City Council - Special Meeting

Okay, we're good to go in the live stream. All right, we have quorum on the city council side.

We do as well. All right, we'll call the meeting to order. Special meeting, special joint meeting, the Medford City Council and community March 31st. I got it.

2026 is called to order. Mr. Cler, please call the role for the city council. Councelor Callahan. Council Callahan's not here. Councelor Lemming present. Councelor Molain. Council me's not here. Councelor Scarpelli present. Councelor Sang.

He says he can't unmute. Yeah, I gota I don't think he's set up yet. Hold on. See, Justin, where is he? Present. He should be good to go. Great. Thanks. Got it. Vice President Lazaro. See, Emily and President Pierce

present. Four present, three absent. The meeting is called to order. Councelor Main notified me that she is running a little late and Anna and Emily are at the U middle school lottery info session. They have kids going into middle school. Turn over to you Doug for the roll call for the community development board. Yes. Uh roll call for community development board. Uh John Anderson present. John Began present. Paige Baldini present. Dina Colaggero present. Ari Gooffman Fishman present.

And myself Doug Carr present. Back to you council city council president Barers. You're muted. Thank you. We'll start with records. Uh the records of the special joint meeting March 25th, 2026 were passed to councelor Lemming. So there's a vote for the city council on the records from last week's meeting. Is there a motion? Motion to approve. On the motion to approve by councelor, seconded by councelor Scarpell. Mr. CL, please call the role.

Council Callahan's absent. Council Lemon. Yes. Council Meain is absent at the moment. Council Scarpelli, yes, sir. Councelor Singh, yes. Vice President Hazaro is absent at the moment. President Beers,

yes. For in the affirmative three absent, the motion passes. So for today's meeting, um we have three items. We are going to start with the public hearings. We have two public hearings today. One is on um the continued public hearing for Medford Square. At our last meeting, we agreed to hear additional public comment on the proposed Medford Square ordinance. And I believe once that is uh concluded, um the city council uh as we indicated in the plan last week, the city council will vote to close the public hearing for the city council. The community development board will continue to its April 15th meeting where they will incorporate the changes we discussed last week from Inis Associates and then we will hold the final vote uh on the city council at the end of by the city council at the end of March. So that's the first thing. The second thing uh is a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Medford zoning ordinance for the Medford Square City Hall overlay district which is related to the transom project that has been done in partnership with the city. And then finally we do have a an updated meeting schedule for um April, May and June to discuss. So those are the three items here. And with that, I will um take up paper 26023, which is the public hearing on the Medford Square um zoning. And I'll turn it over to Chair Carr, I think, if there's anything you need to add for the public hearing element for the community development board. And then we can hear from the members of the public about the Medford Square zoning.

Uh thank you, C, city council. Um, President Baris, um, I just echo what what Council Baris just said. We're going to continue the public hearing tonight as discussed for the Memphis Square zoning. Um, then we'll do the overlay and then again our next meeting on the 15th. We anticipate being the the the meeting that would close the public hearing as previously discussed last week. So, I don't think there's a much new ground to cover on that procedurally. Uh so I'd like to if we could get uh turn it back to you and we'll move on to the first agenda item.

All right. Awesome. Thank you, Chair Carr. So we'll start with paper 26023 which is the public hearing for the pro proposed amendments to the Medford zoning ordinance chapter 94 Medford Square. Give me one second. We are going to hear from members of the public if there are any counselors who want to speak before that. Um, I will recognize them. Matt, I saw you had a hand up. No, no, no.

Great. Um, so I will us open the public hearing and we're all on Zoom, so no need to alternate between in person and on Zoom for this one, but um I will uh recognize members of the public who should be able to start their video now. And then once I recognize you, I will unmute you and I will uh start a threeminut uh time and you will have three minutes to share your public comment. So I'll start with Sheila Erenss. You could provide your name and address for the record and you'll have three minutes. I'll start your time once you've unmuted. Sheila, I've requested that you unmute. Okay. 19 Sagamore Park. Um, so I wanted to just add to the discussion because I should have spoken up last week and I didn't and I wanted to just echo what Doug had said. Um, I think uh design review is a very very important component of any of the um zoning um ordinances. I think visually how our squares are going to look is important as far as whether people are going to want to hang out there and be there. And once any sort of renovation is done, that's that's the end of it. You know, you can't really go back. So, I think we really have to be very mindful and very methodical about how we move forward and really hold the bar high like many of the more wealthier communities do um because they want their areas to look beautiful and they're not going to settle for second best. So, I think that's important as well as um maybe to

