Land Use voted to approve the following (see Report and watch the meeting video here):
- Request for Extension of Time to Exercise Special Permit at 386-394 Watertown Street in Ward 1: Approved 8-0. An extension until December 2024 was granted to “get financing in place.”
- Request to alter and extend a nonconforming front setback and to exceed FAR at 3 Valley Spring Road in Ward 7: Approved 4-2-2 (Councilors Block and Farrell Opposed, Councilors Leary and Lobovits Abstained). The project involves constructing additions to a dwelling that extends the nonconforming front setback and exceeds the maximum allowed Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The Newton Historical Commission approved the project, and the demolition delay was waived. Several Councilors and a neighbor expressed concerns about the dwelling’s increased size. The dwelling will be taken down to the studs and rebuilt as an all-electric building. Petition Documents Draft Order
- Request to further extend nonconforming FAR at 124 Hunnewell Avenue in Ward 1: Approved 8-0. The proposal is to construct a small addition to the kitchen, further extending the nonconforming FAR without impacting the existing structure’s footprint significantly. Petition Documents Draft Order
- Request to allow a free-standing sign at 1150-1152 Walnut Street in Ward 6: Approved 7-1 (Councilor Farrell Opposed). The approval allows for a free-standing sign along Walnut Street, accommodating the legal business’s visibility needs while fitting within the area’s existing signage landscape. Petition Documents Draft Order
- Request to allow a retaining wall exceeding four feet in height at 6 Brush Hill Road: Approved 7-0 (Councilor Downs Not Voting). The retaining wall will enhance the entrance aesthetics of the residential property without major concerns from engineering reviews. Petition Documents Draft Order
Land Use voted to hold the following:
- Request to amend Special Permit #176-19 at 1188 Chestnut Street: Held 8-0. Discussions are ongoing regarding as-built changes to the site plan, which include modifications to the garage, FAR, and retaining walls that have already been constructed. Councilors and neighbors had concerns about erosion, stormwater runoff, and parked cars overhanging the sidewalk. Petitioner “did not realize he was locked into the site plan of the special permit.” Petition Documents