3521-3529 Washington Street project
April 2013
After a year of inactivity, after different developers twice backed out and new ones came on board, this project is back on...with the original developers.
Environmental testing has also occurred, and will continue to occur - this parcel needs much cleaning up. Full reports to-date can be downloaded from the MassDEP website.
Below is a statement crafted by the SNA Burnett/Washington Subcommittee in March 2012 regarding this project.
After a year of inactivity, after different developers twice backed out and new ones came on board, this project is back on...with the original developers.
Environmental testing has also occurred, and will continue to occur - this parcel needs much cleaning up. Full reports to-date can be downloaded from the MassDEP website.
Below is a statement crafted by the SNA Burnett/Washington Subcommittee in March 2012 regarding this project.
Download PDF Version (3.6 MB)
As you know, the area of Jamaica Plain north of and surrounding the Forest Hills T Station is rapidly changing, with state and city projects alongside numerous private development opportunities.
We put together this webpage to bring you up to speed on the project at the former Flanagan & Seaton automobile warehouse at 3521-3529 Washington Street. This 3.4-acre development, bordered by McBride and Burnett Streets, could double the number of residential units on Burnett and provide needed retail services and jobs on Washington Street. Located across the street from the MBTA’s Arborway Yard, this property represents just a fraction of land slated for redevelopment along Washington Street.
With a long view for smart growth, we believe this project has the promise of stimulating dramatic and positive change that will improve the future economy and quality of life for this neighborhood. Unfortunately the currently proposed design takes a shortsighted approach, overlooking the potential of this valuable site. The neighborhood would like this development to set a high standard for the other projects that will quickly follow on this stretch of Washington Street. We need your help to ensure that this project not only fulfills the neighborhood’s vision for its own future, but also rises to the standards set by the city of Boston for the Forest Hills area.
Please take the time to read the accompanying materials provided on this webpage. Our membership has worked with great passion and dedication to determine what the neighborhood wants of this project. We have also spent a lot of time trying to convince the developer of what is good for our neighborhood. Now we need your support to bring more pressure to our negotiations, and as a result, to make immediate and substantial changes to the currently proposed project design.
A new gateway neighborhood could rise out of the industrial gauntlet that runs the length of Washington Street, between McBride Street and Forest Hills T station. You can help us make that happen.
Project Overview
The 3.4 acre parcel, located in the heart of the Stonybrook neighborhood, has a Project Notification Form (PNF) pending at the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) referenced as "3521-3529 Washington Street." Given its size, two developers, SSG Development LLC and New Boston Ventures, have joined forces to build on the site. Spearheading the development team is real-estate consultant and former Executive Secretary of the BRA, Mr. Harry Collings.
The large and critically important site (a currently deserted property), bordered by McBride Street to the north, Washington Street to the east, Burnett Street to the south and the MBTA Orange Line rail corridor to the west, has been divided by the Collings team into three components:
SNA Consensus Building and Outreach Efforts
The Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) has been working to ensure that all projects within its borders benefit the neighborhood and support 21st century values of sustainability and livability.
When the Collings team approached us for feedback, we formed a working group to monitor the project, inform the neighborhood, and solicit opinion. The SNA subcommittee (Burnett/Washington Group) conducted surveys, led a design charrette, and held countless meetings to build neighborhood consensus. A smaller, representative group met with the Collings team twice, and also provided them with our own alternate version of their site plan (see images below), with suggestions for improvements, based on all the gathered neighborhood feedback.
We put together this webpage to bring you up to speed on the project at the former Flanagan & Seaton automobile warehouse at 3521-3529 Washington Street. This 3.4-acre development, bordered by McBride and Burnett Streets, could double the number of residential units on Burnett and provide needed retail services and jobs on Washington Street. Located across the street from the MBTA’s Arborway Yard, this property represents just a fraction of land slated for redevelopment along Washington Street.
With a long view for smart growth, we believe this project has the promise of stimulating dramatic and positive change that will improve the future economy and quality of life for this neighborhood. Unfortunately the currently proposed design takes a shortsighted approach, overlooking the potential of this valuable site. The neighborhood would like this development to set a high standard for the other projects that will quickly follow on this stretch of Washington Street. We need your help to ensure that this project not only fulfills the neighborhood’s vision for its own future, but also rises to the standards set by the city of Boston for the Forest Hills area.
