The Newton Finance Committee voted to fund a comprehensive stormwater modeling and resiliency planning study for the Cheesecake Brook subbasin.

City staff described Cheesecake Brook as one of Newton's most complex and flood-prone areas and said short-duration, high-intensity storms have increased localized flooding, notably on Border Street. The $325,000 appropriation from the stormwater operating reserve will pay for updated stormwater system data, targeted field verification, updated 1D and 2D flood models for present and future storm scenarios, and an updated stormwater infrastructure improvement plan turned into a resiliency plan that evaluates mitigation alternatives.

Officials said the work will also examine how water-main interactions, including MWRA infrastructure, affect flow through culverts. The project is expected to begin after award and conclude by Dec. 31, 2026.

Councilors voiced general support; a voice vote approved the appropriation, recorded as 8-0.