Members of the Envision Needham Center project working group heard a summary of business feedback at the Sept. 29 meeting in which local owners said they were not ready to “get behind any plan yet” without substantial changes.

The businesses’ principal concerns, presented by committee member Eileen Baker, were where proposed parking would be relocated, how loading and deliveries would be handled, who would decide to remove parking for bike lanes later, and the project’s compressed timeline. Baker said, “not surprisingly, there was an overwhelming, not they were not ready to get behind any plan yet because they feel all of them do need modifications and improvements.”

Why it matters: downtown parking and the ability to receive deliveries affect daily operations for retailers and restaurants. Several speakers told the committee that moving parking from Great Plain Avenue to nearby streets would not help businesses that depend on immediate curb access.

Details from businesses and staff responses

- Parking placement: Businesses asked for block-by-block detail showing which existing spaces would be removed and exactly where replacement spaces would be located. Baker summarized the concern: “if spots on Great Plain Avenue are taken away but put in on Dedham Avenue, that doesn't do Needham florist any good.” The project team pointed to plan-level counts and said block-level role plots show existing and proposed spaces (example given: “existing spaces is 13 from Linden to Maple, proposed at 11”).

- Deliveries and loading: Several merchants reported the survey confused respondents by omitting smaller parcel carriers (UPS/FedEx/Amazon) and asked for clearer outreach. An Apex consultant explained that typical dedicated loading zones are 40 to 50 feet — roughly the length of two parking spaces — and are often placed at the beginning or end of a block to allow trucks to pull in and out. The consultant said such zones can be adjusted by block and that the two-lane alternatives could still include loading areas, but locations must be discussed with businesses.

- Maintenance and operations: Business owners stressed that new trees, seating, and other streetscape features require town maintenance; they repeatedly said maintenance responsibility should not fall to individual businesses.

- Emergency response and drainage: Businesses raised emergency-vehicle access concerns for two-lane layouts and asked how proposed changes would affect response times. On drainage, town staff recalled the Aug. 8, 2023 storm — a heavy event that dropped about 5 inches of rain in roughly 90 minutes — which caused damage to about 220 homes and left roughly 3 feet of water in the Walgreens lot. Staff said the downtown does not meet current drainage standards and that drainage work is among the project goals, but that sequencing and coordination with the MBTA quiet-zone project need clarification.

- Timeline and public outreach: Multiple business and committee members said outreach must not be rushed. Baker relayed businesses’ skepticism that a December Select Board decision is feasible: “The public outreach cannot be rushed. It needs to be thorough. It didn't work last year. So why are we rushing it?”

What happens next

Committee members and staff said the plan-level parking counts and proposed loading zones will be shown in updated role plots and that the team will follow up with a more explicit block-by-block parking display. The working group also discussed staged public outreach (harvest fair, an open house and an online survey) so the Select Board would receive committee recommendations and public feedback together. No formal recommendation was made at the Sept. 29 meeting.

Ending note: The business feedback portion of the meeting focused on clarifying where parking and loading would be provided, guaranteeing maintenance responsibility, and ensuring adequate outreach and signal coordination before any plan is recommended to the Select Board.