• Introduction
• • The Emphasis of Village Center Zoning versus the Emphasis of the MBTA Communites Law
  • The VCOD Version 2 Approach to MBTA Communites Zoning
  • The MRT Only Approach to MBTA Communites Zoning
  • Make VCOD Zoning Less Intense and Less Dense
  • Important Recommendations
• Zoning Web Sites created by Richard Rasala
• • Newton MA Zoning Documents
  • Newton MA Historical Zoning Documents
  • Thoughts on Newton Village Center Zoning {Version 1}
  • Newton Visual Zoning Comparison {Version 1, Version 2, MBTA}
  • The Reality of Transit in Newton
  • • Excerpts from The Reality of Transit in Newton
• Document Links: Village Center Zoning & MBTA Communities Zoning
• • Documents: Village Center Zoning Version 1
  • Documents: Village Center Zoning Version 2
  • Zoning Maps
  • West Newton Armory Project {for comparisons}
  • Documents: MBTA Communities Law
  • Ingerson, et al, on History of Zoning in Newton
  • Daniel Parolek and Missing Middle Housing
• Constraints on Setting Up Districts for MBTA Compliance Zoning
• • MBTA Compliance: Purposes, Definitions, and Rules
  • MBTA Compliance: The Role of Half Mile Circles
  • MBTA Compliance: Percentage of enabled housing that must be within half mile circles
  • MBTA Compliance: Percentage of enabled housing that must be in one large contiguous district
•  
• Discussion of Village Center Zoning Version 2 and MBTA Communities Zoning
• • Recap of our earlier Discussion of Village Center Zoning Version 1
  • Issues with Village Center Zoning Version 2 and MBTA Communities Zoning
  • What zoning policies are being followed in the VCOD Version 2.0/2.1 proposal?
  • Recommendation: Eliminate the Route 9 District
  • Recommendation: Eliminate VC1 as a Zoning Category
  • Discussion of Excerpts from the VCOD Version 2.1 Zoning Code
•  
• Mellow Zoning for MRT
• • Mellow Zoning for MRT - Summary Conclusions
  • Additional MRT Recommendations
  • Mini-Appendix: MRT Parking Calculations
•  
• The Large Contiguous MRT District in the 5 Half Mile Circles
• • The 11 Half Mile Circles at Rail Transit Stops in Newton
  • The 5 Half Mile Circles for the Large Contiguous MRT District
  • 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
  • • Definition of the 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
    • Maps of the 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
    • • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Newton Centre
      • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Newton Highlands
      • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Eliot
      • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Waban
      • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Woodland
  • The Large Contiguous MRT District and the Completion of MBTA Communities Zoning
•  
• MRT-A = MRT plus the Ability to have Small Apartment Buildings
• An additional zoning type to assist in the Completion of MBTA Communities Zoning
• • Using MRT plus MRT-A to assist in the Completion of MBTA Communities Zoning
•  
• Final Thoughts on Village Center Zoning
• • Additional Village Center Recommendations
•  
• Coda: A Summary of Important Points
•  
• From time to time, you may wish to consult the maps in these appendices:
•  
• Appendix: Village Center and Route 9 Proposed Zoning Maps Version 2
• Village Centers With VC2 and VC3
• • Newton Corner Map Version 2
  • Newtonville Map Version 2
  • West Newton Map Version 2
  • Auburndale Map Version 2
  • Newton Centre Map Version 2
  • Newton Highlands Map Version 2
  • Thompsonville Map Version 2
• Village Centers With VC2 Only
• • Nonantum Map Version 2
  • Four Corners Map Version 2
  • Waban Map Version 2
  • Newton Lower Falls Map Version 2
  • Newton Upper Falls Map Version 2
• Route 9
• • Route 9 East Map Version 2
  • Route 9 West Map Version 2
• Planning Dept Large Contiguous MBTA District
• • Planning Dept Large Contiguous MBTA District Version 2
  • Current Newton Zoning Under Planning Dept Large Contiguous MBTA District
  • Current Newton Zoning Legend
•  
• Appendix: Half Mile Circle Maps at Rapid Transit & Commuter Rail T Stops
• Green Line B Branch
• • Boston College
• Green Line D Branch
• • Chestnut Hill
  • Newton Centre
  • Newton Highlands
  • Eliot
  • Waban
  • Woodland
  • Riverside
• Commuter Rail
• • Newtonville
  • West Newton
  • Auburndale
• 11 Half Mile Circles
• • The 11 Half Mile Circles at Rail Transit Stops in Newton
•  
• Appendix: Newton Historic Districts
• • Auburndale Historic District
  • Chestnut Hill Historic District
  • Newton Upper Falls Historic District
  • Newtonville Historic District

• A detailed study of what has transpired in the Zoning and Planning Committee since 2020:
• Newton MA Zoning Documents
• A detailed study of the reality of transit in Newton:
• The Reality of Transit in Newton

• The Emphasis of Village Center Zoning versus the Emphasis of the MBTA Communites Law
• The VCOD Version 2 Approach to MBTA Communites Zoning
• The MRT Only Approach to MBTA Communites Zoning
• Make VCOD Zoning Less Intense and Less Dense
• Important Recommendations

• The intense dense V2 and V3 area in West Newton [1850 units]
• The intense dense V2 and V3 area plus some moderate MRT area in Newton Centre [2000 units], Newton Highlands [1650 units], and Newtonville [1400 units]
• The extremely intense dense VC1, VC2, and VC3 area in a new long and narrow Route 9 district [2600 units]

• The VC2 and MRT area in Waban [500 units]

• The decision to create a substantial portion of the 10000 housing units for MBTA Compliance via the mechanism of intense dense buildings in the village centers undermines the intentions of the MBTA Communities Law to promote 3-4 family homes in residential areas.
• The proposal for intense dense buildings in the village centers also raises serious concerns with the public since that the plan is not the vibrant vision with moderate height buildings, plazas, walkable areas, and bicycle paths that is promoted in the Village Center Zoning slides.

