The Zoning & Planning Committee held the following items (see report and watch the meeting video):
- Request for discussion and possible amendments to dormer regulations in Chapter 30 Zoning Currently, a dormer may be no wider than 50% of the exterior wall below it. The Planning Department proposes changing this to 50% of the uninterrupted roof plane. A public hearing is set for 11/14/24. (6-0, Councilor Danberg Not Voting)
- Request for discussion and possible amendments to Section 5.4.2 The State has flagged the new amendment requiring a special permit for retaining walls over 4 feet as a barrier to by-right multi-family housing. “The proposed amendment would keep the current requirement for all single-family, detached; two-family, detached; and single-family, attached building types.” For all others, “it would revert to the previous regulations.” Public Hearing is set for 11/14/24. (Held 6-0, Councilor Danberg Not Voting)
- Request for discussion and possible amendments to enhance the preservation of existing homes Between 2017 and 2022, 4,480 homes sold in Newton were maintained, and 440 were demolished. Small houses on large lots built before WWII were the most likely to be demolished. 83% of the City’s revenues are from property taxes. New residential growth is roughly 1.4% of increased revenue for the last 30 years. Councilors discussed how to balance preventing teardowns and maintaining City revenue. “Planning Department hopes to come back at the November 14th meeting to look at priorities and at the October 28th meeting to discuss the complexities of complying with the energy code.” The Planning Department was asked to return with comments on Councilors’ suggestions for the adaptive reuse of larger homes, incentivizing additional units, new lot standards for teardowns, and sliding scale adjustments to floor area ratio (FAR). (Held 7-0)
- Amend the setbacks in the MR zones to encourage preservation of existing buildings Discussed concurrently with other items focused on zoning consistency and housing options. (Held 7-0)
- Aligning zoning to proposed use in new development to further improve consistency in lot utilization and structure within a neighborhood. Discussed with items above. (Held 7-0).
- Requesting discussion and amendments to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance to comply with the State’s Zoning Act. The Planning and Law Department are working on revising Newton’s ADU amendment to comply with the State’s requirements. Some Councilors asked the owner occupancy requirement outside of half a mile near public transit and prohibiting ADUs within the setbacks be maintained. (Held 7-0).