March 18, 2026

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Needham Planning Board, 3/17/26


It was a somewhat contentious evening that faced the Planning Board when they met on March 17th. The evening began on a unified front, as they opened a hearing on the development of a new Chabad and residence for a local religious organization. The centerpoint, however, was the discussion of potential Town Meeting articles geared toward reducing the size of new homes in the Residential B Zoning District. In the wake of their public hearings on the matter, exactly how to proceed became a focal point for board members, who strongly disagreed on approaches.

Agenda:

1) Public Hearing:1195 Central Avenue
Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center of Needham, Inc., Petitioner
Regarding request to demolish the existing building(s) on the property and to construct a Chabad and a single-family dwelling, which will be 34,005 square feet in the aggregate.

2) Discussion: Amend Zoning By-Law (for Single Residence B District)
Article 1: Floor Area Ratio Requirement
Article 2: Lot Coverage Requirement
Article 3: Height Requirement
Article 4: Front Yard Setback Requirement

3) Correspondence

4) Report from Planning Director and Board Members

For more Planning Board meetings, click here!