Full City Council will meet in person (Council Chamber) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, March 20 at 7PM (see Reports Docket and New Docket). Watch a live broadcast of the meeting on NewTV’s government channel (Comcast 9, RCN 13, 614(HD), Verizon 33) or view a live stream on NewTV’s Vimeo channel.
Land Use will meet in person (Council Chamber) and virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, March 21 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request for an Extension of Time to exercise a previously approved Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to further extend the nonconforming FAR by constructing a second story addition within the existing footprint at 12 Cochituate Road
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to reconstruct a previously damaged one-car garage in a different configuration altering the nonconforming front setback at 80 Highland Avenue. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to raze the existing one-story dwelling and construct a new two-family dwelling, altering and further extending the nonconforming use at 152-154 Lexington Steet. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to amend Special Permit #101-17 to convert the nonconforming office building into two residential units at 46 Farwell Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
Programs and Services will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, March 22 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request for a discussion and possible amendment to Section 12-72 “Sustainable Containers, Packaging, and Single Use Ordinance” to further reduce the amount of single-use plastic in Newton.
Chair’s Note: The following item will be a joint discussion with the Public Facilities Committee.
- Request for an update from Commissioner Banks regarding the Gath pool design.
- Request for an amendment to City Ordinance Sec. 11-5 to protect public health and the environment and ensure that all persons transporting trash or recycling from places within or to destinations within the city adhere to the Massachusetts Waste Bans 310 CMR 19.017 and uniformly comply with permit requirements established by the City of Newton.
Chair’s Note: The Chair will entertain a motion of No Action Necessary regarding the following
item
- Request for an Ordinance to require universal recycling and make changes to Sec.11.5 of the city ordinances to require all property owners of both residential and commercial properties to ensure tenants have access to separate trash and recyclable material collection containers.
- Request a discussion to prohibit limited service pregnancy centers from making deceptive advertisements concerning pregnancy-related services or the provision of pregnancy-related services, including implementing a penalty for violation of the ordinance.
- Two Reappointments to the Conservation Commission: Susan Lunin, Jeffrey Zabel
- Reappointment of Elizabeth Wilkinson to the Urban Tree Commission
Public Facilities will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, March 22 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
Chair’s Note: The following item will be a joint discussion with the Programs & Services Committee
- Request for an update from Commissioner Banks regarding the Gath pool design.
Public Safety & Transportation will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, March 22 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request for authorization to petition the General Court for special legislation to allow the Mayor of the City of Newton to appoint retired Newton Firefighters, as the Fire Chief deems necessary, to be able to perform fire details and to perform dispatch duties in the Emergency Communications Center, two essential services that sometimes require additional staffing.
- Request to transfer $450,000 to Account #0120102-511001 Traffic Safety – Regular Salaries to fulfill the City of Newton’s two 3-year agreements with AFSCME 2913 spanning FY2019-2021 and FY2022 2024.
Chair’s Note: In reference to Docket #67-22, at this meeting, we will discuss police training.
- Request for regular discussion with the Police Department of police data, including crashes, types of calls, numbers, and dispositions.
Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, March 23 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to add a ‘No Turn on Red’ restriction facing the Perkins Street northbound approach at Washington Street
- Request a change to the parking regulations on Jackson Road between Pearl Street and the Watertown Town Line to address safety concerns stemming from vehicles parked on both sides of this section of Jackson Road
- Request for a stop sign at the intersection of Lakewood Road at Lake Avenue.
- Request for a stop sign on the traffic island at the northwest corner of the Clark Street and Rowena Road intersection (Clark Street southbound)
- 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 temporary and permanent changes in terms of the location and duration of public parking spaces, location of traffic signals, and changes to traffic circulation within and proximate to Commonwealth Avenue in Auburndale, to include abutting blocks of intersecting streets, in order to facilitate the reconstruction of Commonwealth Avenue and the Commonwealth Avenue carriageway between Higgins Street and the Weston Line.
- Request for a discussion and possible action to change the parking regulations on a small section of Crafts Street between Washington Street and Ashmont Avenue. This item is docketed in accordance with Condition 16 of the Special Permit issued for item #260-22 which allows the petitioner to apply to the Traffic Council to construct and designate a pick-up and drop-off area along the Crafts Street frontage of their approved plans.
- Request to establish a 20 MPH Safety Zone on Crafts Street between Watertown Street and 500 feet west of the Albemarle southbound roadway segment.
- Request to create a ‘No Left Turn’ restriction at the Albemarle Road southbound approach to Crafts Street.
The Traffic Council Chair expects to entertain a vote of No Action Necessary on the following
one (1) item:
- Request to prohibit parking at all times on the north side of Oak Street between Needham Street and Abbott Street in order to shift the double yellow center line and extend two approach lanes to Abbott Street beginning at Needham Street.
The agenda also lists a number of Administrative Changes made to the Traffic and Parking Regulations (TPR).