A proposed four-home development at 60 Brookside Ave. in West Newton is dead after the Newton City Council voted 13-11 on Tuesday, Aug. 11, three votes short of the 16-vote supermajority the project needed.

The plan would have replaced an existing two-family building with four detached single-family homes, nearly tripling the floor space on the lot from 3,272 to 9,138 square feet. It required special permits for density, parking and a retaining wall exceeding the four-foot height limit allowed by right.

It wasn't close enough.

The project divided the council over a question familiar in Newton housing debates: does adding units matter if they're unaffordable?

Block's math

Councilor Randy Block, who delayed the vote at the previous month's meeting using a charter provision, commissioned a real estate appraisal that estimated the four new units would sell for $1.4 million to $1.6 million each.

"What is proposed at 60 Brookside is that two housing units of 1,600 square feet that are worth about $800,000 each are to be replaced with four housing units of 2,300 square feet that will each sell for about $1.5 million," Block said at the Aug. 11 meeting, according to the Newton Beacon. "This plan will not make Newton more affordable. In fact, it does the opposite."

Neighbors vs. density advocates

Councilor Pam Wright voted no after mapping resident emails and finding that opposition came from people who live next to or directly across from the project, while support came from residents further away. She also cited "significant" setback waivers the project requested.

Councilor Susan Albright voted yes, arguing the project doubles the housing units on the site and could serve as a model for infill development. She pushed back on the affordability critique by noting that new single-family homes in Newton now sell for $4 million to $7 million.

Councilor Becky Grossman also voted in favor after visiting the street, calling the project's design "really beautiful" and saying it fit the neighborhood.

The property's current owner purchased the lot in fall 2025 for just over $1.6 million and immediately submitted demolition and construction plans. The project had been in Land Use Committee hearings since October 2025.

Under state zoning law, a denied special permit application generally cannot be refiled for the same relief for two years unless the applicant demonstrates material changes in the conditions that led to the denial. The developer has not publicly indicated next steps.