On Tuesday evening, the Newton City Council’s Land Use Committee granted a special permit to build a larger house than zoning allows on Village Circle in Newton Centre.
According to the new local zoning law, which took effect this year, the maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the home is 0.33. The homeowner, however, was seeking approval to construct a new single-family house with a FAR of 0.37, which would mean the house would be larger than the previous building.
According to the City of Newton’s website, the purpose of FAR is to regulate the total floor area that can be built on a lot “to allow development of residential lots in ways that balance the interests of both owners and neighbors.”
Anthony Lee, who owns 35 Village Circle, said he is building the new house to accommodate his family.
Joe Iadonisi, a senior planner with the Department of Planning, said Lee’s proposed FAR wouldn’t adversely affect the Village Circle neighborhood.
“There will be no nuisance or serious hazard to vehicles or pedestrians created by the proposed single-family dwelling,” said Iadonisi.
Lee said he’s employing an architect who’s worked on other houses on the street, which will help to retain the neighborhood’s character, even with a new structure.
“The same architect has designed three of the nine houses on the street,” Lee said. “If our plans are allowed to move forward, four of the 10 houses on the street will be designed by the same architect.”
Leah Rappaport, a resident who lives behind Lee’s current house, asked about the proposed house’s new height.
“We looked out onto the back of your home, and we couldn’t figure out what the plans were—if it was going to be just 10 feet higher than what we see, or if it was going to be even more because it is an elevated grade,” Rappaport said.
Lee responded that the new house would be eight feet taller than the current building.
“We’re lowering the average grade by two feet, and we’re raising the height of the building by 10 feet,” Lee said. “It will be eight feet higher.”
He emphasized that the project would improve stormwater management and align with the neighborhood’s design.
“This property should be able to absorb stormwater better than the existing structure that’s on the lot,” said Lee.
The committee voted to accept Lee’s petition, allowing the house to exceed the maximum FAR by 0.04.
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