Budget Forum in the auditorium of Newton North High School, Wednesday, February 8, 7PM
Other
As listed above, Garden Remedies is scheduled to appear before the Land Use Committee requesting amendments to its special permit. Specifically, they are requesting the following:
- Update the signage plan
- Revise Condition 7 related to parking to allow employees to park on-site, and
- Remove Condition 11, which limits on-site transactions to one ounce of marijuana per customer per visit.
With respect to Condition 11, the Planning Department notes in its memo that state regulations limit non-medical retail customers to one ounce, but there is no limit for medical customers. The Petitioner is requesting that this condition be struck in its entirety, suggesting that “state law (section 935 CMR 501.010(9)) governs the maximum allotment of marijuana that registered medical customers are allotted per visit, and this condition is inconsistent with what is allowed by state law.”
This week’s road construction schedule can be found here.
Correction: The changes in polling locations have been updated.