The Newton City Land Use Committee voted 7-0 on April 15 to approve petition 7-25, an amendment to a previously granted special permit for Northland’s 400 Main Street development that scales back commercial office space and increases residential capacity while revising transportation demand management and other conditions.

The vote implements supplemental findings and updated conditions tied to the 2019 special permit and follows multiple consultant peer reviews and months of public comment. Planning staff told the committee the revised project eliminates most previously approved office space, adds residential units, modifies parking and updates the transportation-demand-management (TDM) work plan and mitigation measures.

Planning staff said the reconfigured site will have fewer vehicle trips than the originally approved plan. A city-commissioned peer review from Camoin Associates concluded the nearby office market is weak and that no new office construction has started in the area since 2020; NBBJ and VHB peer reviewers flagged no unresolved issues in urban design or stormwater. Attorney Alan Schlessinger, representing Northland, told the committee the petitioner provided a revised TDM work plan that spells out a shuttle service and other incentives and described the plan as a “work in progress.” He said, “The TDM work plan as a whole and the shuttle in particular are tools designed to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips on Needham Street.”

The committee approved updated conditions that (a) authorize the amended site plan, (b) require semiannual trip-count monitoring for at least five years after the project is half completed (and ongoing monitoring if targets are not met), and (c) revise the TDM remediation funding metric. The order as approved sets a reduced initial remediation amount compared with the 2019 figure and establishes an escalation mechanism tied to how much the project exceeds the permitted trip caps. During deliberations the petitioner and committee members agreed on language raising the TDM remediation floor above the petitioner’s initial proposal and adding an upper bound; planning staff indicated they were comfortable with the compromise reached at the meeting.

Key technical elements discussed:
- Uses and scale: Planning presented the revised program as eliminating nearly all office uses previously approved, increasing the total number of residential units in the revised plan, and retaining roughly 96,061 square feet of retail. Planning’s presentation referenced 822 residential units with 145 described as designated affordable in the department materials; the petitioner separately highlighted 45 inclusionary units and said it would add one additional three‑bedroom inclusionary unit at the committee’s request.
- Transportation and parking: The revised TDM work plan specifies a shuttle with two weekday peak windows (3.5 hours in the morning and 3.5 hours in the evening) and additional TDM tools such as subsidized transit passes and employer engagement. The committee debated the TDM remediation amount that would trigger additional investment if trip counts exceed maximums. The petitioner said the earlier $1.5 million benchmark in the 2019 order reflected a shuttle cost for a much larger service; the committee negotiated a lower initial remediation amount and an escalation structure with a ceiling to balance lender concerns and the city’s enforcement leverage. The project retains an on‑site valet capacity described by the petitioner as able to handle seasonal overflow (250 spaces noted for peak/holiday periods) and swaps previously approved buildings 9–12 for a 124-stall surface parking facility.
- Historic mill building and sustainability: The petition seeks to keep the brick-and-beam mill building’s historic character. Planning and the petitioner explained that an exemption to some zoning green-building pathways is requested for the mill building to preserve its envelope under the memorandum of agreement with the Massachusetts Historic Commission; the committee and planning staff said the rest of the newly constructed residential buildings will pursue Passive House certification or equivalent performance.
- Operations and loading: Neighbors and area councils raised concerns about deliveries, double parking and spillover parking in Upper Falls. The petitioner said the Oak Street loading dock has historically served deliveries and move‑ins and that move‑in activity and residential deliveries are expected to be materially less intensive than a large office use would have been. Committee members asked for way to publicize an on‑site contact for delivery and loading complaints; the committee directed staff and the petitioner to add language to the council order to clarify operational expectations and a contact protocol.

Public comment at the hearing was extensive and came largely from nearby residents and local civic groups. Supporters told the committee the amendment is a pragmatic response to current market conditions and will deliver housing — including an additional affordable three‑bedroom unit the committee requested — sooner than waiting for an office market recovery. Opponents and neighborhood representatives emphasized remaining concerns about traffic, street-level deliveries on Oak Street, and potential parking spillover into surrounding streets.

The committee closed the public hearing before the vote. Councilor Andrea Downs moved approval; the roll call recorded Downs, Stephen Farrell, Mark Laredo, Lisonbee Leary, Tariq Lucas, Alan Lobovitz, and Chair Andrea Kelly voting yes; the motion passed 7–0.

The petitioner said it expects to apply for the building permit for Building 3 in 2025 and indicated construction sequencing will continue while the council order is finalized. Several conditions approved by the committee require planning and public-works review of TDM implementation, trip monitoring, and enforcement steps if trip-count maximums are exceeded.