talk I know with Transom um they're donating $250,000 for art and they're going to do murals and sculptures and I'm wondering if that's something that we could propose to any developer that's going to come in and uh do some renovations that they donate money again for art and sculptures. and general general beautifification like I think you know planters and planting flowers. You go to Arlington and during the summer they have beautiful planters in all of the squares and then during the winter they have greens and beautiful, you know, bulbs and greens. And I think those are the things that really make a place really special and it draws people in. So, I I think it's just in as as important as the reasoning process is to create a place that people really want to hang out and be. Um, I was in Malden uh about a month ago on Commercial Street and they've done a beautiful job with the renovation and it really felt like I was honestly in downtown Boston. It was so busy. there were so many people walking around and actually no place to park. So that's where when I was thinking about parking, I know we don't want to encourage cars to be in our spaces, but I'll tell you, everybody was parking. We had to drive around for 10 minutes or else we would have had to have taken an Uber, which is expensive. So, um, they've created something in Malden, and we're similar communities, and I really, it was exciting to be there, and I really would like to see our squares um, uh, offering that same sort of vibrancy

that Malden does, and I think that that's a good comparison. So, thank you, and thank you for all that you guys have done. Thank you, Sheila. And apologies, I forgot to change the sound on the um Thank you. on the timer. So, thank you for the comment. I appreciate it. Um if there's anyone else who'd like to speak in the uh public hearing for the Medford Square zoning, um please raise your hand. We do have one hand up, so we'll go to Jeremy Martin. Jeremy, if you could give us your name and address for the record, and you'll have three minutes.

Hey, good evening everyone. Jeremy Martin, 65 Burgett Avenue. Um, I know I'm going to sound a little bit like a broken record on this, but um, I hope that some coun I think there were a couple of counselors who were at the urban uh, forestry presentation last night. Um, and I hope more of you will find a way to learn about that project. Um, it painted a pretty dire picture, I think, for our urban canopy, urban tree canopy. um both related to natural decline of trees but especially uh acute losses from development projects of all types. Um and I and I just want to come back to the importance of considering the public realm um and holding a high standard for the public realm in our zoning. Uh we heard from the presenter last night that one of the best tools to ensure new projects, whether they're commercial or residential, um that new projects are including um sufficient tree planting uh and and welldesigned public spaces in their projects. I think if you look at Somerville and Cambridge and many of the other communities around us that have u have been thinking about this for and working on it much longer than we have, they have strong site plan review requirements and strong controls on what developers can and can't do with existing trees or what they have to do uh with new trees. And I think our even our own staff um in Medford have acknowledged that our site plan review is not at the place that it should be. And so while I understand that everyone's ready to get this piece of business on and out into the world, and I very much support that, I just want to advocate again for a prompt and thorough followup with um plans for

uh really making a more robust site plan review and design review as others have suggested. um because it won't take long for people to start acting on this zoning and um I would hate to see us really see ourselves set back in in the quality of of the spaces around buildings because we rushed to get um to get this out without considering those implications. Um, and I know you all have worked on it a lot and I don't want mean to suggest that it is being rushed, but um, I do think that there is some more that we could be doing and should be doing to make sure that not just the building scale and size um, but that the urban realm and the implications for that are thoroughly considered and included in our zoning. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Jeremy. Um, and I certainly don't want to uh speak for Doug on design guidelines and that stuff. I know that you talked about last week the work that you want to do there with the community development board in terms of trees. um you know, we and the council and it we we've had three ordinances and under proposal, a public tree ordinance, a tree committee ordinance, and then um something that was kind of incorporated into the zoning project before it came to a halt. It was brought to a halt last year was a private tree ordinance. And there's there's a lot of opinions about that, but it was to update the tree provisions in our zoning ordinance to address that question of um what happens to our tree canopy when um development happens. And so that is part of the zoning discussions. It wasn't included in the first round kind of this part of the project. Um, but uh I believe, you know, and I'm certainly would continue to advocate for it to be included in the uh RFP that's going out so that we can get that draft ordinance incorporated into our zoning. I think um having zoning based protections for trees that are on private property is an important part of of our addressing our our tree canopy issue and and urban forest management. So, that's something that the council has been working on for a long time. kind of came to a halt last year and I'm hoping we can incorporate it as we get back on track here. Um, and Doug, I don't know if you want to talk on the on the design piece of that.

