At its November board meeting the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) voted to approve the project at 3326 Washington St. in Jamaica Plain
The developer of the project, Primary, submitted a supplemental filing in October after a series of community meetings and feedback by neighbors.
While some in the neighborhood were disappointed that the entire project was not 100 percent affordable, according to public comments submitted to the BPDA before this month’s vote, others residents felt Primary had done enough to quell most community concerns ahead of last week’s vote.
The Washington Street project, as amended by the October 7th, 2020 Supplemental Filing, calls for the construction of a five-story residential building totaling approximately 35,273 square feet. The project includes 43 ‘compact’ rental units, ten of which, or 23 percent of the units, will be deemed affordable under the BPDA’s Inclusionary Development Policy Units. These income-restricted units will be between 30 and 70 percent Area Median Income (AMI).
Due to the project’s close proximity to public transportation, there is no off street parking connected to the project. However, the developer will construct 46 bicycle parking spaces for renters.
The developer has also agreed, as a result of community feedback during meetings and the public comment period, tol document the history of the former Turnpike Schoolhouse previously located on the project site. This would include a virtual gallery website with architectural drawings and photographs.
Other community benefits associated with the project include subsidized transit passes for each of the income-restricted units for the first year of occupancy and improvements to the public realm such as street trees and bicycle racks.