Winter Hill Plaza

7/25/2019 Winter Hill Plaza

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Produced by:

Daniel Camilletti

Lucas Conwell

Rayn Riel

Green Urban Design

Christine Cousineau

UEP 264 Fall 2015

Tufts University


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Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables 3

Executive Summary 5

I. Introduction 5

II. Site Description 5

Existing Conditions 5

Site History 14

Zoning 15

Demographics 20

III. Analysis 24

Challenges and Opportunities 25

Retail Inventory 32

IV. Urban Design Principles 34

Urban Design Goals 34

Precedents 37

V. Program of Uses 42

VI. Proposed Design 50

VII. Implementation 68

VIII. LEED-ND Credits 71

References 73


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Figures and Tables

FiguresFigure 1. Panoramic photograph taken from Broadway. 5

Figure 2A. Direct view of the site from Broadway. 6

Figure 2B. Panoramic rendering from Broadway. 6

Figure 2C. Rendering of overhead view from Broadway. 6

Figure 2D. Auto-oriented entrance and fence. 7

Figure 2E. Entrance driveway. 7

Figure 2F. Parcel map with site outlined in red. 8

Figure 2G. Aerial view with site outlined in red. 8Figure 2H. Walgreens and Winter Hill Bank. 9

Figure 2I. Abandoned Italian restaurant. 9

Figure 3. Ample parking. 10

Figure 4. Break area. 10

Figure 5. North end of parking lot with trees 11

Figure 6. Mature trees behind restaurant. 11

Figure 7. Fences blocking pedestrian access. 11

Figure 8. Fence along Heath Street. 12

Figure 9. Surrounding blocks 12

Figure 10. Quarter and half-mile radii around site. 13

Figure 11. Winter Hill Plazas proximity to nearby attractions. 14

Figure 12. Winter Hill in the 1960s. 15

Figure 13. Somerville 2010 Zoning Map. 15

Figure 14. Close-up of the surrounding neighborhoods zoning 16

Figure 15. Close-up of the zoning of our site and abutting properties. 16

Figure 16. Somerville Zoning Transition Requirements. 18

Figure 17. Household type. 20

Figure 18. Age distribution. 21

Figure 19. Race. 21

Figure 20. Poverty. 22

Figure 21. Education. 22

Figure 22. Commute modal split. 23

Figure 23. Issues Map. 24

Figure 24: Axonometric of existing site. 24

Figure 25. The empty parking lot on the northern part of the site. 25

Figure 26. Planned Green Line Extension 26Figure 27. Depth of site available for redevelopment. 27


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4Figure 28. Existing public spaces in Winter Hill. 27

Figure 29. Boston skyline views from the ground. 28

Figure 30. View corridor from fourth floor. 28

Figure 31. Mature trees in courtyard space. 29Figure 32: 315 Broadway construction site. 29

Figure 33. Multi-family wood-frame residential buildings abutting our site. 30

Figure 34. Apartment buildings to the west and east of the site, on Broadway. 30

Figure 35. Triple-deckers behind the site. 31

Figure 36. Broadway corridor looking east. 31

Figure 37. Broadway corridor looking west. 31

Figure 38. Flatiron Public Plaza, New York City. 37

Figure 39. Davis Square Plaza, Somerville, MA. 38

Figure 40. Elfreths Alley, Philadelphia. 38

Figure 41. 1601 Mariposa plaza and mid-block pedestrian walkway. 39

Figure 42. Trolley Square, Cambridge, MA. 40

Figure 43. 315 Broadway. 40

Figure 44. Assembly Row, Somerville, MA. 41

Figure 45. Two-family house at 40 Cameron Ave., Somerville. 41

Figure 46. Artists for Humanity Rooftop. 42

Figure 47. Site Plan. 43

Figure 48. Retail bays - ground floor only. 46

Figure 49. Site Plan. 50

Figures 50-78. Design renderings generated using SketchUp. 51

Figure 79. Feasibility analysis word cloud. 68

Figure 80. City of Somerville Zoning Application and Review Process. 70

Figure 81. LEED Checklist. 71

Tables

Table 1. Dimensional Table 19Table 2. Parking: RB Zone 19

Table 3. Parking: CCD-45 Zone 20

Table 4. Median Household Income 22

Table 5. Parking Required 48

Table 6. Program of Uses 49


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Executive Summary

Winter Hill Plaza, in Somerville, Massachusetts, has the potential to be radically transformed

into a dense, mixed-use cluster of housing, retail, and office space. The Plaza would be acommunity hub and a creative space, with office space, retail space, and affordable housing,

and would respect and connect the sites residential neighbors, revitalize the Broadway

corridor, and assist in place-making efforts by providing much-needed public space in the

neighborhood. Green roofs and solar panels would reduce the environmental impact of the

development. Our design would also help to bridge the gap between communities by offering

enhanced access to affordable housing, jobs, and retail, thereby enhancing socioeconomic

mobility. The socioeconomic, political, environmental, and physical opportunities are endless

for Broadway and for Winter Hill Plaza.

I. IntroductionLocated at 343 Broadway, along a busy commercial corridor in the City of Somerville, the

1.7-acre Winter Hall Plaza is long overdue for redevelopment. The redesign team began its

process with site visits and observations, ArcGIS visualization of zoning, and graphic design

work in Adobe Illustrator. The team proceeded to produce an issues map identifying

opportunities and challenges. Thereafter, the design team conducted extensive and

intensive research, sifting through newspaper and journal articles, planning reports,

presentations, studies, and Google Earth in order to gain an understanding of the sites

context, as well as possibilities for redevelopment. Moreover, Social Explorer, licensed by

Tufts University, further facilitated the analysis of U.S. Census data on surrounding blockgroups. And, finally, the team developed models in SketchUp.

This report begins with a site description,which includes photos, zoning, and demographic

information. Next, the analysissection details the challenges and opportunities associated

with the site, as well as the retail located in the neighborhood. The report continues by

explaining the teams urban design goals as well as examples of design precedents. Finally,

the report lays out the proposed program of uses, design, implementation process, and

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)

accreditation. The design team is confident that 343 Broadway can be redesigned for the

21stcentury in order to fuel the dense and dynamic growth of Broadway.

II. Site DescriptionExisting Conditions

Figure 1. Panoramic photograph taken from the southwest corner of the site on Broadway (Photo

credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)


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Figure 2A. Direct view of the site from Broadway. (Source: Google Street View.)

Figure 2B. Panoramic rendering from Broadway. (Source: Google Earth.)

Figure 2C. Rendering of overhead view from Broadway. (Source: Google Earth.)


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Winter Hill Plaza is a 1.7-acre commercial property at 343 Broadway in Somerville, MA.

Broadway is a busy commercial artery oriented to vehicular traffic. The Broadway edge of

the site is blocked off by a wrought-iron fence, except for three driveways, and even these

entrances and exits are vehicle-oriented, thus making it relatively dangerous for pedestriansand bicyclists (see Fig. 2A). The sidewalk along this stretch of Broadway is relatively narrow

and uninviting; moreover, while the center of Broadway is lined with trees, there are no trees

along the sidewalk, which would provide shade and improve the pedestrian experience.

There are also no bike racks available on the sidewalk or the site.

Figure 2D. Auto-oriented entrance and wrought-iron fence blocking access, as seen from Broadway.

(Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)

Figure 2E. Entrance driveway with makeshift bike racks. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October2015.)


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The Walgreens/Winter Hill Bank building is a typical one-story strip mall-type structure with

mostly blank outer walls; a sidewalk below a roof overhang on its southern edge is the only

pedestrian accommodation on the site. Though its current building is not historic, Winter Hill

Bank is a longstanding local company, having been founded in Somerville in 1909.

Figure 2H. Walgreens and Winter Hill Bank buildings, as seen from Broadway. (Photo credit: DanielCamilletti, October 2015.)

Figure 2I. Closed Italian restaurant. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)

Parking lots occupy almost all non-building space on the site, including the area between the

buildings and Broadway, the narrower neck connecting the southern and northern portions

of the site, and the north parcel fronting Heath St. The 90+ parking spaces available are

rarely even half occupied, and the site has few trees or other vegetation to counterbalance

the large stretches of asphalt.


