Planning & Development Department's "Friday Report"

Visit our website at www.newtonma.gov/planning

Meetings at a Glance

Monday, August 12:

Commission on Disability, cancelled

Tuesday, August 13:

Economic Development Commission, cancelled
Auburndale Historic District Commission, 7:00 p.m., Room 205
Community Preservation Committee, cancelled

Wednesday, August 14:

Urban Design Commission, 7:00 p.m., Room 205

Thursday, August 15:

Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission, 7:00 p.m., Room 205

Meetings Next Week

Auburndale Historic District Commission: On Tuesday, August 13th the Commission will meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 205. The following requests will be considered: Multiple Locations, Lasell College, to install lighting at five existing monument signs located at the following corners: Grove Street and Woodland Road, Forest Avenue and Woodland Road, Commonwealth Avenue and Cheswick Road, Myrtle and Grove Streets, and Commonwealth Avenue and Central Street; 15 Hawthorne Avenue, to rebuild stone retaining walls and replace concrete block retaining wall with stone; 19 Fern Street, to demolish garage and install fence; 99 Hancock Street, to rebuild part of the chimney and install a chimney cap; 30 Hawthorne Avenue, to change the front portico; 113 Hancock Street, to replace siding, trim, gutters, decks and railings, and to install metal roof areas and glass block window. Continuation; 140 Windermere Road, to for approval of address stone and landscape light installed without approval (violation), to install a fence; 51 Hawthorne Avenue, working session for feedback on proposed project to renovate the existing house and add new architectural details, to build an attached three-car garage and additions, and to install hardscaping. Administrative discussion to include approval of meeting minutes. Contact Barbara Kurze at 617.796.1129 or bkurze@newtonma.gov.

Urban Design Commission: On Wednesday, August 14th the Commission will meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 205. The following items are on the agenda: Sign Permits - 78 Crafts Street - Premier Limousine, 165 Needham Street - WW Studio, 33 Boylston Street - Odd Fellows Ice Cream Co. & Casper; 300 Needham Street - Pressed Café, 1009 Chestnut Street - AGS Tax Group, AGS Accounting & ALEF Skin Care, 108 Madison Avenue - Annie May's Sweet Café, 11-19 Commonwealth Avenue - White Mountain Creamery, Dunkin Donuts & Flatbreads, 47 Boylston Street - Bianca; Design Review - 340 River Street, 1844 Commonwealth Avenue - Lasell University free-standing signs lighting review. Old Business - 978 Boylston Street - CVS Pharmacy Minute Clinic. Contact Shubee Sikka at 617.796.1139 or ssikka@newtonma.gov.

Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission: On Thursday, August 15th the Commission will meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 205. The following requests will be considered: 95 Suffolk Road, to build an addition and relocate a chimney, continuation; 31 Chestnut Hill Terrace, to finalize garage door and driveway area, continuation; 25 Chestnut Hill Terrace, to repair right side deck; 25 Essex Road, to amend the previously approved rear addition window program and the height of the retaining wall; 246 Beacon Street, Boston College, working session for feedback on proposed project to replace windows; 40 Acacia Avenue, working session for feedback on proposed project to build a rear addition; 17 Chestnut Hill Terrace, working session for feedback on rebuilding the right-side sunroom, stairs and retaining wall (violation), continuation; Administrative discussion to include approval of meeting minutes. Contact Barbara Kurze at 617.796.1129 or bkurze@newtonma.gov.

