The Land Use Committee voted to approve the following (see Report and watch the video on NewTV):
- Three requests for Extensions of Time to Exercise a Special Permit:
- 4 Clarendon Street: To construct a second-story addition, to vertically extending the nonconforming front setbacks on a corner lot (see Special Permit documents)
- 229 Bellevue Street: To allow a garage accommodating more than three vehicles with ground floor area exceeding 700 sq. ft., to vertically extend a nonconforming side setback, to allow a system of retaining walls exceeding four feet within the setback (see Special Permit documents)
- 50 Jackson Street/383-387 Boylston: To allow a three-story, 12-unit, multi-family dwelling with a FAR of 1.5 and 36’ in height, ground floor residential use, a building with more than 20,000 sq. ft., to alter and extend a nonconforming side setback, to waive six parking stalls, to reduce the width of parking stalls, to reduce the driveway width for two-way traffic, to allow a loading facility which may impede traffic, and to allow a retaining wall greater than four feet in height within the setback (see Special Permit documents)
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to raze the existing dwelling and construct a two-family dwelling that will alter and extend a nonconforming front setback, further reduce and extend a nonconforming rear setback, allow reduced parking stall depth and allow parking within five feet of a street at 43 River Avenue. (See Special Permit documents, Petitioner Presentation, Planning Presentation, and Draft Council Order.) NOTE: The Report states that two residents testified at the hearing. One resident of River Avenue cited safety concerns, the narrow street, and the wisdom of adding density in a flood zone. Another resident from Newton Centre expressed disappointment that the petitioner was seeking to build two large units and not four smaller units.
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to raze the existing single-story dwelling at 15 Algonquin Rd and construct five single-family attached dwellings with reduced setbacks, which exceeds the maximum lot coverage, a retaining wall greater than 4 feet in height within a setback and to allow parking dimensional relief at 71 Commonwealth Ave/ 15 Algonquin Road (Approved 7-1, Councilor Greenberg opposed). (See Special Permit documents, Petitioner Presentation, Planning Presentation, and Draft Council Order.) NOTE: The Report notes that 5 people testified at the hearing. One resident, Kathy Pillsbury, cited environmental concerns in her opposition to the project noting the increased number of buildings and the number of parking spaces. One Algonquin Road resident, Kenneth Luke, expressed his opposition as the neighborhood concerns had not been addressed. Waban Hill North resident, Cheryl Herman, expressed safety concerns regarding the location of the proposed garage. Newton Centre resident, Sean Roche, expressed opposition because too few units were being produced in light of the housing and climate crisis and its location to the public transportation. Another Newton Centre resident, Marylee Belleville, agreed with both Sean Roche and Kathy Pillsbury that the project was not consistent with the Xity’s goals.
- Request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to allow a three-story structure with 32 feet in height; to allow an FAR of 1.25 and to reduce the number of required parking stalls at 296 Watertown Street (Approved 7-0, Markiewicz not voting). (See Special Permit documents, Planning Presentation, and Draft Council Order.) NOTE: The Report indicates three residents spoke in opposition focusing on the current state of limited parking.