Highlights this week:
- City offices… closed on Monday for Labor Day.
- State Primary Election… Tuesday (7AM-8PM). See info on voting, candidates, and campaigns.
- Schools opening on Tuesday
- City Council considering an appeal of an Inspectional Services ruling
- City Council considering $150,000 for Spears Park Community Garden
- Housing being addressed in meetings of Newton Fair Housing and WestMetro HOME Consortium
City Council
City Council Chairs will meet on Wednesday to discuss Council communications and posting on the City website.
City Council will then hold two meetings together on Wednesday — a meeting of the Committee of the Whole and also its regular meeting. The meeting of the Committee of the Whole will consider a potential appeal of an Inspectional Services ruling regarding 16-22 Clinton Street.
City Council will also hold its regular meeting at the same on Wednesday and is expected to vote on the following (see Reports Docket):
- Special Permit/Site Plans to:
- Construct oversized attic dormers and further extend the nonconforming FAR at 45 Bishopsgate Road
- Construct three attached single-family dwellings in two separate buildings with parking waiver at 56 Chapel Street
- Amend Special Permit to further extend the nonconforming front setback, allow the relocation of the building toward the street, and convert three garage stalls to carports at 290 Watertown Street
- Amend Special Permit to allow additional parking 20 feet from a lot line at 120 Norwood Avenue
- Rebuild and enclose porches, add dormers, further extending the nonconforming two-family dwelling in a single residence zone at 12-14 Stoneleigh Road
- Amend Special Permit to raise the ridgeline and increase the roof pitch and construct two-story additions to both sides of the dwelling at 49 Lenox Street
- Amending the Human Rights Commission ordinance to clarify the Commission’s investigatory powers and authority
- Changing the name of the Department of Senior Services and combining the Advisory Board with the Council on Aging (COA)
- Appropriating approximately $150,000 for the Spears Park Community Garden
- Reappointing:
- John Synnott and John Neville to the Newton Commonwealth Foundation, responsible for the municipal golf course
- John Neville and John Rice to the Parks and Recreation
- Patrick Costello to the Farm Commission
- No Action Necessary on: Discussion with Director of Sustainable Materials Management regarding recycling and waste management
The New Docket includes the following:
- Public hearings on September 10 regarding requests to:
- Vertically extend a nonconforming side setback and construct a second-story addition over an existing sunroom at 228 Grove Street
- Waive two parking stalls at 15-17 Playstead Road
- Exceed FAR and vertically extend nonconforming front setbacks with the construction of basement, first- and second-story additions, and reconstruction of the roof of the detached garage and the addition of a roof deck at 35 Hood Street
- Extend a nonconforming front setback with a larger front landing and new steps at 98 Parker Avenue
- Allow ground-floor residential use and exceed by right height and stories, demolishing existing structures and constructing four residential dwelling units in one building at 340 River Street and 76 Lexington Street
- Public hearings on September 17 regarding requests to:
- Reconfigure the parking facility and reduce the number of stalls at 386-394 Watertown Street
- Extend a nonconforming two-family dwelling use and nonconforming front setback, and allow a three-story structure with detached garage at 52-54 Hatfield Road
- Requests for Extension of Time to Exercise Special Permits for:
- Rear lot subdivision to construct a single-family dwelling, relocate the existing dwelling forward, and waive the definition of “rear-lot” at 113 Grove Street
- Raze the dwelling and construct a four-unit, three-story multi-family dwelling with garage parking for seven vehicles at 107-109 Elliot Street
- Raze existing dwelling and construct a three-story, three-unit, multi-family dwelling with surface parking for three vehicles at 43 Crafts Street
- Petition to rezone lots at 386-394 Watertown Street from BUSINESS 1 to VILLAGE CENTER 2
- Appointments:
- Mary Fitzgerald and Mark Feldhusen to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- Christopher di Bonaventura to the Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust Fund
- Appropriate $2,000,000 in CPA funding for the restoration of the bell tower of the First Baptist Church
- Appropriate $650,000 for Newton Family Access to renovate the historic former Davis School Building
Meetings of the Programs and Services Committee and Public Safety and Transportation Committees have been canceled this week.
Public Facilities will meet on Thursday to consider:
- Grants of Location to relocate a pole on Chase Street and install conduit at the intersection of Auburn Street and Evergreen Avenue for the MWRA Tunnel Boring Machine project
- $105,253 for an LED Lighting Project at Newton South High School
- $215,000 from Trio mitigation funds for new traffic signal equipment at the Lowell Avenue/Washington Street intersection
- Two 10-year, interest-free loans ($4,403,000 and $1,957,300 for MWRA projects
Schools
School Committee has no meetings scheduled for this week.
Boards and Commissions
Board of License Commissioners will meet on Tuesday to consider a request for a One-Day Temporary Wine and Malt License for a recital picnic reception on September 5 at the All Newton Music School.
Newton Fair Housing Committee will meet on Wednesday to consider:
- Fair Housing Training Plans
- Affordable Homes Act Status
- Housing Navigator Massachusetts
- Fair Housing Resource List
- Subcommittee Updates: Lottery Results & Lease-ups, Membership & Nominating, Fair Housing Award
- Fair Housing Committee Priorities
Newton Citizens Commission on Energy will meet on Wednesday for an update on BERDO and strategy discussion.
WestMetro HOME Consortium will meet on Thursday to consider:
- FY26-FY30 Consolidated Plan
- Fair Housing Testing Program
- Consolidated Pool and CHDO RFPs
- HOME Monitoring & Subrecipient Monitoring
- Y25 Annual Action Plan
- FY24 CAPER
- HOME-ARP
Newtonville Historic District Commission will meet on Thursday to consider a Certificate of Appropriateness to amend previously approved hardscaping plans at 58 Page Road.
Election Commission will meet on Friday to certify the results of the September 3, 2024 State Primary election.
Other
The Development Review Team will meet to consider a Special Permit for FAR at 48 Lantern Road and attached dwellings at 943 Boylston Street.
This week’s road construction schedule has not yet been posted.