Please take the time to read the accompanying materials provided on this webpage. Our membership has worked with great passion and dedication to determine what the neighborhood wants of this project. We have also spent a lot of time trying to convince the developer of what is good for our neighborhood. Now we need your support to bring more pressure to our negotiations, and as a result, to make immediate and substantial changes to the currently proposed project design.
A new gateway neighborhood could rise out of the industrial gauntlet that runs the length of Washington Street, between McBride Street and Forest Hills T station. You can help us make that happen.
Project Overview
The 3.4 acre parcel, located in the heart of the Stonybrook neighborhood, has a Project Notification Form (PNF) pending at the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) referenced as "3521-3529 Washington Street." Given its size, two developers, SSG Development LLC and New Boston Ventures, have joined forces to build on the site. Spearheading the development team is real-estate consultant and former Executive Secretary of the BRA, Mr. Harry Collings.
The large and critically important site (a currently deserted property), bordered by McBride Street to the north, Washington Street to the east, Burnett Street to the south and the MBTA Orange Line rail corridor to the west, has been divided by the Collings team into three components:
- Self-storage component
- Residential component
- Retail component
SNA Consensus Building and Outreach Efforts
The Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) has been working to ensure that all projects within its borders benefit the neighborhood and support 21st century values of sustainability and livability.
When the Collings team approached us for feedback, we formed a working group to monitor the project, inform the neighborhood, and solicit opinion. The SNA subcommittee (Burnett/Washington Group) conducted surveys, led a design charrette, and held countless meetings to build neighborhood consensus. A smaller, representative group met with the Collings team twice, and also provided them with our own alternate version of their site plan (see images below), with suggestions for improvements, based on all the gathered neighborhood feedback.
Their Plan
|
Our Revision
|
Written Communications between SNA and Collings design team:
The SNA’s first and lasting impression of the Collings team initiative is that they propose a suburban-style shopping center and large parking lot, anchored by a massive storage facility, as well as separate residential components, consisting of a 36-unit building and two three-family houses.
The neighborhood’s vision differs significantly from the PNF currently being reviewed by the BRA. The SNA efforts conclude that neighbors strongly prefer an urban, transit- and pedestrian-oriented, true mixed-use, appropriately scaled, well-designed development with expanded green-space. Over 100 residents completed a SNA-sponsored survey about this project, with 90% agreeing that: "Bicycling, transit use and walking should be supported on par or better with automobile use." Further, almost 70% believe the neighborhood deserves something better than a storage facility. Other urban design qualities deemed as "most preferred" or "liked" in the survey: 99.9% supported small parks, courtyards, or green space, 96% supported access to transit, and 94% supported pedestrian accommodations.
Parking and Modes of Transportation
Importantly, the totality of SNA feedback reflects existing city development guidelines. Only three years ago, the BRA formulated its Forest Hills Improvement Initiative (FHII) Use and Design Guidelines Community Vision and District-Wide Guidelines for the Arborway Yard and other area parcels. They state, "All new buildings and uses should promote pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit use, with only the minimum parking necessary...". Also, the neighborhood "should be a model for green/sustainable development including...transit-oriented, neighborhood-scaled development..." (See selected text or full guidelines document)
FHII guidelines call for 0.75 to 1.0 automobile parking spaces/1,000 sq.ft. of retail space. As an example of how out of sync the Collings team is with the BRA, the city and the SNA, 3521 Washington's proposed parking ratio is 2.5+ spaces. This stands in stark contrast to a nearby BRA-approved parcel at Ukraine and Washington that has a parking ratio of 1.3. This excessive accommodation for cars, at a time when major cities, including Boston, are moving towards progressive, transit-oriented development that takes advantage of nearby public transit infrastructure in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, is in direct opposition to both city and neighborhood guidance (See SNA Parking Analysis, updated April 2013). Reduction of the parking lot area called for in the current plan would also allow for better design and orientation of the rest of the project, as will be described below.
