[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6350342,"mediaKeyId","2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353","parentId",2233772,"title","Temporary dumpster allowed at Needham Gateway while compactor is repaired, health and building departments say","audioSeconds",161,"startMs",3984000,"endMs",4145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353&start=3984&end=4145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353/thumbnail_3984000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6350342/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Temporary-dumpster-allowed-at-Needham-Gateway-while-compactor-is-repaired-health-and-building-departments-say","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350342-60e3da0c2727de1fa3d147cb4561de29/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204168&Signature=BOlBcQ3apCF4k3oE4dWhDQ4BzwZefUvc~966-3HkKeP6UkZHR02vpMdmy7Id-Ljq~nLzCeh~1IuKh-U18XfzQ81gIwXQUrGFskxuoWnJOb~Csv0lA1WDLwcxO9wjZOrwNSdRVVcD6OMS70JN9R-lAwBzoRbusODq-neD0qISxHAdlQc1MiupdWQGdd5aS0Refrm4EoEhLmUbW9sI54NxUVMhEA7luYQsFwnHiBclr5XkQUgbN-1Ls3NQL7n3yBkR5jvJ4jFKvzjEzoqwO~sGe9ge40BPm8e99XUU-sIJHfJEevu~wpC5lqT0twJhdEKJozeWC9W~5AnKu8-i3y1YWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Needham, MA","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","Planning staff informed the board that Mike Moskowitz, owner of the Needham Gateway plaza (where Panera Bread is located), reported a nonworking compactor and requested permission to place a temporary dumpster in the parking area while electrical repairs proceed.

Staff said the Health Department and the Building Commissioner have been contacted; the Building Commissioner is comfortable with a temporary arrangement limited to 30–60 days maximum and the Health Department indicated conditional acceptance. Planning staff asked that the arrangement be monitored to avoid food‑waste exposure and rodent complaints; board members suggested the owner use wheeled dumpsters that can be closed and moved to minimize bag breaks and exposed refuse.

Board members asked whether food businesses (Panera) would use the temporary dumpster; staff said the intent was primarily for cardboard/refuse from the compactor side but advised that the owner coordinate with Health and Building to ensure food waste is managed and that dumpster placement minimize disruption in the tight lot. Staff recommended confirming the repair timeline with the owner and continuing liaison with Health and Building if the temporary measure needs extension.

No formal permit change or Planning Board action was required; staff said they would monitor the temporary measure and confirmed that the Building Commissioner and Health Department would review if the situation extended beyond the recommended timeframe.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Needham: Planning Board 02/04/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Planning Board was notified that a temporary dumpster may be sited at the Needham Gateway plaza while the site compactor is repaired; town health and building officials have tentatively approved a short time limit and recommended monitored use to avoid nuisance or rodent issues.","taxTitle","Town of Needham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",54445,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6350347,"Envision Needham Center consultants to hold open house and guided walks Feb. 6–8",160,3598000,3758000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353&start=3598&end=3758","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353/thumbnail_3598000.jpg","/articles/6350347/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Envision-Needham-Center-consultants-to-hold-open-house-and-guided-walks-Feb-68","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350347-2c3c5f621323f72bf0a58b88f2f45573/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204168&Signature=mkkkiS03zKUmSzskylxev99y7zTYdUqDbIiidarp7rK-1RT8OVhsexzFhw0-QLfe4TBnaDiqvTdy5jxgcwLcSztV1xXiuK0MLfqGH0dxqd2H56bgeLjgs30sHFoiQdmEw7sPKaqwh-H0uW9wCylXopKMU5kGLV5uyLiYDY~bdLoBUb0TmTILzLPacPL57X4uWF4IRkQgNKz38KvqmNw2Jf9K99QA7uLOJD9EjdUmXGe1NYEx4UnUssG9R~Ir5nqoJx8S-vHvcBAgmbR4Jc0oG3yPwMAEG-8RpthpNn5R-gmjR3PWchjUjXbWqsonU4jTENB1VZao-R6Jb6te70NbcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants engaged for the Envision Needham Center project, together with Town staff and DPW members, will present concept materials at an open house and conduct guided walking tours on Thursday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 8, organizers told the Planning Board.

The open house is scheduled for Feb. 6 from 5–6 p.m. at Town Hall; walking tours will be held Feb. 8 in three sessions (11 a.m.–12 p.m., 1 p.m.–2 p.m., and 3 p.m.–4 p.m.). The project team has identified roughly 14 stops along Great Plain Avenue (Pickering to Linden) and adjacent areas where staff and consultants will ask participants about safety, lighting, crosswalks, bike facilities and pedestrian experience.

Organizers said QR codes will be posted at stops so members of the public who cannot attend guided tours can submit comments and a short questionnaire from the field. The effort will inform possible pilot treatments — for example, lane reductions, protected bike lanes, or relocated on‑street parking — that could be trialed with temporary paint and barriers prior to permanent design work and grant applications (including Chapter 90 funds).

Planning Board members welcomed the outreach and said the multiple time slots (including an evening session) aim to capture different user experiences, including pedestrian conditions at dusk. The project will proceed with further design work and pilot testing if the public response supports proposed changes.

