City Council Meetings – Week of 12/10/2023

Zoning and Planning will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, December 11 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Joint Public Hearing with the Planning and Development Board on a request to amend the current zoning of the property known and numbered 0 Dedham Street Off (former Water Tower site) from Public Use to Single Residence 1. See Planning Memo.
• Request for a discussion on state guidance for implementing the Housing Choice element of the MA Economic Development legislation. (Chair’s note: The Chair will entertain a motion of No Action Necessary on this item.)
• Reappointment of Peter Vieira and Matthew Montgomery to the Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission
• Reappointment of Lisa Adams, Florent Mali, Jim Griglum, and Zach Knowlton to the Economic Development Commission
• Reappointment of Mark Armstrong to the Newton Historical Commission
• Reappointment of Ralph Abele to the Newtonville Historic District Commission

Finance and Public Facilities will meet jointly and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, December 11 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:

• Appropriate $15,000 from June 30, 2023 Certified Free Cash to the Elections Postage Account in the City Clerk’s Office to fund elections-related postage charges.
• Appropriate $3,000,000 from the Stormwater Fund Balance Account to the City Hall Pond Dredging Account to fund the dredging of the City Hall ponds in 2024.
• Appropriate an amount to be determined for the Newton Center for Active Living Project. (Bids will be opened on December 7, at which time the item will be amended to include an amount and accounts.)
• Accept and expend $174,910 in a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Policing Services.
• Accept and expend $190,000 from MassDOT’s Community Transit Grant Program FY24 for Newton transportation for older adults and individuals with disabilities during the fiscal year.
• Expend $33,333 in transportation mitigation funds from the 15 Riverdale Avenue development for NewMo operations consistent with the transportation demand management plan set out in Special Permit #01-20 and the approved Request for Determination of Insubstantial Change dated 2/2/22.
• Transfer and expend $50,000 from the Street Division – FullTime Wages Account to the Workers Compensation – Legal Claims and Settlements Account, in order to settle Worker’s Compensation claim # WC003901. (The Committee may go into Executive session.)

Land Use will meet in person and virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, December 12 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:

• Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to legalize an accessory apartment in its current placement, and to allow reduced setbacks at 599 Commonwealth Avenue. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
• Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct dormer additions to the attic level of the dwelling, vertically extending a nonconforming side setback and exceeding by-right dormer dimensions at 66 Allison Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
• Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to raze the detached garage and construct a new larger detached garage with an accessory apartment with oversized dormers and reduced setbacks and to construct a one-story rear addition to the principal dwelling which exceeds the FAR at 16 Everett Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
• Special Permit/Site Aplan Approval to convert 7,972 square feet of vacant office space into an adult day health center at 84-94 Rowe Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
• Amend a previously approved Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to reflect changes to the configurations of the buildings and paved areas and to waive certain associated parking and screening dimensional requirements at 283 Melrose Street – Turtle Lane. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.

Discussion Items:

• Request for periodic updates and discussion with the Planning, Inspectional Services and Information Technology Departments regarding process improvements and the benefits of the implementation of the new permitting software
• Request for a discussion with the Planning Department, Inspectional Services Department, Information Technology Department and the Chief Operating Officer regarding the use of the OpenGov system to record and track actions required by conditions specified in the Council special permit. These conditions are ones requiring follow-up and/or enforcement by City Departments.
• Request for a discussion with the Planning and Inspectional Services Departments regarding the current internal processes for ensuring compliance with special permit council orders and the ways in which these processes can be improved.
• Request for a review and analysis with Planning, Inspectional Services, and Law Departments regarding standard language and special permit council orders for the purpose of improving the language used in such orders including provisions regarding undergrounding utilities, bicycle storage, construction hours and other construction rules, vibrations, rodent control, electrification, landscaping,and other similar provisions.
• Request for a discussion with the Law and Planning and Development Departments regarding how the City Council currently sets mitigation contributions and fees for special permit projects and the establishment of standards for such contributions and fees.
• Request for a discussion with the Planning Department, the Inspectional Services Department, and the Tree Warden regarding the process for creating and enforcing landscape plans (including, but not limited to, trees) in the special permit process and enforcing the zoning code and the tree ordinance in connection with by-right projects.
• Request for an amendment to Section 7.3 Special Permit Review of the Zoning Code to require the submission of designs for the placement of underground utility service lines for projects above a certain size.
• Request for a discussion on how to weigh neighbors’ rights vs. developers with regard to complex excavation projects.
• Request for a discussion with the Planning Department regarding the results of TRIO’s survey of its residents about their transportation needs and habits.

Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, December 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Request to add EV Charging Stations and/or EV Shared Vehicles into the Pearl Street Parking Lot (NOTE: The item was held for a trial where up to two parking spaces in the Pearl Street Parking Lot may be removed and replaced by a combination of spaces reserved for shared electric vehicles and spaces reserved for electric vehicle charging.)
• Request to restrict parking on the north side of Watertown Street 120 feet east of Davis Avenue to improve intersection sight lines (NOTE: The item was held for a trial where parking was prohibited, Watertown Street, north side, from Davis Avenue easterly 60 feet and moved the parking prohibition 20 feet further to the east.)
• Request on behalf of neighborhood residents to add a stop sign on Maynard Street, westbound, at the intersection of Morrill Street
• Request to add a stop sign at the intersection of Carver Road, southbound, at Woodward Street.
• Request on behalf of Civico Development, for a permanent change to the TPR or a trial that will change the parking regulations on a small section of Armory Street (Request made in accordance with the site plan associated with Comprehensive Permit #10-22 of the Newton Zoning Board of Appeals for 1135 1137 Washington Street, as approved on January 11, 2023, which indicates a cut out and addition of parking along a small portion of Armory Street)
• Request to permit Traffic Council to vote to allow long-term trials on any public street or parking area located within 1,500 feet of a school.
• Request to continue the Traffic Council trial which restricts access to Elm Road (from Lowell Avenue) to Elm Road residents, Newton North High School staff, school buses, and bicyclists
• Request to continue the Traffic Council trial which allows vehicles displaying TIGER permits to park in the Austin Street Lot without requiring payment on school days