Design builder and restoration contractor David Nauss and landscape architect Karen Sebastian attended the July 14, 2026, meeting of the Newton Highlands improvement working group at City Hall, along with Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC, member Sally Brickell.
The consultants shared a few photos of the church and adjacent streets and explained that the church is brainstorming ways to make its grounds more welcoming, accessible, and integrated with the surrounding area.
The church has a particular interest in upgrades the working group is planning for Rodney Barker Square, which faces the church across Hartford Street. There may be ways to better connect the square and the church grounds, creating a more pedestrian-friendly experience in Newton Highlands and raising the visibility of the church.
Now that the property survey of the church grounds is complete, the next step in the Community Connection landscape master planning project is for the consultants to present design ideas to the church congregation in fall 2026.
Ms. Brickell has been attending the working group meetings to foster communication between the church and the working group.
