The Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to press for a meeting with MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng over a station accessibility project, estimated at $30 million, that residents say threatens the character of a landmark designed by architect H.H. Richardson.

The 8-0 vote backed a letter to Mayor Marc Laredo asking him to arrange the sit-down with Eng so the neighborhood can push the MBTA to revisit its design for the Newton Highlands Green Line stop. The letter is also going to Ward 6 city councilors, City Chief of Operations Josh Morse, State Rep. Greg Schwartz and State Sen. Cindy Creem, Fig City News reported.

At issue are overhead canopies the MBTA included in its accessibility plan alongside ADA-compliant ramps. Critics say the canopies, built to a standard more commonly associated with commuter rail stations, clash with the 1887 depot that Richardson designed in collaboration with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The station is part of the Newton Railroad Stations Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

The Newton Historic Commission did not support the alterations, finding them out of context with the district's character, according to Area Councilor Robert Fizek. But Fizek said the MBTA told the council that the ramp locations fall outside the commission's jurisdiction. Some abutters also raised concerns that the scale of the new infrastructure could require property takings.

Dennis Rieske, a Newton Highlands resident and architect, argued at the Aug. 7 meeting that the canopies are unnecessary for accessibility compliance and called for the state disability commission to weigh in on the renovation, as reported by Fig City News on Aug. 9.

City Councilor Stephen Farrell said at the same meeting that communications with the mayor should spell out the project's historical and financial implications.

Planning for the accessibility upgrades has been underway for at least a decade, according to Fizek. The MBTA completed its design in 2023 but shelved construction during Green Line power and track upgrades finished in 2026. Work is now expected to begin in 2027.

The MBTA sold the station building itself in 2007; it currently houses a dentist's office. The agency retains ownership of the tracks, platforms and pedestrian paths.

Neither the MBTA nor Mayor Laredo's office has publicly responded to the council's letter. The Newton Record was unable to reach either office for comment. No next meeting date between the council and MBTA leadership has been announced.