","Consultants working on the Envision Needham Center project will host an open house and multiple guided walking tours Feb. 6–8 to gather public feedback on street‑level safety, lighting, crossings and pilot design changes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6350352,"Needham working group analyzes large‑house rebuilds, FAR and potential fiscal study for zoning changes",389,2521000,2910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353&start=2521&end=2910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353/thumbnail_2521000.jpg","/articles/6350352/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-working-group-analyzes-largehouse-rebuilds-FAR-and-potential-fiscal-study-for-zoning-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350352-306e9c8e2a87458d7ad95e10a5033034/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204168&Signature=gWdeWQ7TUpevDXcbKkYgiIj0iwm7ULqas4n5x9yQiqKH4hrwb1I6Sp6pOeKCvZfpuZd4pGMsKYD8DxAhPQRSWgENIskBYeAQ8sYoLntTw5djVSxPC4ZIfPnRcq2Vkbd-lxntTxt2aoPvzrMrrtBbz2ZGk9hn5BUYLH96gvjIdueGg7DfrYSp900LibdgQ5jRG6lG2hk3eEUwWSLo25DNscbR4fWnnKmwg6sPXA7qjDzI4epgQtJE9hlevqTNG9LWPkZIkSZeyUKljMki3AVZsZATpbmMJ-XvN6QlDQ4Yy4LoY0onaU1jCkAVk6-WLq3iwbKdxX1QlYYdLDEQfONVLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning Board members and a working group reported on Feb. 4 that they have compiled an inventory of recent rebuilds on nonconforming lots and are testing how changes to the definition of floor‑area ratio (FAR) would affect whether rebuilt houses pass or fail bylaw thresholds.

Artie Crocker summarized the working group’s review: staff assembled a set of nonconforming lots and identified 11 house examples to analyze building size, number of bedrooms, lot coverage, sale price, and how alternative FAR definitions (for example, including basements or attics) would change compliance. In most of the 11 cases the houses were built right at the current FAR threshold; one was substantially under and one clearly failed under existing measures.

The group’s spreadsheet includes sales data drawn from listings and an inventory of built dimensions; members said it will be important to examine deed records (to see whether properties were owner‑occupied versus sold to development entities) and to confirm whether sellers used LLCs. Several members urged that any bylaw change be accompanied by a fiscal impact analysis to quantify how revisions would affect the land (dirt) value and tax base.

Board members discussed the need to engage a consultant to run fiscal scenarios. Adam Block and others said the Planning Board should notify the Finance Committee and consider hiring a consultant soon if the board aims to present changes for an October Town Meeting. The board also discussed possible targeted approaches — for example, graduated FAR by lot size (a model some neighboring towns use) or incentives to add modest additions rather than full demolitions and rebuilds.

Committee members said the working group will expand its review to include conforming lots, examine house height and ridge/eave treatment, and consider the visual bulk and neighborhood character implications of modern house designs. The large‑house review working group plans further meetings and will bring findings back to the full board before any zoning article is drafted.

","A Needham working group reviewed 11 recently rebuilt houses on nonconforming lots to test alternative definitions of floor‑area ratio (FAR) and to inform possible bylaw changes; the board discussed engaging a fiscal consultant to estimate impacts on land values under different FAR scenarios.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6350355,"Needham staff to draft zoning changes after FEMA issues updated flood maps; special‑town‑meeting schedule set",259,827000,1086000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353&start=827&end=1086","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353/thumbnail_827000.jpg","/articles/6350355/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-staff-to-draft-zoning-changes-after-FEMA-issues-updated-flood-maps-specialtownmeeting-schedule-set","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350355-e034bf2a603f8461468673324e3198a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204168&Signature=kH2sYgq48S6Kg7~~cx1ZwuomMBZjAhEeLJOkr3fqjC5QugwZuP1JMM-tA1aZpVH7VBQUXlAaCgc27TCYm3YQ8Bhf16p~k~1ViD6WZEFsBCX6GtZf~W454G9~fCA-Z3~~kqwPEi8CirIYnU3sSro7K5L5pt8euGsa1dXwaL2vte98vzPheKUdbUbfKQOfwMTKNQnvcdWmPt7vb8cvIwCATuORTo~GEsk48NS75cLvoRXDLtnd2bN2sdiiCnXwDDEmhGoFhFLUkQUchilZNC7nVkq5~hIIKrGg0W~wKRqQ6d1exyJx~YkxaMZ~S-UmDMQruLwdxuVTXf2i6omPGo38DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff told the Needham Planning Board on Feb. 4 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has reissued updated floodplain maps for Needham (the first since 2012) and that the town must amend its zoning bylaw text and Floodplain District map to remain eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program.

Lee Newman, speaking for planning staff, said the town received FEMA’s notice and is preparing two zoning articles: one to revise the Floodplain District text to meet new federal requirements and another to revise the Floodplain District boundaries to match the 2023 maps. Staff and the town engineer are preparing comparative maps showing how the 2012 and 2023 delineations differ and how many acres fall inside the revised floodplain in different parts of town.