A year after the BRA published its FHII guidelines, the city established its Boston Complete Streets (BCS) initiative in 2009. With "Smart, Green and Multi-modal" objectives, it aims to create "great public spaces," and "address climate change and promote healthy living" by tackling transportation equity. According to the BCS website, "approximately 75% of all trips within a neighborhood are made on foot." 3521 Washington Street is conveniently located less than a half-mile from two Orange line T stations, has 13 bus routes within a few blocks, and is located alongside the Southwest Corridor bike path. In addition, besides the new retail customers gained from the proposed residential buildings, a large population of potential customers within walking distance already resides less than 1/2 mile away. To name just two of many nearby neighborhoods, there are: Stonybrook (1,494 people as of 2012 census), bordered by Burnett Street, Washington Street, Kenton Road, Forest Hills Street, and Brookley Road; and JP South (1,533 people as of 2012 census), bordered by South Street, Sedgwick Street, Southwest Corridor Park, and the Arborway (census info from the BRA).
Storage Facility Component
In the current design for 3521 Washington, the dominant structure is a 130,000 sq.ft. storage facility, around which the rest of the project seems to be designed. We think that a conscientious developer would have seized the opportunity to create jobs here where few exist. However, storage facilities hire minimal staff and we also believe they have little positive impact on property values in the surrounding vicinity where they are built. For its large square footage and visual impact, it will be used by relatively few neighbors. Consequently, this business will neither boost local employment, contribute significant payroll tax income to the state, nor provide a needed service for the neighborhood. This area desperately needs an anchor tenant that will aggressively hire local residents and make better use of such a large parcel of valuable real estate. (See also SNA survey comments regarding the storage component, beginning on page 31).
The bulk and height of the proposed storage building is quite out of scale with the smaller residential buildings located right next to it. For the existing residents of the north end of Burnett Street, they will yet again face a large building wall as they currently do with the Flanagan & Seaton warehouse building to be replaced by this project. Though a storage facility is touted as low-impact because it is not a traffic-heavy business, a looming, inactive building does little to contribute to the kind of lively, active, safe and patron-friendly space the neighborhood is seeking. The prevailing feeling of the neighborhood is that a storage facility in this location does not bring many benefits to the community.
Residential Component
The project proposal calls for 42 total units of new housing (increased from an original 30 units) along the train tracks on the west side of the parcel. Without taking a specific position on the number of units, the neighborhood made several suggestions regarding housing location to maximize green-space, to reduce noise from passing trains, and to minimize the contrast between the sizes of the storage component, the 36-unit building, and the 3-family houses. In fact, we would be open to additional units, if their placement fit within the neighborhood’s vision. We would like to see residences on the upper floors of the Washington Street retail building, which could increase to more than two stories. This housing-above-retail approach is the key to creating a true mixed-use development, and has been done successfully in several recent area projects including the nearby Bartlett Square project at 154-160 Green Street.
We would also like to see housing on the north side of Burnett Street, which would complete the street with a row of houses instead of a parking lot, as currently proposed. We also suggested reorienting the long side of storage facility along a west-east axis, which would allow for the additional residential units on the north side of Burnett Street. This would dramatically improve the neighborhood quality for existing homeowners. These ideas about residential unit reconfiguration were included in our letters and conversations with the development team since their first proposal.
In addition, the neighborhood strongly desires the inclusion of affordable housing units and green building design elements (which we acknowledge the developer has somewhat addressed, though we would like to see a more aggressive adoption of LEED components). FHII guidelines promote both of these qualities for new projects. It is also extremely important to include sound-dampening technology within the buildings situated along the train tracks.
We also suggested eliminating the retail parking lot entry/exit onto Burnett Street which, as currently proposed, would create a major traffic issue for residents of Burnett, and instead requested entry/exit onto McBride only. With that, we also suggested a new sensored signal light and crosswalk at the south corner of Burnett and Washington Streets, which would help accommodate the drastic increase in residential traffic on a street with only one outlet, and make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Washington Street to visit the new neighbors and businesses (currently a difficult and dangerous feat). This Burnett/Washington signaled intersection will also connect with a planned exit from the future Arborway Yard development across the street. In short, we want to ensure that this becomes a wonderful and well-designed neighborhood for the owners or tenants who move into this new housing. We are waiting to see if the next version of the design will show a residential plan that reflects the values of mixed-use and high quality of life. The developer has not yet implemented any of these suggestions.