Yeah, I'll just mention I really appreciate the comments from both Jeremy and Sheila because they're they're spot on. I design review and beefing up the site plan review process is one of the reasons I joined the community development board because I I knew it had areas to grow and to improve. So, we're going to tackle that as soon as we can come up for air on the zoning and hopefully get it done literally almost, you know, the the week or the month that we we try we pass the Memphis Square zoning because I agree with Jeremy that there will be pressure and the the better tools that we have to guide design, to guide site plan, to guide landscaping and and those are those should not take a long time to pull together because they're really kind of common sense and basic, I think, in terms of their qualities. All right, we have one more comment. Lisa, I will uh recognize you if you could unmute. Um, and you'll have three minutes. So, you put your hand down. Lisa, do you want to still speak? Well, I'll ask you to unmute and you can tell us yes or no.

Yes, I do want to speak. Okay, great. I just put it down prematurely. I'm sorry. That's okay. Um, all right. If you could just give us your name and address for

My name is Lisa Sioven Veno and I live at 19 Paul Road in Medford. And I just wanted I was thinking last Sunday when I went to this rally in a community nearby that it's nice to have a place where you can gather as a group like in the in the city or the town square. you know, you just kind of like a have a pa place to bring a lot of people together to um show support for something like 250 years is celebrate is going to be celebrated this summer. And like I don't know like what we have planned in Medford, but I wouldn't even know where you could do anything in the square in Medford. Like we used to always meet at like gaffy's with Paul River day and stuff, but I don't even know where you can do anything. So, I hope that like when you're, you know, modernizing the square that you think about places where we can meet as a group to, you know, either rally or celebrate because I don't even know where you can do that. The hatch, you know, like down by the water in back of St. Joe's. I mean, where can you meet as a group? I don't know. I don't even know where a green space is. So anyway, that's all that's what I was thinking about when I was out on Sunday and I said, "Where are we doing things in Medford?" Like where do we do rallies and stuff? I don't know. So that's all that's all I wanted to say just to keep that in mind that like when you meet as a group, you know, usually have a church nearby, a library nearby and a green field nearby and you meet up. I thought for sure like Riverside Square where that parking lot is, oh, maybe you could meet up there like but that's all going to be developed. So you can't meet up there. So where are you going to meet up? I don't know. Anyway, that's it.

Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak um in the public comment portion on the Medford Square zoning before we move ahead? Please raise your hand on Zoom. All right, I see Tom Lincoln. Tom, name and address for the record, please. And you'll have three minutes. A second here.

We can hear you and we can see you.

Okay. Okay. I can't even see myself. Forgive me. Um, just one one one comment having to do with the echoing here. uh with with the zoning generally. There was a meeting last night about the uh tree canopy in Medford and um I won't go into the details, but you can see that it's a it's an issue. Certainly something a lot of us are trying trying to improve. Uh, I don't know what what's in there right now in terms of the Medford Square plan, but um something that would encourage people to uh plant trees uh something that would be both a maybe a carrot and a little bit of a stick uh on that um on that issue. I think would be good for Medford Square and frankly good for the uh rest of the city. So that's all I have to say. Thank you, Tom. And I think, you know, in addition to kind of the private tree ordinance zoning elements that I mentioned, um there's also a uh green score that has already passed as part of the zoning that does include among other things, uh you know, planting more trees and not removing trees and and providing green benefits in general. Um does help you reach that maximum green score. And I believe we're doing at the very least the carrot as well. Well, there's there's the stick which is there's a minimum and then there's the carrot that if you are exceeding our minimum green score and meeting an ideal green score, I believe there's incentive based zoning benefit for that as well. All right. Is there anyone else who'd like to comment on the Medford Square zoning as part of the public hearing? Seeing none, I'm going to um end the

public comment. And I think we have two different motions here. We'll start with the Oh, all right. You got in under the wire. Mr. Cassinetti, I will um ask you to unmute if you could provide your name and address for the record. And you'll have three minutes. Right. Floor is yours. I'm sorry. Can you hear me? We can hear you. Yes. I I took the headphones off. You can hear me? Yes. Yes.

