The Newton City Council approved a revised special permit for 51 Oak Avenue in West Newton, allowing construction of three single‑family attached dwellings in two buildings after the petitioner reduced unit count and altered driveway and landscape plans.

Attorney (and presenter) Michael Morris described changes from the earlier proposal: four units were reduced to three; building orientation was modified so the rear pair face forward and the streetscape was improved; and requests to place a driveway within 10 feet of a side lot line and parking within 20 feet of a side lot line were withdrawn. The petitioner provided a revised landscape plan that replaces non‑native plants with native species and calls for permeable pavers in drive areas to manage runoff.

Planning staff (Kat Kemet) said the revised design no longer needs driveway and parking proximity relief, but still requires relief for the single‑family attached dwelling use and reduced side setbacks under the attached-dwelling rules; planning recommended approval with plan-referenced conditions. Kemet also said the project had been reviewed with the Conservation Commission and that a hydrology specialist had been engaged to address wetland and flood-line concerns near nearby Dolan Pond; conservation staff had signed off on the plan.

Architect Michael Lewis noted design decisions related to garage and living-space adjacencies and explained that the proposed configuration follows the single‑family attached dwelling type permitted under the current petition, not the two‑family rule that would have different adjacency restrictions.

Council members praised changes from the earlier submission; several said the redesign produced a better streetscape and expressed support for preserving native plantings and using pervious pavers. The council closed the public hearing and approved the petition with the planning department’s standard and site-specific conditions, including referenced architectural, site and landscape plans; an operations and maintenance plan for stormwater/permeable pavers; a construction management plan; and the requirement that the project be all-electric.