Boston: Planning Department Advances Citywide Needs Assessment, Updates to Development Review Process

The Planning Department this month recommended approval of new flood protection measures and improvements to the Article 80 development review process, and advanced a Citywide Needs Assessment. Staff also recommended approval of two new development projects representing approximately 166,241 square feet (SF). All were approved. The newly approved development proposals will create 159 new homes, including 129 units that are designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 157 construction jobs and 78 permanent jobs. The plans and projects advanced today will help make Boston a more resilient, affordable, and equitable city.

Planning and Zoning

Citywide Needs Assessment moves forward

The Board awarded a contract to Karp Strategies to produce a Citywide Needs Assessment. The Assessment will be focused on public facilities and essential services to proactively address the City's growth and help make Boston a home for everyone. The Needs Assessment will focus on: growing the city's population, including adding more families, increasing housing affordability, increasing access to city services and open space, creating economic opportunities and growth, preparing for climate change, and improving mobility citywide. It will also identify citywide capital and mitigation priorities that can be implemented through short and long term planning.

Direct Displacement Disclosure to be piloted during development review process

As part of the City of Boston's Anti-Displacement Action Plan, A Place To Thrive, Planning staff will begin piloting a new policy requesting a Direct Displacement Disclosure from developers. Developers will be asked to notify any current tenants on site of their proposed project 30 days before filing the project with the City, and to notify the City of any possible direct displacement of residential, commercial or cultural tenants that may occur as a result of their project. Displacement impacts will be reviewed and, in certain cases based on the unique circumstances of each project, the City may suggest mitigation measures as part of the project's overall mitigation strategy. This will be piloted for the next year as part of the modernized Article 80 development review process. Staff will evaluate the impact of this new policy, share results, and refine as needed.

Staff to begin incorporating improvements to Article 80 engagement

Staff presented an informational update to the Board on Article 80 Modernization and new engagement tools which are currently being implemented. These include: an early engagement toolkit for developers, new training and ethics standards for Advisory Groups, signage on the site of a proposed project to better inform the public about new development in their community, and improvements to public meetings to make them more clear and concise. These actions are based on recommendations from the Article 80 Action Plan released last year, which had broad community support. Once implemented, staff will continue to examine the impact of these improvements and refine them.

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Real Estate

Board awards Final Designation of Parcel 8

The Board awarded Final Designation to NUBA LLC to redevelop Parcel 8 in Roxbury as part of the ongoing work to implement the goals identified by the community in PLAN: Nubian Square. Originating from a Request for Proposals process in 2021, this project will turn a long vacant publicly owned parcel into a mixed-use development with 109 income-restricted units which will be a mix of homeownership and rental. The ground floor will include commercial space for use by live-work tenants, and a National Center for Afro-American Arts. The project will also deliver a public park that respects the archaeological significance of the site.

Coastal Resilience Delivery Team advances deployable flood protection systems

The Board approved two Invitations for Bids (IFBs) to identify a partner to construct interim deployable flood protection systems in Charlestown and South Boston. While long term, permanent solutions are planned or have been implemented to close off 2030, 2050, and 2070 anticipated flood pathways, certain areas of the City require these interim flood protection measures sooner. These are intended to protect communities and assets that have already begun to, or will soon start to experience flooding on a more frequent basis before these long term protections are in place. One of these deployable systems will address the flood pathway on Main Street in Charlestown, and the other will address the flood pathway at Martin's Park in Fort Point.

Development Projects

Redevelopment of Austin Street Lots in Charlestown begins with approval of Planned Development Area and first of four buildings

Housing: 705 units; 123 income-restricted units in first phase

Jobs: Approximately 1,200 construction jobs across all phases of the Master Plan

Community: Recreation center, childcare space, public open space, artist live/work space, bikeshare station

Sustainability: All-electric, Passive House, LEED Gold

Identified for redevelopment in the Citywide Land Audit and PLAN: Charlestown, this publicly-owned site will produce 705 new units of housing in Charlestown. The PDA Master Plan approved today includes four mixed-use buildings with housing, arts and culture space, early childhood education space, indoor recreation space, and open space including athletic fields. Mitigation for this project will include new street trees and public realm improvements including updates to sidewalks and the streetscape on New Rutherford Avenue, and improved accessibility to a crosswalk in the vicinity.

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In addition to approving the PDA for the entire site, the Board approved the first phase, known as Building B, which will produce 123 income-restricted units. Each subsequent phase will be reviewed independently and go through its own community process before seeking Board approval.

80 Gardner Street project brings new homes to Allston

Housing: 36 units, six income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 100 construction jobs

Community: Public realm improvements, bike parking

Sustainability: All-electric heating and cooling

Located in Allston, this building will consist of 36 new units, including one studio, three one-bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units, and 16 three-bedroom units. Six of these will be income-restricted. The project will maintain the existing six-story building on site, which has 28 units. This project will be all-electric in support of the City's carbon neutral goals. As part of the public realm improvements, this project will add new open space, widen the sidewalks, and preserve street trees. In addition, this project will contribute $36,000 to the Parks and Recreation Department for maintenance of nearby green space.

In addition to these projects, the board approved:

• An update to a previously approved project at 290 Tremont Street to reduce the size of the project and change the unit makeup from a mix of rentals and condos to just rental units.
• The renewal and five-year extension of the Emerson College Institutional Master Plan.
• A grant agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency for the award of $4 million for environmental remediation of the Chain Forge site in Charlestown.

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About the Planning Department

The City of Boston's Planning Department shapes growth that serves Boston's residents and centers their needs. Our mission is to address our City's greatest challenges: resilience, affordability, and equity, and to take real estate actions and prioritize planning, development, and urban design solutions that further these priorities. We seek to build trust with communities through transparent processes that embrace predictable growth and shape a more inclusive city for all. Learn more at bostonplans.org, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BostonPlans.

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