That's a Wrap! & When Analysis Will Be Shared

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Zoning Redesign

The City of Newton's project to redesign the zoning code

Engagement Results & More

That's a Wrap! Of the First Phase of Engagement for Village Centers
What's Next in Village Center Zoning Updates?
Village Centers' Walkshed and Business Analyses
Local Preference Public Hearing
October ZAP Meetings' Tentative Agendas

Image Description: One of two murals at Pellegrini Park, submitted as part of a Vision Kit for Nonantum highlighting how the murals importantly capture the community-based process of painting and the cultural relevance of the Italian-American history and culture.

That’s A Wrap! First phase of engagement for village centers’ zoning updates

At the end of October 3rd, the City wrapped up the first phase of engagement for updates to the village center zoning districts. Since May, staff have engaged community members through multiple channels. Here are highlights of how many people engaged:

Online interactive forum: 1,185 people contributed to the online interactive forum (Polis).

Vision kits: 100 Vision Kits submitted by 286 community members - including more than 387 photos & captions as well as 46 submissions in other formats.

Equitable focus groups: 8 equitable focus groups were hosted with 139 participants.

Business communities' engagement: 4 economic development focus groups and surveys, with 41 participants - 2 focus groups co-hosted with the Economic Development Commission and 2 co-hosted with Utile.

We had such fun meeting community members where they were - at community events, outside of their Newton Free Library, while they were grabbing coffee with a friend, on Facebook! We hosted a panel on the history of village centers with Historic Newton. We also had incredible help - from our four high school interns (who engaged over 400 folks!), many city and non-profit groups we collaborated with, and you - the community member who shared your thoughts and brought your neighbors into the conversation.

Find all of the information we received through these channels of engagement at the Zoning Redesign Village Center website.

What’s Next in the Village Center Zoning Updates?

As you can see in the number of people that contributed their thoughts, we as staff have a lot of information to go through! We will present a synthesis of what we heard and learned at the Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) meeting on Monday, October 25th. The zoom link will be available at the ZAP website (under the header ‘2021 Meeting Materials’).

Staff will also host an additional public info session of these results on November 15th at 6pm. A presentation will be followed with Q+A until 7:30pm, for you to ask any questions you may have. Register here.

Village Centers’ Walkshed and Business Analyses

Following the kick-off of Zoning Redesign: Village Centers (Phase I) our consultant, Utile, began their initial desktop research looking to gather and analyze quantitative data to better understand what makes a village center successful and sustainable in Newton. At the September 13th ZAP meeting, Utile shared their walkshed and business analyses of village centers and comparable commercial areas. You can watch the presentation and Committee discussion at this link, beginning at 1:31:28.

Local Preference Public Hearing

On September 27th, the Zoning & Planning Committee discussed the Newton Housing Partnership’s recommendation to reduce the Local Preference requirement from 70% to 25%. Overall, the committee was in agreement that they would support a lower percentage requirement and agreed to hold a public hearing on the matter at its October 25th meeting. Read more in the Local Preference memo.

Dates of Upcoming ZAP Meetings (agenda items are not finalized and subject to change)

Review September’s meeting reports at ZAP’s website. For the month of October:

October 14th, 2021 at 7pm Agenda:

#180-21 – Review proposed amendments to MU4 Special Permit Criteria (continued discussion and set Public Hearing)
#29-20 (2) – Demolition Delay ordinance amendments (continued discussion and possible vote)
#149-21/#11-21 – Natural Grade/Retaining Walls, Pre-Construction Survey Requirements (intro discussion)

October 25th, 2021 at 7pm Agenda:

#528-20 - Public Hearing, proposed amendment to reduce local preference percentage
#88-20 - Detailed outcomes from the multiple forms of engagement, May – Sept. (Staff and Utile)

Visit Zoning Redesign on the web

Click here to find a link to or a PDF of this Newsletter (under 'Monthly Newsletters')

City of Newton, Massachusetts

617-796-1120 | [email protected] | www.newtonma.gov/zoningredesign