Austin Street Development Parking Fears Haunt Residents, Business Owners

But the construction itself even posed a parking question for some in the crowd.

"There’s a huge white elephant in the room, which is that a lot of people park at Shaw’s and the Masonic Lodge," said Justine Wiltshire Cohen, founder of Down Under Yoga in Newtonville, adding that the manager at Shaw's can put a stop to that at any time. "If you shut down this lot … for a year to a year-and-a-half for construction, we will all close. We cannot weather that.

"Please don’t leave alternative parking to the developers," Cohen continued.  "Could the city give us their word that they won’t begin construction until there’s adequate parking for [businesses] to survive for a year-and-a-half?”

Even when the project is fully open, several residents spoke up about their doubts that the parking schemes proposed would adequately meet demand or function for the site.

Among the six accepted bids, several propose underground public parking among the to fulfill the 85-space minimum requirement. Tom Kraus said he couldn't see how underground parking was conducive to the commercial environment of Newtonville.

"Undergoround parking is not compatible with short-term service type activities,” Kraus said, recommending that an economic study of the sight be conducted to determine what type of commercial activity would occur. "It seems to me unfair to ask developers to come up with a proposal and go back to them with a request to totally revamp that proposal,” Kraus continued. "Service parking needs would dramatically change the site. Accidentally, there’s a cart-before-the-horse situation here, because you have too many variables not defined to get viable [plans] from your developers."

To listen to 1-2 minute developer descriptions of each proposal, watch the videos included with this article.

When it came to the overall development plans themselves, members of the crowd had some fundamental concerns starting with the overall size and scope of the project.

"My first reaction is 'Wow they’re all too big, except for the last one,'" resident Jenny Bell said, referring to the last one as that proposed by Metrowest Collaborative Development. "I just can’t imagine all the new people. Where are they going to go?"

And then there is the question of affordable housing, which all of the bids proposed to some degree as required by the city's conditions.

But affordable housing has been in the Newton news this week already after Mayor Setti Warren halted city funds for a potential affordable housing project in Waban.

Given that Warren stopped that project in order to have a larger, city-wide discussion about affordable housing, ”Would it not be appropriate to similarly put the brakes on this project until we can have that discussion, since this project is primarily residential with the requirement of affordable housing?” asked one resident.

Havens wrapped up the information and question and answer session just after 9 p.m. with an assurance that officials want to continue hearing from residents throughout the coming weeks. She also reminded the crowd that even after a bid is accepted, there will be special permit hearings and other public hearings during which residents and business owners can comment.

The six bids for the site are now available on the City of Newton website at  www.newtonma.gov/austinstreet.