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CRT 2017 #45 · Communication to the City Council · Sep 11 2017
a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Leland Cheung, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on August 2, 2017 to discuss a zoning petition by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create a new Planning Unit Development Overlay District (PUD-7) over the area known as the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center site in Kendall Square
Cambridge Ordinance Committee
Zoning Submission Overview
8/2/2017
Agenda
1. Introduction and Process to Date
2. Zoning Petition Overview
3. Conceptual Site Plans and Renderings
2
Ordinance Committee Hearings
3
Hearing 3
Responses to
Feedback
Hearing 2
Model and
Feedback
from
Community
Hearing 1
Process to
date and
Overview of
Zoning
Development Site
MIT controlled land:
10 acres
4
2011
K2 Study
20 person advisory committee
Multi-disciplinary consultants –
Goody Clancy
18 Community Meetings, 5
public meetings/working
sessions/site tours
City Council round table
2012
2013
K2 Final
Report
published
2014
PUD-KS (Volpe)
Planning Board
hearings
Connect
Kendall
Open Space
Competition
2015
PUD-KS (Volpe)
Petition
Petition filed by
Planning Board
City Council
Ordinance
Committee
hearings
2016
Volpe
Working
Group
Members
appointed
Meetings
begin
5
Community Planning Process
2017
50+ community,
MIT, and City
Meetings and
Workshops
Ongoing
outreach
Zoning Petition
Filed in June
Next Community Workshop
Join us September 7th for
another community
workshop:
• Incorporating feedback of
the retail, open space,
community space
workshop into the site
plans
• Getting specific feedback
on all 4 site plans
6
Innovation Catalysts:
• Opportunity to strengthen unique
mixed-use district
• Creation of vibrant connections
and sense of place
• Space for housing that brings life
and vitality to the area
• Industry and academia
collaboration to advance science
• Solutions for global challenges
Kendall Square and Volpe
7
Zoning Petition
Overview
Master Plan Requirements (13.91.2)
• Development parcel of at least 5 acres may be
designated as master plan area for PUD
special permit approval with:
• Site Development Plan
• Site Massing Plan
• Parking and Loading Plan
• Connectivity Plan
• Open Space Plan
• Ground Floor Plan
• Housing Plan
• Phasing Plan
9
Allowed Uses (13.92)
• Residential: Townhouses, multifamily, hotel/motel (one up to 250,000 SF)
• Transportation, Communication, and Utility: per base zoning
• Office and Laboratory: office, medical practice, research and development
• Retail Business and Consumer Service Establishments: stores, personal and
business services, dining, bar, entertainment, etc.
• Open Air or Drive in Retail Services: garden supply sales, open air
theater/entertainment
• Institutional uses: educational, research, community center, government
facilities, dormitories
• Light Industry, Wholesale Business and Storage
• Other Uses: as allowed in Business B District with Planning Board approval
10
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.1)
• Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 5.2 for the district
• Gross Floor Area (GFA) exemptions:
• Other Government Facility on a Government Owned Lot in excess
of 400,000 SF
• Retail Business and Consumer Service Establishments and Open
Air or Drive in Retail & Services
• 50% of Innovation Office Space, up to 5% of total non-residential
GFA allowed in the district
• Private outdoor decks or balconies in multi-family residential
buildings, up to 8% of GFA per building
• Community Space
11
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.1.1)
• Non-Residential development limitations:
• Limited to 60% of the total authorized district GFA –
approximately 1.7 million SF
• Calculation does not include structured parking
• Substantial construction of residential uses must commence
before more than 60% of non-residential uses can be permitted
• Does not include community space, Other Government Facility,
and institutional dormitory
12
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.1.2)
• Residential use provisions:
• 40% residential required - approximately 1.1 million SF
• In accordance with section 11.200 as of June 30, 2017
• 20% affordable commitment, 20% of which must be 3 bedroom
or family units
• One building within the district may include a hotel
• affordable units equivalent to 20% of total hotel GFA (excluding lobbies
and common areas) must first be constructed within the district
13
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.2)
• Minimum development parcel size of 25,000 SF
• A development parcel may contain non-contiguous lots
14
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.4)
Baseline maximum building
height: 250 feet
Area 1: 170’-250’ zone
• Maximum height for non-residential
buildings is 170 feet
Area 2: 250’-500’ zone
• Only residential/dormitory uses, or
publicly accessible space, with floor
plates less than 15,000 SF above 300 feet
• Floor plates above 250 feet cannot
occupy more than 10% of land area
• One building may be above 350 feet, but
less than 500 feet
15
1
2
Dimensional Regulations (13.93.4)
16
Planning Board considerations:
• A building above 350 feet in height is expected to be iconic
or a distinctive architectural landmark.