Newman said some map differences are minor — in places the new base flood elevation was a few inches higher or lower — but that a few ponds have been added to the district. He said the town must complete the zoning changes by July and that staff is coordinating draft language with state/federal liaisons (FEMA and the state flood management programs) so the town’s submissions avoid avoidable oversights.

Board members discussed logistics and timing. Planning staff said the process requires a Planning Board vote to refer the zoning articles to the Select Board to start the hearing and legal‑notice process; that referral is expected at the board’s next meeting (Feb. 25). Staff proposed a special Planning Board hearing on Thursday, March 27, 2025, to meet statutory notice deadlines and to allow the Select Board and the public time to review. If necessary, the board discussed using its regular April 1 meeting as a contingency date.

Board members asked whether FEMA must sign off before or after a Town Meeting vote; staff said FEMA reviews and coordinates while the town drafts the articles and gives final concurrence after local adoption, consistent with prior map updates. Several board members asked staff to confirm which state and federal offices will review the drafts and for clarification about the review timeline.

Staff said the state has agreed to provide preliminary comments and that final coordination with FEMA/DCR (the state flood/hazard office) is planned prior to final submission. Planning staff said they will bring the redlined text and map exhibits to the next Planning Board meeting for referral to the Select Board.

","Town staff told the Planning Board that FEMA reissued flood maps and the town must adopt text and map changes to the Floodplain District by July 2025 to maintain compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program; the board tentatively scheduled a public hearing and special meeting timeline.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6350359,"Needham Planning Board unanimously approves amended site plan and keeps construction‑management requirement",768,43000,811000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353&start=43&end=811","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2233772-c24ba0185b847f885dc5398512584353/thumbnail_43000.jpg","/articles/6350359/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-Planning-Board-unanimously-approves-amended-site-plan-and-keeps-constructionmanagement-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350359-3b802164abf3733d34a67359671a2fc4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204168&Signature=WNnFIcfb88MEDbtkBENPXonqTNfwwZlqj1y1lKxOljIU3aM1B5xF4rN81BNgLaUWlxDq79jCJWZcRDQ9FPnM2Q07Z86IgjrEACD6BBJ3pFWAQo3X2EBtypfwwxBHyj931Z6VRM2LF42Efym1JRWTe1tNfFdCqrn6R5kQ-17YwPYqsqCHbamLWYaiAROUp7ypx8iFnjHBivw3wF-RQOiyWYBZHpyBptFP4cgETJ9bc6l3wSCGxSMB~V7El9bRidkifmE6RZWvbVLB3vQfi3H~TRoll6AYnkczvzQSF591jveBpxG6SSaraiGTq8OfY1U3uzMyDyMCsHq2FmE-pVUVFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Needham Planning Board voted unanimously on Feb. 4, 2025, to grant amendments to the major project site plan permit for 63 Kendrick Street and to adopt the board’s decision as revised, including a requirement that the applicant submit a construction management plan to the Building Department before a building permit is issued.

The decision updates major project site plan review special permit number 1990-78 (originally dated Aug. 5, 1997, and amended in 1998 and 2006). The board’s motion grants: a special permit under Section 1.4.6 of the zoning bylaw for change/extension/alteration of a preexisting nonconforming use; a waiver under Section 8.4.2/8.4.3 (as corrected in the decision text) regarding parking setbacks from an intersection up to a maximum of 25 percent; and an amendment to the major project site plan review permit under Section 7.4.

Board members discussed edits circulated in a redline draft before the vote. Planning staff said most of the applicant’s attorney’s suggested edits were incorporated, but the attorney had asked to remove the construction management plan provision; staff and several board members opposed deleting that requirement. The board retained language directing that, before a building permit is issued, the applicant must satisfy the Building Department and submit a construction management plan that may require concurrence of the Building Commissioner and Police Chief.

Adam Block made the motion to grant the requested relief and to accept the revised decision; Paul Albert seconded. The board voted five‑zero in favor. The vote was recorded in the meeting transcript as unanimous.

The board did not adopt other changes requested by the applicant’s attorney that would remove the construction management condition. Planning staff said minor editing corrections were made to clarify references and to fix numbering errors in the decision text before adoption.

The board noted that the Building Department, as the enforcing office, will determine whether a formal written construction management plan is required for a particular scope of work; participants said that historically the Building Department required a formal plan only for large‑scale site work where staging, contractor parking, and material storage raise off‑site impacts.

The board approved the decision as revised and directed staff to finalize the document for signature and filing.

","The Planning Board voted 5–0 to grant amendments to the major project site plan for 63 Kendrick Street, approving multiple special permits and retaining a condition requiring a construction management plan despite the applicant’s request to remove it.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Temporary dumpster allowed at Needham Gateway while compactor is repaired, health and building departments say

Envision Needham Center consultants to hold open house and guided walks Feb. 6–8

Needham working group analyzes large‑house rebuilds, FAR and potential fiscal study for zoning changes

Needham staff to draft zoning changes after FEMA issues updated flood maps; special‑town‑meeting schedule set

Needham Planning Board unanimously approves amended site plan and keeps construction‑management requirement