Retail Component
Also included in the design is a 28,000 sq.ft. retail building that would sit on Washington Street and serve as the public face of this project. The neighbors have been grateful for the chance to discuss new commercial development on Washington Street and are excited to think about future shops, offices, and restaurants located there. Unfortunately, the designs that we have seen for the commercial portion of the proposed development are not in line with our vision for this parcel. As stated above, the neighborhood has expressed a preference for development that promotes pedestrian and bicycle access, local businesses, a high concentration of jobs, and an active streetscape. The retail building should be outward-facing and welcoming to pedestrians and the public street, instead of inward-facing as it is currently proposed, with its main entrances on its rear parking lot. It should also have wide sidewalks surrounding it, with a width of at least 15-20 feet, which fits within Boston Complete Streets guidelines. The currently proposed footprint of the retail building does not take full advantage of the total Washington Street frontage, either. Instead, a third of this valuable frontage is given over to the southern part of the parking lot. We suggested elongating the building so it stretches the length of the parcel on Washington Street, and wrapping it around the corner so it activates McBride Street as well. And, as already cited in detail, the parking lot is over-sized.
We would also like to see the retail buildings designed in a way that adds interest and beauty to a stretch of Washington Street that has long had a vacant, industrial feel. For example, a "signature" building could make use of the prominent corner of Washington and McBride Streets and become a neighborhood landmark. As proposed, the retail building bears no relationship to the shape of the parcel and sits like an awkward blocky mass near the corner of McBride. We would also like to see a flexible first floor retail space plan that includes multiple entrances placed at regular intervals to allow for leasing to different-sized retailers, from small boutiques to a grocery store, depending on retailer needs. The building height could also expand beyond two floors to create more appropriate density for this location by including residential units on the third floor. It could include more green-space to act as a public gathering place, but also as a buffer for the nearby existing Burnett Street residents. We would like to see more of the neighborhood’s suggestions incorporated into the design of the retail portion of 3521 Washington Street.
The Neighborhood's Vision of the Future: Burnett Park and Gardens
The redevelopment of 3521 Washington creates a unique opportunity to reclaim valuable green-space in a currently unused industrial area. We proposed incorporating into Southwest Corridor Parkland the empty MBTA property behind Burnett Street, along the east side of the train tracks. The Collings team expressed interest in our idea. This area is referred to as Burnett Park in our other support-seeking literature. We also go further to suggest that the new Southwest Corridor expansion start at McBride Street and extend all the way south down to New Washington Street on the east side of the MBTA tracks (See Burnett Park document). The Parkland Management Advisory Committee for the Southwest Corridor Park supports this proposal (See PMAC support letter). We have also received positive feedback from other groups and expect to receive additional support letters shortly.
We also suggested expanding the planned-for green-space between proposed residential buildings and adding community gardens for all the new neighbors moving into the Burnett Street area. The experience of nearby Minton Stable Community Garden (Dungarven Road and Williams Street), which has a chronically long waiting list, indicates high demand for garden space in this area of Jamaica Plain.
The expansion of green-space can be achieved if the storage facility is reoriented, reduced in size, or simply removed from the proposed plan, and if the residential units are rearranged as per our plan revision.
Current Project Status
The Impact Advisory Group (IAG), established by the BRA as a mandatory steward of this project last met on September 13, 2011. On December 2, in a Letter to the Editor of the Jamaica Plain Gazette, we requested that the BRA follow the spirit of the Forest Hills Improvement Initiative and only approve a forward-thinking version of this development. We also asked that the City uphold its Boston Complete Streets tenets in its review of this project to ensure a vibrant, livable Washington streetscape for all.
As you can see, we have a great list of concerns with this project. We need to connect with other stakeholders, neighbors, and especially our elected officials, to get this project moving in line with what is truly needed. We have requested an updated plan from the Collings team but have not received one. Because of the many aspects of this project that need improvement and because there is much discontent about the idea of a storage facility in general, the storage component of the project would only be acceptable as part of a drastically different and comprehensive plan for a vibrant mixed-use development.
