Highlights this week…
- City Council …voting on special permit and zoning for Riverside development
- City Council …receiving request for $45,000 to pay unused vacation/special leave for retiring Mayor and Chief Operating Officer
- City Council …deciding whether to accept a late item requesting Mayor-elect Laredo to explain funding for expanded staff in this fiscal year
- Public Facilities …continuing discussion of Bullough’s Pond Dam
- City Council Caucus …electing President, Vice President, and President Emeritus for the new term
- Planning and Development Board …continuing public hearing on 85 Dudley Road development
- Cooper Center for Active Living …grand opening on Friday, with activities all weekend
City Council
City Council will meet on Monday and is expected to vote on the following requests (see Reports Docket):
- Riverside:
- Rezone 399 Grove Street to Mixed Use 3 and amend the Mixed Use 3/Transit Oriented Development District of the Newton Zoning Ordinance
- Construct a mixed-use development consisting of 750 residential units, mixed commercial, parking and public open space at 355, 399 and 0 Grove Street
- Special Permits to:
- Create a parking area on the side of the existing driveway to accommodate two parking stalls in the front setback at 47-49 Ripley Street
- Construct an additional garage bay to the existing detached garage structure at 84 Eldredge Street
- Allow a day care use and waive the required 18 parking stalls at 60 Needham Street
- Construct a detached garage exceeding the maximum FAR at 12 Garden Road
- Construct an additional story and dormers within the existing footprint, and exceed the maximum allowed FAR at 15 Clinton Place
- Allow for construction of a second parking stall located in the front setback at 63 Hyde Street
- Withdraw without prejudice: Request to allow a mix of for-profit education, personal instructions, non-accessory parking, wholesale bakery, vehicle storage and vehicle repair, sales and services, and to waive 41 parking stalls at 28-30 Riverdale Avenue
- Class 2 Auto Dealer Licenses for:
- Newton Auto Group Inc., 182 Brookline Street
- Jacob & Associates, 1232 Washington Street
- Robert’s Towing, Inc., 926R Boylston Street
- West Newton Auto Towing, Inc., 1200 Washington Street
- Zoning amendments:
- Amendment to the Inclusionary Zoning ordinance to include 4-6 units, including raising the requirements for the number of affordable units in large developments
- Amendments to allow additions to buildings with existing nonconforming height that increase the nonconforming height but do not go higher than the existing ridgeline
- Develop a Code of Conduct for the Newton City Council
- Appoint Ellen Penso to the Council on Aging
- Home Rule Petition to allow the City of Newton to post legal notice of public hearings online in lieu of publishing legal notice in a newspaper
- Allow creation of a Department of Older Adult Services gift account with an upper limit of $1,000,000 to fund affordable programs, events, scholarships and critical social services to help older residents continue to thrive
- Appeal:
- Denial of Traffic Council petition on the request to consider restricting parking along either one side or both sides of the block of Islington Road between Commonwealth Avenue and Ryder Terrace
- Approval of Traffic Council petition on the request that the Traffic Bureau provide 15 permits for staff to park in the Austin Street Municipal Lot without paying the kiosk during enforcement hours – Denied by Public Safety & Transportation
- Appropriate:
- $297,400 from the Sewer Fund Surplus for design of repairs and rehabilitation of three important sewer pump stations comprising Phase 3 of the Pump Station Rehabilitation Project
- $325,000 from the FY26 Stormwater Operating Reserve to develop a comprehensive stormwater infrastructure analysis and plan for the Cheesecake Brook subbasin
- No Action Necessary on requests for:
- Ordinance to require energy use reporting by owners of buildings not subject to Newton BERDO
- Ordinance to allow voluntary energy use reporting by owners of buildings not subject to Newton BERDO
- Proposals from outside special counsel to ensure compliance and enforcement of applicable permits at the “Turtle Lane” site in Auburndale
- Referred to next City Council for discussions about:
- A workers’ compensation claim filed by Loretta Busa
- Review of Workers’ Compensation Program
The New Docket includes the following requests:
- Extend a nonconforming four-unit, multi-family dwelling use with the addition of outdoor decks at 51-53 Eddy Street
- Class 2 Auto Dealers License Requests:
- Christian Tapia/Master Used Cars, 175 North Street
- Yes Auto Center, 454 Watertown Street
- Luxury Motors, 10 Hawthorn Street
- Velocity Motors, 14 Hawthorn Street
- Newton Centre Shell, Inc., 1365 Centre Street
- Regan Inc., 2066 Commonwealth Avenue
- Class 1 Auto Dealer License Requests:
- McGovern Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM, 777 Washington Street
- Newton Trade Center Associates, Inc, 103 Adams Street
- Discussion on traffic calming measures on Commonwealth Ave., Fuller St., and Day St.