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Figure 3. Ample parking in neck (left) and in north overflow lot along Heath St. (right). (Photo credi t:

Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)

The site currently includes three stands of trees, which we intend to preserve. Along theeastern edge, a small green space lies behind five large evergreens, which form a visual and

sound barrier from adjoining properties. This small space currently serves as an outdoor

break area for Walgreens employees. Second, along Heath Street to the north, stands of

trees, both on our site and on the sidewalk, create a pleasant, shaded streetscape, and

reduce the urban heat island effect. Finally, along the western edge of the site, a row of trees

behind the restaurant forms a buffer between our site and the western residential sites.

Figure 4. Grassy break area. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)


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Figure 5. North end of parking lot with mature trees along Heath St. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti,

October 2015.)

Figure 6. Mature trees behind restaurant, on western edge of site. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti,

October 2015.)

Except along Broadway, the site is bordered by high embankments, walls, and fences, which

completely block access to and from the surrounding residential neighborhood, as well as

between the residential areas to the north of the site and the Broadway corridor,

substantially increasing the walking distances to potential pedestrian destinations.

Figure 7. Fences blocking pedestrian access on the north side of Walgreens. (Photo credit: Daniel

Camilletti, October 2015.)


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Figure 8. Fence along Heath Street in sites northwest corner. (Photo credit: Lucas Conwell, October2015.)

At around 528 feet from Fenwick Street to Langmaid Avenue, the block on which our site

stands is much longer than other blocks in this area of Somerville; our sites location in the

middle of this block makes it a natural location for a pedestrian addition to the street grid.

Figure 9. Surrounding blocks (Current Walgreens on site is marked.) (Source: Google Maps.)


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There are many attractions, restaurants, and retail options within a 10-15 minute walking

radius (see Retail Inventory). Retail, food and beverage establishments, as well as services,

cluster along Broadway in both directions, along Medford Street to the southwest, and

around Magoun Square, half a mile to the west along Broadway.

Figure 10. Quarter and half-mile radii around site. (Source: Google Maps.)

In particular, Assembly Row, a booming transit-oriented development, is located about half a

mile or a 16 minute walk away from Winter Hill Plaza; our site does not abut any square or

activity node, except for the commercial corridor of Broadway. Nevertheless, our site is in a

strategic location because it is infill, mixed-use, in a relatively calm and quiet neighborhood,

and yet gives residents access to 18-hour environments such as Assembly Row.


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Figure 11. Winter Hill Plazas proximity to nearby attractions (i.e. Assembly Row). (Source: Google

Maps.)

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) 89 bus stops adjacent to the site

on Broadway as frequently as every 5-7 minutes during peak hours, providing easy access

to destinations farther afield, including the Orange Line at Sullivan Square, as well as East

Somerville, Ball Square, Davis Square, Tufts University, and Clarendon Hill at the western

end of Somerville. No rail transit is within reasonable walking distance of the site, but the

planned Green Line station at Gilman Square will be 0.4 miles away. And while Broadway

hosts a substantial amount of bike traffic and provides a natural east-west route through thecity, the stretch of the street in Winter Hill includes no bike lanes of any sort.

However, while the site is surrounded by a variety of commercial establishments, there are

very few public spaces within a half mile of the site; both green open space such as parks

and built public spaces, such as plazas, are within short supply in the Winter Hill

neighborhood. Residents do, however, have access to Foss Park (.37 miles to the east

along Broadway) and Trum Field (.56 miles to the west along Broadway), but these open

spaces serve primarily as ball fields and not as public parks where residents linger.

Residents thus have few third spaces in which to congregate, apart from the narrow

sidewalk along busy Broadway and local retail and restaurants.

Site History

Little information about Winter Hill Plazas history is publicly available. Winter Hill Bank was

originally founded in Somerville in 1909, but the current structure on site is clearly much

newer. The development of the surrounding neighborhood and the Broadway corridor has

mirrored trends in neighborhoods throughout the United States. Beginning in the mid-20th

century, automobilization took public spaces away from pedestrians. Sidewalks were

narrowed, entire plazas were removed, streetcars were sacked, and automobiles paved the

way forward.


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Figure 12. Winter Hill in the 1960s. (Source: Bobby Martini and WBUR Boston NPR,

http://radioboston.wbur.org/2011/03/02/citizen-somerville.)

Zoning

The 56,575 square foot (1.3-acre) south portion of Winter Hill Plaza, facing Broadway, falls

under the Commercial Corridor District 45 (CCD-45) zone, while the 18,200 square foot (.4-

acre) northern portion on Heath Street is zoned Residential B (RB).

Figure 13. Somerville Zoning Map, 2010. (Source: Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and

Community Development (OSPCD),

http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/ZoningMapColor2010-03.pdf.)


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Figure 14. Close-up of the zoning of the surrounding of the surrounding neighborhoods zoning1

(Source: Somerville OSPCD, Zoning Map


Figure 15. Close-up of the zoning of our site and abutting properties: CCD-45 and Residential (RB

and RC) Districts2(Source: Somerville OSPCD, Zoning Map


1Somerville Planning Division, City of Somerville, Massachusetts: Zoning Map.2Ibid.


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A. CCD-45

Commercial corridor zoning first appeared in Somerville's zoning ordinance in 2009, and

was adopted for the Broadway corridor in 2010. CCD zoning represents a sizable leap in the

direction of a form-based code and seeks to promote mid-rise, neighborhood-serving mixed-use development in transportation corridors with robust transit service and high pedestrian

and bike traffic. Ideally, this development would promote community economic development

by revitalizing stagnant retail corridors such as Broadway, reducing car use, eliminating car-

oriented land uses, and incentivizing the creation of housing and jobs, all whilst being in line

with SomerVision goals.3

Thus, rather than micromanaging specific land uses, CCD zoning defines 11 use clusters

and allows all except for the industrial cluster. However, almost any substantial amount of

any use cluster requires a special permit with site plan review, giving the city control over the

final set of uses. In addition, the generous floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.5 enables largerdevelopments but is impossible to reach because of the 45 height limit.4

At the same time, however, CCD zoning seeks to shield existing residential neighborhoods

from encroachment, and prevent major shifts in neighborhood character. The zoning code

does so by incorporating strict design guidelines, providing strict guidance on building form

attributes ranging from massing to ground floor facades to signage.5The CCD-45 zoning

also has development controls (see Table 1) limiting building heights to 45 feet in order to

encourage development proportional to the width of Broadway and the rest of the

neighborhood.6A height limit of 35 feet within 35 feet of residential property lines adjacent to

the CCD as well as a 20 foot setback from these property lines, the first 10 feet of whichmust be vegetation, ensure a smooth transition from residential areas7. These provisions

affect the entire western and northern borders of Winter Hill Plaza site, which abut

Residential C and Residential B zones, respectively.

3Glavin, Memorandum: Proposed Zoning Amendment Item 195235: That the Zoning Ordinance IsHerebyAmended by Changing All CCD 55 Zoning Districts in Ward 3 to CCD 45.; Ostberg,Broadway Zoning Modifications Pass.4Glavin, Memorandum: Proposed Zoning Amendment Item 195235: That the Zoning Ordinance IsHereby Amended by Changing All CCD 55 Zoning Districts in Ward 3 to CCD 45; Municode.com,Somerville, Massachusetts - Zoning Ordinances.5DiIorio et al., Planning Staff Recommendation Proposed Zoning Amendment; Glavin,Memorandum: Proposed Zoning Amendment Item 195235: That the Zoning Ordinance Is Hereby

Amended by Changing All CCD 55 Zoning Districts in Ward 3 to CCD 45.6Ostberg, Broadway Zoning Modifications Pass.7Municode.com, Somerville, Massachusetts - Zoning Ordinances.


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Figure 16. Somerville Zoning Transition Requirements between Commercial Corridor Districts (CCD)

and Residential Districts. (Source: OSPCD 2012, p. 4.

http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/PorterSquareFAQuestions1-6-2012.pdf)

Finally, CCD-45 zoning requires that 12.5% of residential units be affordable. While CCD

zoning does mandate minimum amounts of parking for each use (see Table 3), the code

also provides an opportunity for payments in lieu of required parking in hopes of encouraging

taller buildings and pedestrian-friendly uses. The code also requires minimum amounts of

bicycle parking, once again based on the amount of each use on site.8

B. Residential B

Residential B zoning mirrors the typical residential-only zones found in cities across the

country. This zone limits development to no more than three-family residential dwelling units

per parcel, as well as certain community uses such as nursing homes, community centers,

libraries, educational buildings, and religious facilities of limited size. The ordinance does,

however, allow the establishment of more than three dwelling units on a lot through a special

permit, with site plan review, if 12.5% are affordable.