Okay. Thank you, councelor Bez. Thank you. Um, I was thinking out loud and I was wondering has the city entertained the idea of taking that that building in the middle parcel to to make a clean sweep of of the lot by eminent zone. I think it's called one city hall. It's a dentist building. I'm wondering if the city had thought about that by claiming it also all be a universal look. Thank you.

Thank you. I think we can get a little more into that when we talk about the overlay district. My understanding is that the they did not want to sell the building. Um but I think that's our next item. Um and maybe the folks from planning, development, and sustainability can talk a bit more about that. All right. Um, is there a motion? I think we're doing two things. I think the city council, we're voting to close our public hearing and then the community development board, you're voting to continue to April 15th. So, we'll start with the city council. Is there a motion to close the public hearing? Um, council president,

councelor, let me um I would would it be an option to close the public hearing on our public hearing on the 28th? I don't know. I don't think so.

And then vote the same night. Um I asked, sorry, pardon me, Mr. President. I consulted with the lawyer about that if I might. Um and what she said is that the city council has a rule that I forget the rule number. I can look it up. That says that public hearing you take written comment for six days after you close a public hearing. Um, that's very unusual, she said, but you can wave that rule and then you can in fact close a public hearing and vote on the matter the same night as long as you wave the rule that you continue to take public comment.

Yeah, I just don't personally, you know, there's another opportunity the community development board. Um, do you want to go into it further there, councelor Leming? No. Well, it's so I I I guess the logic is that when we close the public hearing, that kind of that starts like a a a 90day clock for for the city council. Um, and if for some reason we don't get zoning back by the end of that 90-day clock, then we would have to like restart the process uh all over again. So, if if everything, you know, if we do end up getting recommendations back by um the meeting on the 28th, which is which is the plan, then, you know, it it wouldn't really matter. But I'm I'm just not seeing besides besides city council rule, which we can wave. I'm not really seeing the logic like like why we would need to close the public hearing until um we needed to in case something did happen. I think providing clarity to the public about their opportunities to have input is important and um you know we we we came up with a plan last week and I'd like to stick to it if we can. Um

you know that's that's my main main thinking 90 days from now. That's a long time. We we'll be good. All right. Yeah, that that makes sense. All right. Motion to close the public hearing. On the motion to close the public hearing by councelor Leming, seconded by councelor Sang. And I do want to note that councelor Melain and Councelor Callahan have joined us. If we could just make sure to make them co-hosts. Also, looks like we already have. Great. Um, on that motion, Mr. Please call the role. Councelor Callahan, yes. Councelor Lemming, yes. Councelor Molain, yes.

Councelor Scarpelli, yes. Councelor Singh, yes. Vice President Lazaros, absent. And President Bears, yes. 60 affirmative, one absent. The motion passes. And I'll turn it over to you, Chair Carr. Thank you. Um, City Council President Bears, I'm going to ask ask for a motion to continue the public hearing to our next community development board hearing, which I believe is April 15th. So moved. Second. Second. All right, I'll do the roll call. And John Anderson, yes. Sean Began, yes. Paige Baldini, yes.

Dolgarero, yes. Ari Gooffman Fishman, yes. And myself, yes. The motion passes six to zero. Back to you, city council president Barers.

Thank you, Chair Carr. All right. Um, our next item is paper 26058 submitted by Mayor Brianna Lingo Kern. Public hearing proposed amendments to the Medford zoning ordinance, chapter 94, Medford Square City Hall overlay district. So, we did talk about this a little bit at our previous meeting last week. Um, and this is the proposed overlay district uh for the parking lots behind City Hall um for the project that the city has been working on with uh the transom real estate folks. So I will turn it over to director Hunt from planning development and sustainability to kind of just provide any context and then I believe we'll receive a presentation. Then we can move to questions from the city council and community development board and then we will open it up for public comment. So I will go to director Hunt.