Next Steps
How can you help? You can be fully informed, attend all forums on the 3521-3529 Washington Street Development Project, and contact the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association to offer your support. We look forward to working with you to achieve our common goal…A new, thriving neighborhood on Washington Street.
Sources/Documents Mentioned Above
Press
Last Updated: March 5, 2012
The SNA’s first and lasting impression of the Collings team initiative is that they propose a suburban-style shopping center and large parking lot, anchored by a massive storage facility, as well as separate residential components, consisting of a 36-unit building and two three-family houses.
The neighborhood’s vision differs significantly from the PNF currently being reviewed by the BRA. The SNA efforts conclude that neighbors strongly prefer an urban, transit- and pedestrian-oriented, true mixed-use, appropriately scaled, well-designed development with expanded green-space. Over 100 residents completed a SNA-sponsored survey about this project, with 90% agreeing that: "Bicycling, transit use and walking should be supported on par or better with automobile use." Further, almost 70% believe the neighborhood deserves something better than a storage facility. Other urban design qualities deemed as "most preferred" or "liked" in the survey: 99.9% supported small parks, courtyards, or green space, 96% supported access to transit, and 94% supported pedestrian accommodations.
Parking and Modes of Transportation
Importantly, the totality of SNA feedback reflects existing city development guidelines. Only three years ago, the BRA formulated its Forest Hills Improvement Initiative (FHII) Use and Design Guidelines Community Vision and District-Wide Guidelines for the Arborway Yard and other area parcels. They state, "All new buildings and uses should promote pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit use, with only the minimum parking necessary...". Also, the neighborhood "should be a model for green/sustainable development including...transit-oriented, neighborhood-scaled development..." (See selected text or full guidelines document)
FHII guidelines call for 0.75 to 1.0 automobile parking spaces/1,000 sq.ft. of retail space. As an example of how out of sync the Collings team is with the BRA, the city and the SNA, 3521 Washington's proposed parking ratio is 2.5+ spaces. This stands in stark contrast to a nearby BRA-approved parcel at Ukraine and Washington that has a parking ratio of 1.3. This excessive accommodation for cars, at a time when major cities, including Boston, are moving towards progressive, transit-oriented development that takes advantage of nearby public transit infrastructure in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, is in direct opposition to both city and neighborhood guidance (See SNA Parking Analysis, updated April 2013). Reduction of the parking lot area called for in the current plan would also allow for better design and orientation of the rest of the project, as will be described below.
A year after the BRA published its FHII guidelines, the city established its Boston Complete Streets (BCS) initiative in 2009. With "Smart, Green and Multi-modal" objectives, it aims to create "great public spaces," and "address climate change and promote healthy living" by tackling transportation equity. According to the BCS website, "approximately 75% of all trips within a neighborhood are made on foot." 3521 Washington Street is conveniently located less than a half-mile from two Orange line T stations, has 13 bus routes within a few blocks, and is located alongside the Southwest Corridor bike path. In addition, besides the new retail customers gained from the proposed residential buildings, a large population of potential customers within walking distance already resides less than 1/2 mile away. To name just two of many nearby neighborhoods, there are: Stonybrook (1,494 people as of 2012 census), bordered by Burnett Street, Washington Street, Kenton Road, Forest Hills Street, and Brookley Road; and JP South (1,533 people as of 2012 census), bordered by South Street, Sedgwick Street, Southwest Corridor Park, and the Arborway (census info from the BRA).
Storage Facility Component
In the current design for 3521 Washington, the dominant structure is a 130,000 sq.ft. storage facility, around which the rest of the project seems to be designed. We think that a conscientious developer would have seized the opportunity to create jobs here where few exist. However, storage facilities hire minimal staff and we also believe they have little positive impact on property values in the surrounding vicinity where they are built. For its large square footage and visual impact, it will be used by relatively few neighbors. Consequently, this business will neither boost local employment, contribute significant payroll tax income to the state, nor provide a needed service for the neighborhood. This area desperately needs an anchor tenant that will aggressively hire local residents and make better use of such a large parcel of valuable real estate. (See also SNA survey comments regarding the storage component, beginning on page 31).