Furthermore, the RB zone imposes dimensional requirements (see Table 1). Lots cannot

exceed a floor area ratio of 1 or buildings a height of three stories (40). Front yards must be

at least 15 feet deep, backyards at least 20 feet deep, and side yards at least 10 feet wide. 9

8Glavin, Memorandum: Proposed Zoning Amendment Item 195235: Tha t the Zoning Ordinance IsHereby Amended by Changing All CCD 55 Zoning Districts in Ward 3 to CCD 45; Lamboy, RezoningBroadway: Winter Hill to East Somerville - Joint Public Hearing Land Use Committee of the Board of

Aldermen and Somerville Planning Board; Municode.com, Somerville, Massachusetts - ZoningOrdinances; OSPCD - Broadway: Winter Hill to East Somerville.9Municode.com, Somerville, Massachusetts - Zoning Ordinances.
http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/PorterSquareFAQuestions1-6-2012.pdfhttp://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/PorterSquareFAQuestions1-6-2012.pdfhttp://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/PorterSquareFAQuestions1-6-2012.pdfhttp://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/PorterSquareFAQuestions1-6-2012.pdf


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C. Surrounding zoning

Residential C (RC) zoning abuts the western edge of the CCD portion of our site; RC is a

zone similar to RB that allows more mixed-use development by right. Lots across Broadwayon the south side are also CCD-45, while the eastern edge of the CCD portion of the site is

zoned CCD-55, which is almost identical to CCD-45 but allows for a maximum height of 55

feet. Finally, the residential neighborhood surrounding the RB portion of Winter Hill Plaza lot

is logically also zoned RB.10

Table 1. Dimensional Requirements Compared, CCD-45 and RB Zoning Districts(Source: Somerville

Zoning Code, https://www.municode.com/library/ma/somerville/codes/zoning_ordinances.)

Dimensional Requirement CCD-45 Residential B

Minimum lot area/dwelling unit 750 sq ft 1,500 sq ft

Maximum ground coverage (%) 80 50

Landscaped area, min. % of lot 10 25

FAR (maximum) 2.5 1

Maximum height 45 feet 40 feet and 3 stories

Minimum front yard N/A 15 feet

Minimum side yard N/A 10 feet

Minimum rear yard N/A 20 feet

Minimum frontage 50 feet 30 feet

Table 2. Parking: RB Zone(Source: Somerville Zoning Code,

https://www.municode.com/library/ma/somerville/codes/zoning_ordinances.)

Use Parking Requirement

Residential single and

multi-family dwellings

1 space per studio unit, 1.5 per 1-2 bedroom unit, 2 per 3+

bedroom unit AND 1 visitor space for every 6 units

10Municode.com, Somerville, Massachusetts - Zoning Ordinances.


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Table 3. Parking: CCD-45 Zone (Source: Somerville Zoning Code,


Use Cluster Parking Requirement*

AOffice / R & D Use 1 per 800 NSF

BSmall Retail and Service (< 1,500 NSF) 1 per 1500 NSF

CMedium Retail and Service (1,500-10,000 NSF) 1 per 800 NSF

DEating and Drinking 1 per 400 NSF

EResidential 1 per unit

*With the approval of the SPGA, the applicant may make either a cash payment in lieu of providing the requiredparking, or a partial cash payment combined with a partial provision of the required vehicle or bicycle parking.11(font 9, single line spacing)

Demographics

Compared to the City of Somerville as a whole, the neighborhood around Winter Hill Plaza

has more family households, is more diverse, lower income, and less educated. This report

defines the neighborhood as all census block groups which intersect a circle with a mile

radius centered at Winter Hill Plaza site; this area is approximately that within a half-mile

radius around the site. All data comes from the American Community Survey 2013 5 Year

Estimates.12

Family households make up 58% of all households in the surrounding neighborhood,

compared to only 45% citywide. Accordingly, only 35% of neighborhood residents are age

18 to 34, but fully 46% of Somerville residents fall into this student and young adult age

bracket. Older adults and children, on the other hand, are overrepresented in the

surrounding neighborhood. Thus, Winter Hill Plaza area does not seem to be as gentrified as

other Somerville neighborhoods.

Figure 17. Household type. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)

11Municode.com, Somerville, Massachusetts - Zoning Ordinances.12Social Explorer, American Community Survey 2013 5 Year Estimates.


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Figure 18. Age distribution. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)

Winter Hill not only has more families but is also more diverse. Whites make up 69% of

surrounding neighborhood residents, a share that is 8 percentage points below that of the

Citys. Notably, African Americans make up twice as large a share of neighborhood residents

as in the city overall.

Figure 19. Race. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)


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The surrounding neighborhood's median household income, at $55,641, falls around

$12,000 below the corresponding figure for Somerville. Accordingly, around 19% of

neighborhood residents live in households with incomes below the poverty line, compared to

roughly 15% citywide.

Table 4. Median Household Income (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)

Surrounding

neighborhoodSomerville

Median household

income$55,641 $67,118

Figure 20. Poverty. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)

Education levels in the neighborhood surrounding our site also fall below citywide averages;

only 35% of neighborhood residents have a college degree, a percentage that is fully 18

percentage points higher in Somerville as a whole.

Figure 21. Education. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)


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Housing costs generally reflect these income and education differentials. Tenure choice

mirrors that in the city as a whole, as about two-thirds of households rent in both, but the

median home value of $342,987 is 22% lower than the citywide median, and the median

gross rent of $1,257 falls 11% below the citywide figure. These lower prices mean housing in

the area is no more affordable than in the city as a whole, relative to residents' incomes inboth the surrounding neighborhood and the city, the median renter household spends just

under a third of its income on rent.

Finally, likely owing to the lack of nearby rail transit, the Winter Hill Plaza neighborhood

relies much more heavily on cars. 73% of neighborhood commuters drive alone or carpool,

while only 50% of Somerville commuters do so. The public transportation share is one third

lower in the neighborhood; furthermore, relative to the city averages, a neighborhood

commuter is only half as likely to walk to work and one fifth as likely to bike to work.

Figure 22. Commute modal split. (Source: 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates.)

In proposing the redevelopment of Winter Hill Plaza site, we seek to, on the one hand,

preserve the family-oriented, diverse, mixed-income character of the neighborhood, and on

the other hand, reduce the share of residents driving alone to work by encouraging the use

of alternative, more sustainable modes.


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III. Analysis

Figure 23. Issues Map.

Figure 24: Birds eye viewof existing site. (Source: Bing Maps.)

Nearby Development


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Challenges

Lack of pedestrian access through the site and poor circulation

Steep embankments on most sides of the site impede easy access, and the edges notblocked by embankments are currently fenced off. The annexed parcel to the north of the

site is a parking lot that tends to be vacant, probably because it served the now-closed

restaurant and is walled off from Heath Street by a wooden fence. Residents and

pedestrians coming from the north are therefore unable to access the site and the

surrounding Broadway commercial area.

Auto-oriented streetscape

The site contains over 90 spaces for automobiles, most of which usually stand empty. The

entrances from the bare, treeless sidewalk on Broadway are car-oriented driveways, and theinterior of the site contains few sidewalks and no bike racks.

Broadway is a busy four-lane arterial road, but the only nearby crosswalk is located at the

signaled intersection of Broadway and School St. at the southeastern corner of the site.

Even these crosswalks are poorly marked and do not provide a pedestrian median, despite

Broadways width. The all-walk traffic signals force pedestrians to endure excessive wait

times, contributing to the frequency of jaywalking and creating an unsafe situation for all road

users. In addition, Broadway contains no bike lane of any kind.

Figure 25. The empty parking lot on the northern part of the site is fenced off from the adjoining

residential neighborhood on Heath Street. (Source: Google Street View.)

Split zoning and unusual shape

Our site is composed of parcels that are zoned for commercial uses along Broadway, and

residential uses along Heath Street. While the commercial (CCD-45) zoning on the southern

part of the site on Broadway encourages larger mixed-use developments, the Residential B

zoning in the northern part on Heath Street restricts development to three-story residential

complexes. The sites wedges further impede circulation; the narrow neck and offset

between the southern and northern portions of the site make the design of larger buildingsmore complicated.


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Distance to rail transit

If the Green Line Extension is built, it will not be as close to Winter Hill Plaza as other

neighborhoods served by stations in the railroad right-of-way further south, including Ball

Square, Lowell Street, and Gilman Square. At 0.4 miles, the Gilman Sq. station will be theclosest and will be within realistic walking distance. Nevertheless, 0.4 miles is not close

enough for this site to serve as a transit-oriented development.