• The area is almost certainly large enough to meet all MBTA Communites Law requirements.
• The Green Line D Branch (Riverside) has the only high quality intra-city transit in Newton. - As the reality of transit study shows, all other Newton transit options are problematic at best for families with children.

• Single Residence 2 (SR2)
• Single Residence 3 (SR3)
• Multi Residence 1 (MR1)
• Multi Residence 2 (MR2)
• Multi Residence 3 (MR3)

• It is the only way to provide families with children an opportunity to live in 3-4 family homes.
• It is also the only way to relieve the density pressure on our village centers and make the village centers both more vibrant and more livable.

• Eliminate VC1.
• Use MRT for all residential needs in or near a village center.

• The city should live with its original height specifications of VC2 = 3.5 stories and VC3 = 4.5 stories.

• The city should require a special permit for buildings in VC2 and VC3.

• The city should seriously consider whether VC3 is needed at all.

• On a village by village basis, how much housing is directly needed in the village and how much of this housing may be supplied by VC2 in the center and MRT nearby?

• How many housing units will be produced on the VC2 lots?
• How many housing units will be produced on the VC3 lots if zoned as VC3?
• How many housing units will be produced on the VC3 lots if down-zoned instead to VC2?
• Should VC3 lots be down-zoned to VC2 lots:
• • Why would this loss of housing be critical to the village?
  • Can extra MRT zoning around the village make up for some or all of this loss of housing?

• MBTA Communities Zoning should be separated from the more complex Village Center Zoning.
• MBTA Communities Zoning should probably have its own City Council docket number.
• MBTA Communities Zoning should be finished on time in 2023.
• MBTA Communities Zoning should be based 100% on MRT zoning.
• MRT zoning should adapt the ideas of Daniel Parolek in Missing Middle Housing so that the multi-family housing that is built under MRT fits in seamlessly with adjacent single-family housing.
• MRT zoning may be an overlay district on top of the following current zones:
• • Single Residence 2 (SR2)
  • Single Residence 3 (SR3)
  • Multi Residence 1 (MR1)
  • Multi Residence 2 (MR2)
  • Multi Residence 3 (MR3)
• The large contiguous district of zoned area that is required by MBTA Communities Zoning should entirely use MRT zoning and should be designed to overlay much of the residential area in the 5 half mile circles around the transit stations of Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Eliot, Waban, and Woodland.
• The justification for this choice for the large contiguous district is that the Green Line D Branch (Riverside) has by far the best intra-city transit in Newton.
• One major purpose of this document is to show via maps how to accomplish the task of creating the large contiguous district.
•  
• Eliminate VC1.
• Village Center Zoning should use the MRT zone defined for MBTA Communities Zoning for its residential areas.
• The city should live with its original height specifications of VC2 = 3.5 stories and VC3 = 4.5 stories.
• The city should require a special permit for buildings in VC2 and VC3.
• The city should seriously consider whether VC3 is needed at all.
• On a village by village basis, how much housing is directly needed in the village and how much of this housing may be supplied by VC2 in the center and MRT nearby?
• Eliminate the intense Route 9 district that uses VC1, VC2, and VC3.
• It is OK to zone the residential lots north of Route 9 that fall into the half mile circles with MRT zoning.
• There should be no zoning south of Route 9 associated with either MBTA Communities Zoning or Village Center Zoning.
• The affordable housing percentage in VC zones should be identical to the city wide percentage, currently, 17%. There should be no concept of granting a height bonus in exchange for an increase in the affordable housing percentage.
• The timeline for completion of Village Center Zoning may be late 2023. But there is no harm if this timeline slips into 2024 since MBTA Communities Zoning will not depend on Village Center Zoning.
•  
• Due to the significant service limitations of existing MBTA transit and its inadequacies for use by parents traveling with children, there should be minimum parking requirements associated with the number of housing units in a project:
• • MRT zoning should require a minimum of one car parking space per housing unit in each home.
  • In VC2 and VC3, the minimum number of parking spaces associated with the housing component of a project should be 2/3 of the number of housing units in the project.
• The city should use the special permit process to have dialogs with developers about how much public parking will be needed to enable people from the entire city to utilize the businesses in the mixed use buildings.
• There is no formula for this. There needs to be mutual discussion.

• Be a contiguous area that is at least 5 acres in size
• Be zoned to permit multi-family housing as defined by the MBTA Communities Law

• To obtain the multi-family unit capacity of one individual multi-family housing district, the MBTA compliance tool adds up the number of possible housing units on each lot in the district based on the zoning rules defined by the city/town.
• To obtain the total multi-family unit capacity of the collection of multi-family housing districts, the MBTA compliance tool simply adds up the contribution from each individual district.

• the percentage of housing units that must be within half-mile circles around transit stations
• the percentage of zoned land area that must be within half-mile circles around transit stations

• 90% of housing units must be within half-mile circles around transit stations
• 90% of zoned land area must be within half-mile circles around transit stations

• The stated purpose of the Village Center 1 (VC1) district:

• The desire to permit mixed-use in VC1 despite the stated VC1 purpose being to promote small to medium scale multi-family buildings.
• Area and Transit Studies
• • The area occupied by the 12 village center districts as compared to one another.
  • The area occupied by the 12 village center districts as compared to the total area of Newton {2.72%}.
  • The disparate public transit offered in the 12 village center districts.
• Residential Density Issues
• • The very high residential density enabled in the VC1 districts {40-50 units per acre}.
  • The fact that a significant number of existing residential buildings {apartments and homes} have been zoned into VC2 or VC3.
  • The absence of legal language that would incentivize adaptive reuse as opposed to tear downs.

