Reminder: In What’s Up in Newton this Week, the links that are in bold font go to the Fig City News notices of upcoming local-government meetings — with date, time, location, Zoom link, and agenda for each, as available.
City Council
Zoning and Planning will meet on Monday. Topics include:
- Joint Public Hearing with the Planning Board on proposed new zoning use: Craft Beverage Establishment
- Appointments:
- Peter Leis to the Newton Historical Commission
- Richard Alfred to the Auburndale Historic District Commission
- Continued review and assessment of the maps and proposed amendments for each village center for Village Center Zoning. Straw votes will be taken on all items.
Finance will meet twice this week — Monday and Thursday — to discuss the request to establish and appropriate funds to an Operations Booster Stabilization Fund to pay for a portion of the annual general fund appropriations for the City’s pension system: Appropriate $20,500,000 Overlay Surplus and transfer the sum of $5,513,000 from the Appellate Tax Board Interest and Penalties Fund. The Newton Retirement Board approved a funding schedule that increases by 6.6% per year through Fiscal Year 2032. The Mayor is proposing to increase funding each year using 5.0% from the General fund and utilizing money from this new “Booster” fund to supplement the remaining 1.6% and allow the City to use the 1.6% that would otherwise come from the General Fund for operational needs, with 70% going to support NPS. (See Fig City News article.)
School Committee
The School Committee will meet twice this week:
- Monday: Regular School Committee meeting. Topics include:
- Superintendent’s Overview of Start of School
- Overview of Entry Plan
- IGD Policy and Curriculum Adoption
- FY24 Systemwide Goals
- Memorandum of Understanding and program update on School Resource Officer
- Updates on the Family Aid Facility and Disability Awareness (Understanding Our Differences)
- Wednesday: Executive Session to discuss strategy related to negotiations with the Newton Teachers Association
Board and Commissions
Planning and Development Board will meet twice this week.
- Monday: Meeting jointly with the Zoning and Planning Committee for a Public Hearing on a possible ordinance to allow breweries, brew pubs, and other craft beverage production.
- Thursday:
- Public Hearing on the proposed FY23 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)
- Public Hearing on a request to subdivide 132 Homer Street into 3 single-family buildable lots (Planning Board acting as a Board of Survey)
- Discussion/vote on possible ordinance to allow breweries, brew pubs, and other craft beverage production.
- Continuation of Public Hearing on Village Center Zoning.
Auburndale Historic District Commission will meet on Tuesday:
- Request to install front entry railings at 15 Hawthorne
- Review of violation and request to remediate work done to install HVAC equipment at 94 Grove Street
- Review of HDC Design Guidelines
Community Preservation Committee will meet on Tuesday:
- Update on Webster Woods Project (see Fig City News article)
- Public Hearing on the Gath Memorial Pool Funding Amendment ($1,500,000 in CPA Recreation Funding)
- Pre-Proposal Review for the Second Church in Newton Preservation and Accessibility Project ($600,000 in Historic Resource Funds)
- Pre-Proposal Review for the First Baptist Church Bell Tower Preservation Project ($1,750,000 in Historic Resource Funds)
- Review of Existing and Potential Future Projects and Current Finances
Economic Development Commission will meet on Tuesday:
- Guest Speaker: Jeff Cournoyer, managing director of the Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst
- Economic Development Commission letter of Support for Village Center Overlay District
- Newton Highlands Improvement Project
- City Ordinances: Outdoor dining
- Zoning Discussion of private-sector instructional centers and craft brewing and bottling
Development Review Committee/Countryside School Building Committee will meet on Wednesday to review progress on the Countryside Schematic Design.
Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on Wednesday to discuss:
- Northland-Charlemont: Request for a Comprehensive Permit – Chapter 40B (See Fig City News article.)
- 41 Washington Street: Request for a Comprehensive Permit (Chapter 40B) for a 16-unit residential development (reconfiguration of existing dwelling and construction of an addition with 4 affordable units) (See Fig City News article.)
- Request for variance to reduce the front setback requirement to construct a detached garage at 409 Crafts Street
Urban Design Commission will meet on Wednesday:
- 4 Sign Permits: KDR Medspa + Wellness, ET Fashion, Dogish, and Serotonin
- Comprehensive Sign Package: 612 Washington Street
- Fence Appeal: 47 Windsor Road
- Design Review: 35 Middle Street; 209-211 Adams Street
Newton Upper Falls Historic District Commission will meet on Thursday to review these requests:
- Build a sunroom at 7 Lucille Place
- Install a shed at 47 Linden Street
- Install a fence with gates and a shed at 12 Richardson Road
- Install a replacement CITGO sign with a price sign at 1010 Chestnut Street
- Install vents and HVAC equipment at 34 High Street
Other
On Monday, Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee and the City of Newton will host Newton’s 22nd annual Day of Remembrance of 9-11 at the City’s 9-11 Memorial on the front lawn of Fire Department headquarters, 1164 Centre Street beginning at 6PM.
Mayor Fuller released the FY2025-FY2029 Long Range Forecast at the City Council meeting last week. In this letter sent to the City Council, CFO Maureen Lemieux corrected a typo changing the total student enrollment numbers from 11,269 to 11,629.
The Preliminary Election for only Ward 2 and Ward 6 will be on Tuesday, September 12. See the Fig City News Election Guide for candidate websites, profiles, videos of debates, debate recaps, and polling locations. Fig City News will post results of the election on Tuesday evening.
A Virtual Community Meeting regarding the Family Aid proposal to rehabilitate the former Chetwynde Nursing Home located at 1650 Washington Street to a long-term family shelter providing housing and services will be held on September 14 (Zoom link). (See Fig City News article.)
This week’s road construction schedule.