Figure 26. Planned Green Line Extension (Source: MassDOT,

http://greenlineextension.eot.state.ma.us/documents/about/ProposedMap/projectMap.pdf)

Sloping grade

Our site is on Winter Hill, and the hill slopes downward towards the east. This grade

complicates designs, especially plans for larger, multi-story buildings.

Uninviting public space

Our site has two entrances from Broadway for vehicles, and the rest of the sidewalk is

blocked off from the site by a fence. The large amount of asphalt on site, as well as the lack

of greenery, make the space uninviting to pedestrians, wasting a valuable, centrally located

neighborhood open space. All of this asphalt also contributes to poor rainwater

management.

Opportunities

Site size and pedestrian connection

At 1.7 acres, Winter Hill Plaza offers sufficient size to build multiple buildings as well as

public open space. In addition, the fact that it fronts on both Broadway and Heath St. will

allow the redeveloped site to serve as a connection between the Broadway commercial

corridor and the surrounding residential neighborhood, improving access for residents and

increasing the amount of foot traffic passing by the retail onsite.


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Figure 27. Depth of site available for redevelopment. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015)

Need for public spaces in the neighborhood

The surrounding neighborhood contains few public spaces of any kind apart from sidewalks.

Area residents have no plazas, non-ballfield parks, or other public third places where

neighbors could congregate,13build community, spend time outdoors, or satiate their

biophilic need for contact with the natural world. Combined with Somervilles high residential

density and the large amount of vehicular traffic traveling along Broadway and to or from I-

93, the lack of public spaces detracts from the livability of the neighborhood and residents

quality of life. This lack of public space, however, gives the Winter Hill Plaza redevelopment

the opportunity to build a public open space that will serve as a focal point for the

neighborhood. Such a public space would surely be well used since it would not have to

compete with existing parks and plazas; adding open space with ample trees and other

natural elements would thus fill a critical niche in the area and markedly improve the urban

quality of life.

Figure 28. Existing public spaces in Winter Hill. (Source: Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community

Plan, http://web.mit.edu/11.360/www/WinterHill12.pdf.)

13MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.


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Views

The site offers sweeping views of the Boston skyline even from the ground floor, so

apartments and offices facing the city will command a rent premium. These views might help

attract tenants in this otherwise less-trafficked area, and the higher rents for penthouseapartments could subsidize affordable housing in other parts of the development.

Figure 29. Boston skyline views from the ground. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015)

Figure 30. View corridor from fourth floor. (Source: Google Earth.)


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Existing trees and courtyard

The employee break courtyard in the northeastern corner of the site contains five mature

pine trees and currently serves as a pleasant respite from the traffic and noise along

Broadway. This space, which is sandwiched between a neighboring brick apartment buildingand the Walgreens, will be preserved in the new design. The site also has stand of mature

trees on the western edge of the current parking lot as well as along the northern edge

adjacent to Heath Street.

Figure 31. Mature trees in courtyard space. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015)

Business mix

The surrounding area plays host to a large number of banks and convenience stores, in

particular, but is missing restaurants, coffee shops, and a variety of other business types

(see Retail Inventory). Thus, the retail on this site will be able to fill a unique niche,

complementing an existing commercial cluster without facing direct competition.

Nearby mixed-use development at 315 Broadway

To the east of the site, on the same side of Broadway, a mixed-use development which will

contain 4 retail bays and 46 apartments is currently under construction.14This development

will complement the Winter Hill Plaza site redevelopment, adding to the vibrancy of the

neighborhood and increasing onsite retail businesses customer base.15

Figure 32: 315 Broadway construction site. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015)

14Planning Staff Report: 315 Broadway / 18 Temple St15Gibbs, Urban Retail Planning Principles for Traditional Neighborhoods.


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Surrounding apartment buildings

Four apartment buildings on adjacent properties anchor the four corners of our site. Three

story wood-frame apartment buildings are abutting the site along Heath St. A 1960s four-

story apartment building sits at the western edge on Broadway, while a four-and-a-half storybrick apartment building abuts the site to the east along Broadway. Because the latter is a

late 19th/early 20th century structure, with taller ceiling heights than in later buildings and a

substantial parapet, its height is above 50 feet, taller than our proposed development. The

mass and height of these existing buildings allow the structures on Winter Hill Plaza site to

be built taller and larger without disrupting the character of the neighborhood and the

Broadway corridor.

Figure 33. Multi-family wood-frame residential buildings abut our site on the east and west alongHeath Street. (Source: Google Street Views.)

Figure 34. Apartment buildings to the west and east of the site, on Broadway. (Source, left image:

Google Street Views; Photo credit, right image: Daniel Camilletti, October 2015.)


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Figure 35. Triple-deckers behind the site along Heath St. (Photo credit: Daniel Camilletti, October

2015.)

Location in Broadway corridorBroadway already functions as a major arterial route through the City of Somerville, hosting

large amounts of car and bus traffic. This commercial location will increase sales at retail on

the site by allowing shoppers to link errands and by increasing spontaneous shopping

stops.16In addition, this site, together with the nearby new development at 315 Broadway,

could serve as the catalyst for transit improvements in the corridor, improving transit access

for office workers as well as residents. For trips without a transit alternative, residents and

office workers will have easy access to a major east-west thoroughfare.

Figure 36. Broadway corridor looking east. (Source: Google Street Views.)

Figure 37. Broadway corridor looking west. (Source: Google Street Views.)

16Gibbs, Urban Retail Planning Principles for Traditional Neighborhoods.


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Proximity to existing activity centers

Winter Hill Plaza is located between Union Square and Assembly Row, and so will be able to

benefit from traffic to these existing destinations while allowing residents and office workers

to conveniently access surrounding commercial districts. The site could also draw retailbusinesses and firms looking for office space who are unable to afford the higher rents in the

aforementioned districts and in Kendall Square.17

Planning history

To date, no professional planning studies of Winter Hill Plaza have been conducted, and

there has been virtually no public discussion in the media or elsewhere about the possibility

of redeveloping the site.A student team from MITs Department of Urban Studies and

Planning did, however, complete a planning study of the entire neighborhood entitled Winter

Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan in 2012.The Plan emphasizes the revitalizationand diversification of the retail mix in the Broadway corridor, the improvement of the areas

public realm, and the encouragement of walking, biking, and transit use.18

Retail Inventory

Most of the retail inventory and needs in this section is based on that Community Plan.19

A. Existing businesses

Virtually all businesses within mile of Winter Hill Plaza site (see Figure 10, Quarter-mile

radius) fall into one of eight categories.

Convenience stores

The quarter-mile radius around Winter Hill Plaza currently hosts more than enough

convenience stores and their equivalents, including M & M Convenience, 350 Food Mart,

Broadway Dollar, Winter Hill Market, and Taj Mahal Desi Bazaar, Shivalic Food and Spice,

Bostonian Convenience II, Sky Braz Store, Online Foods, and Pearl Street Market.

Pharmacies

Similarly, pharmacies are oversupplied in the current retail mix, as a Walgreen's occupies

Winter Hill Plaza site and a RiteAid is located just 0.1 mile to the east. However, theWalgreen's would likely be eliminated in our redevelopment.

Laundry

The neighborhood does not need more laundromats or dry cleaners, as four Mystic Tailors

and Cleaners, Spin Cycle Laundromat, City Line Laundromat, and Skyline Cleaning Co.

are already located within a quarter mile of the site.

17MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.18

Ibid.19Ibid.


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Banks

Financial institutions amply serve the area, as the neighborhood hosts two branches of

Winter Hill Bank (one onsite) and a nearby Citizens Bank.

CosmeticNo less than seven hair salonsMaryom Hair Design, Mr. James Coiffeur, Mabell's Hair

Salon, Goodfellas Barber Shop, Elegance Hair Design, Curlz & Cutz, and Fran Danies Hair

Designas well as four beauty salonsDisol, Tang Nail Salon, Lourdes Beauty Salon, and

Paris Nailprovide cosmetic services.

Liquor

The quarter-mile radius neighborhood also contains two liquor stores, Winter Hill Liquor Mart

and TT Ocean Liquors.

Technology storesMetroPCS sells cell phones and plans, while a nearby Game Connection provides electronic

gaming items.

