Neighborhood requests
The residents in Ward 8 (Oak Hill) asked the City Planning Department’s consideration of their requests related to the Church of LDS’ plans in the neighborhood. The page of ‘signatures’ attached to the letter listed 146+ residents who specifically opted to endorse this letter.
Oak Hill Neighborhood Organization
C/O Pamela Burton
149 Wiswall Road
Newton, MA. 02459
(617) 630-1540
Email:pdburton@comcast.net
Email:ohnonewtonma@gmail.com
June 6, 2019
Mr. Barney Heath
Director of Planning & Development
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA. 02459
Via email: bheath@newtonma.gov
Dear Mr. Heath,
On behalf of the neighbors who have signed this letter and all the residents of Oak Hill (Ward 8) in Newton, MA., we have read the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ application for a Site Plan Review submitted to the Planning Department and respectfully submit this letter and the requests listed herein.
We have grave concerns about these plans and their effect on our homes specifically, and the neighborhood, generally. In order to alleviate our anxieties, we respectfully ask you to incorporate our requests into the Planning Department Recommendation to the applicant upon completion of the Administrative Site Plan Review process. Our requests below:
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Increase the proposed rear and side setbacks by an additional 20’
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Install additional vegetative screening (conifers and broadleaf evergreens)
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Gate the property when not in use by the Church
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Position on-site lighting ‘away’ from neighbors’ properties
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Design entry/exit so car headlights are not directed at neighbors’ properties
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Reduce the number of parking spaces
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Commit to one-hour turnover between staggered Sunday services
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Commit to a traffic analysis before and after for at least one year
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Pay for a police detail at the intersection of Dedham and Carlson for six months
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Join us, UMass and the Nahanton Woods Condo Association in a discussion to open Nahanton Road to public traffic on Sundays.
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Allow our representative to review the Church’s insurance policy (in the event of unforeseen neighbor flooding/damage)
Requests 1-6 alleviate residents’ concerns about privacy between the Church and neighboring properties, destruction of existing trees and wildlife habitat, and an increase in air pollution; requests 7-10 address traffic concerns, and request 11 concerns flooding.
We will be prepared to discuss these requests on June 13th with you and the Church.
Yours sincerely,
(see attached signature page)
Cc: David Kalis, Councilor at Large
Cheryl Lappin, Ward 8 Councilor
Rick Lipof, Councilor at Large
Holly Ryan
John Bezzant, Church of Jesus Christ of LDS
Frank Stearns, Holland & Knight LLP
Rep. Ruth Balser
Sen. Cynthia Creem
The residents in Ward 8 (Oak Hill) asked the City Planning Department’s consideration of their requests related to the Church of LDS’ plans in the neighborhood. The page of ‘signatures’ attached to the letter listed 146+ residents who specifically opted to endorse this letter.
The LDS Church Response at The public meeting on June 13
At tthe publci hearing on June 13 the Church confirmed that they have received the residents requests .
The summary of the LDS Church response so far:
1. Increase the proposed rear and side setbacks by an additional 20’
The Church will respond in writing to the Planning Department
2. Install additional vegetative screening (conifers and broadleaf evergreens)
The Church will cut down 300 mature trees and unspecified number of younger trees and plant 160 young trees; they will pay the city for destroyed trees as required by the city ordinance
3. Gate the property when not in use by the Church
The Church will respond in writing to the Planning Department
4. Position on-site lighting ‘away’ from neighbors’ properties
The Church is willing to reduce intensity of the lightning even below the city ordinance requirements if allowed by the city
5. Design entry/exit so car headlights are not directed at neighbors’ properties
There will be a fence along the rear setback across the parking lot to protect abutting properties from the cars' headlights.
6. Reduce the number of parking spaces
The Church will not reduce the number of parking spaces because they do not want to be inconvenienced when many congregations get together for events like weddings. This is a regular event that happens several times per year which will need up to 210 parking spaces.
Per Ken Rollins, a regular Sunday service will attract only 50-60 cars per service, 2 services every Sunday
7. Commit to one-hour turnover between staggered Sunday services
The Church will overlap the services by half-an-hour or an hour, in order to reduce maximum traffic, but will not to stagger the services.
8. Commit to a traffic analysis before and after for at least one year
The Church did not give a clear answer to this question
9. Pay for a police detail at the intersection of Dedham and Carlson for six months
The Church did not give a clear answer to this question
10. Join us, UMass and the Nahanton Woods Condo Association in a discussion to open Nahanton Road to public traffic on Sundays.
The Church will follow the UMass lead on the issue
11. Allow our representative to review the Church’s insurance policy (in the event of unforeseen neighbor flooding/damage)
The Church will respond in writing to the Planning Department
The LDS Church Official Response
On June 24, 2019, the Church sent the Planning department their official response :
1. Increase the proposed rear and side setbacks by an additional 20’
Response # 1 The rear and side setbacks shown on the Site Plan are
substantially larger than required by Newton Zoning. The rear setback
requirement is 40’. The meetinghouse building is 97’ setback from the rear lot
line. The side setback requirement is 40‘. The meetinghouse building is setback
138’ from the side lot line. A full 60’ vegetative buffer is preserved. If we
were to further increase the building setbacks and still respect the minimum
60’ front yard setback we would have to extend the parking lot further west
causing additional tree removal and site disturbance. We think that the Site
Plan achieves the best layout of the building and the parking.