The bulk and height of the proposed storage building is quite out of scale with the smaller residential buildings located right next to it. For the existing residents of the north end of Burnett Street, they will yet again face a large building wall as they currently do with the Flanagan & Seaton warehouse building to be replaced by this project. Though a storage facility is touted as low-impact because it is not a traffic-heavy business, a looming, inactive building does little to contribute to the kind of lively, active, safe and patron-friendly space the neighborhood is seeking. The prevailing feeling of the neighborhood is that a storage facility in this location does not bring many benefits to the community.
Residential Component
The project proposal calls for 42 total units of new housing (increased from an original 30 units) along the train tracks on the west side of the parcel. Without taking a specific position on the number of units, the neighborhood made several suggestions regarding housing location to maximize green-space, to reduce noise from passing trains, and to minimize the contrast between the sizes of the storage component, the 36-unit building, and the 3-family houses. In fact, we would be open to additional units, if their placement fit within the neighborhood’s vision. We would like to see residences on the upper floors of the Washington Street retail building, which could increase to more than two stories. This housing-above-retail approach is the key to creating a true mixed-use development, and has been done successfully in several recent area projects including the nearby Bartlett Square project at 154-160 Green Street.
We would also like to see housing on the north side of Burnett Street, which would complete the street with a row of houses instead of a parking lot, as currently proposed. We also suggested reorienting the long side of storage facility along a west-east axis, which would allow for the additional residential units on the north side of Burnett Street. This would dramatically improve the neighborhood quality for existing homeowners. These ideas about residential unit reconfiguration were included in our letters and conversations with the development team since their first proposal.
In addition, the neighborhood strongly desires the inclusion of affordable housing units and green building design elements (which we acknowledge the developer has somewhat addressed, though we would like to see a more aggressive adoption of LEED components). FHII guidelines promote both of these qualities for new projects. It is also extremely important to include sound-dampening technology within the buildings situated along the train tracks.
We also suggested eliminating the retail parking lot entry/exit onto Burnett Street which, as currently proposed, would create a major traffic issue for residents of Burnett, and instead requested entry/exit onto McBride only. With that, we also suggested a new sensored signal light and crosswalk at the south corner of Burnett and Washington Streets, which would help accommodate the drastic increase in residential traffic on a street with only one outlet, and make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Washington Street to visit the new neighbors and businesses (currently a difficult and dangerous feat). This Burnett/Washington signaled intersection will also connect with a planned exit from the future Arborway Yard development across the street. In short, we want to ensure that this becomes a wonderful and well-designed neighborhood for the owners or tenants who move into this new housing. We are waiting to see if the next version of the design will show a residential plan that reflects the values of mixed-use and high quality of life. The developer has not yet implemented any of these suggestions.
Retail Component
Also included in the design is a 28,000 sq.ft. retail building that would sit on Washington Street and serve as the public face of this project. The neighbors have been grateful for the chance to discuss new commercial development on Washington Street and are excited to think about future shops, offices, and restaurants located there. Unfortunately, the designs that we have seen for the commercial portion of the proposed development are not in line with our vision for this parcel. As stated above, the neighborhood has expressed a preference for development that promotes pedestrian and bicycle access, local businesses, a high concentration of jobs, and an active streetscape. The retail building should be outward-facing and welcoming to pedestrians and the public street, instead of inward-facing as it is currently proposed, with its main entrances on its rear parking lot. It should also have wide sidewalks surrounding it, with a width of at least 15-20 feet, which fits within Boston Complete Streets guidelines. The currently proposed footprint of the retail building does not take full advantage of the total Washington Street frontage, either. Instead, a third of this valuable frontage is given over to the southern part of the parking lot. We suggested elongating the building so it stretches the length of the parcel on Washington Street, and wrapping it around the corner so it activates McBride Street as well. And, as already cited in detail, the parking lot is over-sized.
We would also like to see the retail buildings designed in a way that adds interest and beauty to a stretch of Washington Street that has long had a vacant, industrial feel. For example, a "signature" building could make use of the prominent corner of Washington and McBride Streets and become a neighborhood landmark. As proposed, the retail building bears no relationship to the shape of the parcel and sits like an awkward blocky mass near the corner of McBride. We would also like to see a flexible first floor retail space plan that includes multiple entrances placed at regular intervals to allow for leasing to different-sized retailers, from small boutiques to a grocery store, depending on retailer needs. The building height could also expand beyond two floors to create more appropriate density for this location by including residential units on the third floor. It could include more green-space to act as a public gathering place, but also as a buffer for the nearby existing Burnett Street residents. We would like to see more of the neighborhood’s suggestions incorporated into the design of the retail portion of 3521 Washington Street.