Informal/takeout food

Three of the informal Italian counter/takeout restaurants so common in Somerville occupy

sites within a quarter mile of Winter Hill Plaza, including Mama Lisa Pizza House, Leone's

Sub and Pizza, and Alfredo's Italian Kitchen. The Winter Hill Bakery, Falafel Place, and New

Dragon Star offer the same type of inexpensive, quick food.

B. Needs

Overall, the Community Plan calls for attracting businesses that increase the area's daytime

population in order to create a customer base for existing businesses. Uses that draw in

external customers as well as Destination businesses, which serve as more than mere

stop-offs in residents' daily routines, should be prioritized.20

Full-service grocery

The Community Plan underscores the need for a full-service grocery store in the

neighborhood;21given that the city plans to attract such a store to the former Star Market site

less than mi. east of Winter Hill Plaza on Broadway, a large, full-service grocery store

would not be appropriate for the Winter Hill Plaza site.

Medical

Currently, Highland Dental Associates provides the only medical service in the

neighborhood; given a desire among community members to attract businesses that would

bring in customers daily and generate foot traffic, a medical practice could help increase the

daytime population of the neighborhood.22

20

Ibid.21Ibid.22Ibid.


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Sit-down restaurants and bars

The Community Plan also calls for sit-down restaurants and bars to balance the many

takeout-style restaurants in the area, as such recreational uses serve as destinations

rather than simply quick stops.23

Arts-related businesses

Studio spaces for artists, as are found in Inman Square, Union Square, and Brickbottom,

could meet excess demand for such spaces in Somerville and attract diverse users and

customers.24Galleries could adjoin such studio spaces.

Recreational activity centers

The Community Plan cites health centers and yoga studios as examples of the type of

destination use that could draw diverse flows of residents to the Winter Hill neighborhood.25

Bookstores and other unique local shopsResident comments during the Community Plan process emphasized the need for stores

where...residents [can] buy a pair of sneakers, [a] book, birthday present, food? Residents

did note, however, that the shops should remain affordable to area residents. 26

Coffee shops

The neighborhood lacks any kind of casual hangout space, and coffee shops could

facilitate social as well as business meetings and co-working, turning the neighborhood into

more of a destination and less of a mere transportation corridor.

IV. Urban Design Principles

Urban Design Goals

Establish a connection between residential neighborhoods and Broadway

Currently, residents of the neighborhood north of Broadway cannot directly access Winter

Hill Plaza. Neither can they access Broadway itself, except through the side streets of

Fenwick Street and Langmaid Avenue, which are 528 feet (.1 mile) apart from each other.

An ideal block length between vehicular streets ranges from 600 to 800 feet, but needs

additional pedestrian connections through the block along that length. As an example, theCity of Portland, OR, requires a maximum block length of 530 feet, with pedestrian

connections every 200 to 330 feet. Likewise, best practices in urban design hold that the

ideal perimeter of a block should be 1,600 feet; the block that encompasses Winter Hill

Plaza is 1,936 feet (Broadway, Fenwick Street, Heath Street, and Langmaid Avenue).

Our pedestrian street concept will create a publicly accessible pedestrian and bike path

between Heath St. and Broadway, making the pedestrian grid more permeable and thus

promoting walking trips in line with the SomerVision goal of increasing trips by sustainable

23Ibid.24

Ibid.25Ibid.26Ibid.p. 50.


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modes.27Improving access throughout the neighborhood will also help revitalize the

Broadway corridor and increase foot traffic, a goal cited in the Winter Hill Community Plan.28

Smoothly transition to adjacent residential properties

The site will transition from four-story mixed-use buildings along Broadway to more modestrow houses adjacent to Heath Street, smoothing the border between the commercial

development along Broadway and the residential areas to the north. The passageway

through the site will mirror this transition, morphing from an open, bustling plaza to an

intimate pedestrian street adjacent to the row houses. In order to make our four-story

buildings blend with the scale of adjacent residential properties on each side, the east

facade of the east building and the west facade of the west building will taper to three stories

within 35 feet of the property line, while the row houses on the north portion of the site will be

three stories in height. In addition, 20-foot setbacks and side yards along the residential

property lines will shield adjacent houses; bioswales will ring the edges of the site and

provide a green, aesthetically pleasing transition.

Encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation

Building a dense mixed-use development comprising office, residential, and retail space

adjacent to a frequent MBTA bus line will increase the number of destinations accessible by

non-auto modes, expand the customer base for bus service, and enable trip-chaining. In

addition, the plaza will provide a pleasant environment for pedestrian trips by adding a sense

of enclosure to the streetscape.29These measures will move Somerville closer to its goal of

shifting half of all new trips to sustainable modes30and support the Somerville

Comprehensive Plan's vision of a pedestrian-friendly, transit-rich neighborhood.

Create a pleasant public realm for the enjoyment of all area residents

Residents of the neighborhood frequently bemoan the lack of public space, so Winter Hill

Plaza development will implement the Community Plan's vision of frequent, small-scale

public spaces in the form of a pedestrian plaza which could eventually anchor the proposed

Broadway Linear Park.31The plaza's landscaping and seating opportunitieswhich will have

a first-rate view of the Boston skylinewill create a community gathering space, while the

buildings' distinctive architecture and form will enhance the neighborhood's identity. Though

relatively small in size, the plaza will create a vibrant neighborhood center and third place,

bringing Somerville closer to achieving 125 new acres of publicly accessible open space by

2030.32In addition, trees and landscaping will incorporate the biophilic elements so vital to

physical and mental health in dense urban neighborhoods.33

27SomerVision Comprehensive Plan | 2010-2030.28MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.29Campoli, Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form.30SomerVision Comprehensive Plan | 2010-2030.31MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.32

MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.; SomerVision Comprehensive Plan | 2010-2030.33Beatley, Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning.


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Create a hub of commercial activity

Retail will occupy the ground floors of both four-story buildings, thus contributing to the

economic development of the Broadway commercial corridor, adding local jobs, and

decreasing the need for local residents to drive.34The development will seek to encourage

neighborhood-oriented businesses, advancing the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan'svision of community-serving commercial growth. Our commercial node will also help

Somerville channel 85% of development into transformative areas and move towards its

goal of adding 30,000 new local jobs.35

Provide a sense of definition and enclosure along Broadway

Building two four-story buildings which partially front on Broadway will balance the wide

roadway with appropriate height in order to provide pedestrians and bicyclists on the street

with a sense of enclosure and an edge.36By thus improving the pedestrian experience, the

redevelopment will increase pedestrian traffic in the area and encourage the use of

sustainable, non-auto modes of transportation.

Improve the jobs-housing balance in the neighborhood

The paucity of in-city employment forces most Somerville residents to commute to

neighboring cities,37increasing their likelihood of driving to work. Both SomerVision and the

Winter Hill Community Plan seek to encourage the creation of local jobs, not only to increase

the city's tax base but also to provide a market base for local businesses. Accordingly,

Winter Hill Plaza will provide space for approximately 200 jobs.

Establish a vibrant, dense, affordable residential community

Winter Hill Plaza will accommodate three floors of apartments above retail and a further

three floors in the residential-only structures on Heath Street. Rooftop and third-floorterraces on the east and west building setbacks will provide spaces for community

gatherings, while the density will ensure that these public spaces as well as the plaza remain

well-used and lively. The more expensive units with views of Boston will subsidize 20% of

the units to make them affordable, thus increasing the housing supply in line with

SomerVision goals and decreasing pressure on the housing market while ensuring a

diversity of incomes in the units.38The Community Plan also encourages this typology.

Minimize environmental impact through the use of green infrastructure

Green roofs on the east and west buildings and bioswales along the site edges will not only

improve human health

39

but will also filter and retain storm water,

40

insulate the buildings,and sequester carbon.41By absorbing more rainwater and retaining stormwater on site, the

development will reduce flooding and minimize the incidence of the combined sewer

overflows that plague the neighborhood.42

34Campoli, Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form.35SomerVision Comprehensive Plan| 2010-2030.36Sussman and Hollander. 2015. Cognitive Architecture.37MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan 38SomerVision Comprehensive Plan | 2010-2030.39Beatley, Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning.40What Is Green Infrastructure?41

Beatley, Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning.42MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.


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Precedents

While the design team does not expect Winter Hill Plaza to ever be as dense and dynamic

as Midtown Manhattan, we are nonetheless inspired by the NYC Department of

Transportation which has been reclaiming public spaces for pedestrians. These pedestrianplazas, such as the Flatiron Public Plaza, create pleasant third places where the public can

relax at tables and take in the urban atmosphere. Potted plants and trees add to the visual

appeal of the Flatiron Plaza and satisfy the human biophilic tendencies - the public space

adds to the livability of the urban environment and facilitates community interaction. Our

design attempts to create this same kind of respite from the bustle and traffic of the urban

environment, building a public plaza where the public sits down and stays rather than simply

passing through.