2. Install additional vegetative screening (conifers and broadleaf evergreens)
Response # 2 As described in detail at the public meeting on June 13, 2019,
the landscape plan includes extensive plantings of both understory and tall trees
including deciduous trees, evergreen trees, ornamental trees, shrubs,
perennials and grasses. A detailed Plant Schedule is provided on Sheet L-400 in
the Administrative Site Plan Review plan set on file with the city. Further as
described at the public meeting,the Site Plan includes a 6‘ tall wood stockade
fence in portions of the rear of the site where due to the sitegrades the fence
is helpful for screening purposes. See Sheet L-601. Both the Church, and
Stantec, the landscape architect, have substantial experience in environments
like this site installing plantings intended to serve as vegetative screening. We
are receiving input from some neighbors on choice of plant species and will
review the plant schedule with the benefit of this input. Our intention is to
install the landscaping to maximize its effectiveness as committed to in the
Landscape Plan.
3. Gate the property when not in use by the Church
Response # 3 The Site Plan includes parking lot gates which can be operated by
the Church for security as needed. See Sheet L-601.
4. Position on-site lighting ‘away’ from neighbors’ properties
Response # 4 The Parking Lot lighting is designed so that there is security
lighting which is arranged and shielded so as to prevent glare from the light
sources onto adjacent streets and properties as required by the Zoning
Ordinance sec. 5.1.10.A. The Church intends to use current LED technology to
direct the light only onto the intended surface. The Site Plan set includes a
detailed photometric plan of the site parking lot lighting. SeePlan L-800. This
plan demonstrates that the site lighting will not exceed the city’s maximum
parking lot lighting requirements.
5. Design entry/exit so car headlights are not directed at neighbors’ properties
Response # 5 The parking lot drive aisle entrances have been laid out so that
the meetinghouse building and a parking lot landscape island act as natural
barriers to shield automobile headlights. Further, as stated above, the Church
has added a 6’ tall stockade fence to the plan to also act as a shield of car
headlights. And, as demonstrated in the public meeting with the elevation
section plans, other portions ofthe site will be below the grade of the abutting
house lots. Further, as described at the public meeting, the principal use of
the meetinghouse is during daylight hours.
6. Reduce the number of parking spaces
Response # 6 As described in detail at the public meeting on June 13, 2019,
the parking lot capacity balances a number of factors, the mostimportant of
which is the needs of the Church which is an allowed use. An original plan
provided for 240 parking spaces. The current plan provides for 194 paved
parking stalls and 16 overflow parking stalls covered with lawn. This amount of
parking allows for less tree clearing than the original plan. By the same token,
some residents at the public meeting made the point to us that they wanted to
be comfortable that the Church builds a parking lot that is large enough to
handle its needs, so as to avoid parishioners parking on neighborhood streets.
We also designed the parking lot capacity to meet the city’s minimum zoning
parking requirement which is a function of the number of seats in the
meetinghouse and the amount of ancillary space that is customarily used by
the Church associated with the seating space. Taking account ofall these
factors, the Church believes that the current parking capacity and parking lot
design appropriately balances all of these considerations.
7. Commit to one-hour turnover between staggered Sunday services
Response # 7 As described in detail at the public meeting on June 13, 2019, it
is part of the religious mission of the Church to provide for opportunities to
overlap attendance of the different congregations at the meetinghouse. The
Church will not agree to specific operational restrictions on the scheduling of
its Sunday services. Based on experience with other meetinghouses in the
greater Boston area, it is likely and expected that the Sunday morning services
will be staggered. Further, based on this experience, not all attendees arrive
and depart at the same time. The Church expects that the way they stagger the
Sunday services will disperse when cars arrive and depart to the meetinghouse.
8. Commit to a traffic analysis before and after for at least one year
Response # 8 While the Church will certainly cooperate with the city and the
neighborhood regarding any city monitoring of traffic, including the Dedham
Street x Carlson Avenue intersection, it would not be appropriate to impose a
subsequent traffic analysis as a condition to the use and development of the
Church’s property. The church building is a permitted use and the Church Is
entitled to use its property as allowed and protected by existing federal, state,
and local law. That said, as suggested by Councilor Kalis at the public meeting,
the Church as a member of the neighborhood would desire to participate in
Neighborhood Liaison Committees to provide opportunity for communication
between the city, the Church, and other neighbors.
9. Pay for a police detail at the intersection of Dedham and Carlson for six months
Response #9 The Church does not anticipate that a police detail will be
necessary to manage traffic either at the site driveways or at the Dedham
Street x Carlson Avenue signalized intersection.
10. Join us, UMass and the Nahanton Woods Condo Association in a discussion to
open Nahanton Road to public traffic on Sundays.
Response # 10 As stated at the public meeting on June 13, 2019 the Church
expects that its parishioners and visitors will arrive and depart the site through
the Carlson Avenue x Dedham Street intersection.
11. Allow our representative to review the Church’s insurance policy (in the event
of unforeseen neighbor flooding/damage)
Response # 11 The city of Newton Engineering Department has done a
complete and thorough review ofthe stormwater drainage system being
designed to serve the project. The Church intends to fully comply with the
city’s requirements for the stormwater management infrastructure. The city’s
Site Plan Review process is not an appropriate forum to address insurance.