• The Version 2 zoning ordinance is written in such a way that any rule for the VCOD overlay districts will automatically override a corresponding general rule designed for Newton as a whole. The wording is so general that it will apply not only to what provisions are in the ordinance now but also to any provisions that are added to the ordinance in the future. This is a blank check to allow the VCOD zones to be zones that permit things that are not permitted in the rest of the city.
• I had assumed when I made my suggestions that the new zone MRT would replace the earlier zone VC1. This is not case. The zoning ordinance now has 4 zones: MRT, VC1, VC2, VC3.
• The zoning ordinance envisions the possibility of multiple buildings on a lot in VCOD zones. In VC1, VC2, and VC3, multiple buildings may be built by right. In MRT, multiple buildings will require a special permit. However, the only criterion for the special permit is a site plan review. No details are given for what conditions must be met for a YES or NO decision on the special permit during the site plan review. Given this vagueness, one must assume that the answer on the special permit for MRT will normally be YES.
• If there are multiple buildings on a lot, the minimum spacing between buildings is extremely small: 15 feet in MRT and VC1 and 25 feet in VC2 and VC3.
• A fundamental new rule introduced in Version 2 is that there will be no minimum parking requirements for buildings in the VCOD zones. In the discussion by the Planning Dept at the ZAP meeting of April 24, it was clear that the reason for the elimination of parking requirements was to enable more housing units to be built on the substantial amount of land that would otherwise be taken up by “grade level parking”. It was noted by Planning that the “MBTA Compliance tool assumes grade level parking, which reduces the building area left for units”. It was also noted that “a few Councilors expressed hesitancy with the removal of parking minimums entirely”. There was no discussion of how the families living in more than 10000 units of VCOD housing will be able to move about Newton with no cars and with quite limited intra-city public transit.
• The combination of:
• • The ability to build multiple buildings on a lot
  • The extremely small spacing between such buildings
  • The elimination of parking requirements
  • The absence of significant open space requirements
• will grant permission to create very high density developments across all VCOD areas. Even MRT is not spared. Although the ZAP report of April 24 uses the phrase “low density MRT district”, in reality an MRT lot under the Version 2 rules can achieve a density close to that of a VC1 lot under the Version 1 rules.
• Another fundamental new rule introduced in Version 2 is that if a developer agrees to certain higher percentages of affordable housing in a VC2 or VC3 building then they will be granted additional building height and additional building footprint.
• The details are:
• • Additional building height rules:
  • • In VC2 or VC3, a developer will be granted 1 additional story in height if they agree to increase the affordable housing percentage from 17.5% to 25%. However, this bonus may not be used within 50 feet of a lot line abutting an MRT or residential district.
    • In VC3, a developer will be granted 2 additional stories in height if they agree to increase the affordable housing percentage from 17.5% to 30%. However, this bonus may not be used by VC3 lots abutting a VC1, MRT, or residential district.
  • Additional building footprint rules:
  • • In VC2 or VC3, if a height bonus is applicable then the maximum building footprint is increased by 2500 SF.
• In my opinion, the concept of a “height bonus” is utterly unacceptable. I am a Newton Corner resident. We in Newton Corner know first hand the destructive impact of extremely tall buildings in the midst of the village center. The Newton Corner Neighborhood Association requested in conversations with Planning Dept that there be no additional VC3 in Newton. It was with great reluctance that we agreed to some VC3 locations but this agreement was based on the height maximum of 4.5 stories in VC3. With the the concept of a “height bonus”, we feel that our past negotiations and agreements have been undermined. I have tracked every document posted in the Community Testimonials and I see that other village centers have expressed similar concerns with building height. The only testamonials that have supported the concept of a “height bonus” are housing advocacy groups that want affordable housing at all costs. I have seen not a single sentence in these support documents that acknowledges that additional building height might be considered quite detrimental to the community.
• The Planning Dept has made the following summary of the MBTA Compliance portion of VCOD under Version 2:
• • 10000 units of housing
  • 35 housing units per acre
  • 288 acres
  • 100% of the housing units fall within one half mile of a transit center
  • the large contiguous zone occupies 69% of the area of the MBTA zoned district
• The MBTA Compliance mandate is:
• • 8830 units of housing
  • 15 housing units per acre minimum
  • 90% of the housing units must fall within one half mile of a transit center
  • 50% of the housing units must fall within one contiguous zone
  • there must be one large contiguous district that occupies at least 50% of the area of the MBTA zoned district
• What immediately stands out is that the housing unit density proposed by the Planning Dept [35 units per acre] is far in excess of that mandated [15 units per acre]. This intense housing is a choice being made by the Planning Dept. This choice is not a mandate.
•  
• It is instructive to look at the two Planning Dept citywide maps to learn some of what is going on:
•  
• Citywide Zoning Map for 2.0
• 
•  
• Citywide MBTA Compliance Zoning Map for 2.0
• 
•  
• In citywide zoning map, you can see a new Route 9 District that is indicated by the colors purple, blue, and red for VC1, VC2, and VC3. You will also note a small touch of green for MRT on a few lots. Visually examining the area of this Route 9 District, you can see that it is tiny in comparison to the rest of VCOD zoned areas in Newton.
•  
• In the citywide MBTA Compliance zoning map, you can see is that 2600 of the 10000 housing units needed for MBTA Compliance have been placed in the new Route 9 District. I will list the number of housing units in the 6 areas designated for MBTA Compliance together with the percentages that these numbers represent:
• 2600 housing units [26.0%]: Route 9 District
• 2000 housing units [20.0%]: Newton Centre
• 1850 housing units [18.5%]: West Newton
• 1650 housing units [16.5%]: Newton Highlands
• 1400 housing units [14.0%]: Newtonville
•   500 housing units [  5.0%]: Waban
•  
• The largest number of housing units is concentrated in the tiny Route 9 District.
• I plan to discuss the Route 9 District in depth below.

