Stonybrook Neighborhood Vision
for Small Scale Residential Development
The Stonybrook Neighborhood is a multicultural, economically diverse neighborhood of longtime residents and relative newcomers who treasure our community’s historic character, close proximity to parks and public transportation, and community institutions. We envision our future as a vibrant, interconnected urban neighborhood where families can grow, all people are welcomed and neighbors are supported through all stages of their lives.
We welcome development of new and refurbished housing that enhances and sustains our community vision, and we actively work with developers to create the kind of community in which we want to live and contribute. The members of the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) hope this document will serve as catalyst for productive conversations between the SNA and prospective developers of small scale residential properties, as well as homeowners planning exterior renovations.
We view developers as partners in our future, and hope that together we can exceed the standards of the Boston Zoning Code and achieve its spirit: high quality of life. We also welcome developers’ willingness to consider supporting and funding projects that benefit community infrastructure, including alternative forms of transportation, traffic calming, beautification and recreation.
As a community, we encourage the following characteristics of future development.
A. Housing size, formats, and price range
B. Housing design, placement, and materials
C. Community and quality of life
D. Environment/sustainability
We welcome development of new and refurbished housing that enhances and sustains our community vision, and we actively work with developers to create the kind of community in which we want to live and contribute. The members of the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) hope this document will serve as catalyst for productive conversations between the SNA and prospective developers of small scale residential properties, as well as homeowners planning exterior renovations.
We view developers as partners in our future, and hope that together we can exceed the standards of the Boston Zoning Code and achieve its spirit: high quality of life. We also welcome developers’ willingness to consider supporting and funding projects that benefit community infrastructure, including alternative forms of transportation, traffic calming, beautification and recreation.
As a community, we encourage the following characteristics of future development.
A. Housing size, formats, and price range
- Mix of rental, condominium, multi-family and single family homes.
- Owner occupancy and landlords who live in the neighborhood.
- Housing options that sustain diversity of our residents, including affordability (low and moderate income housing not just market-rate and luxury categories) and accessibility (first floor living spaces instead of garages, for example).
- Mix of unit sizes to meet the needs of singles, couples and growing families, thereby allowing residents to consider long-term commitments to the neighborhood.
- Creative, non-traditional housing options that appeal to a variety of people at various stages of life, such as co-housing and artist lofts.
B. Housing design, placement, and materials
- Thoughtful design that harmonizes with and reflects the historic styles of the neighborhood (primarily triple-deckers and Victorians).
- Building features that complement the existing housing stock with traditional or contemporary interpretations, including cornices, front porches, double-hung windows, casement moldings around windows, etc.
- Front and side setbacks that provide breathing room and complement neighboring homes without creating an impenetrable line of facades or institutional appearance.
- Garages at side or rear of houses to maximize space for front yards, encourage interaction among neighbors, and create a street-friendly façade.
- High quality, durable materials that will enhance the neighborhood in the long term.
- Exterior lighting that complements and enhances the overall design of buildings. (Also see note on lighting under D. Environment/sustainability, below.)
- A variety of exterior colors reflective of Jamaica Plain’s diversity and creativity, not builder-grade gray or beige.
C. Community and quality of life
- Porches large enough to allow active use, including front porches that bring life to the street and encourage interaction among neighbors.
- Front and side yards that encourage street life and enhance the streetscape.
- Backyards that include space for vegetable gardening, safe play areas for children, and respite.
- Active living spaces at the front of buildings to encourage eyes-on-the-street and increase security.
- Exceeding the letter of the Boston Zoning Code to achieve its spirit: quality of life emphasized over maximizing space and profits in any given parcel.
D. Environment/sustainability
- Energy efficiency and green design, including LEED standards, green roofing, reflective roofing, etc.
- Maximized green space.
- A variety of flowering trees, tall shade trees, street trees, shrubs, hedges and flower beds, utilizing non-invasive species, and native species wherever possible.
- Preserve existing trees whenever possible, and replace any that are removed with equivalent trees.
- Minimal paved areas, using permeable surfaces where paving is required.
- Parking ratios that match the Forest Hills Improvement Initiative guidelines (see Resources below) for transit oriented development (maximum of one space per unit).
- Bicycle-friendly storage options, such as bike sheds or garages that can accommodate bicycle storage.
- Fully-shielded, full cut-off exterior lighting that illuminates for safety and convenience without imposing light on abutting neighbors nor contributing to light pollution.
Resources for Developers
Here is a link to the above document as a PDF:
- Boston Complete Streets www.bostoncompletestreets.org/about/
- Boston Redevelopment Authority Terms Glossary: www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/about-us/glossary
- Boston Zoning Code: www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/zoning/zoning-code-maps
- Design Review Process from Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA)
- Forest Hills Improvement Initiative Guidelines
- Jamaica Plain zoning document (Article 55) that includes the Williams Street Neighborhood Design Overlay District on page 17
- SNA Survey Results - Regarding development at 3521-9 Washington St (former Flanagan & Seaton site):
Here is a link to the above document as a PDF:
| neighborhood_vision_adopted_2-17-15.pdf |