Figure 38. Flatiron Public Plaza, New York City(Source: Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership,

http://www.flatirondistrict.nyc/bid-programs/public-improvements.)

Our site will also arguably not receive as much pedestrian traffic as the Davis Square Plaza,

but the pedestrian street design will mirror this existing pedestrian connector. Our pedestrian

street will knit together the surrounding residential neighborhood and the Broadway corridor,

much as the Davis Square Plaza links Herbert St. and Elm St. with a vibrant pedestrian

corridor lined with retail and food/beverage establishments.


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Figure 39. Davis Square Plaza, Somerville, MA. (Source: Google Street View)

ElfrethsAlley, an intimate pedestrian street in Philadelphia lined with row houses, provides a

precedent for the northern half of our developments pedestrian connector street. Elfreths

row houses provide clear edges and create a pedestrian-scale space, while design details

and vegetation make the walkway aesthetically pleasing. Elfreth also provides a pedestrian

connection in the middle of a block, improving neighborhood connectivity.43

Figure 40. Elfreths Alley, Philadelphia. (Source: Wikipedia,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfreth%27s_Alley)

43Elfreths Alley, Wikipedia.


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A mixed-use development currently under construction at 1601 Mariposa in San Francisco

combines a public plaza lined with greenery with a pedestrian connector that, like Elfreths

Alley, improves mid-block access and makes the street grid more walkable.44Our

development will include a similarly enclosed, green public plaza with tables and chairs to

facilitate informal hanging out and street life. We also seek to emulate the gradualtransition from the open plaza to the more enclosed, intimate pedestrian street lined with

residences.

Figure 41. 1601 Mariposa plaza and mid-block pedestrian walkway. (Source: David Baker Architects,

http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/182/1601%20Mariposa.html.)

Trolley Square in North Cambridge, MA, is a 100 percent affordable mixed-use

development;45the mixing of restaurant uses with affordable housing as well as the four-

story height and density serve as precedents for our design concept. In addition, many of the

units in the development have direct entrances from the sidewalk on Mass. Ave., an

arrangement which makes the units feel less cramped and increases the appeal of

apartment living. This duplex-style arrangement will be mirrored in our design.

441601 Mariposa, David Baker Architects.45Trolley Square, Cambridge, MA, Davis Square Architects.


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Figure 42. Trolley Square, Cambridge, MAMixed use development. (Source: Davis Square

Architects, http://davissquarearchitects.com/project/trolley-square-cambridge-ma)

The mixed-use development currently under construction at 315 Broadway, two lots to the

east of our site, will contain 46 apartments as well as 4 ground floor retail bays along

Broadway.46Our development seeks to emulate this mixture of uses; the height and mass of

the future building at 315 Broadway also set a precedent for larger buildings in the

neighborhood.

Figure 43. 315 Broadway (2 lots to the east along Broadway).(Source: City of Somerville,http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/315-Broadway_Somerville_2013-03-04.pdf)

Nearby Assembly Row serves as a precedent because it mixes a variety of retail, restaurant,

and commercial uses in a dense cluster with multiple five story buildings. Assembly is also

notable for its vibrant, very visually appealing public plazas that include a variety of outdoor

seating as well as trees; our development seeks to create public spaces of equally high

quality.

46Planning Staff Report: 315 Broadway / 18 Temple St


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Figure 44. Assembly Row, Somerville, MA. (Source: The Boston Calendar,

http://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/assemblyrowjobfair)

The design of our modern row houses takes its inspiration from the modern two-family home

at 40 Cameron Ave. in Somerville, which, though new, echoes the design of the historic

multi-family houses in the city.

Figure 45. Two-family house at 40 Cameron Ave., Somerville. (Source: Coldwell Banker Homes,

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ma/somerville/40-cameron-ave/pid_5226470/.)


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Our row houses will also have solar panels, taking inspiration from Artists for Humanity in

Boston.

Figure 46. Artists for Humanity Rooftop. (Photo credit by Rayn Riel.)

V. Program of UsesThe proposed Winter Hill Plaza development consists of three buildings: the West Building,

the East Building, and the Northwest Building. The West Building will be built on a footprint

of 13,432 gross square feet (GSF); the first through third floors will occupy the entire

footprint, while the fourth floor will occupy only the 6,456 GSF closest to Broadway and be

set back on the western side by 15 feet in order to comply with CCD zoning requirements of

transition to adjacent residential neighborhoods.

The East Building will occupy a footprint of 16,758 GSF; the first three floors will once again

occupy the entire footprint, and the fourth floor will be set back by 15 feet from the eastern

edge along its entire length. A pedestrian plaza will occupy the space between the East andWest buildings, and rooftop terraces as well as terraces on fourth floors in the space created

by the setbacks will add to the open space available on site. A parking garage under the

East Building will provide 55 parking spaces.

Finally, the Northwest building will occupy a footprint of 3,211 GSF and will be composed

entirely of 3-story duplex row houses.

This design achieves an FAR of 0.97 on the Residential B portion of the site, just below the

maximum allowable FAR of 1 for that zoning district. The FAR on the CCD-45 portion of the

site is 1.66, below the limit of 2.5.


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Figure 47. Site PlanRooftop View.

A. Residential

The West Building contains residential units on the north portion of the first floor as well as

the entire second, third, and fourth floors 3,664 NSF on the first floor, 10,074 NSF on the

second and third floors, and 4,842 NSF on the fourth floor. The units in the south four-story

portion of the West Building (the southern 8,062 GSF of the footprint) will be arranged in a

double-loaded corridor pattern, although the arrangement will be irregular due to the

buildings shape. This design will allow 5 double-loaded corridor units on the second as well

as on the third floors (6,045 NSF per floor) and then 4 units on the fourth floor (4,842 NSF),

for a total of 14 double-loaded corridor units in the West Building. Units on the east-facing

side of the higher floors will have panoramic views of the Boston skyline.

The north portion - the northernmost 5,371 GSF of the footprint - of the West Building will be

only 3 stories high and will consist of 6 duplex row-houses, for a total of 12 units. These units

occupy 3,664 NSF on the first floor and 4,028 NSF on the second and third floors. Two


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apartments will be spread over three floors in each of the mostly4720 by 40 row houses.

This building will front both on the sites pedestrian street and on Heath Street, mirroring the

triple-deckers along the rest of the street and linking our development with the residential

neighborhood north of the site. These mostly three- and four-bedroom units of the north

portion of the West Building will each have their own entrance from the outside, a porch, anda backyard shared with the other units, as is the case for historic triple-deckers. This

arrangement will appeal to families who seek larger units and private outdoor space for

children, as well as those who seek a dense but less urban feel.

The East Building will also contain 8 double-loaded corridor apartments (8,505 NSF) on the

fourth floor, once again capitalizing on the superb view of the Boston skyline that this site

affords.

Finally, the Northwest Building will mirror the row house portion of the West Building with

four three-story row houses, housing a total of 8 duplex row house units in 4 row houses -this arrangement takes up 2,408 NSF per floor.

These 42 housing units are the key to mixed-use development; the residential density on site

will provide vitality and foot traffic on site, support high quality transit, allow residents to avoid

driving by accomplishing many tasks on site and at adjacent commercial establishments,

and provide a natural customer base for the retail on site and in the surrounding

neighborhood.48In addition, 7 3-bedroom units (17%) will be deeded as permanently

affordable. The skyline views of the east-facing fourth floor apartments on both buildings will

in turn command rents adequate to subsidize the affordable portion of the development. The

development will also include a high proportion of three-bedroom unitsthe exact numberwill be negotiated with the developer based on current market trends in order to provide for

and preserve the family-oriented character of the neighborhood.

B. Office

The East Building will host two floors of office space14,245 NSF on the second and third

floors. The Community Plan identifies artist studio space, co-working spaces, and smaller

flexible office space, targeted at startups and small businesses49as particularly effective in

increasing the level and diversity of foot traffic as well as the daytime population. In addition,

the Plan suggests that Magoun Square and Winter H ill could leverage their proximity todowntown Boston to eventually attract innovation economy businesses that are priced out

of other areas like Kendall Square.50All of these office types would provide a clientele for

retail and local businesses both on- and offsite, rectifying a critical problem in the

neighborhood.51To boot, employees would have the opportunity of living onsite or in

adjacent residential neighborhoods, encouraging pedestrian trips to work.

