Highlights this week…
- City Council …voting on a new City Clerk, the Walker Center properties, and a Home Rule petition
- Land Use …reviewing the Riverside project
- School Committee …voting on 2026-27 calendar based on a later Labor Day, and receiving update on Youth Risk Behavior Survey/Social-Emotional Learning
City Council
City Council will meet on Monday and is expected to vote on the following (see Reports Docket):
- Recommendation of Andrew Willison as the City Clerk/Clerk
- Special Permits to:
- Exceed FAR and allow parking in the front setback and within five feet of the street at 65 Clark Street
- Raze existing dwelling and construct a new two-story single-family dwelling at 270 Derby Street
- Allow a combination of walls exceeding four feet in height at 667-673 Boylston Street
- Extend nonconforming front setback at 22 Jerome Avenue
- Allow parking in the front setback at 53 Mosman Street
- Remove the permeable paver requirement at 31 Chase Street
- Appointments:
- David Boronkay to the Newton Upper Falls Historic District Commission
- Denise Lisio to the Newtonville Historic District Commission
- Chloe Lyons, Hanano Futai, Simbarashe Makura, and Gassia Minassian to the Youth Commission
- Reappointments:
- Philip Plottel to the Economic Development Commission
- Nancy Grissom to the Newton Historical Commission
- Randall Johnson to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- Marjorie Butler to the Newton Election Commission
- Petition to the General Court for special legislation to increase the maximum age for new police officers from 31 to 39 years
- Resolution in Support of State Legislation to Establish a Climate Change Superfund
- Recommendation that the Mayor retain and transfer 169 Grove Street and 136 Hancock Street to the School Department for educational purposes
- No Action Necessary:
- Discussion with Green Newton and the Sustainability Team regarding networked geothermal near the Countryside School
The New Docket includes the following requests:
- Special Permit to extend the nonconforming rear setback at 30 Kingsbury Road
- Appointments:
- Sam Tackeff, Judith Gordon, Gloria Mastrocola Gavris, Ellen Penso, Robert Pierson, John Pelletier, Laxmi Rao, and Eric Hilman to the Council on Aging
- Reappointments:
- Leigh Gilligan to the Conservation Commission
- Deb Crossley and Charles Eisenberg to the Zoning Board of Appeals
- Scott Aquilina, Rick Wetmore, Susana Lannik, and Robert Imperato to the Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission
- Amend Chapter 30 Zoning to create a new Adult Day Care use
- Home Rule Petition to allow the City of Newton to impose a lien on real property in Newton for any charge, fee, or fine that is not paid by the applicable due date
- Home rule Petition authorizeing the City of Newton to affix penalties for violations of its local ordinances in an amount up to $2,000, increasing once every five years to account for inflation
- Six (6) renewal bus licenses for Mass General Brigham
- Amend Dity ordinances to modernize parking fines in line with surrounding communities and deter unsafe parking
- New public auto license for EF&M LLC
- Discussions about:
- Stormwater infrastructure and planning for its future
- The “two-foot rule” that allows street openings for utility work without a grant of location
- Water from the conservation planning perspective
- A workers’ compensation claim filed by Loretta Busa
- Submittals:
- FY2027 – FY2031 Supplemental Capital Improvement Plan
- FY2027 – FY2031 5-Year Financial Forecast
Recodification Committee will meet on Monday to discuss 2022 Recodification.
Land Use will meet on Tuesday regarding requests for
- Consistency ruling for 276 Nevada Street to retain existing retaining wall that measures approximately 67 feet in length
- Raze existing dwelling and construct a four-unit multi-family dwelling with garaged parking, allowing for ground floor residential use, waivers from dimensional standards within a BU1 zone, and parking waivers at 1062 Beacon Street
- Construct a rear addition to the existing dwelling resulting in three attached single-family dwellings with dimensional relief for the building and parking configuration at 16-20 Winter Street
- Construct a connection between the existing detached garage and the dwelling which further extends the nonconforming rear setback at 30 Kingsbury Road
- Amend Zoning Ordinances and rezone 399 Grove Street from Business Use 5 to Mixed Use 3
- Construct a mixed-use development consisting of six primarily residential buildings and an attached multi- level garage with associated zoning waivers at 355,399, 0 Grove Street
Public Safety will meet on Wednesday regarding requests for:
- A new public auto license for EF&M LLC, 2251 Washington Street
- Triennial renewals of six (6) bus licenses for Mass General Brigham
- Discussion with the Newton Fire Department on year-over-year data, which may include fires, injuries, inspections, hiring and overtime
- Discussion with the Police Department of police data, including crashes, types of calls, numbers and dispositions
- Discussion with Chief on the current status of the use of body cameras
Public Facilities will meet on Wednesday regarding requests for discussions about:
- Groundwater, the water table, flood plains and all matters that the Conservation Commission takes into account when reviewing projects for their impact on the surroundings, including its responses to projects in or near areas prone to flooding or high-water tables, as well as information regarding Newton’s brooks and streams
- Possible ordinance to manage the storage, measurement, and effects of ground water to address new builds and ground water impact on adjacent properties, including a review of other cities’ and towns’ ground water regulations and penalties for mismanagement
Financial Audit Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Preliminary audit work performed to-date
- Update on year-end phase of the audit
- Single audit/federal grants status
- Update/determine special projects
- Timing of final reports/meeting schedule
Programs and Services will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Appointment of Eric Hilman, John Pelletier, Robert Pierson, and Judith Gordon to the Council on Aging
- Reappointment of Randall Johnson to the Parks and Recreation Commission and Marjorie Butler to the Newton Election Commission
- Amendment to Ordinances to set the salary for the City Clerk/Clerk of the Council
- Possible responses to reduced federal funding for the Newton Public Schools
School Committee
School Committee will meet on Monday in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with all units of the NTA.