• Zone as little land area in Newton as possible.
• Set building footprint limits but then make it as easy as possible to have multiple buildings on a lot.
• Further increase the opportunity for building density on a lot by having no minimum parking requirements.
• Override the original Version 1.0 building height limits in VC2 and VC3 by the invention of the affordable housing height bonus. [Note: any height bonus also comes with an increase in the building footprint limits].
• Obtain 26% of the 10000 housing units submitted for MBTA Compliance by the invention of the tiny Route 9 District and then append this district to the contiguous path from Newton Centre to Newton Highlands in order to also meet the requirements for a contiguous MBTA zoned area that is at least 50% of the total MBTA zoned area. Ignore the possibility of extending the contiguous path further into Newton along Woodward St and beyond [and therefore avoid the use of a Route 9 District altogether].
• Use only footprint and height as form based constraints. Do not get more specific by promoting the use of specific building forms in MRT and in the VC districts.

• What exactly are the zoning policies of the Zoning and Planning Committee and the Planning Dept?
• How do these zoning policies lead to the VCOD Version 2.0/2.1 zoning that is being proposal?

• permit larger building footprint
• permit more horizontal density with multiple buildings allowed by right and with no minimum parking requirements
• permit more vertical density with initial heights of 3.5 and 4.5 stories and with height bonus options of 1 or 2 stories

• The entire MBTA zoned area in Newton
• • Housing Units: 10000
  • Acres: 288 acres
  • Housing Units per Acre: 35 units per acre
• The MBTA zoned area along Route 9
• • Housing Units: 2600
  • Acres: 56 acres
  • Housing Units per Acre: 46 units per acre
  • Percentage of MBTA zoned area: 56/288 = 19%
• The MBTA zoned area in Newton other than Route 9
• • Housing Units: 7400
  • Acres: 288 - 56 = 232 acres
  • Housing Units per Acre: 32 units per acre
  • Percentage of MBTA zoned area: 232/288 = 81%

• that is 1.35 miles long, is usually quite narrow, and is 0.13 miles wide at its widest
• that is bisected by a major highway (Route 9)
• that has exactly 5 places where a pedestrian may cross this highway

• MRT is a residential district. MRT is not a transition district to a residential district.
• In the nature of an overlay district, MRT buildings will mix in with legacy buildings as development happens over time. There will be no clear demarcation line between MRT lots and the lots in the zone that it overlays. There is no transition.
• In the proposed zoning, MRT overlays SR2, SR3, MR1, MR2, and MR3 zoned lots. To confirm this, you may wish to examine the comparison maps below.
• MRT buildings will therefore mix in with all of the zoning types: SR2, SR3, MR1, MR2, and MR3.

• Single Residence 2 (SR2)
• Single Residence 3 (SR3)
• Multi Residence 1 (MR1)
• Multi Residence 2 (MR2)
• Multi Residence 3 (MR3)

• The most typical example has 3 units:
• • two larger units on floors 1 and 2
  • one smaller unit on floor 3
• Examples exist with 4 units

• The Traditional 2.5 Story House with Pitched Roof
• Fourplex houses
• A Pair of Stacked Duplex houses
• A Pair of Side-By-Side Duplex houses
• • perhaps with one duplex in front and one duplex in back
  • perhaps with the duplex buildings facing each other across an open courtyard
• A Courtyard Building, with 3 or 4 units

• Maximum width is 55 FT and maximum depth is 65 FT.
• Maximum footprint is 3600 SF.

• Maximum height of 2.5 stories.
• Either 3 or 4 housing units.

• From 3 to 6 housing units.
• Maximum footprint is the existing footprint or 4500 SF, whichever is larger.

• A single person may live in a 1 bedroom unit.
• A family consisting of a couple with no children at home may live in a 1 bedroom unit.
• A family consisting of a couple with at least one child at home will require at least a 2 bedroom unit.
• A family consisting of a couple with at least two children of opposite sexes at home will require at least a 3 bedroom unit.
• Further, people who do significant work from home may require an extra bedroom to serve as a study.

• The Traditional 2.5 Story House with Pitched Roof

• Fourplex houses

• A Pair of Stacked Duplex houses

• A Pair of Side-By-Side Duplex houses

• A Courtyard Building, with 3 or 4 units

• First, and most importantly, it represents the middle scale of buildings between single-family homes and large apartment or condo buildings.
• The second definition of middle relates to the affordability or attainability level. These types have historically delivered attainable housing choices to middle-income families without subsidies and continue to play a role in providing homes to the “middle income” market segment that typically straddles 60 percent to 110 percent average median household income, in new construction, for-sale housing.

• MRT zoning should require a minimum of one car parking space per housing unit in each home.

• Parking should be located at the rear of the house.
• Newton parking dimensional standards should apply:
• • Normal stall width should be 9 feet.
  • Handicap stall width should be 12 feet (if provided).
  • Stall depth should be 19 feet.
  • Assuming 90° head-in parking, the maneuvering aisle depth should be 24 feet.
  • Driveway width should be 12 feet, which assumes one way movement when in use.

