Newton City Council - September 8, 2026

• Governing Body: Newton City Council
• Meeting Type: Regular City Council Meeting
• Date: September 08, 2026
• Location: City Council Chambers / Online
• Attendees: President John Oliver, Councilor Susan Albright, Councilor R. Lisle Baker, Councilor Martha Bixby, Councilor Randy Block, Councilor Brittany Hume Charm, Councilor Cyrus Dahmubed, Councilor Stephen Farrell, Councilor Rena Getz, Councilor Brian Golden, Councilor Lisa Gordon, Councilor Maria Scibelli Greenberg, Councilor Rebecca Walker Grossman, Councilor Julie Irish, Councilor David A. Kalis, Councilor Andrea W. Kelley, Councilor Joshua Krintzman, Councilor Alison M. Leary, Councilor Tarik J. Lucas, Councilor Julia Malakie, Councilor David Micley, Councilor Sean Roche, Councilor Jacob Silber, Councilor Pamela Wright.
• Staff Present: Jill Seppa (Deputy City Clerk and Election Supervisor), Curtis Bueker (Assistant Clerk of the Council), Dr. Willison.

• Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Councilor Irish.
• City Council Photo: Scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
• Upcoming Hearings:
  • Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): Tentatively scheduled for Monday, October 19, 2026.
  • Annual Tax Classification: Scheduled for November 16, 2026.
• Staff Introductions: The Council welcomed Jill Seppa, the new Deputy City Clerk and Election Supervisor, and Curtis Bueker, the Assistant Clerk of the Council.

Councilor Kelley reported on the meeting held on August 25, 2026:

• Item 259-26: Request to allow a combination of retaining walls exceeding four feet in height at 83 Commonwealth Park West. Approved 8-0 in committee.
• Public Hearing Requests (Scheduled for September 15, 2026):
  1. Item 280-26: Request to exceed facade ratio at 40 Burdine Road.
  2. Item 281-26: Request to exceed facade ratio at 29 Pierpont Road.
  3. Item 282-26: Request to allow two parking stalls within the front setback at 45 Ware Road.

Councilor Baker reported on the following appointments, all approved 7-0 in committee:

• Item 229-26: Appointment of Dante Capasso to the Zoning Board of Appeals (Term expires August 10, 2029).
• Item 229-26: Appointment of Christopher Markowitz to the Zoning Board of Appeals (Term expires August 10, 2029).
• Item 241-26: Reappointment of Doug Cornelius to the Newton Historical Commission.

Councilor Krintzman reported on the meeting held on September 2, 2026. The following appointments were approved 5-0 in committee:

• Item 232-26: Appointment of Paul Levy to the Newton Commonwealth Foundation.
• Item 233-26: Appointment of Mark Grossman to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council.
• Item 234-26: Reappointment of Dr. Carolyn Bernstein to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council.
• Item 235-26: Reappointment of Janet Huttig to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council.
• Item 236-26: Appointment of Linda Brenner to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council.

• Announcement: A public hearing regarding possible revisions to the city's overnight parking ban is scheduled for September 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Councilor Kalis reported on the meeting held on August 19, 2026:

• Item 123-26: Request for relocation of drain easement in Rose Street. Approved for withdrawal without prejudice (4-0).
• Item 250-26: Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommendation to appropriate $1.9 million for a grant to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust. Approved 4-0.
• Item 251-26: National Grid petition for a grant of location on Commonwealth Avenue and Washington Street. Approved 2-1-1.
• Item 253-26: Reappointment of David Gillespie to the Design Review Committee. Approved 4-0.
• Item 255-26: Reappointment of Carol Schein to the Design Review Committee. Approved 4-0.
• Item 256-26: Appointment of Stacey Roman to the Design Review Committee. Approved 4-0.
• Item 254-26: Authorization to transfer $623,130.15 in excess debt exclusion bond proceeds. Approved 4-0.
• Suspension of Rules (Item 283-26): Eversource petition for a grant of location on Moody Street. Public hearing assigned for September 9, 2026.

The Council conducted a roll call vote on the items presented in the committee reports. Councilor Grossman noted that the Finance Committee had not yet met on items 250-26 and 264-26.

• Outcome: The motion carried 24-0 for all items, with the exception of Item 251-26, which passed 23-1 (Councilor Kelley dissenting).
• Roll Call (Ayes): Albright, Baker, Bixby, Charm, Dahmubed, Farrell, Getz, Golden, Gordon, Greenberg, Grossman, Irish, Kalis, Kelley (except 251-26), Krintzman, Leary, Lucas, Malakie, Micley, Roche, Silber, Wright, Oliver.

Councilor Kelley presented a request for a special permit and site plan approval to raze an existing non-conforming two-family dwelling and construct four residential units in one building at 395 Lexington Street.

• Project Details:
  • The site is 14,426 square feet in an SR3 zoning district.
  • The design utilizes Multi-Residence Transit (MRT) standards for density and dimensional controls.
  • All parking will be on-site with turnaround capability to avoid backing onto Lexington Street.
• Discussion: Councilor Block expressed concerns regarding the safety of the intersection at Lexington Street, Commonwealth Avenue, and Walcott Street, noting the high traffic volume and lack of signalization for the project site. He suggested the city take responsibility for intersection safety measures, such as painting an 'X block' on the street.
• Vote: The Council voted 24-0 to approve the special permit and site plan.