The City Council on Monday passed a series of zoning changes to add maker-spaces and amusement businesses to the city’s zoning ordinance with a compromise on parking.
The changes were approved last month by the Zoning and Planning Committee without any parking requirements for those businesses, which rattled some councilors. After a full Council debate led to a delay, the changes came before the Council again Monday night, with a compromise.
“If there was ever a time to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good, I think this is the time,” Councilor Susan Albright said, “because this is going to be good for business and good for our village centers.”
Under the new policy, amusement businesses (movie theaters, auditoriums, concert venues, etc.) with less than 5,000 square feet of space won’t have to provide any parking. Those with more than 5,000 square feet will have to provide one space per every 1,600 square feet of space.
Parking has been a point of contention not just with the proposed changes but across Newton in general. Some see parking requirements as needed in the village centers while others see such requirements as hindering small businesses.
When the City Council first brought the Zoning and Planning Committee’s proposed changes to the full Council floor, that committee’s chair, Lisle Baker, asked for an amendment that would require parking for the newly defined businesses in the city’s village centers.
Baker’s amendment was rejected but the matter was postponed so members could work on a parking requirement compromise.
That compromise worked, and the changes were approved almost unanimously Monday night. Joshua Krintzman was the sole “no” vote, on principle because he opposes parking requirements.
“Is it close? What was the tally?” Krintzman joked after the vote.