Category: Retail

Revised Squares + Streets Roslindale Square Schedule Announced!

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As some of our readers may have heard, the City’s Planning Department are now projecting the following milestone dates on the Squares  + Streets Roslindale Square small area planning process based on current progress:

  1. Mid-October: Draft Small Area Plan for Roslindale Square study area will be released for public review (45-day comment period). The small area plan is expected to include revised recommendations that integrate public input from the Ideas Reception Survey under the following five categories: Housing+Real Estate, Small Business, Arts+Culture, Open Space, Transportation, and Land Use Framework and Design.
  2. Early November – Draft Zoning Map Amendment released for public review (30-day comment period). The map, which will be drawn based on the public input on the Land Use Framework, will illustrate parcels recommended for rezoning, and the specific Squares+Streets zoning categories recommended to be applied to those parcels.
  3. Early December –  Public comment periods end.
  4. January – BPDA Board votes on the adoption of the Plan and Zoning Map Amendment. 
  5. February/March – (Depending on the outcome of the BPDA Board vote) Zoning Commission votes to add the Zoning Map Amendment into the zoning map for Roslindale.

Here’s a helpful timeline graphic that was provided with the revised schedule:

Squares & Streets Roslindale – Post-Ideas Reception Survey – DEADLINE EXTENDED! NOW WEDNESDAY 31 July 2024!!!

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After the ideas reception at the RCC and a further pop-up in front of the library the day after, the new city planning department has a survey up to gather input and feedback on the initial set of proposals and recommendations. You can find the survey online HERE. Note that the deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED to this coming Wednesday, July 31st! Based on immediate direct experience, the survey will likely take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Good luck!

Three Good News Items for your Tuesday!

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We sometimes have the opportunity to write about actual newsy items happening around our neighborhood and today is such a day as we have 3 good ones for everyone:

  • Sweeties has landed!

We were all sad to see Stephanie Ortiz move out of the area and Jimmie’s exit the square’s retail scene, but our sadness is now somewhat lessened by the arrival of their successors at 46 Corinth Street – Sweeties and their new “delightfully social” ice cream/fruit mix-ins concept. They’ve soft opened in the last few days. Go on down and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed!

  • Rozzidents for More Rozzidents warms our hearts


As part of the pro-housing movement ourselves, we are greatly encouraged by the emergence of “Rozzidents for More Rozzidents” as part of the advocacy ecosystem here in Roslindale. On their facebook page, they describe themselves as “A group advocating for secure, abundant, and affordable housing in Roslindale, Boston, and beyond.” We couldn’t agree more with these sentiments and their buttons and stickers are supercool.

  • We’re tabling! This Saturday – 8 June 2024! At the Farmers Market!

That’s right. Come find us anytime between 9:00 am and 1:30 pm this Saturday in Adams Park (we think; either there or Birch Plaza). We’ll be there with our table, banner, street chalk, and goodies, ready to talk about our mission, activities, and what’s next. Hope to see you there!

Virtual Visioning Session for Squares + Streets – Tomorrow – 7 May 2024 @ 6-8 pm

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

The BPDA will be hosting a virtual visioning session tomorrow night, 7 May 2024, from 6 to 8 pm (Register here). The session parallels last week’s in-person session. BPDA staff describe the session as an opportunity “to collaborate with the community on generating ideas for potential planning and zoning recommendations for the Roslindale Square Squares + Streets Plan. This session will include a summary of existing conditions analysis, feedback received to-date and community visions for different topic areas, as well as hands-on activities to contribute your ideas for potential recommendations.”

More information about the session can be found here.

One day left – Take the Squares + Streets Survey by no later than tomorrow, 29 March 2024!

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Squares + Streets | Boston Planning & Development Agency
Image credit: BPDA.

SURVEY LINK HERE.

Your correspondent just completed it, it’s super easy, offered in Spanish and Haitian Creole as well as English, and well worth about 5 to 10 minutes of your time. Thanks!

Upcoming Squares + Streets Meeting – Hybrid in Spanish – 27 March 2024 @ 6 pm – Menino Center (125 Brookway Rd, Archdale)

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

From the most recent email communication circulated by BPDA on the meeting schedule for Squares + Streets in Roslindale:

La agencia de planificación y desarrollo de Boston organizará una reunión híbrida de Plazas + Calles en español para revisar los objetivos del proyecto, el cronograma del proceso de planificación y participación, y resaltar las oportunidades para participar. Se proporcionarán servicios de traducción para inglés y criollo haitiano. Se ofrecerán refrigerios ligeros y cuidado de niños por orden de llegada.

The BPDA will be hosting a hybrid Spanish language Squares + Streets meeting to review the project goals, the timeline of the planning and engagement process, and highlight opportunities to be involved.

Translation services for English and Haitian Creole will be provided. Light refreshments and childcare will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

NOTE: This meeting will replace the previously scheduled zoning workshop on this date. The BPDA will be leading the first  zoning workshop after the proposed Squares + Streets zoning districts are approved by the Zoning Commission on April 17th. This vote will allow the proposed 6 zoning districts to be put into the zoning code as options to be mapped at a later date during the Roslindale Square Squares + Streets engagement process.