• The Traditional 2.5 Story House with Pitched Roof
• Fourplex houses
• A Pair of Stacked Duplex houses
• A Pair of Side-By-Side Duplex houses
• • perhaps with one duplex in front and one duplex in back
  • perhaps with the duplex buildings facing each other across an open courtyard
• A Courtyard Building, with 3 or 4 units

• An owner may ask a developer to convert their house to multi-family usage.
• An owner may decide to sell, in which case:
• • The new owner may keep the house as is.
  • The new owner may ask a developer to convert the house to multi-family usage.
  • The new owner may ask a developer to replace the house with a new 3 or 4 family house.
  • The new owner may be a developer who has to decide what to do.

• Newton zoning should explicity call attention to the following housing forms as options for MRT:
• • The Traditional 2.5 Story House with Pitched Roof
  • Fourplex houses
  • A Pair of Stacked Duplex houses
  • A Pair of Side-By-Side Duplex houses
  • • perhaps with one duplex in front and one duplex in back
    • perhaps with the duplex buildings facing each other across an open courtyard
  • A Courtyard Building, with 3 or 4 units
• This list will make the MRT zoning somewhat more ”form based” and not just ”dimension based”.
•  
• In MRT, new construction should satisfy one of the following two dimensional constaints:
• • Maximum width is 55 FT and maximum depth is 65 FT.
  • Maximum footprint is 3600 SF.
• This allows the city to indicate the preferred width by depth sizes but allows a developer to get a similar amount of footprint area if the lot does not permit the ideal rectangular shape.
• In MRT, new construction should have:
• • Maximum height of 2.5 stories.
  • Either 3 or 4 housing units.
•  
• In MRT, the option of renovations with additions should satisfy:
• • From 3 to 6 housing units.
  • Maximum footprint is the existing footprint or 4500 SF, whichever is larger.
• The footprint rule represents a 25% increase over what is allowed for new construction.
•  
• MRT zoning should require a minimum of one car parking space per housing unit in each home.
• Parking should be located at the rear of the house.
• Newton parking dimensional standards should apply:
• • Normal stall width should be 9 feet.
  • Handicap stall width should be 12 feet (if provided).
  • Stall depth should be 19 feet.
  • Assuming 90° head-in parking, the maneuvering aisle depth should be 24 feet.
  • Driveway width should be 12 feet, which assumes one way movement when in use.

• Driveway area is 12 x (driveway length).
• The driveway length depends on the front setback, the house depth, and how much extra length is needed to enter the parking area (if any).

• The 11 Half Mile Circles at Rail Transit Stops in Newton
• The 5 Half Mile Circles for the Large Contiguous MRT District
• 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
• • Definition of the 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
  • Maps of the 16 Contiguous Backbone Paths in the 5 Half Mile Circles
  • • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Newton Centre
    • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Newton Highlands
    • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Eliot
    • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Waban
    • MBTA Contiguous Paths in Woodland
• The Large Contiguous MRT District and the Completion of MBTA Communities Zoning

• Step 1: Path Geometry
• • I plan to define 16 backbone paths that spread throughout the area of the 5 half mile circles in such a way that many residential locations within the half mile circles are reachable from one or more of the 16 backbone paths via a sequence of adjacent residential lots that are separated at most by ordinary streets. I will call such a residential lot a reachable residential lot.
  • Each backbone path will be one of two types:
  • • A major street path going along a residential portion of that street.
    • A bypass route using several streets that gets around an obstacle such as a commercial center or a hospital.
  • The 16 backbone paths will either touch or cross in such a way that the network of 16 paths will be contiguous. This will be obvious from the map images.
• Step 2: Zoning
• • The 16 backbone paths will be zoned MRT on both sides of a street if possible and on one side only if necessary. This core MRT zoning will already reach a significant portion of Newton near 5 transit stops on the Green Line D Branch.
  • The Planning Dept and Utile [using database tools that only they can access] may then spread MRT zoning into the residential neighborhoods adjacent to the 16 backbone paths by adding all reachable residential lots. This will create the large contiguous MRT district within the 5 half mile circles.
  • The large contiguous MRT district should not cross Route 9 since at 70-80 feet in width that route is too wide a barrier.

• You may wish to click on the image above so that it will open in a separate tab.
• This will let you see a wider version of the image and will let you zoom in to examine some details of the 16 backbone paths.
• Below I will show individual images of the 5 half mile circles so that you may see the 16 backbone paths in even higher resolution.

• Path 1 Beacon St {Newton Centre} Length: 0.34 mile
• Path 2 Grant Ave {Newton Centre} Length: 0.29 mile
• Path 3 Bypass {Newton Centre} Length: 0.82 mile
• Bypass around Newton Centre commercial area
• Path 4 Centre St {Newton Centre & Newton Highlands} Length: 0.56 mile
• Path 5 Langley Rd {Newton Centre} Length: 0.41 mile
• Path 6 Cypress St & Parker St {Newton Centre} Length: 0.39 mile
• Path 7 Bypass #1 {Newton Highlands} Length: 0.32 mile
• Bypass around Newton Highlands commercial area - part 1
• Path 8 Walnut St {Newton Highlands} Length: 0.48 mile
• Path 9 Bypass #2 {Newton Highlands} Length: 0.24 mile
• Bypass around Newton Highlands commercial area - part 2
• Path 10 Lincoln St {Newton Highlands & Eliot} Length: 0.23 mile
• Path 11 Woodward St {Eliot & Waban} Length: 0.96 mile
• Path 12 Chestnut St {Waban} Length: 0.81 mile
• Path 13 Bypass {Waban} Length: 0.46 mile
• Bypass around Waban commercial area
• Path 14 Beacon St {Waban & Woodland} Length: 0.91 mile
• Path 15 Bypass {Woodland} Length: 0.45 mile
• Bypass behind Newton-Wellesley Hospital
• Path 16 Washington St {Woodland} Length: 0.50 mile

