Newton Aldermen Turn Down Request to Forego Ward 1 Special Election

The board will now discuss and vote on whether to piggyback the Ward 1 special election with the special Senate election on June 25.

Updated 10:35 a.m. The Newton Board of Aldermen has turned down a request to delay the election to fill the vacant Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat.  Instead, the board will now consider holding a Ward 1 alderman-at-large special election in conjunction with the June 25 special Senate election. "We've done this before and we can do it again," said Ward 3 Alderman-at-Large Ted Hess-Mahan. "[A special election] is not an unreasonable burden, particularly when it involves the right to vote." The Ward 1 at-large seat was vacated last month following the death of Alderman Carleton Merrill, who passed away on Jan. 23 at the age of 88.  At its Tuesday night meeting, the board voted 12-10 against delaying the election. The request, proposed by the …

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MBTA Offers Some Details on Proposed Riverside Station Garage

The MBTA has also pushed back on the idea of direct highway access to the Riverside site, something officials and residents say would reduce traffic impact on Grove Street.

After numerous public meetings, hearings and discussions about the site, some Newton aldermen and members of the public had a chance Tuesday night to hear initial plans for a MBTA parking garage at the Riverside Station on Grove Street.  The garage, although technically an MBTA project, is a crucial piece to BH Normandy's proposed Riverside Station mixed-use development.  "[The garage] consolidates the surface parking of the lot into a compact site that is close to the station for convenience and safety of the patrons," said MBTA Director of Facilities and Transit Oriented Development Gretchen Von Grossman. "It creates the opportunity for new development."  Following requests from aldermen to attend a public meeting, Von Grossman and MBTA …

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Five Things You Missed at Board of Aldermen: New Needham St. Project; Carr School

The Board of Aldermen also approved another public hearing date for the Riverside Station development project.

Five things you may have missed from the Board of Aldermen's meeting on Monday, Nov. 5:   1. Needham Street shops approved.  Following approval from the board's Land Use Committee, the full Board of Aldermen voted Monday, Nov. 5, to approve special permits for construction of a two-story commercial building at 49, 55 and 71 Needham St., also known as the former Skipjack's restaurant and the current International Bicycle site.  The gross floor area of the new space will total more than 19,000 square feet and contain space for a restaurant up to 110 seats, according to city documents.   2. Carr School funding. As the construction of a new Angier Elementary School moves forward, the city is simultaneously working on the renovation of the Carr…

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Four Corners Walgreen's Planning Expansion, Renovation

The Newton Board of Aldermen will vote tonight on the special permit required for the expansion.

The Four Corners Walgreen's will soon see some significant renovations, pending a vote tonight from the full Board of Aldermen. According to a July 17 report from the Board of Aldermen's Land Use Committee, the Walgreen's at 1101 Beacon St. is looking to expand as well as add new signage and improve its parking lot.  The 3,736-square-foot addition will include a stockroom, an employee room as well as a new pharmacy.   The current building, which was built in the 1980s, totals 9,963 square feet. According to the Land Use report, the aldermen must approve the site plan because the addition will push the building's total square footage over 10,000 square feet.  In addition, the property owners (Waban-132 LLC) applied for a special permit for …

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Committee Gives Go-Ahead for Shopping Center Project Despite Traffic Concerns

Land Use committee gives unanimous approval to Chestnut Hill Shopping Center's planned renovations, despite concerns.

W.S. Development's proposed revamp of the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center won the unanimous support of Newton's Land Use Committee this week, though aldermen voiced concerns about traffic and parking problems that could be caused by the project's success. The Land Use committee voted 7-0 Tuesday night to grant several necessary approvals to the Chestnut Hill Developer's plan to replace the building that currently houses Century Bank and City Sports with a three-story multi-function (office and retail) building. The plan needed board approval to build a multi-story building, rezone the Route 9 carriageway for potential angled parking in front of the building, and waive requirements to build additional parking to handle the increased volume …

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Chestnut Hill Square Developers Look to Newton for Partnership in State Program

The I-Cubed program would grant bonds for $15 million in infrastructure improvements around the site.

Developers of the proposed Chestnut Hill Square are looking for the city's cooperation in a state-funded program that would provide $15 million in infrastructure improvements to Route 9 and other nearby roadways. The Infrastructure Investment Incentive program, otherwise known as I-Cubed, involves the state issuing bonds to development projects that are eventually paid back through the sales and payroll taxes generated by the project. Representatives from the project's developer, New England Development, met with the Finance Committee Monday night to stress the importance of the bonds, and the need for the city's approval before moving forward with the application. "There is no way for us to do this project without having I-Cubed funding…

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Photo Gallery: A Night of Awards & Scholarships at Newton City Hall

The Parks & Recreation Commission presented its annual Youth Service Awards Monday night and the Newton Board of Aldermen presented its Aldermanic Scholarship awards.

The Parks & Recreation Commission and Board of Aldermen held two separate award ceremonies Monday night honoring students and community members for their work and achievement.  At the start of its meeting, the Board of Aldermen honored Newton North senior Remi Terracinta and Newton South senior Shan Shao with the annual Board of Aldermen scholarships. The $1,000 awards are given to graduating seniors who show interest in pursuing careers and education in political science or local government. Biographies of the two award recipients are below (provided by the Board of Aldermen): Remi Terracinta is an Honor Roll student at Newton North High School where he was a member each year of the Newton North Science Team. Remi was elected by the …

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What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 6

Daily, essential information at a glance.

The Board of Aldermen will meet at 7:45 p.m. tonight in the chamber at City Hall. The Newton Free Library will hold a blood pressure clinic today starting at 9 a.m.  The Programs & Services Committee will hold a special meeting tonight prior to the full board meeting. The meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. and will be held in room 222 at City Hall. Mass Audubon recently announced the start of its annual photo contest. According to a press release issued by Mass Audubon, the organization is "in search of striking photographs that highlight people in nature and the beauty of Massachusetts wildlife and landscapes." The contest is open to all ages and skill levels and ends Sept. 5. Grand prize winners will be featured in a Mass Audubon publication. …

Newton's Ward 2 Will Have a New Precinct in 2012

As the Aldermen's Re-Precincting Committee concludes its work, Newton will go from 31 precincts to 32.

The Board of Aldermen's Re-Precincting Committee recently voted to shift some of Newton's ward and precinct lines, giving the Garden City new boundaries and an additional precinct. The additional precinct will go to Ward 2, which currently is the only ward with three precincts.   Over the last few months, the committee has been meeting regularly to debate and discuss the cities new boundaries, which come as a result of the 2010 census and a slight population increase in the city. Both a three- and four-precinct model were discussed by the committee, with the group eventually voting 7-0 for the four-precinct model (or 32 precincts total).  Here are highlights that will come with the new boundaries: The new boundaries will be reviewed by the…

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What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: May 19

Daily, essential information at a glance.

The Board of Aldermen will meet tonight at 7 in the chamber at City Hall to continue discussion of the proposed fiscal 2012 budget as well as proposed water/sewer rate increases and the Capital Improvement Plan.  The Newton South boys lacrosse team will face Acton-Boxborough in a home game today at 5:30 p.m. (weather permitting).  Have you checked out the Newton Free Library's database of the month? This month the library is featuring the theme "Tracing the Family Tree," with databases of obituaries, ancestry and more. Check out the library's homepage for more info.  In the mood for a show? Check out The Drowsy Chaperone tonight at the Turtle Lane Playhouse. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $27.50 for adults, $22.50 for …