How to Participate

Please register in advance
Join us via Zoom

Squares + Streets Small Area Planning Process for Roslindale Square Starts in Earnest – Office Hours and Visioning Session – 13 March 2024

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

Following the kickoff meeting for Squares + Streets here in Roslindale held on the 24th of last month, the first of the many outreach and input opportunities that will help to define the community vision on which the plan will be built will happen this Wednesday, 13 March 2024, in two parts:

  1. Office hours with BPDA Planning staff at the WorkHub space (downstairs at the Substation, corner of Cummins and Washington) from 10 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 3 pm (pre-registration recommended); and
  2. Roslindale Square Housing and Small Business Visioning Workshop – Roslindale Community Center (the other corner of Cummins and Washington) from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. The BPDA describes this objectives of this session as follows:

“At this event, community members can learn more about current tools the City has to create and preserve housing and support small businesses, how the Squares + Streets Small Area Plan can address current housing and small business challenges in Roslindale, and envision through hands-on activities what Roslindale Square might need for the future to support diverse households and businesses.” [NOTE: Translation services will be available in Spanish and Haitian Creole.]

The small area planning process is upon us. We applaud the BPDA on providing different formats for public input, including on-site office hours, from the outset. Let’s get out there and participate in whatever format makes sense for each of us.

Public Presentation on the new Squares + Streets Initiative – Sunday, 10 December 2023 – 5 pm Upstairs at the Substation

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We’re pleased to announce that, on Sunday, 10 December 2023, at 5 pm at the Substation (Upstairs) in Roslindale Square, we will be hosting a presentation from representatives of the Boston Planning & Development Agency on their recently-launched Squares + Streets planning and zoning initiative. The top-line description of the initiative from the BPDA webpage reads as follows:

Squares + Streets, a new planning and zoning initiative that will focus on housing, public space, arts and culture, and transit in neighborhood centers and along main streets.

We are looking to enhance small areas that are near transit and already provide essential goods and services for local residents, businesses, and visitors.

Squares + Streets will:

  • Focus on housing, public space, cultural amenities, transit assets etc. that reflect the unique needs of each area
  • Develop a number of Small Area Plans in 6–9 month timeframes that are shorter, more intentional, more transparent, and more predictable

This project is meant to complement and support Design Vision and Zoning Reform work.

What are Squares + Streets?

Squares + Streets are centers for activity within a neighborhood. They are often important places of gathering that connect residents to essential goods, transit options, services, and job opportunities.

Planning for Squares + Streets is one of the first steps towards what citywide zoning reform might look like. By focusing on key squares and streets across the city, our goal is to develop high-impact, short-term recommendations for areas that can be implemented through zoning.

Squares and Streets will focus on centers of activity in neighborhoods.
Squares + Streets will focus on centers of activity in neighborhoods.

What are small area plans?

Small Area Plans will zoom in on specific squares and streets throughout Boston’s neighborhoods to make detailed, action-oriented plans. They will focus on the local level and are not neighborhood wide.

Small Area Plans will support housing growth, and provide investment opportunities supported by city services in our neighborhoods.

Once completed, each Small Area Plan will outline near-term implementation actions such as:

  • Modified zoning to support housing and healthy business districts
  • Infrastructure projects to address transportation and public space needs
  • Programs and funding to promote small businesses and arts and culture

Public Meeting 5 Days Right Ahead – Thursday, 9 March 2023 – Return of 4198 Washington Street

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As those who follow this weblog know, WalkUP Roslindale followed this project closely through the public process that unfortunately resulted in an effective ZBA denial in the fall of 2021. (See 2 of our posts below). Now, the owners of the property are thankfully back with a renewed push on redevelopment of this 8,982 square foot site at 4198 – 4206 Washington Street in Roslindale Square. Physically, their proposal hasn’t changed: in place of the existing one-story retail structure, it still calls for construction of a new five (5)-story, mixed-use building containing approximately thirty-one (31) residential units, approximately 6,800 square feet of retail/community theater space, and approximately thirty-eight (38) bicycle storage spaces. The sole change, and it is significant, is that the owners have increased the share of income-restricted residential units from 42% to 61%, such that 19 of the 31 units are committed to be affordable to households earning between 60% and 100% of area median income. Not only is this substantively good on its own and makes an already great project that much better, it is also puts the project into the category of affordable residential developments that the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Executive Order of last fall expressly wants to advance more quickly and efficiently in light of the long-standing housing crisis in our city. In other words, this is exactly the kind of project that the Wu Administration wants to see a lot more of. Its time has come.

You can visit the project’s page on the BPDA website for more information. Most importantly, you can find information on the upcoming public meeting over zoom that is scheduled for this coming Thursday, 9 March 2023, at 6:00 pm. We urge supporters of this worthy proposal to attend the meeting and make your voices heard in support. You can register here.

4198 Washington Street Mixed Use and Affordable Housing Project Rejected by Zoning Board of Appeal Due to Lack of Parking

 

WalkUP Roslindale comment letter on 4198 Washington Street

 

Belgrade/Corinth Building Crashed Into – First Order of Business: Help Building’s Occupants Recover

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

For those who may not have heard yet, a driver crashed their car into the building at the corner of Belgrade Avenue and Corinth Street in Roslindale Square this morning sometime around 8:30-8:45 am. Thankfully, no one inside the building was injured (The Square Root was open, but miraculously missed, and the Sebastian’s space and the adjacent Threading for Beauty business – where the driver actually struck the building – were not open at the time). Per Universal Hub, the driver was taken to the hospital by EMS and the building sustained extensive damage. For now, as UHub reports, the building has been completely evacuated and is off-limits until its overall structural integrity can be confirmed. Whatever happens from here, it seems there will be at least some period where the businesses on both the ground and upper floor will be unable to open and operate. Accordingly, given how respected and appreciated all of the businesses in the building are – especially neighborhood treasure The Square Root – the neighborhood is already coming together and a gofundme to assist all of the building’s businesses in the rebuilding effort has already been created. Just go HERE and give what you can. We’ll circle back as we learn more.