Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
NEWTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The City of Newton is working to update their parking regulations for new and expanding businesses in areas like the city's village centers.
The City’s Zoning and Planning Committee held a meeting on Sept. 29, where Long-Range Planner Zachery LeMel proposed a plan to lift the requirement for businesses to have their own minimum amount of parking, a move that has been in discussion for years.
“If a business were to expand or if a new business were to take over a new space, those requirements to provide onsite parking would not be there,” he said.
LeMel explained that this rule has made it difficult for new businesses to open and existing businesses to expand because their isn't room to create this required commercial parking.
“Time and time again one of the things that is a holdup are these parking requirements, particularly in these areas that were developed and built out pre-car,” he said.
Deputy Director of Planning Jennifer Caira echoed LeMel, saying that most people use public parking anyways when in these shopping areas.
“They’re not driving to one particular store’s private parking, doing what they need to do there, then driving across the street to someone else’s private parking doing what they need to do there,” Caira said.
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She also explained that the goal is to get rid of some hurdles these businesses have had to deal with so they can focus more on locating to Newton.
“Small businesses looking to open already have to figure out all of the licenses and permits and things that they need,” Caira said. “This just slows down the process and adds one more step, making it harder to locate here.”
Several zoning areas in the city already have lifted these restrictions.
Another meeting regarding this proposal is set for Monday, Oct. 13.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.