City Council Land Use Committee Schedule
Meeting location: Newton City Hall
9/25/2018
Opening of Public Hearing
In this meeting the petitioner and the Planning Department each gave an overview of the proposed project and the relief requested.
11/13/2018
Site Design and Open Space
This meeting focused on the overall site layout and placement of buildings and the design of open spaces. The Planning Department and their peer reviewer, Horsley Witten Group presented an analysis of the site plan, building massing, and individual open spaces.
12/11/2018
Housing and Economic Impacts
This meeting focused on the housing aspects of the project, including accessibility and affordability, the market assessment, the economic impact, and the fiscal impact. The Planning Department and their peer reviewer, RKG Associates, provided an analysis of the petitioner’s submitted reports on the above topics.
1/15/2019
Transportation
The Planning Department and their peer reviewer, BETA Group, provided an analysis of the petitioner’s traffic study, shared parking plan, transportation demand management plan (TDM), bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and site circulation.
3/12/2019
Project Updates
The petitioner presented revisions to the project based upon previous comments and discussions, including: reducing the number of units, reducing the retail space, breaking the largest buildings into smaller buildings, moving the playground and community center, reducing the parking, increasing the Village Green, and other design changes. Planning and their peer reviewers presented an analysis of the changes and updates to the prior peer reviews.
4/9/2019
Transportation
The petitioner presented updated traffic impacts due to the reduction in residential and retail proposed as well as updates to the parking plan and TDM plan. Planning and BETA Group presented analysis on the revisions, the Oak Street access options, and TDM proposals.
4/30/2019
Transportation
Following the April 9th Land Use Committee meeting, City Councilors submitted transportation questions in writing to the City Clerk and additional questions were raised at this meeting, to be answered at a future date.
5/14/2019
Design Guidelines, Sustainability, and Stormwater Management
The Planning Department and their peer reviewer, Form + Place, presented Design Guidelines that were developed in collaboration with the petitioner; and Planning and their peer reviewer, Horsley Witten Group, presented an analysis of the petitioner’s sustainability and stormwater proposals.
6/18/2019
Transportation
The petitioner submitted a letter with proposed changes to the project including the shuttle plan, as well as commitments to additional affordable housing, passive house certification, undergrounding utilities and a spray park. At this meeting the Planning Department presented answers to the questions previously raised in April and provided an analysis of the changes to the TDM and shuttle plan.
8/6/2019
Transportation
The petitioner submitted an updated TDM plan, which reflected changes recommended previously by Planning. At this meeting the Planning Department presented an in-depth analysis of the traffic impacts, traffic generation methodology, and TDM plan.
9/11/2019
Design Guidelines, Rezoning, Transportation and Community Benefit Updates
The Planning Department and their peer reviewer, Form + Place, presented a revised version of the design guidelines that was developed by Form + Place, as well as an evaluation template and process for reviewing the project per the guidelines. The Planning Department also presented an analysis of the rezoning and an update to the petitioner’s commitments to TDM, sewer inflow and infiltration, and community benefits.
9/24/2019
Council Order
The committee held a public hearing on several changes to the relief requested (number of parking stalls, valet parking, etc.) and the Planning Department and Law Department submitted draft conditions of approval.
10/15/2019
Council Order
The Planning Department and Law Department submitted an updated draft Council Order including findings and conditions.
10/29/2019
Worksession
The Land Use Committee met in a Worksession to discuss the Council Order and Findings.
11/7/2019
Worksession
The Land Use Committee met in a Worksession to discuss the Council Order and Findings.
11/12/2019
Worksession
The Land Use Committee met in a Worksession to discuss the Council Order and Findings. The LUC voted the special permit and rezoning application out of committee to the full council.
11/18/2019
City Council
The City Council briefly discussed the project and deferred a final vote to December 2.
12/02/2019
City Council
The Newton City Council voted 17-7 in favor of approving both the Rezoning and Special Permit of The Northland Newton Development.
