The week ahead: Zoning Board in final stages of Winter Street 40B discussion

Update (Mar. 23): This article has been updated to reflect the fact that the City Council’s committees will not meet until April 6 and include the proposed new namesake of Northeast Elementary School.

This Tuesday Waltham’s Zoning Board of Appeals will hear updates on the 193-unit apartment development at 245-265 Winter Street proposed last summer under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B. 

The ZBA, which in February discussed a draft of a final permit with the developer, said it anticipated finishing the project’s public hearing at this March meeting.

Since then, however, a neighboring project at 455 Totten Pond Road has run into further issues with sewer capacity that may impact the Winter Street project as well.

The ZBA has the power to grant project-specific variances to the city’s zoning code, overrule judgments made by the building inspector and grant specific types of special permits, including the comprehensive residential permits outlined by the state’s Chapter 40B statute. This statewide policy incentivizes affordable housing construction through a special permitting process overseen by local zoning boards.

Below is a chronological rundown of city meetings scheduled this week.

City Council

The City Council will discuss a resolution to amend the city’s snow removal ordinance to ensure more effective snow removal. It will also hold a public hearing for a request from Eversource to do utilities work on Bear Hill Road and will discuss resolutions to recognize a Waltham author for Women’s History Month and to recognize Local News Day on April 9.

Furthermore, it will discuss a number of items from last week’s committee meetings, including its own legislative budget for the year. The council also expects to receive a series of requests from Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, including a request to rename Northeast Elementary School after former superintendent John J. Daddona, acceptance of the city’s Community Development Block Grant plan, funding for the police medical budget and disability services commission, and a loan authorization for the project management of the ongoing police station redesign, all of which will likely be discussed at its committee meetings on April 6.

The council will meet Monday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Zoning Board of Appeals

In addition to discussion of the Winter Street project, the ZBA will hear an update on a planned Main Street mixed-use development whose owner requested a waiver of city parking requirements because of the lot’s lack of space. At the project’s last hearing in February, the board requested that the petitioner return with legal counsel. Board members will also consider a request to extend the time limit on a previous decision from 2022.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at the Arthur Clark Government Center.

License Commission

The License Commission grants and reviews permits for serving food and alcohol for entertainment and for some types of gaming machines across the city.

It will meet Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the public meeting room of the Clark Government Center at 119 School St. Its agenda will be posted Monday on the Licensing Department page of the city’s website.

Conservation Commission

The Conservation Commission is a volunteer board charged with overseeing environmental planning in Waltham. The commission reviews certain types of construction on or around wetlands to ensure they comply with the Wetlands Protection Act and the Department of Environmental Protection stormwater standards.

It will hold a meeting over Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26. An agenda and link for the meeting will be provided on the commission’s page on the city website at least 48 hours in advance.

Tree removal hearing

The city’s tree warden will hold a special public hearing to discuss the removal of multiple invasive Norway Maple trees at Birch Road, Hardy Pond Road and Seminole Avenue. The department plans to replace them with 30 trees of varying species, emphasizing shade trees when not placed directly below utilities.

The Department of Public Works will host the meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 27, at 167 Lexington St. The city has asked that anyone with a complaint to submit it in writing in advance of the hearing to kthompson@city.waltham.ma.us.