• Total path length: 8.17 miles
• • Major street path length: 5.88 miles
  • Bypass route path length: 2.29 miles

• Beacon St & Bishopsgate Rd
• to Beacon St & Chesley Rd

• Beacon St & Grant Ave
• to Grant Ave & Montvale Rd

• Beacon St & Glen Ave
• to Glen Ave & Warren St
• to Warren St & Langley Rd
• to Langley Rd & Braeland Ave
• to Braeland Ave & Cypress St
• to Cypress St & Paul St
• to Paul St & Centre St

• Centre St & Paul St {in Newton Centre & Newton Highlands}
• to Centre St & Walnut St {in Newton Highlands}

• Langley Rd & Braeland Ave
• to Langley Rd & Madoc St

• Cypress St & Braeland Ave
• to Cypress St & Parker St
• to Parker St & Athelstane Rd

• Centre St & Paul St {in Newton Centre}
• to Centre St & Walnut St {in Newton Highlands}

• Centre St & Hyde St
• to Hyde St & Lake St
• to Lake St & Walnut St

• Walnut St & Lake St
• north on Walnut St to the half mile circle boundary

• Walnut St & Forest St
• to Forest St & Chester St
• to Chester St & Lincoln St

• Lincoln St & Chester St
• to Lincoln St & Woodward St

• Lincoln St & Chester St
• to Lincoln St & Woodward St

• Woodward St & Erie Ave {Eliot}
• to Woodward St & Pine Ridge Rd {Waban}

• Woodward St & Erie Ave {Eliot}
• to Woodward St & Pine Ridge Rd {Waban}

• Chestnut St & Oliver Rd
• to Chestnut St & Oakvale Rd

• Chestnut St & Fenwick Rd
• to Fenwick Rd & Collins Rd
• to Collins Rd & Beacon St

• Beacon St & Collins Rd {Waban}
• to Beacon St & Washington St {Woodland}

• Beacon St & Collins Rd {Waban}
• to Beacon St & Washington St {Woodland}

• Beacon St & Dorset Rd {near Newton-Wellesley Hospital}
• north on Dorset Rd about 730 FT to footpath behind Newton-Wellesley Hospital
• footpath to Longwell Rd
• Longwell Rd to Longfellow Rd
• to Longfellow Rd & Washington St

• Washington St & Longfellow Rd
• to Washington St & Seton Hill Rd

• Meet the MBTA goal of 8330 enabled housing units in Newton
• Meet the MBTA requirement of a gross density of 15 enabled housing units per acre

• Newton Centre - In the half mile circle, north and south of Beacon St between the Newton Centre Playground and Crystal Lake.
• This choice has the advantage that the area is within a half mile of the Green Line Newton Centre station.
•  
• Newtonville - The Version 2.0 MRT district in Newtonville has two contiguous MRT districts south of the turnpike, one area west of Walnut St and one area east of Walnut St. These areas probably meet the MBTA minimum 5 acre requirement and so do not need to be expanded.
• This choice has the advantage that Bus 59 connects to the Green Line Newton Highlands station.
•  
• Auburndale - If the Version 2.0 MRT district in Auburndale needs to be expanded then go west from Ash St between Auburn St and Commonwealth Ave while remaining in the Auburndale half mile circle.
• This choice has the advantage that the area is a walk of less than a mile to the Green Line Riverside station.
•  
• Newton Corner - Although Newton Corner is not near a rail transit stop, it has a Version 2.0 MRT district around Church St that probably meets the MBTA minimum 5 acre requirement and so does not need to be expanded.
•  
• I do not include West Newton because it has a tiny MRT area and, given the massive amount of VC3 and VC2 zoning, should not have any additional zoning.

• MRT-A is a sub-zone of MRT in the sense that any buildings that may be created by new construction or by renovation and addition under MRT zoning may also be created in MRT-A.
• MRT-A is different from MRT in that small apartment buildings of 4 stories in height and from 8 to 24 housing units may be created in MRT-A.

• MRT-A will permit a small apartment building of 4 stories in height with 8 housing units and with a maximum footprint of 3600 SF.

• MRT-A will permit small apartment buildings of 4 stories in height with the following constraints:
• •        8 units - maximum footprint:    3600 SF
  •   9-12 units - maximum footprint:    5400 SF
  • 13-16 units - maximum footprint:    7200 SF
  • 17-20 units - maximum footprint:    9000 SF
  • 21-24 units - maximum footprint:  10800 SF
•   8 units is the minimum number of units in an apartment building in MRT-A
• 24 units is the maximum number of units in an apartment building in MRT-A

• Single Residence 2 (SR2)
• Single Residence 3 (SR3)
• Multi Residence 1 (MR1)
• Multi Residence 2 (MR2)
• Multi Residence 3 (MR3)

• MRT-A zoning should be limited to areas one quarter of a mile from transit stations.

• MRT-A zoning should require a minimum of one car parking space per housing unit in each home.

• Parking should be located at the rear of the house.
• Newton parking dimensional standards should apply:
• • Normal stall width should be 9 feet.
  • Handicap stall width should be 12 feet (if provided).
  • Stall depth should be 19 feet.
  • Assuming 90° head-in parking, the maneuvering aisle depth should be 24 feet.
  • Driveway width may be 12 feet, which assumes one way movement when in use, or may be 20 feet, which permits two way movement when in use.
  • Two way movement may be the better choice for apartment buildings.

• An MRT-A apartment building should be wheelchair accessible from the front of the building at ground level.
• In an MRT-A apartment building, there should be both internal stairs and an internal elevator to reach the upper floors.

• An MRT-A apartment building may have 8 feet of additional height so that solar panels and equipment may be installed on the roof above the top internal floor of the building.
• If an MRT-A apartment building takes advantage of this option then there must be attractive screening of the solar panels and equipment so none of this is visible from street level or from adjacent buildings of similar height.

