Finance Committee‘s regularly scheduled meeting has been canceled (see Cancellation Notice).
Zoning and Planning will meet in person (Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, March 11 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Reappointment of Jennifer Pucci to the Zoning Board of Appeals
- Request for a discussion and possible adoption of an Electrification Ordinance that would require all new construction and substantial renovations in Newton to be all-electric.
Chair’s Note: The Chair will entertain a motion to split the below item to allow the Committee to hold a public hearing on the special permit threshold while allowing the Planning Department to work on other solutions.
- Request for a discussion and possible ordinance amendment to deal with grade changes created during construction causing stormwater runoff on neighboring properties. See Planning Memo.
Chair’s Note: Assuming the discussion in Committee indicates that the two items below confirm existing policies and practices, the Chair will entertain a motion to set a public hearing for Monday, April 8 for them.
- Requesting discussion and amendments to the Newton Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 30, in order to clarify definitions, edit missing or incorrectly transcribed provisions, and revise inconsistencies in the ordinance. See Planning Memo.
- Request discussion and amendments to the Newton Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 30, in order to incentivize and promote small businesses. See Planning Memo.
Chair’s Note: The two items below will involve a progress report from the Planning Department toward possible ordinance revision recommendations.
- Request for a discussion and possible amendments to Chapter 30 Zoning or other City Ordinances to enhance the preservation of exsiting homes over their replacement by larger and more expensive structures. See Planning Memo.
- Request for a discussion with the Planning Department to consider ordinance amendments that would revise the metrics in the multi-residence (MR1, MR2 and MR3) zones, to regulate the size of new buildings better, enable a wider range of housing options close to public transit, and better incentivize preservation and renovation of existing housing stock. See Planning Memo.
- Reappointment of Judy Weber to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust
- Reappointment of John Downie to the Urban Design Commission
Land Use will meet in person (Council Chamber) and virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, March 12 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:
- Class 2 Auto Dealer License: New England Motor Mart, Inc. 1211 Washington Street
- Construct basement and first story additions that will further extend the nonconforming FAR and lot coverage at 157 Baldpate Hill Road. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
- Construct additions to a 2.5-story two-family dwelling, resulting in a three-story building, to vertically extend a nonconforming side setback, modifying the front porch entry, and constructing rear decks exceeding maximum FAR at 86 Floral Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
- Amend a previously granted special permit to raze the detached garage and construct an attached garage with an accessory apartment above as well as a rear addition that exceeds the allowable FAR at 432 Dedham Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
- Amend the special permit to substitute a cash payment in lieu of providing the units at 136- 144 Hancock Street. See Special Permit documents and Planning Memo.
Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, March 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:
- An accessible parking space at or near 5 Murphy Court
- Traffic Council vote to ask MassDOT to rescind the 35 MPH section of the Special Speed Regulation on Woodward Street, in both directions, to allow for reduction of speed to 25 MPH.
- Add the Lowell/Austin RRFB into the TPR