After years of planning and discussion, development on the site of the Riverside T station parking lot is officially on the docket. Tonight (7:00 at City Hall) is probably the most significant Land Use committee public hearing since the failed Stop & Shop effort many moons ago. The Board of Aldermen will now have 90 days to decide whether to permit the MBTA and its chosen developer to build office space, residences, retail, and parking garages where now sits a surface parking lot. Documents related to the proposal are on the city web site.
The good news: there has been lots of public process and lots of opportunity to provide feedback on the developers different iterations. The bad news, if you’re not a fan of the proposal: the developers plans are pretty well set. If history is any guide, there won’t be significant changes to the design during the special permit process.
The city and the developer could make a change that would radically transform the site — for the good: require that any parking on the site be provided on the same terms to any comers. If there’s free parking for building tenants, free parking for anyone. If there’s a monthly rate for building tenants, that monthly rate for anyone.
@Sean, thank you for publicizing tonight’s public hearing.
I want to let people know up front that I will not entertain a motion to close the public hearing tonight, which will allow further public comment the next time we meet until the public hearing is closed. In addition, the 90 days does not begin to run until the public hearing is closed. So if you would rather watch the Tigers clobber the Yankees or tune in to the presidential debate tonight on TV, don’t worry, you will have another opportunity to weigh in on this important project.
Working sessions will be scheduled to discuss specific aspects of the project, such as the site plan, traffic, parking, open space, pedestrian and bicycle mobility, infrastructure, etc. I expect that we will need between four and six working sessions just to review and discuss all of the ins and outs of this project. We will be taking our time and doing a thorough job so I would not expect to vote on this project in committee until late December or early January at the earliest. So there will be plenty of time for people to get their comments to the Board of Aldermen for our consideration.
To keep up to date on all of this, please check out the Special Permit webpage, the planning department’s Riverside Information webpage, and follow the Land Use Committee on Twitter.