Newton Zoning Panel Approves HUD Housing Plan Submission, Holds Raised Bed Debate

NEWTON -- April 28, 2026, Newton's Zoning and Planning Committee authorized submission of a $3 million federal housing plan while deferring action on raised bed zoning and Village Center Overlay District amendments. The committee voted 6-0, with Chair Lyle Baker abstaining due to a connection to Suffolk University, to authorize Mayor Fuller to sign and submit Newton's fiscal year 2027 annual action plan to HUD, covering $1.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funds, $1.49 million in Home Investment Partnership Program funds, and $163,000 in Emergency Solutions Grant funds. Housing program manager Shaylin Davis-Ianako warned that the president's proposed FY28 budget "does cancel out these grants," making the FY27 approval significant. A public hearing on a proposal to allow raised garden beds up to four feet in height within required setbacks was pushed to June after a required legal notice was not published in time; Nora Colello, chief of long range planning, presented scaled diagrams showing maximum build-out scenarios, but committee members, particularly Councillor Alicia Gordon, flagged unresolved concerns about side setbacks in dense neighborhoods and potential non-conformance issues for existing landscaping. The committee also held two items on the Mixed Residential Transitional pathway and Village Center Overlay District housekeeping updates, directing planners to compile a project portfolio before any ordinance changes are advanced.