School Committee will then hold its regular meeting on Monday regarding:
- Youth Risk Behavior Survey/Social-Emotional Learning Update
- Accountability/MCAS Opt-Out Memo
- Human Resources Update
- School Improvement Plans
- Draft 2026 -2027 School Year Calendar w/Proposed Pre-Labor Day Start to the NTA
- Follow-Up from 9/8/25 Executive Session & 9/24 meeting:
- Review: Negotiations w/NTA
- Vote to approve non-aligned salaries
- Review CIP
- Superintendent Goals
Negotiations Subcommittee of the School Committee will meet on Tuesday in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NTA – all Units.
Boards and Commissions
Planning and Development Board will meet on Monday regarding:
- Continuation of Public Hearings on requests to:
- Allow the demolition of existing rear one-story industrial building and its replacement with a three-unit, 2½ story residential building and remodel the existing two-family into a three-unit residential building at 25 Paul Street (Village Center Overlay District)
- Rezone 3 parcels to Multi Residence at 85 Dudley Road
- Rezone 355, 399 and 0 Grove Street to Mixed Use 3 and amend Mixed Use 3/Transit Oriented Development District
- Possible Votes on
- Requested re-evaluation and possible amendments to Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance to include 4-6 units, including raising the requirements for number of affordable units in large developments
- Addition of maximum residential facade build out ratio to aid in new development being contextual to the surrounding neighborhood
- Amending zoning to allow certain routine residential alterations by right
- 2026 Meeting Dates
- Upcoming Meetings
- City Council Land Use Riverside Public Hearing Continued – Oct. 7
- Joint Public Hearing with the Zoning & Planning Committee on addition of maximum residential facade build out ratio – Oct. 14
- Joint Rezoning Meetings with the Land Use Committee on rezoning of 41 Farewell – Oct. 21
- City Council Land Use Dudley Road public hearing Oct. 28
Newton Human Rights Commission will meet on Tuesday regarding:
- Know Your Human Rights Event
- HRC Awards Honoree and HRC Awards Ceremony Dec. 10
Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Astronomy Night – potential expenditure
- Village Enhancement Project
Urban Design Commission will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Sign Permits
- 1 Chestnut Street – Hilliards Chocolates
- 641 Washington Street – Whole Foods
- 709 Washington Street – Teakaboo
- 353-363 Watertown Street – Swartz Ace Hardware
- 430 Centre Street – Benchmark
- 131 Rumford Avenue – Newton Food Pantry
- 148 California Street – Planet Fitness
- 2086-2098 Commonwealth Avenue – Dunkin’
- 2-4 Los Angeles Street – Modera Newton
- Design Review: 11-15 Suban Pl Main
Conservation Commission will meet on Thursday regarding:
- Requests for Determination of Applicability to:
- Elevate hot-tub deck at 280 Islington Road
- Make minor plan change at 52 Elinor Road
- Update on slope stabilization and stream clean-up under the Friendly Enforcement Order at 885 Centre Street (Boston College Law)
- Enforcement Order regarding a minor plan change request – window wells, revised planting plan at 1 Malvern Terrace
- Requests Certificates of Compliance for:
- Single-family home demo/construction at 288 Mill Street
- Single-family home demo/construction at 148-152 Pine St (formerly 150 Pine Street)
Other
Development Review Team (DRT) will meet this week regarding the following:
- 1 Williams Court: Extension/alteration of nonconforming structure
This week’s road construction schedule.
