Newton City Council approves 14-unit attached-home project on Thurston Road in Upper Falls

By Brian Bateman

The Newton City Council unanimously approved a special permit July 13, 2026, for a 14-unit attached-home development on Thurston Road in Newton Upper Falls. The vote moves the approximately 50,000-square-foot housing project forward under the plan reviewed by the city, but the approved sources do not establish when construction will begin or when the homes could be occupied.

The plan combines three parcels into seven buildings containing 14 attached single-family homes. The site is in an Upper Falls district zoned for multifamily housing, and the project sought relief from rear-setback and parking requirements.

What the council approved

The special-permit approval covers the development associated with MGD Habitat Design. Its principal material change for the neighborhood is that the three-parcel proposal now has the council’s unanimous approval to proceed through the next stages of development.

The approval does not mean construction has started. It also does not establish that the homes are available for sale, identify a financing status or set a final occupancy schedule. The approved sources do not document the project as affordable housing.

For residents, homeowners and nearby businesses, the confirmed land-use change is the authorization of a 14-home project in seven buildings, along with the requested relief related to rear setbacks and parking. The sources do not provide additional findings about traffic, neighborhood impacts, construction logistics or public costs, so those effects cannot be characterized here.

Review timeline

The developer filed the petition in April 2026. The matter was continued to May 12 while revisions were made in response to requests from the Newton Planning Department. The council later issued its unanimous approval on July 13.

The city’s official development-project tracking system separately identifies development activity in Upper Falls, providing municipal location context for the Thurston Road proposal. The approved project details distinguish this proposal as a three-parcel development with 14 homes and seven buildings.

What happens next

The council action is a permitting milestone rather than a construction or completion deadline. No approved source gives a start date, financing milestone or occupancy date for the project. There is also no documented sales schedule.

For now, the project’s next known status is that it can move toward later development steps under the approved special permit. The confirmed addition to Upper Falls’ future housing supply remains 14 attached single-family homes, subject to the plan approved by the council.