The Boston Redevelopment Authority released a draft copy of the Plan: JP/Rox planning study last month and it incorporates much of what has been discussed in the many community meetings and workshops, including the possibility of having 15-story buildings in some areas of the neighborhood.
Plan: JP/Rox is the long-awaited planning study for the Columbus Avenue and Washington Street corridor, from Jackson Square to Egleston Square to Forest Hills. The planning study, which was launched more than a year ago and will eventually create new zoning for the area, was originally supposed to go the BRA board last month, but was pushed to the fall after activists called for a three-month delay to allow for more discussion.
The draft plan lays out an ambition proposal to have 3,500 units be built along the corridor, 30 percent of which would be affordable housing. (Some residents have raised concerns about whether the local infrastructure can support that number of new units.) The 30 percent target would be met through several avenues, including housing built by community development corporations and through a “density bonus.” The density bonus would allow developers to build denser buildings in exchange for having more affordable housing.
Plan: JP/Rox breaks the guidelines up for different neighborhoods of the study area.
Jackson Square:
- Allow buildings between 4 and 15 stories;
- Create a “green corridor” along the Orange Line between Centre and Atherton streets;
- Stress “active commercial” businesses along Centre Street;
- Extend Amory Street to Centre Street.
Egleston Square:
- Allow buildings between 4 and 6 stories;
- Improve existing public and private active spaces, like the Egleston Square Peace Garden;
- Stress mixed-use developments at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Washington Street;
- Have wider sidewalks.
Stony Brook T Station area:
- Allow building between 4 and 5 stories;
- Stress multi-family residential and mixed-use developments over commercials uses;
- Improve pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Southwest Corridor Park;
- Change of use for the area around Atherton Street and Marbury Terrace to new residential artists/makers.
Green Street area:
- Allow for buildings between 4 and 6 stories;
- Stress mixed-use buildings with retail on the first floor and residential above.
Forest Hills:
- Allow buildings between 4 and 15 stories;
- Have artist/maker work area around Stonley Road and Stedman Street;
- Expand Southwest Corridor Park with a green space along east side of the Orange Line between the Arborway and McBride Street;
- Widen Washington Street between Arborway and McBride Street to allow for wider sidewalks and “prioritized” bus lane.
For more information about the plan, visit bit.ly/1NkcGg6.