• The MBTA Compliance tool
• The sophisticated Newton property database and map making tools that are only available to the Assessor’s Office and the Planning Dept.

• 1A: Determine the residential lots in the 5 half mile circles that are north of Route 9
• 1B: Determine the subset of these residential lots that are zoned SR2, SR3, MR1, MR2, MR3
• 1C: Determine the subset of this subset that can reach the backbone path discussed above
• The lots in 1C will form a large contiguous block that I will call the Large Contiguous Block

• Create a map that shows the boundary of the Large Contiguous Block {hopefully the map will be zoomable}
• Determine the area A in acres of the Large Contiguous Block
• Determine the number N of lots in the Large Contiguous Block
• Determine the number H of enabled housing units in the Large Contiguous Block:
• H = 4 x N
• Determine the gross density D in housing units per acre:
• D = H / A
• Generate a spreadsheet with a list of the lots in the Large Contiguous Block sorted alphabetically by street name and subsorted numerically by house number. The street name and house number should be in the first two columns. In addition to the street name and house number, the lot information should include the current zoning designation and the lot size in SF (in separate columns).

• Determine the subset of lots in the Large Contiguous Block that are within one quarter mile of one of the 5 transit stations: Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Eliot, Waban, and Woodland.
• Call this subset of lots the Quarter Mile Subset.
• Note that the Quarter Mile Subset will not be contiguous since the 5 quarter mile circles do not intersect.
• Zone the Quarter Mile Subset as MRT-A.
• Create a map that shows the boundary of the Quarter Mile Subset {hopefully the map will be zoomable}
• Determine the number NQ of lots in the Quarter Mile Subset.
• Then (N - NQ) is the number of lots in the Large Contiguous Block not in the Quarter Mile Subset.
• Determine the number H1 of enabled housing units. Since MRT enables 4 housing unit per lot and MRT-A enables 8 housing unit per lot, the formula for H1 is:
• H1 = 4 x (N - NQ) + 8 * NQ = 4 x N + 4 * NQ = H + 4 * NQ
• Determine the gross density D1 in housing units per acre:
• D1 = H1 / A = (H + 4 * NQ) / A = H / A + 4 * NQ / A = D + 4 * NQ / A
• These two formulas show the incremental benefit of MRT-A zoning in the Quarter Mile Subset
• 4 * NQ is the incremental increase in housing units
• 4 * NQ / A is the incremental increase in housing density

• Chestnut Hill

• Boston College

• Riverside

• Riverside is itself slated for a massive development project.
• To the west is the Charles River.
• To the south is Route 128.
• To the east is the Woodland Golf Club.
• To the north is a small business district followed by the Auburndale Historic District.

• Auburndale

• Auburndale has been given some VCOD Version 2 zoning
• Auburndale did not come into the MBTA Compliance computation in VCOD Version 2

• Newtonville: 1400 housing units
• West Newton: 1850 housing units

• Newtonville

• Do not zone structures that have recently been built such as Trio and 28 Austin St. Leave these unzoned.
• Do not zone the Star Market. It is a mistake to demolish the one building that uses air space over the pike.
• Downzone all VC2 on the map to MRT-A with the exception of the VC2 that abuts Walnut St north of Washington Park.
• Then downzone all VC3 on the map to VC2.
• Then review all VC2 and consider if any additional VC2 should be downzoned to MRT-A.
• Examine all MRT and consider if any should be MRT-A.
• Consider if there should be any additional MRT and MRT-A on lots south of the pike that are not currently zoned.
• The combination of the above changes will make it turn out that the MRT and MRT-A lots south of the pike form a a contiguous district that crosses Walnut St. Submit this district for MBTA Compliance.

• West Newton

• First, I support the recommendation of Councilor Malakie in a memo of August 18 2023 that certain areas in a known flood zone along Border St and Harvey St be removed from the zoning altogether. This is simply practical good sense.
• Do not zone the land for the Dunstan East project. This land is currently under a 40B process and zoning is irrelevant. Should the project status change, zoning might then be considered.
• Downzone all remaining VC2 on the map to MRT-A.
• Then downzone all remaining VC3 on the map to VC2.
• Then review all VC2 and consider if any additional VC2 should be downzoned to MRT-A or omitted.
• Given the excessive amount of the initial VC zoning, the goal at this point should be that the percentage of land being zoned as VC2 should be significantly reduced. In consultation with the community, the Planning Dept should choose what is most important to zone as VC2 and not simply zone everything that is plausible.
• Examine all MRT on the current map and consider if any should be upzoned to MRT-A.
• In consultation with the community, the Planning Dept should consider whether there should be additional MRT and MRT-A.
• In particular, south of the pike in West Newton, there are areas with SR2, MR1, and MR2 zoning so these areas might be considered for MRT and MRT-A overlay zoning. Is this desirable for the city and the community?

• Eliminate VC3.
• Down-zone all VC3 areas on VCOD Version 2 maps to VC2.
• Then, rename VC2 as simply VC, so that the zoning discussion and code is clean.

• VC zoning should have two subtypes:
• • VC-R: VC purely residential.
  • VC-M: VC with mixed-use business required on the ground floor.
• VC-M should have the following options on the upper floors:
• • VC-M-R: VC-M with residential required on the upper floors.
  • VC-M-B: VC-M with additional business spaces on the upper floors.
  • This option allows for multi-story businesses such as food stores and clothing stores.
  • This option also allows for a mini-mall with assorted small business.
  • VC-M-S: VC-M with public facing professional services on the upper floors.
  • This option allows for medical and dental offices, legal and tax preparation offices, computer and printer tech help services, and similar professional services.
  • VC-M-NR: VC-M with no residential on the upper floors, that is, VC-M-B or VC-M-S.
• If an area is zoned VC with no subtype specified then both subtypes are permitted.
• If an area is zoned VC-M with no subtype specified then all four subtypes are permitted.

