Federal Highway Approval Needed for Riverside Development Entrance in Newton

In what will be one of many working sessions for the proposed Riverside Station project, the Newton Board of Aldermen's Land Use Committee Thursday night began discussion on the traffic and parking around the potential development.

After months of public hearings, the developers and traffic engineers working on the proposed Riverside mixed-use development will soon be applying for federal highway approval in order to move forward with the project. The application will request a modification to the Route 128/I-95 "collector-distributor" (or "C-D" road) to allow the construction of the site's proposed entrance. And according to MassDOT Highway Division Administrator Frank DePaola, federal highway officials are likely give their approval. "[Highway officials] feel that we addressed all safety concerns," DePaola said during a Land Use Committee working session Tuesday night. In plans presented at the Riverside project working session, Planning Department Director Candace…

•  1 Comment
• Documents (2)

Mall at Chestnut Hill Seeking Permits to Add Restaurants

Owners of the 40-year old space are hoping to upgrade its exterior and add up to 795 new restaurant seats.

Lately, Route 9 in Newton has been a busy area of retail expansion, renovation and new construction. Now, it looks as though the Mall at Chestnut Hill is hoping to join in on the commercial corridor upgrade. According to Planning Department memos on the city's website, the Mall at Chestnut Hill is seeking permits to add additional restaurants as well as upgrade the building's façade.  The Board of Aldermen's Land Use Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on this proposal tonight, Nov. 13. The meeting will be held in the Aldermanic Chamber at City Hall and starts at 7 p.m. The documents indicate the owner of the mall, WMACH, Inc., is looking for special permits that would allow them to add up to 23,300 square feet of restaurant …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

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 …

• Photos (1)

Shopping Center, Country Club Plans Up for Discussion Tonight in Land Use

The Land Use Committee will meet tonight at 7 p.m. in room 222 at City Hall.

Following last month's public hearing and presentation, WS Development Associates will be before the Board of Aldermen's Land Use Committee again tonight to discuss their proposed renovations and expansion of the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center.  The project, which will be discussed during a committee working session tonight, includes plans to take down part of a building at the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center and in its place, re-build a three-story, mixed-use structure. Taking the place of the building that currently houses Century Bank and City Sports, the new building would include space for those existing tenants as well as additional retail, restaurant and office space. WS Development also plans to relocate their headquarters to the …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Developer Proposes New Building, Improvements at Chestnut Hill Shopping Center

The proposal includes a three-story building on the site where Century Bank and City Sports sits now.

Six months after special permits were approved for the proposed Chestnut Hill Square project, developers just down the street from that site are looking to renovate and expand another shopping center on Route 9. Representatives from WS Development, a Chestnut Hill-based development firm, presented its plans last night to take down part of a building at the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center and in its place, re-build a three-story, mixed-use structure. The presentation came during a public hearing held before both the Land Use Committee and the Planning Board. Robert Frazier, the firm's Senior Vice President of Development, explained that the firm will also look to improve the carriageway on the south side of the shopping center (closest to …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)
• Documents (1)

What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 7

Daily,essential information at a glance.

Congratulations to the Newton North and Newton South seniors, who are graduating today. The Newton South ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at the Field House and the North ceremony will start at 5 p.m. on the multi-purpose field. In case of rain, the ceremonies will be moved to Boston College's Conte Forum. Check out the new spring farmers' market today from noon-5 p.m. at American Legion Post 440 in Nonantum. Browse through a variety of baked goods, produce, cheese, crafts and more.  Are you and your tot looking for a time to socialize? Drop by a playgroup today from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at L'Aroma Cafe & Bakery in West Newton. The group is open for parents and their tots between 12-24 months. Check out the finance seminar How Financial …

What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Dec. 7

Joe Prestejohn of Cabot's Ice Cream will be awarded the 2010 Newton Good Scout Award tonight.

The Knox Trail Council Boy Scouts of America will present Joe Prestejohn of Cabot's Ice Cream with the 2010 Newton Good Scout Award tonight at a celebration and ceremony held at the Newton Marriott. The event begins at 6 p.m. The Land Use Committee will meet tonight at 7 p.m. in room 222 of City Hall. Among other things, 2011 auto dealer licenses are on the agenda for tonight. The Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston will host a PALS event from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. where children can make teddy bears. The kids will make bears for themselves and bears to donate to disadvantaged and sick children though the Bears Who Care program. For more information or to RSVP, contact Stephanie Maroun, PALS Coordinator, at 617.…

• Photos (1)

Aldermen Give Thumbs Up to Chestnut Hill Square

The full board gave its unanimous approval for the necessary special permits and zoning changes.

[Updated, 12/7/10] The long-debated Chestnut Hill Square project has passed yet another hurdle. Following last week's recommendation from the Land Use Committee, the full Board of Aldermen voted unanimously in favor tonight for the necessary re-zoning and special permits for the 11.32-acre site located at the former Omni Foods site off Route 9. Twenty members of the 24-person board were present.  "No project is ideal, but I think this is the best we're going to get," said Alderman Cheryl Lappin. The approval will rezone the area to a Business 4 space and will grant special permits for mixed-use developments.  Lappin gave her support for the New England Development project, citing the potential $15 million in improvements the project would …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

Chestnut Hill Square Gets Committee's O.K.

The fate of the massive Route 9 project now rests in the Board of Aldermen's hands.

The Chestnut Hill Square project is one step closer to reality. The Board of Aldermen's Land Use Committee voted early this morning to recommend the necessary special permits and zoning changes for the mixed-use development at 200-230 Boylston St. proposed by New England Development.  The Land Use Committee met for more than five hours last night to review the board order--18 pages of findings and conditions they developers must meet--that now goes to the full Board of Aldermen. The eight committee members unanimously recommended the zoning changes, but two-- Aldermen Deborah Crossley and Susan Albright--abstained from voting on the special permits. "There's a lot of additional work that needs to go into this board order," Crossley said…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)

What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Nov. 4

Newton North High School's Theatre Ink opens its latest performance tonight, "The Skin of Our Teeth."

Mayor Setti Warren will host the first in a series of town hall meetings he has scheduled throughout the month of November. The meeting, which will be held at the Pellegrini Field House at 7 p.m., will allow residents to voice their concerns about infrastructure needs in the city. The meetings are a result of a dismal financial forecast and a long list of capital needs presented last month. Newton North High School's Theatre Ink will present Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth." The show's opening night is tonight and it will run through Saturday. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased online.  Some residents in Newton Centre and Chestnut Hill could see some discolored water today as the Fire Department will be testing …

• Photos (1)