I am writing to thank the City Council for passing the revisions to the zoning ordinance regulating accessory apartments. I believe these changes are consistent with the goals of the zoning redesign, helps the City comply with the MBTA Communities Act and will allow greater density within our community while…
Posts published in October 2022
I agree the Zoning survey was poorly done. It was highlighted when it tried to explain the differences among villages by comparing Auburndale with Waban. Neither are large, and I consider both to be small. A better comparison would have included Newton Corner or Newton Center as large and Waban…
The Negotiations sub-committee of the Newton School Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link – Passcode: 755102) on Friday, October 28 at 10AM to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the NTA. The meeting will begin in open session and a vote will be taken to enter into executive…
The School Committee will meet in person (Room 210, Ed Center) and virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, October 27 at 6:30PM. The agenda includes the following: Convene School Committee meeting Public Comment Interim Superintendent Update Discussion/Updates: Preliminary Enrollment Report – See Preliminary Enrollment Memo; Enrollment, Student Assignment, and Feeder Pattern…
On October 25, all eight members of the City Council’s Land Use Committee voted to recommend to the Full Council approval of the Crafts Street Elder Housing with Services proposal (see Special Permit documents), which includes a request to rezone seven parcels (34, 36, 38, 48, 50 Crafts Street, and…
The School Committee recently posted that it will meet this Thursday evening to address several topics including enrollment, fiscal and operational updates, the Superintendent search, capital projects, and policies related to school choice, dress codes, student discipline, and home schooling. The meeting will be in person and virtual. For meeting…
Like most people in Newton, I never planned to follow zoning redesign efforts, but now that I do, I’m hooked. At last night’s Zoning and Planning (ZAP) meeting, the planning team presented draft maps for the village center rezoning effort. (Zoning is the process by which rules are made that…
In its October 24 meeting, the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee reviewed a presentation of the preliminary mapping of proposed zoning districts in Village Centers. The presentation was made by the City’s consultant for this project, Utile, under the direction of the Planning Department. These selected slides from the…
On October 26, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will open the public hearing on the Northland Charlemont 40B proposal to construct a nine-story mixed-use building with 410 residential units, ground-floor retail (6,639 sq. ft.) and restaurant space (132 seats), a 471-stall parking garage, and 15 surface parking stalls. The…
Diwali, one of the largest, important Hindu festivals, is celebrated by about 1.2 billion Hindus worldwide during the month of October and November. The spiritual significance of Diwali is to “Give & forgive, Rise & shine, Unite & unify, Prosper & progress, Illuminate your inner self.” It is a ‘festival of…
Newton’s Auxiliary Police have been a familiar, integrated part of large community events since the 1950s, when they were organized to serve as Civil Defense officers. Under the leadership of Deputy Chief of Auxiliary Police Jeff Silton, this all-volunteer force has assisted Newton Police in traffic and crowd control, monitoring…
NOTE: Bob Burke has lived in Newton Highlands for most of his life. This is an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, as told to Highlands resident and professional memoirist, Andrew Szanton. I played a lot of sports as a teenager. Pickup games after school, often on the Aqueduct. I played…