Project & Program Updates

Come Out, Meet Your Neighbors and Enjoy Newton's Parks! Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Commissioner Robert DeRubeis invite you to join in the fun on Tuesday August 13th at Newton North High School, 457 Walnut Street. From 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. there will be games, animal petting zoo, hot dogs, ice cream and popcorn. From 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. watch the Red Sox play on the big screen in the Newton North Auditorium! Click HERE to see more.
Newton Commuter Rail Stations Update: The MBTA held a public meeting on July 25, 2019 on the status of the accessibility design for Newton's three commuter rail stations. Click HERE to view the presentation.
Please take our Website Community Survey! The City of Newton website is undergoing massive change with a planned upgrade. The project will probably take just over a year to complete. Our initial steps are to study what works, our flaws, our options, how new technology can benefit us and most importantly, public comment. We really want to know what you expect and need out of the City website. Responses will be collected for the next 3 weeks for evaluation. Please take our survey! newtonma.gov/opinion.
Make Poetry Concrete: The poems will soon appear underfoot! The 10 poems for the Make Poetry Concrete project are selected, and the first three will be stamped into new Newton sidewalks soon. The first installation will be at the intersection of Oak and Christina Streets on Needham Street, just before the Charles River. Then poems will appear at Minot Place at Walnut Street and at the new Horace Mann Elementary School (formerly Carr). One hundred and forty Newton residents submitted poems for the contest. Six judges selected 10 that will be used to bring poems off the pages of books and into our everyday lives. Congratulations to the winning poets who include two Newton students, published poets and a number of new ones. You will soon be able to read Trace by Shelby Allen, An Ordinary Day by Jane Attanucci, Presence by Sabrina Elyse Bauer, This Quiet Way by Ben Berman, Young Heart by Meaghan Cocuzzo, Every Day Is a Poem by Susan Eyre Coppack, Spring by Nancy Genevieve, Community Conversation by Cynthia Greene, Sidewalk by Mark Hemment, and The Way They Grew by Jonas Pena. Go to www.newtonma.gov/sidewalkpoetry for more information.
Northland Development: The proposed project is located at Needham and Oak Streets, 156 Oak Street, 275‐281 Needham Street & 55 Tower Road. Information on the project can be found on our website at www.newtonma.gov/northland. To view information on the City Council's Land Use Committee page - Click HERE. Contact Michael Gleba at 617.796.1123 or mgleba@newtonma.gov.
Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance: The Inclusionary Zoning Amendment was approved by the City Council on Monday, July 8, 2019. To review the most current information Click HERE. Contact Amanda Berman at 617.796.1147 or aberman@newtonma.gov.
Riverside Development Project: Project information can be found on the Planning Department's page at www.newtonma.gov/riverside or the City Council's page - Click HERE.
Newton in Motion (NewMo): Newton’s new senior transportation system "NewMo" was launched. The system is available to all Newton residents ages 60 and over. It provides on-demand service, easily identifiable vehicles, and vetted drivers who will walk passengers to their doors upon request, and reliably get people to and from the senior center, villages, medical appointments and to specified destinations, primarily in Newton. Seniors can book a trip in real time with an app on their smart phone or with a phone call. The system will create a route to pick up multiple passengers along the way; ride sharing is both environmentally friendly and provides a social experience for passengers. Contact Nicole Freedman at nfreedman@newtonma.gov or 617.796.1481.
Washington Street Vision Plan: Based on feedback from the City Council at the May 9th meeting, the Planning Department has created a DRAFT Washington Street Vision Plan amendment to the City of Newton Comprehensive Plan for the Council’s consideration. This document draws on the Hello Washington Street Report submitted by the Principle Group and has been modeled on the Needham Street Area Vision Plan amendment to the Comprehensive Plan To view the current the current draft go to www.newtonma.gov/washingtonstreetvision or Click HERE.
Community Preservation Committee: ~~More CPA State Funding on the Way! Great news for Newton and the other 174 CPA communities in Massachusetts: On August 1st, Governor Baker signed into law two measures that will increase the future state match for CPA funds raised locally : a permanent increase in the Registry of Deeds fee that funds the state's CPA Trust Fund, and a provision allowing (but not requiring) an additional, one-time only contribution to that state fund from the state's Fy19 budget surplus, if there is one. Huge thanks are due to all the elected officials, local organizations and individual citizens from Newton who supported the decade-long campaign in support of these changes. ~~No August CPC meeting: The CPC meeting tentatively scheduled for August 13 has been canceled. ~~Agenda requests & written materials for the CPC meeting on September 10 are due Friday, August 23. ~~Kesseler Woods conservation restriction proposal online: The Newton Conservators' request for $15,000 toward costs associated with holding the required conservation restriction on Kesseler Woods [in South Newton] is now available from the website's home page and under Proposals & Projects - Pending. The CPC's September 10 agenda is likely to include a public hearing and funding vote on this request. ~~CLICK HERE to share your ideas about how Newton should use its CPA funds ! Most of this survey's 8 questions are multiple-choice. --For assistance, contact Alice Ingerson at 617.796.1144 or aingerson@newtonma.gov.
New Affordable Housing Opportunities: Stay up-to-date on new affordable housing opportunities in Newton as they become available for rent or purchase. Click HERE to input your name and email address to receive the Planning Department’s Email Updates regarding available affordable housing units throughout the City. Contact Malcolm Lucas at 617.796.1149 or mlucas@newtonma.gov.
Bicycling in Newton: Did you know that we have a web page just for bicycling located in our Transportation Planning section? Click HERE to check-out it out and to find news and updates to various transportation initiatives. Contact Nicole Freedman at 617.796.1481 or nfreedman@newtonma.gov.
Needham Street Corridor Project (MassDOT roadwork): This project proposes roadway reconstruction and transportation safety improvements including new pavement, sidewalks, traffic signals, crosswalks, bicycle lanes and stormwater management. Email tacrowley@newtonma.gov to sign up for occasional project updates.
Sign Up for Mayor Fuller’s Email Updates: Looking for the latest news about happenings at City Hall and around Newton? Click the icon to the right or input your email address HERE to receive Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s Email Updates. To see archived editions of the Mayor’s Email Updates, visit the City of Newton website at www.newtonma.gov.

Planning & Development Department | City of Newton, MA | 617.796.1120