Highlights this week…
- City Council …accepting $627,800 in grants to support bike sharing
- City Council …voting on Andrew Willison as new City Clerk / Clerk of the Council
- Land Use with Planning & Development …public hearing new plans for Riverside (750 residential units)
- Real Property Reuse …considering the sale or lease of 169 Grove Street and 136 Hancock Street (Walker Center)
- Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership …holding independent conversations with mayoral candidates Cecchinelli and Laredo
- Newton Cultural Council …annual grantee reception in War Memorial Auditorium, City Hall
- Charles River Regional Chamber …hosting Newton Night to honor six small businesses
City Council
City Council will meet on Monday and is expected to vote on the following (see Reports Docket):
- Request to change from a nonconforming warehouse use to a multi-family dwelling, to increase height, to waive certain dimensional requirements relative to parking and to allow a free-standing sign at 44 Oak Street
- Class 2 Auto Dealers Licenses: Atlantic Car Connect, LLC and Prestige Auto Imports, Inc.
- Appointing:
- Ruth Goldman to the Community Preservation Committee
- Elijah Lavin to the Human Rights Commission
- Jesse King to the Commission on Disability
- Susan Lyon to the Urban Tree Commission
- Reappointing:
- Elizabeth Sweet to the Zoning Board of Appeals
- Martin Smargiassi to the Community Preservation Committee
- Jane Brown to the Commission on Disability
- Sheila Butts to the Parks & Recreation Commission
- Thomas Elkind to the Newton Commonwealth Foundation
- Early Voting Hours at City Hall for the November 4 Municipal Election: Saturday October 25 11AM-5PM, Sunday October 26 11AM-5PM, Monday October 27 8:30AM-8PM, Tuesday October 28 8:30AM-5AM, and Wednesday October 29 8:30AM-5PM
- No Action Necessary on requests for:
- Discussion with Parks, Recreation and Culture about restroom facilities at City fields
- Discussion with the Department of Public Works about standard procedures for road work
- Request for a grant of location to install and maintain gas main in Colgate Road and Hagar Street
- Recommendation of Andrew Willison as the City Clerk/Clerk of the Council
- Authorizing the installation and operation of cameras on school buses to enforce violations when a vehicle illegally passes a bus that has stopped to allow students to get on or off the bus
- Grant of location to install and maintain gas main in Washington Street to a new gas main in Kempton Place (a private way)
- Grant of location to install and maintain conduit from manhole within Washington Street onto Dunstan Street (private way portion)
- Grant of location to install and maintain an anchor guy on pole north of Cotton Street on the westerly side of Centre Street
- Accepting a $23,400 grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for expert case review and reporting of Emergency Medical Dispatch calls
- Accepting a $249,295 grant from MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces for the installation of four new Bluebikes stations, piloting winter operations, and relocating under performing stations
- Accepting a $378,505 grant from the Boston Metropolitan Organization for bicycle racks, bike shelters, and the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons
- Accepting a grant of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons from the MassDOT Vulnerable Road User Assessment Program
- Authorizing a 5-year contract for the Greater Boston bike share system with option to renew
The New Docket includes the following:
- Special Permit Requests:
- Amend previous approval to remove the permeable paver requirement at 31 Chase Street
- Raze existing dwelling to construct a new larger dwelling at 11 Richfield Road
- Widen existing driveway to accommodate two parking stalls at 53 Mosman Street
- Construct a deck that further extends the nonconforming front setback at 22 Jerome Avenue
- 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
- Raze the existing dwelling to construct a new two-family dwelling and a retaining wall exceeding four feet in height at 82-84 East Side Parkway
- Requesting discussion and possible amendments for:
- Policies for abutter notifications for proposed large projects
- Fee structure for initial estimated construction costs
- Incorporate tree preservation into design process
- Improve reporting of tree loss, preservation, and canopy data
- Notification process for Tree Permit applications
- Extension of tree protection to single- and two-family lots
- Request for approval of the Walk, Roll, and Bike Network Plan
- Request to set salary for City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council
- Appropriate $2,154,544 in Community Preservation Act funding, per CPC recommendatoin, for the Newton Affordable Housing Trust
- Appointment of Christopher Steele to the Economic Development Commission
Programs and Services meeting originally scheduled for Monday has been canceled,
Land Use Committee will meet on Tuesday (with Planning & Development Board) regarding requests to:
- Rezone 355, 399, 0 Grove Street (Riverside MBTA) from Business Use 5 to Mixed Use 3 and to amend the Mixed Use 3/Transit Oriented Development District
- Construct a mixed-use development of six primarily residential buildings with 750 residential units, mixed commercial, parking, and public open space and with Building 6 featuring an attached multi- level garage with associated waivers at 355, 399, 0 Grove Street (Riverside MBTA)
Programs and Services will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Appointing Chloe Lyons, Hanano Futai, Simbarashe Makura, and Gassia Minassian to the Youth Commission
- Special legislation to increase the maximum age for new police officers from 31 to 39 years old
- Resolution in support of HB.1014/S.588 Establishment of a “Superfund” to aid communities to adequately fund climate adaptation and resilience projects, as well as repairs and recovery from the impacts of a warming climate including extreme heat, flooding, poor air quality and other extreme weather events
- Reappointing:
- Randall Johnson to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- Marjorie Butler to the Newton Election Commission
Public Facilities will meet on Wednesday regarding:
- Discussing with Green Newton and the Sustainability Team regarding networked geothermal near the Countryside School
- Appropriating $152,255 from the Energy Stabilization Fund to fund a LED Lighting Project at the Newton Education Center
Real Property/Reuse will meet on Thursday regarding reuse of the parcels located at 169 Grove Street and 136 Hancock Street (the City-owned portion of the Walker Center).
