Council rejects 60 Brookside housing permit

Select Board · Meeting of August 10, 2026

NEWTON — The Newton City Council split on two housing special permits, rejecting one and approving another. The council voted 13-11 to deny a four-unit project at 60 Brookside Avenue, falling short of the 16-vote threshold required for special permits; Councilor Block said an appraiser valued the units at $1.4 million to $1.6 million each, calling the project less affordable than the existing house, sold for $1,616,000 ten months earlier. Councilor Albright called the setback debate "a red herring," noting the by-right alternative needs only a 7.5-foot setback.

The council separately approved a four-unit conversion of a long-vacant commercial lot at 1100-1102 Beacon Street, 19-5, after Councilor Kelly said it had been before Land Use "seven times." Councilor Malachi opposed it, warning of a cascading loss of small businesses in the Four Corners area.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of August 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.