Aldermen Delay Vote on New Residential Zoning Rules

Complicated changes to residential zoning rules will have to wait another two weeks before passing a final step, as the full Board of Aldermen decided last night to hold off on a vote that would bring the new rules into law.

The vote, which would alter residential floor-area ratio (FAR) regulations, was postponed to allow the full board to hear a presentation on the proposed changes from the Planning Department. To view the proposed changes, check out our photos and .pdf section. 

With the rules , the full board had yet to hear an explanation behind the changes – something that is crucial before making an official vote.

“I appreciate your presentation – this is very helpful,” said Alderman Lenny Gentile. “I’ve been hearing bits and pieces, but it’s all rather confusing not being part of the discussion.”

, which aim to prevent construction of oversized homes, were approved last month by the board’s Zoning and Planning Subcommittee. The full board will likely vote on the rules at its next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 22.

The full board did vote, however, to extend the current FAR rules to Oct. 15 of this year. The present rules were only good through Feb. 28, per a previous extension from the board.

Following the informational session – which had been rescheduled from last week – aldermen underlined both the importance of educating the public on the changes as well as making the special permit process as easy as possible. 

“It is important to me that if special permits are triggered, that they go through a relatively (easy) process,” said Alderman Vicki Danberg, who noted that she had gone through the process herself.

FAR is calculated by dividing a home’s allowable floor space by the area of its lot. For example, a 1,800-square-foot home on a 4,000-square-foot lot would have a FAR of 0.45. In the new rules, structures like garages, certain enclosed porches and some accessory buildings (depending on size) would be included in the floor space of the home.

Residents who want to add more floor space to their homes, but would exceed FAR limits in doing so, must seek a special permit from the city. Some opponents to the changes argue that this could be a daunting task for residents.

But according to Jen Molinsky, the city’s chief planner for long-range planning, nearly all the FAR cases that came up last year were approved in one night and without an attorney, meaning the process has been relatively problem-free for residents.

Alderman Amy Mah Sangiolo noted that the city has tried to “streamline” some of the residential FAR cases for smaller home additions.

A “sliding scale” – similar to a scale used for tax assessments – would be used to determine a lot’s FAR; the larger the lot size, the smaller the FAR limit and therefore, less room to expand without a special permit.

But Gentile showed some concern about the sliding scale and whether it would actually prevent another “mansionization” of Newton. 

Molinsky, though, assured the aldermen that “mansionization” wouldn’t be the case. The rules, she said, would allow for modest additions to smaller lots, such as bathrooms or mudrooms.

“It’s not perfect, but this proposal is better than what we have,” said Alderman Lisle Baker. “It’s going to be an improvement.”

Public education on the changes will be important, Alderman Marcia Johnson pointed out, and notice should be more than “just a flier” posted in  

“The complexity of this is going to take a lot of communication and education,” Johnson said. “We’re going to make sure people really understand it – that’s a critical piece that has to happen.”

If the board approves the changes on Feb. 22, the new rules would not go into effect until Oct. 15 (when the old rules expire), giving the city ample time to educate residents.

Aldermen also spent a few moments last night to honor retiring the after nearly four decades of service.

“We want to thank you for all the time, energy and effort you have put into the city of Newton over the last 40 years,” said President Scott Lennon, who presented LaCroix with an commendation from the board.

LaCroix, who first joined the department in 1972, thanked the board for its help over the years.  

“I can’t thank you enough for your support,” LaCroix said. “The Fire Department has come a long way.”