School Committee
School Committee will meet on Monday in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NTA – all Units.
Boards and Commissions
Newton Parks and Recreation Commission will meet on Monday regarding:
- Gath Pool – Tom Cahill Plaque
- Chestnut Street Island and Anne Whitney Sculpture- Interpretive sign
- Committee Reports: Community Preservation, Urban Tree, Farm, Commonwealth Golf, PRC Signage and Naming
Board of License Commissioners will meet on Tuesday regarding these requests:
- One-Day Temporary Entertainment Licenses:
- Lecture on Tuesday, October 28,7PM-9PM to be held at Newton City Hall, War Memorial Auditorium
- Annual gala Country for a Cause on Sunday, October 26, 6PM-10:30PM at Wells Avenue YMCA, 135 Wells Avenue
- Alumni homecoming tailgate on Saturday, October 18, 10PM – 7PM at the Boston College, O’Neil Plaza, 140 Commonwealth Avenue
- Concert of Lavon Volski and meeting of the Belarusian diaspora in Boston on Saturday, October 25, 4:30PM-7:30PM at the Newton City Hall, War Memorial Auditorium
- One-Day Temporary Wine and Malt Licenses:
- Reception after a church service on Sunday, October 19, 5PM – 9PM at the Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond Street
- Reception after a church service on Sunday, November 2, 5PM – 9PM at the Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond Street
- Fundraiser/reception on Thursday, October 16, 6PM – 8PM at the Church undercroft, 365 Hammond Street
- Church of the Redeemer Fall Fellowship dinner on Thursday, November 16, 6PM – 8PM at the Parish Hall, 365 Hammond Street
- Parent cocktail party on Saturday, October 18, 6PM – 9PM at the Mount Alvernia Academy Gymnasium, 20 Manet Road
- Concert on Saturday, October 18, 3PM – 6:30PM at the Allen Center, 35 Webster Street
- One-Day Temporary All-Alcohol License and Entertainment Licenses:
- Fundraiser on Saturday, October 18, 9:30PM – 11:59PM at the West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street
- Mini golf fundraiser on Saturday, October 4, 6PM – 9:30PM at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street
- Paddy’s Road Race on Sunday, October 19, 11:30AM – 4PM at Paddy’s Public House, 95 Elm Street
- Salon, involving conversation/interview and music on Thursday, October 9, 7PM – 9PM at the Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham Street
- Change of Officers/Directors/LLC Managers and Ownership Interest
- GoPuff, 82-84 Needham Street, Newton Highlands: removal of Rafael Illishayev, Yakir Gola and Guillermo Arazo and adding Nam Sam as LLC Manager
- Change of Location
- All-alcohol package store license from 1121 Washington Street, West Newton to 165 Needham Street, Newton: Trader Joe’s.
Planning and Development Board and Land Use Committee will meet jointly on Tuesday for a public hearing on rezoning of 355, 399, 0 Grove Street from Business Use 5 to Mixed Use 3.
Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership will meet on Tuesday regarding:
- Conversations with Mayoral candidates Albert Cecchinelli and Marc Laredo
- Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance:
- Extremely Low-Income Alternative Compliance: Removal of supportive services provision
- Public Funding Limitation: Language update
- Elder Housing with Services: Revised payment-in-lieu calculation
- Introduction to Project at 85 Dudley Road
- Newton Thrive Graduation Ceremony
Board of Assessors will meet on Wednesday to review and approve the August 2025 Exemption and Abatement Reports.
Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on Wednesday regarding request to remove a condition limiting the use of the site to a single-family dwelling at 406 Cherry Street.
Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission will meet on Thursday regarding requests for Certificates of Appropriateness to:
- Replace roofing materials, install aluminum drip edge and rake, copper cutter, composite soffit and fascia board, and cedar clapboards at 256 Chestnut Hill Road.
- Replace window, door, and siding on ancillary cabin. Only the front two windows are viewable from the public way thus subject to commission review at 65 Old England Road.
- Revise previously approved plans for garage at 17 Old England Road.
Conservation Commission will meet on Thursday regarding requests for Orders of Conditions on Notices of Intent for:
- Landscape improvements at 321 Albemarle Road
- Irrigation improvements for Leo J. Martin golf course – 41 Concord Street
- A single0family home demo/construction at 190 Upland Avenue
Urban Tree Commission will meet on Friday regarding:
- Forestry Department Update, including figures related to updated Newton Tree Preservation Ordinance
- Tree removal requests
Other
Newton Cultural Council will hold its annual Grantee Reception on Tuesday, September 16, 5PM-7PM, in the War Memorial Auditorium in City Hall, Free but RSVP is required.
Charles River Regional Chamber will host Newton Night on Wednesday, September 17, 6:30PM-8PM at West Newton Cinema to recognizing six Newton Small Business Award Honorees.
Development Review Team (DRT) will meet this week regarding the following:
- 199 Otis Street: Lot coverage for addition.
This week’s road construction schedule has not yet been posted.