- Transfer $45,000 for vacation/special leave disbursements for the retiring Mayor and COO
- Transfer $425,000 for settlement of the FY2025-27 Teamsters Collective Bargaining Agreements with $325,000 from General Fund Current Year Wage Reserve and $100,000 from the Water Fund FY26 Budget Reserves
- Accept $5,000,000 FY2026 MassWorks Grant to support the Crafts Street Culvert Replacement project
- $2,304,983 from Sewer Fund Surplus for Phase 2 of the Pump Station Rehabilitation CIP Project
- A late-filed request asking the Mayor-Elect to explain how the planned increase in Mayor’s Office staffing will be accommodated in the current budget and to request a reorganization plan for review and approval by the Council. (Late-filed requests require a 3/4 vote to be accepted by the Council. See Fig City News article.)
Public Safety & Transportation will meet on Wednesday regarding renewal of public auto licenses:
- Tom Mountain for Limo Class Inc.
- Michael Gimmelfarb, for American Truck & Equipment Sales, LLC.
- Lahcene Belhouchet, for Boston Cool Ride Limo Inc.
- Rajiv Kumar, for Om Sai Enterprises Inc.
- Aberrahmane Fellah, for AB Inc.
Public Facilities will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Appropriating $2,304,983 for Phase 2 of the Pump Station Rehabilitation CIP Project
- Update on planning and construction of Bullough’s Pond Dam, with discussion of the rehabilitation project and the preferred safety design
- Main drain extension at 132 Homer Street and Chapin Road to support stormwater management for new dwellings
Programs and Services meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled.
City Council Caucus will meet on Thursday to elect 2026–2027 City Council Officers: President, Vice-President, and President Emeritus.
School Committee
School Committee is scheduled to hold a regular meeting on Wednesday. The agenda and supporting documents have not yet been posted. Topics to be discussed include:
- Kindergarten aides
- Review of Thrive Professional Development Day (November 4)
- Long-Range Planning
School Committee will meet in Executive Session on Wednesday to discuss salary increases for non-aligned staff.
Boards and Commissions
Newton Cultural Council will meet on Monday regarding the window of eligibility for grants and adjudication of grants.
Newton Human Rights Commission will meet on Monday regarding:
- Neighboring HRC Event
- Know Your Human Rights Event
- HRC Awards Honoree
Planning and Development Board will meet on Monday regarding:
- Proposed landmarking for 55 Pine Grove Avenue
- Public hearing and possible vote on Site Plan Review (Village Center Overlay District) at 50 Hartford Street
- Public hearing on rezoning 3 parcels on Dudley Road and Brandeis Road to Multi Residence 1 for the proposed development at 85 Dudley Road
Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) will meet on Wednesday to recap the year the accomplishments during the Fuller administration.
Dangerous Dog Hearing will be held on Wednesday for Newton Police vs. Josh Shriner.
Newton Retirement Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday to conduct interviews for the Director position.
Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council will meet on Thursday regarding:
- Website status
- Brigham House pickup/dropoff zone reversion
- Rodney Barker Square – funds for Winter/Holiday Decorations
- Village Enhancement Project
Sustainable Materials Management Commission will meet on Thursday regarding:
- 2026 planning: Meeting date, officers, recruiting new members
- Update re: response from letter to Mayor-elect and City Councilors-elect
- Proposed letter to School Committee
- SMMD report and update: NPS organics diversion, trash and recycling volume/hauling trends
Other
Cooper Center for Active Living will have its grand opening on Friday, December 5 with a ribbon cutting at 10AM, followed by activities all weekend.
Development Review Team is not scheduled to meet this week.
This week’s road construction schedule has not yet been posted.
Ed. Note: We updated this post to include meetings of the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council and the Sustainable Materials Management Commission.
