Happy with Newton Centre as is

As a task force floats trial balloons for revamping Newton Centre, some business owners are busy shooting them down.

''Newton Centre is a flourishing area and improvements can be made, but radical improvements are not needed," said Michael Noymer, who owns Leather World, which has been in Newton Centre for 40 years. ''It's not a run-down area."

The mayor appointed a task force a year ago to examine ways to improve the commercial hub. Members have been considering ideas ranging from transforming the intersection of Centre and Beacon streets into a rotary to encouraging five-story buildings. They've also been talking about getting rid of the 120-spot parking lot at the heart of the village.

But business owners have been putting signs in their windows with such messages as, ''If it's not broken, don't fix it," and have encouraged people to attend task force meetings to oppose dramatic changes.

Task force members stress that they are only in a brainstorming phase, and that their recommendations would have to be approved by the Board of Aldermen.

''My personal opinion is that it's too early for people to come out in opposition, because I'm not sure there's anything out there concrete enough for them to be in opposition to," said Charles Eisenberg, chairman of the task force. ''But that's their right."

Business owners also feel slighted because only one of the 25 task force members is part of the Newton Centre business community. And that member, John Furst of Johnny's Luncheonette, has been opposed to many of the proposals under consideration.

Steve Simon, who owns the National Jean Company, said the uncertainty has caused him to quash plans for a spinoff store for kids in Newton Centre.

''We've kind of put the brakes to it because we're not really sure what they're doing," Simon said. ''I don't want to open a store and then they're doing construction on roads and people have a hard time getting here."

Task force members and many residents lament that the focal point of Newton Centre is a parking lot the size of a baseball field. Meanwhile, business owners see that parking lot as their lifeblood, allowing shoppers to quickly park and get to their stores.

''People don't love garages," Noymer said. ''I think people like the openness of driving up to a place they want to go, parking, and going in."

City staff monitored parking patterns for five hours on a weekday and found that none of the lots filled up. It can be difficult to find parking near a particular store, but the area does have enough parking to support the demand, according to an initial report released by the task force last month.

But if the current parking lot were eliminated -- to make way for, say, a community or cultural center -- parking would have to be added elsewhere.

One option could be a two-level parking garage below ground. Similar solutions have been used in Boston, below Post Office Square and below Boston Common. According to a 2001 MIT study, it would cost $3.6 million to build a below-ground parking lot in Newton Centre.

Another possibility could be to build a parking garage nearby, which would cost between $600,000 and $1.8 million, according to the MIT study.

According to a traffic count, nearly 43,000 vehicles travel through the intersection each day, and it averages about 12 accidents a year.

One option being studied would be to convert the intersection, now guided by four traffic lights, to a roundabout. This would help cars get through quicker, but likely would be more dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.