Q&A
Building height trade-offs and development scenarios
2:44:41
·
3 min
Council Member Farías asks about the trade-offs between building height and different development scenarios. The representative explains the benefits of allowing greater height to create a more ideal development program.
- Higher buildings allow for more affordable housing units (about 80 more)
- Taller, narrower buildings create better connectivity and avoid a 'wall' effect along Tremont Avenue
- The goal is to create a safer, more engaging environment along Tremont Avenue
Amanda Farías
2:44:41
Okay.
2:44:42
Just wanna make that clear for the record, for the residents watching.
2:44:46
Parking garage will still exist and so will the spots.
2:44:51
I was pleased to host multiple community engagement sessions last fall in the spring to inform my community about the bronze mentioned north rezoning.
2:44:59
And this site specifically, 1 of the major discussion points regarding purchaser Roger's site remains height.
2:45:05
Can you speak about the trade offs between height and different development scenarios you may be pursuing?
UNKNOWN
2:45:12
But we spend a lot of time analyzing the existing 175 versus what we think brings in a more ideal development program to to Tremont Avenue.
2:45:22
And in in order to incorporate parking, retail, and housing within the existing 175 envelope, the max we could do is about 60, 000 square feet less.
2:45:39
So that's maybe 80, 80 units of affordable housing less.
2:45:43
And that would create this massive block where we have complete connectivity along the 765 feet of frontage on Tremont Avenue.
2:45:53
The concern that we have under that is it creates what they are currently even higher.
2:45:59
Right?
2:46:00
So and it creates this block you know, of wall 765 feet long along Tremont Avenue with 0 connectivity.
2:46:08
This has always been.
2:46:10
You know, we've been in Parkchester for 25 years, you know.
2:46:13
This has been a very uninviting area along Tremont Avenue.
2:46:18
People don't like walking there at night.
2:46:20
It's not a it's it's kind of a scary place to be, and that's even with our police force operating, you know, their camera systems right there within within the block.
2:46:30
And so our intent is to create a development that creates connectivity between Parkchester, creates a good access point across Tremont Avenue to access to train station and creates, you know, I would say, liveliness and engagement on the street through retail offerings and, you know, the connectivity of the housing and the parking.
2:46:53
So, you know, we wanna create a site, a safe, secure, engaging environment.
2:46:58
Along that portion of Tremont Avenue.
2:47:00
And we think the end result is a good plan, quality development there will be good for the in to Parkchester through increased values of their own investment in their condominium units there.
Amanda Farías
2:47:13
I appreciate that answer.
2:47:14
I think for both of the developments that we are looking at for the progesterone community what we don't want.
2:47:20
And I think what people are worried about is the creation of a separation of.
2:47:25
And I think if we are not looking at development that's has open space, that breaks up buildings, that creates pathways, which then creates lighting, and creates walkable streets.
2:47:36
That's how we end up with a distinctive, like, delegation of who's actually being put into what place, and I definitely don't want that for the community, so I appreciate that context.