47Only the southernmost row house in the West Building is larger than 20 by 40.48MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.; Campoli, Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form.49MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan

2012, p. 52.50Ibid., p. 5251Ibid.


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On average, offices require 176 square feet per employee, although startups sometimes

provide as little as 120 sq. feet per worker.52This development aims to maximize the positive

impact of the office space on foot traffic and sales at neighborhood retail by offering a mix of

flexible office arrangements to attract start-ups and smaller high technology firms, as

suggested by the Community Plan, and so, assuming the smaller office size typical for theindustry, the allocated office space could likely accommodate around 200 employees at

roughly 140 NSF/employee on 28,489 NSF of office space in total.

Thus, the two floors of office space in the East Building could be occupied by several

medium-sized startups such as the charity auction website BiddingForGood (45 employees)

or the mobile app analytics firm Localytics (80 employees)or 10+ small startups, such as

the athletic event photo company Gameface Media (14 employees) and indoor lighting

technology producer ByteLight (13 employees).53One floor could also host a membership-

based coworking space such as Workbar.54

C. Retail

The West Building's ground floor contains 6,852 NSF of retail in the front half, while the East

Building's ground floor can accommodate 14,245 NSF thereof. All retail will occupy plaza

and street-facing bays, thereby providing an active facade to attract pedestrians and add

variety to the pedestrian experience, encouraging walking, biking, and transit trips and

increasing foot traffic to other businesses in the area. Naturally, the onsite retail will enable

the onsite residents and office workers to accomplish more tasks on footeven those who

do not live on site could accomplish multiple tasks at once and so avoid driving to access

several far-flung destinations.55

At 21,097 NSF, this retail complex will serve as a convenience center these centers

require 2,000 households in their trade area, and the critical quarter-mile radius that defines

a walkable area around Winter Hill Plaza contains roughly 2,870 households.56The

pedestrian street on our site will provide direct pedestrian access from surrounding

residential neighborhoods, and the site's location on a major transportation artery makes it

suitable for such a convenience center. Establishing the next larger type of retail center, the

neighborhood center, would make littlesense, however, as a new grocery store is already

planned on the nearby former Star Market site.57

52Barron, As Office Space Shrinks, So Does Privacy for Workers. 53Castellanos and Harris, Whos Hiring in Tech Right Now (list). 54http://workbar.com55Campoli, Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form.; Farr, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban

Design with Nature.56Social Explorer, American Community Survey 2013 5 Year Estimates. 57Gibbs, Urban Retail Planning Principles for Traditional Neighborhoods.


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Figure 48. Retail Bays - Ground Floor Only.

More specifically, the West Building will ideally contain an independent coffee shop similar in

size to a Dunn Brothers Coffee, which are willing to locate in urban areas (1,600 NSF), a

Buffalo Exchange second hand shop (3,000 NSF), and a neighborhood pub (2,252 NSF).58

As detailed in the Retail Inventory, the coffee shop will provide a casual gathering space and

draw residents to linger in Winter Hill Plaza, while the bar will be a destination in and of itself,

keeping the plaza lively well into the night, inviting shoppers to linger in the neighborhood,

and generating traffic for other area businesses, thereby establishing the neighborhood as

more of a destination than a pass through. The office workers would provide happy hour

business for the pub as well as a steady stream of customers for the coffee shop during the

week. Buffalo Exchange will fill the critical need identified by residents for local shops to buy

a variety of itemsincorporating a second-hand shop guarantees that the products will

remain affordable.

58Ulane, How to Start Your Own Successful Bar.


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The East Building, then, will contain a larger, ideally locally-owned restaurant, similar in size

to a Ruby Tuesday (5,000 NSF) as well as a smaller 100-seat family restaurant (2,500

NSF)59both will complement the pub and compensate for the current lack of sit-down

dining in the area, establishing Winter Hill as an evening destination for a night out office

workers would patronize the establishments for lunch, while residents and visitors wouldprovide a dinner customer base. In turn, the restaurants would draw greater levels of foot

traffic well into the night, helping to revitalize existing businesses in a self-reinforcing cycle.60

In addition, this building would feature a Basics Plus general home goods store (1,000 NSF),

a brand which prefers high-traffic locations near office and residential buildings such as

Winter Hill Plaza, and a medium-sized independent bookstore (3,700 NSF),61both of which

would add everyday shopping options which are currently missing from the neighborhood

and which would allow residents and office workers to make more local shopping trips on

foot. Finally, an Anytime Fitness 24/7 fitness studio would round out (2,045 NSF) the

building, providing a recreational destination that would benefit office workers, area

residents, and patrons of surrounding retailand draw continuous foot traffic to the area.62

Together, these retail establishments would form a retail cluster and increase other

businesses' sales, spontaneous visits, and customer base in a virtuous cycle.63

D. Open Space

Fourth floor terraces on each building will provide ample open space for residents and office

workers (1,605 SF in the West Building, 5,417 SF in the East Building), while rooftop

terraces with green roofs will add even more semi-private exterior space (6,456 SF on the

East Building, 11,340 on the East Building). The green roofs and plants in these spaces willpromote physical and mental health while filtering stormwater, insulating the buildings, and

sequestering carbon.64

Most importantly, the plaza and pedestrian street between the two buildings will add a public

third place to the neighborhood, creating a vibrant space for community life which will also

reinforce community and neighborhood identity. In addition to its connective function, the

intimately-scaled pedestrian street will smooth the transition from the sites busy, open plaza

to the residential neighborhood. Bioswales along the edges of the site and landscaping in

the plaza will improve livability by fulfilling humans' biophilic needs.65

59Robson, Small Wonder: The Case for Smaller Restaurants and How to Maximize Them.60MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan2012.61Benz, So You Want to Open a Bookstore.62Franchise Chatters Top Fitness Franchises of 2012.63Gibbs, Urban Retail Planning Principles for Traditional Neighborhoods.64What Is Green Infrastructure?; Beatley, Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design andPlanning.65

Beatley, Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning; MIT Department ofUrban Studies and Planning, Winter Hill and Magoun Square Community Plan 2012; SomerVisionComprehensive Plan | 2010-2030.


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E. Parking

Winter Hill Plaza will provide 16,758 GSF of parking in a garage under the East Building.

The zoning conditions and uses proposed above would require roughly 132 parking spaces

in total. However, the garage will only provide 55 spaces, utilizing the CCD option to pay apayment in lieu of parking for the remaining 77 required spaces.

As this dense mixed-use development adjacent to an MBTA bus stop should eliminate many

of the auto trips taken by residents of other parts of Somerville, as detailed in previous

sections,66this reduction in parking seems justified. Removing parking will in and of itself

encourage mode shift by making car ownership more costly,67and parking spaces will be

sold separately from units to manage demand, thus aligning with this project's urban design

goals.

Table 5. Parking Required (Source: Somerville Zoning Code,


Use Cluster (CCD-45) Parking Requirement NSF proposed Spaces required

AOffice / R & D Use 1 per 800 NSF 28489 36

BSmall Retail and

Service (< 1,500 NSF)

1 per 1500 NSF 1000 1

CMedium Retail and

Service (1,500-10,000NSF)

1 per 800 NSF 8745 11

DEating and Drinking 1 per 400 NSF 11352 29

EResidential 1 per unit 23 units 23

RB Use Parking Requirement NSF proposed Spaces required

Multifamily residential 1 space per studio

unit, 1.5 per 1-2

bedroom unit, 2 per 3+

bedroom unit, AND 1

visitor space for every

6 units

19 units ~ 32 #

TOTAL SPACES REQUIRED: 132

# - assuming average of non-visitor 1.5 spaces per unit

66Campoli, Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form.67Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking.


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Table 6. Program of Uses


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VI. Proposed Design

IntroductionOur plan adds boldly designed, mixed-use buildings and inviting public spaces to a

neglected corner of Winter Hill while considering the sites context and boundaries. The

pedestrian experience is a paramount component of our design; we seek to promote

walkability and interconnect the mixed uses at the location through well-planned circulation.

Green infrastructure plays a vital role. Along the edges, bioswales will be built and trees will

be planted, and green roofs will top our buildings.

