Information in response to discussion at the Ordinance Committee hearing of October 17, 2017 regarding the Volpe …

PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT 7 DISTRICT

13.91 Purpose. The PUD-7 District is intended to provide for the creation of a vibrant mixed-use district of high quality general and technical office and retail activity, with significant components of residential use and open space. The retention of government office facilities on the site is desired, as well as space for smaller innovation companies as a component of the commercial space that is created.

The creation of open space to serve residents of the District and the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as workers, students from nearby institutions, and visitors, is desired. The PUD-7 District permits larger scale development and supporting commercial activities and residences close to Kendall Square and the major public transit services located there.

It encourages strong connections between new development at Kendall Square, the East Cambridge riverfront, the PUD-7 area and the neighborhoods of eastern Cambridge. It also promotes permeability at the edges of the district, public spaces that will feel welcoming and comfortable to all users, ground floors that will activate public streets and spaces, and civic functions and amenities serving residents and visitors of all ages and all socioeconomic backgrounds.

The expectation is for the District to transform into a recognizable center of activity and civic life for Kendall Square and the surrounding neighborhoods. Development in the PUD-7 District is expected to meet high standards for urban design, architectural design, environmental sustainability and open space design. Development should be generally consistent with the policy objectives set forth in the then current Kendall Square (“K2”)

Planning Study and Design Guidelines (2013), the Planning and Design Principles

established by the City’s Volpe Working Group (2017) and Volpe Site Design Guidelines (2017), collectively, the “PUD-7 Guidelines and Principles.” 13.91.1 Master Plan Area.

To further the purpose of this Section 13.90, any Development Parcel or portion of a Development Parcel meeting the requirements set forth in Section 13.93 below that is at least five (5) acres in area shall be considered a Master Plan Area, within which a Development Proposal shall present physical information in a more conceptual or generalized way, subject to more detailed approval by the Planning Board at a time and in a manner determined by the Board in its PUD special permit decision.

13.91.2 Master Plan Requirements. Within the Master Plan Area, the locations of streets and open spaces, the quantities of proposed land uses, and general building envelopes, locations and heights shall be indicated in sufficient detail that the Planning Board can reasonably assess the impact of the Master Plan and its general consistency with the Master Plan Criteria set forth in Section 13.91.4 below and the guidance provided in the PUD-7 Guidelines and Principles.

At a minimum, a Development Proposal and subsequent Final Development Plan for a Master Plan Area must contain the following components:

Site Development Plan — describing how the Master Plan Area is divided

into distinct building sites (including any Government Owned Lot as defined in

Page 2 of 20 Section 13.97 below), streets, and open spaces and their development characteristics, including potential uses and Gross Floor Area (“GFA”).

Site Massing Plan — illustrating the height and massing of building volumes for each proposed building site, and including studies of anticipated shadow and wind impacts resulting from building mass.

Parking and Loading Plan — identifying the locations of all parking facilities, bicycle parking facilities and facilities for loading or other vehicular service functions, and the number of spaces proposed at each location.

Connectivity Plan — illustrating all pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular circulation routes within the Master Plan Area, their connections to nearby public circulation routes and destinations outside the Master Plan Area, and approximate locations of access and egress points on each building and parking facility within the Master Plan Area.

(e) Open Space Plan — illustrating and quantifying the areas of all proposed open space and the ownership and designation of each area, specifically delineating open space required in Section 13.94 below and the portions of such open space that will be permanently guaranteed for public use, as well as descriptions of major design elements and themes to be incorporated into each space and the types of uses and activities that could be accommodated in each space, including areas that will be designated for programmed uses such as spill- out dining and performance space.

(f)

Ground Floor and Activation Plan — illustrating the conceptual

arrangement of functions such as retail establishments and other active uses, residential and office lobbies, and utility spaces at the ground floor of each building in the Master Plan Area, as well as the locations and anticipated sizes of Active Space, Innovation Space, and Community Space that may be required or incentivized by the specific provisions of this Section 13.90 and strategies for programming and activating those spaces (specifically including a report from a retail specialist describing strategies for recruiting and supporting retail tenants in a manner that will support the requirements and goals of the District).

(g) Housing Plan — providing the approximate number and mix of housing unit types proposed on each residential site, and identifying the anticipated location of dwelling units that may be required or incentivized by specific provisions of this Section 13.90.

(h) Phasing Plan — describing the general sequence in which development is proposed to proceed, and specifically describing how the phasing requirements set forth in this Section 13.90 will be met.

(i) Sustainability Plan – describing: (1) how the sustainability requirements set forth in Section 13.96.4 below will be met; (2) expected greenhouse gas emissions from the development and strategies employed to improve energy

Page 3 of 20 efficiency and support renewable energy production, through individual building design and by utilizing existing or new district-wide energy systems; and (3) expected vulnerability of the development to the effects of climate change, including increased precipitation, flood risk, temperature, and urban heat island effect, and strategies to promote resiliency within individual building sites and at a larger district-wide level, including natural stormwater management systems, increased vegetation and shade, and measures to withstand and recover from extreme climatological events.

(j)

Transportation Plan – incorporating: (1) a Transportation Impact Study