• A VC building should be wheelchair accessible from the front of the building at ground level.
• In a VC building, there should be both internal stairs and an internal elevator to reach the upper floors.
• If a VC building provides underground parking, there should be separate stairs and a separate elevator to access this parking. The parking stairs and elevator should not compromise internal building security.

• A VC building may have 8 feet of additional height so that solar panels and equipment may be installed on the roof above the top internal floor of the building.
• If a VC building takes advantage of this option then there must be attractive screening of the solar panels and equipment so none of this is visible from street level or from adjacent VC buildings of similar height.

• housing units
• business uses
• professional services

• Incentivize the use of solar panels to help slow climate change.
• Incentivize the placement of equipment on the roof to free up more usable space in the building.

• Eliminate the street wall concept.
• Set the front setback for VC to: 0 feet to 12 feet.
• This is intended to allow for one or two parallel rows of tables in front of a building or to allow for just chairs or benches via a smaller choice of setback.
• Permit a building to have positive setback on the ground level (as above) but also permit the building to have zero setback on the floors above.
• This is intended to allow for a covered seating area in front of a building that provides some protection during light rain.
• The upper stories of the building would in this situation be cantilevered.

• Define zoning to enable plazas.
• The zoning rules should be flexible enough to permit what is shown in the Planning Dept slide:
• IMAGE: Zoning Redesign Info Sheet - Page 1
• Notice that the slide shows walkways, mixed-use businesses around the plaza, and a tree.

• Define conditions in which a large single building might be allowed on a VC lot by special permit.
• One example of such a condition might be to use the space that might have been between buildings to create a plaza.

• Eliminate VC3.
• Down-zone all VC3 areas on VCOD Version 2 maps to VC2.
• Then, rename VC2 as simply VC, so that the zoning discussion and code is clean.
•  
• VC zoning should have two subtypes:
• • VC-R: VC purely residential.
  • VC-M: VC with mixed-use business required on the ground floor.
• VC-M should have the following options on the upper floors:
• • VC-M-R: VC-M with residential required on the upper floors.
  • VC-M-B: VC-M with additional business spaces on the upper floors.
  • This option allows for multi-story businesses such as food stores and clothing stores.
  • This option also allows for a mini-mall with assorted small business.
  • VC-M-S: VC-M with public facing professional services on the upper floors.
  • This option allows for medical and dental offices, legal and tax preparation offices, computer and printer tech help services, and similar professional services.
  • VC-M-NR: VC-M with no residential on the upper floors, that is, VC-M-B or VC-M-S.
• If an area is zoned VC with no subtype specified then both subtypes are permitted.
• If an area is zoned VC-M with no subtype specified then all four subtypes are permitted.
•  
• A VC building should be wheelchair accessible from the front of the building at ground level.
• In a VC building, there should be both internal stairs and an internal elevator to reach the upper floors.
• If a VC building provides underground parking, there should be separate stairs and a separate elevator to access this parking. The parking stairs and elevator should not compromise internal building security.
•  
• A VC building may have 8 feet of additional height so that solar panels and equipment may be installed on the roof above the top internal floor of the building.
• If a VC building takes advantage of this option then there must be attractive screening of the solar panels and equipment so none of this is visible from street level or from adjacent VC buildings of similar height.
•  
• Eliminate the street wall concept.
• Set the front setback for VC to: 0 feet to 12 feet.
• This is intended to allow for one or two parallel rows of tables in front of a building or to allow for just chairs or benches via a smaller choice of setback.
• Permit a building to have positive setback on the ground level (as above) but also permit the building to have zero setback on the floors above.
• This is intended to allow for a covered seating area in front of a building that provides some protection during light rain.
• The upper stories of the building would in this situation be cantilevered.
•  
• Define zoning to enable plazas.
• The zoning rules should be flexible enough to permit what is shown in the Planning Dept slide:
• IMAGE: Zoning Redesign Info Sheet - Page 1
• Notice that the slide shows walkways, mixed-use businesses around the plaza, and a tree.
•  
• Define conditions in which a large single building might be allowed on a VC lot by special permit.
• One example of such a condition might be to use the space that might have been between buildings to create a plaza.

• Single Residence 2 (SR2)
• Single Residence 3 (SR3)
• Multi Residence 1 (MR1)
• Multi Residence 2 (MR2)
• Multi Residence 3 (MR3)

• Single Residence 1 (SR1)

• Newton Corner Map Version 2
• Newtonville Map Version 2
• West Newton Map Version 2
• Auburndale Map Version 2
• Newton Centre Map Version 2
• Newton Highlands Map Version 2
• Thompsonville Map Version 2

• Nonantum Map Version 2
• Four Corners Map Version 2
• Waban Map Version 2
• Newton Lower Falls Map Version 2
• Newton Upper Falls Map Version 2

• Route 9 East Map Version 2
• Route 9 West Map Version 2

• Planning Dept Large Contiguous MBTA District Version 2
• Current Newton Zoning Under Planning Dept Large Contiguous MBTA District
• Current Newton Zoning Legend

• Boston College

• Chestnut Hill
• Newton Centre
• Newton Highlands
• Eliot
• Waban
• Woodland
• Riverside

• Newtonville
• West Newton
• Auburndale

• The 11 Half Mile Circles at Rail Transit Stops in Newton

• Auburndale Historic District
• Chestnut Hill Historic District
• Newton Upper Falls Historic District
• Newtonville Historic District