The Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center's plan to build a new religious center and residence at 1195 Central Ave. faces its next regulatory review Thursday, July 23, when the Needham Conservation Commission takes up the organization's Notice of Intent filing for work near wetlands.
The hearing, listed as DEP File #234-966 on the commission's agenda posted July 21, marks the latest step in a project that has been moving through local boards since the summer of 2025. The filing's specific scope of work was not publicly available as of publication. The Chabad purchased the one-acre property for $1.235 million in 2023 and plans to demolish the existing house and barn to make way for two new structures: a religious center and a single-family dwelling for Rabbi Mendi Krinsky and his family.
A project scaled back
The development was originally proposed at roughly 34,005 square feet in aggregate, according to the Planning Board's Major Project Site Plan Review filing from December 2025. By April 2026, the Needham Observer reported the Chabad had reduced the plan to a 19,000-square-foot center and a 7,500-square-foot, 2½-story residence.
The site sits in a single-family zoning district adjacent to the Newman School. As a religious institution, the Chabad can invoke the Dover Amendment, a Massachusetts law that exempts religious uses from most local zoning restrictions. But the exemption does not cover wetlands protections or stormwater management, and those are the central issues before the Conservation Commission.
Wetlands and stormwater at the center
A high water table and surrounding wetlands have made engineering the site a challenge. At an April 27 Planning Board hearing, project engineer Karlis Skulte of Civil & Environmental Consultants described plans for infiltration ponds and water-retention chambers at multiple locations on the property. The design may have been revised since then.
Conservation Commission Chair Dave Herer said at the commission's April 23 meeting that the project team faces a real engineering test. "From an engineering point of view, they have a challenge to come up with a system that meets the regulations," Herer said, as reported by the Needham Observer.
Abutters Robert and Gina Bradley at 1177 Central Ave. have hired their own engineering firm to evaluate the proposal. Their attorney sent a letter to the Conservation Commission arguing the plan requires "substantial revision and resubmission." At the April 27 Planning Board hearing, Gina Bradley said she and her husband support the project but want safeguards, telling the board they are not trying to prevent the development but are asking for reasonable restrictions, according to the Needham Observer.
What's next
The Thursday, July 23 Conservation Commission meeting begins at 7 p.m. via Zoom (Webinar ID: 856 7743 6569). The agenda also includes a separate Notice of Intent for Walker School at 1968 Central Ave. (DEP File #234-972).
Residents can request copies of the Chabad Center's NOI site plans by emailing [email protected]. The commission's next scheduled meeting is Thursday, August 13, at 7 p.m. at the Public Services Administration Building, Charles River Room.