The Neighborhood's Vision of the Future: Burnett Park and Gardens
The redevelopment of 3521 Washington creates a unique opportunity to reclaim valuable green-space in a currently unused industrial area. We proposed incorporating into Southwest Corridor Parkland the empty MBTA property behind Burnett Street, along the east side of the train tracks. The Collings team expressed interest in our idea. This area is referred to as Burnett Park in our other support-seeking literature. We also go further to suggest that the new Southwest Corridor expansion start at McBride Street and extend all the way south down to New Washington Street on the east side of the MBTA tracks (See Burnett Park document). The Parkland Management Advisory Committee for the Southwest Corridor Park supports this proposal (See PMAC support letter). We have also received positive feedback from other groups and expect to receive additional support letters shortly.
We also suggested expanding the planned-for green-space between proposed residential buildings and adding community gardens for all the new neighbors moving into the Burnett Street area. The experience of nearby Minton Stable Community Garden (Dungarven Road and Williams Street), which has a chronically long waiting list, indicates high demand for garden space in this area of Jamaica Plain.
The expansion of green-space can be achieved if the storage facility is reoriented, reduced in size, or simply removed from the proposed plan, and if the residential units are rearranged as per our plan revision.
Current Project Status
The Impact Advisory Group (IAG), established by the BRA as a mandatory steward of this project last met on September 13, 2011. On December 2, in a Letter to the Editor of the Jamaica Plain Gazette, we requested that the BRA follow the spirit of the Forest Hills Improvement Initiative and only approve a forward-thinking version of this development. We also asked that the City uphold its Boston Complete Streets tenets in its review of this project to ensure a vibrant, livable Washington streetscape for all.
As you can see, we have a great list of concerns with this project. We need to connect with other stakeholders, neighbors, and especially our elected officials, to get this project moving in line with what is truly needed. We have requested an updated plan from the Collings team but have not received one. Because of the many aspects of this project that need improvement and because there is much discontent about the idea of a storage facility in general, the storage component of the project would only be acceptable as part of a drastically different and comprehensive plan for a vibrant mixed-use development.
Next Steps
How can you help? You can be fully informed, attend all forums on the 3521-3529 Washington Street Development Project, and contact the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association to offer your support. We look forward to working with you to achieve our common goal…A new, thriving neighborhood on Washington Street.
Sources/Documents Mentioned Above
- Project Notification Form (PNF)
- Collings’ team proposed site plan from PNF, 8/22/2011
- SNA proposed revisions to Collings’ team site plan, 9/18/2011
- 6/26/2011 letter from SNA to Collings design team
- 9/27/2011 letter from SNA to Collings design team
- 10/28/2011 letter from SNA to Collings design team
- 11/16/2011 letter from SNA to Collings design team
- SNA survey conducted 9/5-11/16/2011
- Forest Hills Improvement Initiative (FHII) Community Vision and District-Wide Guidelines (selected text)
- Forest Hills Improvement Initiative (FHII) Community Vision and District-Wide Guidelines (full document)
- SNA Draft Parking Analysis (updated April 2013)
- Boston Complete Streets
- BRA/city census maps
- "Washington St. project gets bigger" (September 9, 2011)
- Arborway Yard site plan
- Burnett Park document
- PMAC support letter
- "Letter to the editor: Apply city vision to Washington St" (Dec. 2, 2011)
Press
- "Letter to the editor: Apply city vision to Washington St" (Dec. 2, 2011)
- "Neighbors still pushing for McBride St. project changes" (Dec. 2, 2011)
- "Washington St. project gets bigger" (September 9, 2011)
- "Developers detail mixed-use project in Jamaica Plain" (August 25, 2011)
- "Five-building, mixed-use development eyed for Jamaica Plain" (August 25, 2011)
- "Developers pitch Jamaica Plain housing, retail project" (August 25, 2011)
Last Updated: March 5, 2012
