{"id":2203,"date":"2019-06-06T13:09:12","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T17:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/?p=2203"},"modified":"2019-06-06T13:14:20","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T17:14:20","slug":"comment-letter-on-43-lochdale-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/2019\/06\/06\/comment-letter-on-43-lochdale-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Comment letter on 43 Lochdale Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bostonplans.org\/projects\/development-projects\/43-lochdale-road\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2204\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/2019\/06\/06\/comment-letter-on-43-lochdale-road\/43-lochdale-road\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?fit=1003%2C548&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1003,548\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"43 Lochdale Road\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?fit=300%2C164&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?fit=648%2C354&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?resize=251%2C137\" alt=\"43 Lochdale Road Design\" class=\"wp-image-2204\" width=\"251\" height=\"137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?w=1003&amp;ssl=1 1003w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?resize=300%2C164&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?resize=768%2C420&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/43-Lochdale-Road.png?resize=750%2C410&amp;ssl=1 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, we sent <a href=\"http:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/pdf\/2019-06-03 WalkUP Roslindale Comment Letter on 43 Lochdale Road.pdf\">an official comment letter<\/a> to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bostonplans.org\/\">Boston Planning &amp; Development Agency<\/a>, concerning a proposed 36-unit housing development at <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/HUmJjSY9FhoV64qx7\">43 Lochdale Road<\/a>, just a few blocks from the Forest Hills MBTA station. We support this much-needed addition to our housing supply but raise serious concerns about the missed opportunity to advance the highly complementary goals of more affordable housing and less auto-centric development. Our specific concerns are proposed solutions are outlined below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/pdf\/2019-06-03 WalkUP Roslindale Comment Letter on 43 Lochdale Road.pdf\">WalkUP Roslindale Comment Letter on 43 Lochdale Road (PDF)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bostonplans.org\/projects\/development-projects\/43-lochdale-road\">BPDA information page on 43 Lochdale Road development<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>June 3, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BY ELECTRONIC MAIL ONLY (aisling.kerr@boston.gov)<br>Boston Planning &amp; Development Agency<br>One City Hall Square, 9<sup>th<\/sup> Floor<br>Boston, Massachusetts 02201<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attention: Aisling Kerr, Project Manager<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RE:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 43 LOCHDALE ROAD, ROSLINDALE \u2013 SMALL\nPROJECT REVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear Ms. Kerr:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please accept the following comments on\nbehalf of WalkUP Roslindale with respect to the proposed rental residential\ndevelopment at 43 Lochdale Road in Roslindale (the \u201c<strong>Proposed Project<\/strong>\u201d). As set forth in the Small Project Review application,\nthis will be a consequential development project, located under half a mile\nfrom the end of the Orange Line at Forest Hills, and containing, as proposed, 36\nhousing units and 46 off-street parking spaces in a four-story building with a\nmix of 1, 2 and 2+ bedroom units and providing 5 affordable units under the\nBPDA\u2019s Inclusionary Development Policy (\u201c<strong>IDP<\/strong>\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although we generally support the Proposed\nProject, being in favor of production of new housing in our neighborhood, city,\nand region as an integral part of the required response to our surging\npopulation and housing affordability crisis resulting from decades of\nunderbuilding and inequitable patterns of development and housing availability,\nwe have the following concerns, which our members also voiced in person at the\ncommunity meeting this past Tuesday, May 28. Our comments intend to emphasize\nthe importance of addressing both the future of transportation and the need for\nmore affordable housing in every development project that our city considers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Excessive Off-Street Parking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put simply, at 46 spaces, the Proposed Project is egregiously overparked. As a start, the parking ratio should be reduced from 1:1.28 to 1:1 (or lower). Zero off-street parking projects have recently been allowed in Roslindale Square (most recently, the Wallpaper City project at the corner of Poplar and South), and, as noted above, this location is under a half mile (&lt;10 minute walk) from Forest Hills Station (where both the Orange Line and commuter rail have stops) and steps from bus stops serviced by a dozen bus routes. The Proposed Project is likewise minutes away from the start of the Southwest Corridor Bicycle Path, which is a major thoroughfare for cycling commuters.<sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-2203-1' id='fnref-2203-1' onclick='return fdfootnote_show(2203)'>1<\/a><\/sup> All of these sustainable transportation options are complemented by several nearby ZipCar locations and easy access to rideshare services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In light of these ample amenities, excessive\nparking will undeniably waste resources and induce car ownership and car use,\nmoving our neighborhood and our city away from the mode shift and greenhouse\ngas and other air pollution reduction goals to which we have committed in\nGoBoston 2030 and Climate Ready Boston. By devoting more real estate to\nparking, we practically guarantee more cars in the neighborhood.&nbsp; By contrast, reducing off-street parking will\nhave direct positive implications on affordability, which is the next issue\nthat we raised at the community meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Housing Affordability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a rough cut, assuming a standard parking\nspace takes up about 162 square feet (9\u2019 x 18\u2019), a reduction of even just ten\n(10) spaces would allow for an additional 1620 square feet of living area. We\nwould expect that area to be split into 2 additional units, which we would\nrecommend be added to the affordable unit count. We also note that community\nmembers from the Housing Justice task force of Roslindale is for Everyone (\u201c<strong>RISE<\/strong>\u201d) spoke at the community meeting\nand were particularly focused on increasing both the percentage of affordable\nunits in the Proposed Project and the level of affordability offered beyond\nwhat the IDP would otherwise require (13% of total units and 70% of area median\nincome). We support RISE Housing Justice on both of these requests. The\nProposed Project is located in a part of our neighborhood where household\nincomes are lower than average and competition for scarce and increasingly\nexpensive housing (there has been almost no new housing constructed in this\narea for the last several decades) is displacing our most vulnerable neighbors.\nWe can and should do more as a city to make sure that everyone who wants to\nmake their home here is able to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With available parking thus reduced to below\na 1 to 1 ratio, the Proposed Project would also be an especially appropriate\nproject on which to un-bundle the parking from the units, so that households\nthat do not need off-street parking can avoid that cost instead of having it\nincluded in their unit regardless. By contrast, if the parking spaces remained\nbundled with the units, car-free families will be less likely to live in this\ndevelopment, since they would be paying a premium for an amenity they do not\nneed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Green Building<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the Proposed Project has dropped\nbelow the Large Project Review threshold and is technically required to meet\nonly building code-based energy efficiency and green building requirements\n(albeit at the city\u2019s \u201cStretch Code\u201d level, which produces a 10% improvement\nover the otherwise applicable standards), we would request that the BPDA\nrequire the Proposed Project to exceed those standards and approach Net\nZero\/Zero Plus\/LEED Gold-Platinum standards. If our city is truly serious about\nthe climate crisis, all new buildings will need to be much more efficient in\ntheir use of energy. There is no more time to wait to start this effort on a\ncitywide basis, and we would like to see this happen in this neighborhood now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Roslindale Gateway Path\/Blackwell\nPath Extension at Arboretum Road<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We understand and appreciate that the\ndeveloper is being required to install a new crosswalk and curb extension at\nWashington Street and Lochdale Road. In much the same vein, the developer\nshould also be required to assist financially with ongoing efforts around the\nRoslindale Gateway Path\/Arboretum Road archway and entrance as this will be a\nsignificant amenity for residents of the development and the broader\nsurrounding neighborhood. Funds are still being assembled for the first phase\nof the path\u2019s extension, running from the current end of the Blackwell Path to\nArboretum Road, and a significant contribution for this effort would be an\nexcellent way for this Proposed Project to bring value and increased\naccessibility to its own backyard immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In closing, we wish\nto reiterate our overall support for the Proposed Project, while especially\nemphasizing our call to reduce the off-street parking count and repurpose the\nspace saved to increase the number and level of affordability for the\naffordable units. Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely yours,<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><p>Benjamin Bruno<\/p>\nResident @ 27 Colgate Road, Roslindale, on behalf of the WalkUP Roslindale Steering Group<br>\nRicardo Austrich, Resident @ 843 South Street, Roslindale<br>\nLisa Beatman, Resident @ 180 Mount Hope Street, Roslindale<br>\nRachel Blumberg, Resident @ 15 Newburg Street, Apt. 2, Roslindale<br>\nLucy Bullock-Sieger, Resident @ 33 Brookdale Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tSteve Gag, Resident @ 631 South Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tLiz Graham-Meredith, Resident @ 6 Crandall Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tMatthew Lawlor, Resident @ 15 Basto Terrace, Roslindale<br>\nMargaux Leonard, Resident @ 35 Harding Road, Roslindale<br>\n\tMandana Moshtaghi, Resident @ 12 Arborough Road, Roslindale<br>\n\tRobert Orthman, Resident @ 31 Mendelssohn Street, #2, Roslindale<br>\nRebecca Phillips, Resident @ 10 Tappan Street, Roslindale<br>\nAdam Rogoff, Resident @ 28 Ashfield Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tAdam Rosi-Kessel, Resident @ 36 Taft Hill Terrace, Roslindale<br>\n\tRachele Rosi-Kessel, Resident @ 36 Taft Hill Terrace, Roslindale<br>\n\tLaura Smeaton, Resident @ 61 Cornell Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tMark Tedrow, Resident @ 169 Sycamore Street, Apt. 1, Roslindale<br>\n\tMarc Theiss, Resident @ 55 Prospect Avenue, Roslindale<br>\n\tGreg Tobin, Resident @ 1 Sheldon Street, Roslindale<br>\n\tNick Ward, Resident @ 35 Harding Road, Roslindale<br>\n\tAlan Wright, Resident @ 98 Birch Street, Roslindale<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About WalkUP Roslindale<br> <\/strong>WalkUP Roslindale, which takes its name from the international movement to foster \u201cWalkable Urban Places,\u201d is a collaborative group of residents dedicated to making Roslindale the most walkable neighborhood in Boston. We advocate for a dynamic, livable streetscape and we support positive changes to our public and private built environment that strengthen walkability and other forms of active mobility as means toward better personal and public health, safety, social capital, economic development, and environmental sustainability. We are led by a steering group of about thirty residents and have nearly 1,000 additional supporters. More information about WalkUP Roslindale and our initiatives can be found at www.walkuproslindale.org. We recognize that no single group of people can be said to speak for our entire neighborhood \u2013 instead, please take these comments as representing the collective support of our steering group members (indicated below) resulting from our mission and principles.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class='footnotes' id='footnotes-2203'><div class='footnotedivider'><\/div><ol><li id='fn-2203-1'> A City of Boston survey counted an average of well over 2,000 cyclists per day on this path in 2017; the number has surely grown since then with the completion of the cycling improvements at Forest Hills as part of the Casey\/Arborway project. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.gov\/departments\/boston-bikes\/bike-data\/2017-boston-bicycle-counts\">https:\/\/www.boston.gov\/departments\/boston-bikes\/bike-data\/2017-boston-bicycle-counts<\/a>. <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-2203-1'>&#8617;<\/a><\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, we sent an official comment letter to the Boston Planning &amp; Development Agency, concerning a proposed 36-unit housing development at 43 Lochdale Road, just a few blocks from the Forest Hills MBTA station. We support this much-needed addition to our housing supply but raise serious concerns about the missed opportunity to advance the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[324,166,19,53,149],"class_list":["post-2203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-housing","tag-43-lochdale-road","tag-comment-letters","tag-housing","tag-parking","tag-public-comment"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6X5no-zx","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2203"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2209,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions\/2209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkuproslindale.org\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}