• Buildings above 250 feet should:
• Limit impact on shadows, wind, obstruction of light and views –
particularly residential buildings and public space
• Limit environmental impacts
• Be sensitive to scale of neighboring buildings
• Be located and oriented to protect health and safety in and
around the building
Open Space (13.94)
• Minimum of 25% of total land area will be Publicly
Beneficial Open Space, equivalent to approximately 3.5
acres
• Publicly Beneficial Open Space may include community
space, whether inside or outside
• Open Space on Government owned land may satisfy no
more than 20% of open space requirement
• Criteria:
• Must be part of an integrated connective system
• Must include at least 2 acres that may be used for recreation,
pedestrian and bicycle connections, spill-out from retail,
enjoyment of nature, public performances, or public
programming
• Adjacent buildings should be physically and functionally
integrated
17
Perimeter and Transition (13.95)
• Development should complement and harmonize with
adjacent uses, with respect to:
• Scale
• Density
• Setback
• Bulk
• Height
• Landscaping
• Screening
• Provide integrated pedestrian circulation systems
18
Parking and Loading (13.96)
• In compliance with Cambridge Ordinance:
• Residential Parking Minimum: 0.4 spaces per unit
• Parking Maximums:
Office: 0.8 spaces per 1,000 SF of GFA
Lab and Technical Offices: 0.8 spaces per 1,000 SF of GFA
Residential: 0.75 spaces per dwelling unit
Retail: 0.5 spaces per 1,000 SF of retail
Hotel: 1 space per 4 sleeping rooms
• Development Proposal will include a shared parking study
to find opportunities to reduce the total number of spaces
19
Traffic Mitigation (13.97)
• A Transportation Demand Management Program will be
required as part of a Development Proposal
20
Future Transportation Plans (13.98)
• Plans will indicate how the proposed development relates
to future transportation options identified in the K2 plan,
including a bus rapid transit service
Special Requirements – Retail and Active
Uses (13.910.1)
• A minimum of 65% of the first floors of buildings fronting
Third Street and Broadway must have retail and active
uses
• At least 25% of the required retail and active use space
will be for independent operators occupying less than
5,000 SF
• Banks and financial services must be less than 10% of
aggregate ground floor GFA in the District
21
Special Requirements – Noise (13.910.2)
• Complies with Cambridge Noise Ordinance
• Rooftop mechanical equipment noise must be minimized
using the best available and feasible practices
• Noise or vibration from mechanicals shall not be normally
perceptible at ground level without instruments at a
distance of 100 feet from the lot line
22
Special Requirements – Innovation Space
(13.910.3)
• Any development proposal for over 200,000 SF of Office
use must include a plan for innovation space equal to 5%
of the proposed GFA
• Innovation space requirement may be met within or
outside the PUD area
23
Special Requirements – Sustainability (13.910.4)
• Will comply with City Ordinance, including LEED Gold or
better for new commercial development
• Integrated design approach must incorporate best
practices in:
• Energy and Emissions – including evaluation of co-gen and steam
• Urban Site and Landscaping – water management, heat gain
reduction
• Cool Roofs
• Monitoring
24
Special Requirements –
Kendall Fund (13.910.5.1)
Contribution of $10/SF of non-residential GFA
a) 50% to Transit Improvements
b) 50% to Community Fund
25
Community Space (13.910.5.2)
• Up to $15 million for design and construction of a
community space within PUD-7
• An advisory committee will be created to oversee
design and construction of the space
Community Center
• A mix of community uses that would attract an
economically diverse population
• $15 million commitment towards design and construction
on site
• Design process to begin upon passage of zoning
• Working on plan for operations and continuing
affordability
26
Affordable Housing Opportunity
• Approximately 280 units
at value of $500K+ per
unit
total = $140 million
27
• Linkage payment $15/SF
non-residential to the
affordable housing trust
total = $26 million
Components of FAR
Commercial
2.73
Residential
1.82
GSA
0.64
28
Total non-exempt
FAR of 5.2
Zoning FAR History
Original zoning:
4.0
ECAPS city-wide zoning:
3.0/3.9 residential (with1998 inclusionary bonus)
MIT proposal:
5.2 (with government land and building)
29
Volpe Conceptual Site
Plan and Open Space
existing conditions
and building
footprints
the new Volpe facility
will be located in the
northwest corner of
the site
Volpe Facility Site
31
Community Connectivity
32
opportunity to
bring community
together
north-south
connections from
the neighborhood,
to the T, and to the
river
Community Connectivity
33
opportunity to
bring community
together
east-west
connections to
extend Broad Canal
Way with active
uses
Design Principles
Diverse Active Open
Space
34
Design Principles
Wide Mix of Uses
35
Design Principles
Urban Streets With
Continuous Ground
Floor Uses
36
Design Principles
Sustainability and
Resiliency
37
Design Principles
Make a Place Where
Everyone Feels
Welcome
38
39
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 3
40
EXAMPLE 1
SITE PLAN
Conceptual Rendering
41
Conceptual Rendering
42
Conceptual Rendering
43
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EXAMPLE 2
SITE PLAN
Conceptual Rendering
45
46
EXAMPLE 3
SITE PLAN
47
EXAMPLE 4
SITE PLAN
Conceptual Rendering
48
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ORIGINAL PLAN
NEW EXAMPLES
Site Plan Evolution
• Moved a commercial site to Binney Street
• Created a variety of options for open space configuration
50
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 3
Site Plan Examples
Continued Work
Issues that we’ve heard, and are working on:
• Location of open space
• Family friendly and demographically diverse retail, active uses, and
open space
• Graduate student housing (likely outside of the Volpe site)
• Family housing
• Preservation of trees
• Completion of Urban Design Guidelines / Principles
Hosting Community Workshop on September 7
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Q&A
contact us: [email removed]
regular updates and presentations will be
available on our website:
https://volpe.mit.edu/
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