Our site is divided into two environments: the southern half is a lively mixed-use node,

anchored by a large pedestrian plaza. The southern half of the West Building and the entire

East Building are four-story mixed-use buildings, completing this urban cluster. Anappropriately-scaled pedestrian street connects the mixed-use cluster to the surrounding

neighborhood as well as to the northern half of the site, which is more residential in

character and features two sets of duplex row houses: the Northwest Building as well as the

northern half of the West Building.

Figure 49. Site Plan.


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Overview

Figures 50-78. Design renderings generated using SketchUp.

The plaza serves as an extension of the sidewalk and a lively urban public space, while the

pedestrian street connects commercial Broadway to residential Heath Street and itsneighborhood.

The four-story southern portion of West Building houses an independent coffee shop, a

Buffalo Exchange, and a neighborhood pub on the ground floor; the upper three floors are

occupied by double-loaded corridor residential units.

The western side of our site includes a bioswale corridor lined with trees - some of which will

be preserved existing mature trees - and rooftop terraces with green roof elements for

residences on the second, third, and fourth floors of the western building. The western side

of the West Building incorporates walls and windows rather than all glass walls for privacy,and some units have small individual balconies on this side.


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Consistent with the transition requirements of Somervilles zoning, our buildings are set back

from adjoining residential properties; the four-story portions of each building step down to

three stories within 35 feet of the residential property lines in order to avoid overwhelming

adjacent smaller buildings.

The northern part of the West Building as well as the completely separate Northwest

Building are composed of two-family row houses, which mirror Somervilles historic multi-

family houses. The West Buildings row houses are oriented towards the pedestrian street,

while the Northwest Buildings row houses are oriented towards a separate, smaller

pedestrian walkway. Both sets share a yard in between the two rows.


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Our buildings are all playfully tinted with colorful gold and light blue. Commercial uses have

gold and light blue glass, while residential uses have gold and light blue paint. The color

scheme is intended to lighten up New Englands typically gloomy days and nights.

Our East Building, which has the best views of Boston, hosts retail on the ground floor, office

space on the second and third floor, and double-loaded corridor residential units on the

fourth floor. The building has a large terrace on the fourth floor for residences, and a larger

rooftop terrace open to residents and office workers; both terraces will help maximize the

value of our market-rate units. The existing pine trees are also preserved along our eastern

bioswale corridor.


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Our underground garage provides 55 spaces which serve all onsite offices, retail, and

apartments. The entrance is on the easternmost portion of Broadway, because it is thelowest elevation on the site, sloping downwards towards Boston.

Pedestrian access

Bus passengers will be enticed to get off and shop at Winter Hill Plaza, with clear and

inviting views of ample seating and green spaces.


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Ample street trees and lighting are placed along Broadway. The East Building, on the right,

as well as the southern portion of the West Building, on the left, reach four stories; their bold

all-glass facades on the plaza side give the space a clear architectural identity that is simpleand cohesive, and their curved facades simultaneously funnel and invite pedestrians into the

interior of the development.

Plaza


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The plaza, the centerpiece of our site, funnels circulation and access throughout the

complex. The plaza has seating ledges, benches, movable tables, and chairs, and is flexible

in order to promote creativity and attract various users throughout the day. The plaza will

serve as the center for the community of office workers in the East Building and residencesin the West Building. Local residents will often simply wish to meet at the plaza, finding

each other along the fountain.

Indeed, the Winter Hill neighborhood desperately needs more public open space; since our

plaza will meet this critical need for a third place, it will likely be well-used, forming an

attractive neighborhood center. Trees, flowers, and bushes in raised beds add a much-

needed natural element, providing shade and satisfying humans biophilic need for contact

with nature. Simultaneously, the curved four-story facades on either side provide an edge, a

critical sense of enclosure that will make the plaza a pleasant place to relax rather than an

empty, windswept expanse.

During the winter, the plaza will be heated with portable heaters, and during the summer,

breezes will circulate through the area due to the buildings aerodynamic design. It will be

activated by retail open throughout the day and evening, and by the residencies and office

workers.


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A bioswale barrier separates our plaza from the rest of the sidewalk, providing an edge to

make pedestrians feel more comfortable in the plaza. Benches and tables in the alcoves

created by the bioswale and raised flower beds provide a natural respite that nevertheless

remains close to the action.

Trees in the plaza give the space an almost park-like feel and provide a visual separation

from the vehicle traffic on Broadway.


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Lighting streams down from the glass buildings and onto the plaza, which has movable

chairs and tables in order to allow for various functions to be held throughout the day. The

curved facades facilitate the transition from an open plaza adjacent to the four-story mixed-

use buildings to a narrower, more intimate pedestrian street that connects the plaza to Heath

Street.

Pedestrian Street


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The pedestrian street serves as a continuation of the plaza and represents a vital addition to

the pedestrian grid, yet feels more like a historic neighborhood street. The three-story row

house arrangement, which incorporates porches and balconies for every unit, complements

the smaller scale of the passage. The porches facilitate interactions between neighbors and

pedestrians, breaking up the long facade of row houses. This intimate neighborhood scalewill appeal to pedestrians, who favor edges, variety, and small-scale spaces - in many ways,

this street mirrors historic alleys in Europe. Flowers and mural spaces for local artwork

further support place-making efforts and increase the visual appeal of the pedestrian street.

The pedestrian street plays a vital role in connecting the residential neighborhoods north of

our site to the plaza and to the entire Broadway corridor. Way-finding signs along Heath

Street invite the community onto our site, channeling residents along the pleasant pedestrian

street into the plaza. This addition to the street grid will substantially reduce walking

distances to and from area destinations and bring the block size closer to the commonly

accepted standards. At the same time, the pedestrian street and row houses smooth the

transition from the Broadway commercial corridor to the surrounding residential

neighborhood.


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Upon reaching the southern end of the pedestrian street, pedestrians coming from the north

are greeted with an expansive view of the plaza. Benches and greenery invite them to spend

time in the plaza itself, and restaurants and retail on both sides immediately catch theirattention.

Our plaza is honored by artwork from local residents along with our LEED certificationplaque.


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Row houses: West (northern half) and Northwest Buildings

The two-family row houses that compose the northern half of the West Building as well as

the entire Northwest Building reflect the designs attempt to seamlessly link the taller

buildings on the southern half of the site with the triple-decker dominated neighborhood

north of the site. Their scale and design is more in keeping with traditional residential

development in the city, and thus makes the presence of four-story glass buildings on the

site less jarring to area residents.

Every row house will have its own entrance from the outside, bringing residents closer to

nature and diminishing any sense of urban crowding. The mostly three- and four-bedroom

row house duplex units will each occupy one and a half floors of a row house, so the second

floor will be split between the two units. The larger units should appeal especially to families

who may seek a slightly less urban residential environment with access to a yard that is

nevertheless located close to many urban destinations. Ideally, the larger units will help

preserve the family-oriented character of the neighborhood, perhaps even providing

improved living spaces for existing neighborhood families. In order to ensure that the

neighborhood remains mixed income, 7 of the 19 3- and 4-bedroom units will be

permanently affordable, ensuring that a diverse set of tenants occupy the row house

community.


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Each row house has access to a large communal yard in between the two rows of row

houses. Children will have a safe, secluded space to play, and residents can socialize and

relax in a semi-private green space. A rain garden serves as the focal point of this space,

which provides solitude from the hustle and bustle of Broadway.

West Building (southern portion)A Buffalo Exchange, coffee shop, and neighborhood pub on the ground floor of the West

Buildings southern half will provide for residents daily shopping needs and establish Winter

Hill Plaza as a destination, a place to spend time relaxing, socializing, or working in the

coffee shop. The neighborhood pub and coffee shop will spill over into the plaza on sunny

days, placing tables and chairs outside to further activate the space. The pub in particular

will ensure that the area remains well-used into the evening. The glass walls surrounding

each retail establishments will maximize the natural light available inside.


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Double loaded corridor residential units of various sizes, from studios to four bedroom

apartments, occupy the second through fourth floors. Glass walls provide expansive views of

the plaza from the east side of the residential units.

The west side has a more typical wall-and-window arrangement to allow for privacy.

Residents will have easy access to shops below and also add to foot traffic throughout the

day; this mixing of uses will encourage quick pedestrian and transit trips, thus promotingmode shifts. The units with glass walls may be especially appealing to artists looking for loft

space.

Inside the artist lofts, residents may one day even be reviewing UEP Field Project reports on

their tables.


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East Building

The ground floor of the East Building will feature two restaurants, a gym, a bookstore, and a

Basics Plus home goods store. The restaurants

Documents

Winter Hill Plaza