Great. Thank you Mr. President. Um while I know everybody on these boards have heard this before, just for the public I'll state it again. Uh there have been decades of studies of Medford Square looking at the best uses looking at these parking lots that uh the city owns um on the city hall end of Medford Square. Um we did a public outreach session project a couple of years ago to hear from the community about community benefits they would like to see in these build in this location if one were to redevelop these. Uh we then got mass development to provide us with some consulting support to put these out to RFP. Uh we put out them out to RFP. We had a selection committee which I am afraid if I name names I'll forget everybody but did include President Bears, our DPW commissioner Tim McGyvern, a representative of the chamber and the shioalier um Andrew Mather along with President Bears and the mayor were non- voting members um but myself um were on this committee to review the proposals. There were two proposals. Uh the we chose the proposal from transom to work with them to develop the squares. This is different from working with a regular developer because the city has checkpoints along the way because as the property owners and to be clear, we are not selling the the land. We are doing a 99-year lease. Um but we have a say in that. And there's we're controlling the purchase price, so to speak. in this case the lease price in order to allow for additional community benefits as part of the project. Um and I will let uh the principal Peter Spelios is here of transom to speak to that in more detail and um Valerie Moore is with him to present as well and we have been working through uh the land disposition agreements the the various

agreements that go into a process like this. The mayor and I have been meeting with their team. weekly uh for months in order to work out a lot of the details. We're getting into a good place. They are ready to begin working on their design documents that would go in front of site plan review to the CD board. And I will say that the city, the mayor has another sign off before they actually submit to site plan review. Um but before they start working on those site plan review documents, they need zoning to design to. Um, and so they have come with this zoning overlay for these three parcels. Um, and I will uh turn it over to Valerie and Peter to present this evening.

Thank you, Director Hunt. I will recognize uh Peter and Valerie. Um, I believe they both have co-host and should be able to both speak and present. Good evening, Chair Bears and Chair Carr and all the members. Peter Spellelios with Transom Real Estate. Thanks for making time for us to be here tonight to talk with you about um this resoning um and the project generally. Uh if it's okay with you, uh Chair Bears, I'll share my screen. Uh a really brief overview to to the city councilors. Um this is uh some gonna be somewhat familiar to um a presentation that we had uh several months back now. Um but it's an abbreviated version and uh promise I'm going to keep it keep it quick. Um, bear with me as I just pull up the right screen with me around my end here to make it easier. All right. So hopefully you all can see my screen at this point.

Yes.

Great. Um so I want to start um again by thanking you all here and and so um Transom Real Estate is a Bostonbased um firm. Um the three principles um all live and reside uh in the area. Uh Medford was actually my I've mentioned this before was mine. my wife's uh very first home when we got married and uh next week we're celebrating our 25th anniversary and uh dinner in Medford is on tap for us. Um so it has a a warm spart spot in in our hearts. Um we put together a really great team uh to work on this project. Um and it's really a reflection of the import of of the properties. But I I just want to point out two in particular here and I'll talk about one in more detail later. The the first um is PCA architecture. Um they uh were brought on specifically because of their success creating dynamic mixeduse environments um and and they've worked on a lot of projects um uh Chestnut Hill um Lynfield Market um Legacy Place um a lot of dynamic places where they've really made it um um active. it's uh really became a destination and we thought that that was an important tool to make sure that we're activating and bringing life to to an area that hasn't had um except for vehicular purposes much life. Uh the second group is is beyond walls and you'll see in one of the graphics here, but we'll talk a little later. Um in terms of public art, we've asked them to join the team um to really uh bring a lot of art and culture uh into the project. Um, as Alicia said, um, just like the RFP was based upon, uh, reviewing and examining all the different plans, um, in that the city has worked on, our proposal that we submitted to the city and and our and our efforts since have really been guided by those same, uh,

same concepts and same plans. I'm going to jump into really quickly and and just focus everyone on on these three parking lots behind city hall. Um they're they're known as lot A, B, and C for the purposes of this project. Um the CD board, you'll you'll get used to those as well because that will be consistent how we do it. Um and uh our our initial proposal um and uh for for these parcels uh includes um a total of 300 residential units um spread across lot A and lot B. Lot A is also planned to have uh 12,500 plus or minus square feet of ground floor retail uh with the with the hope of an urban ger um being the the anchor of that retail and then on lot C um is a parking garage and surface parking uh as well. Um, in terms of speaking a little bit about zoning here, in terms of heights, lot A, uh, our proposal is currently at six stories, lot B is at seven stories, and lot C will be four stories, um, in in height. And I'm happy to talk more about that as we go through. This is now just taking that that aerial overlay and putting it into a rendered format just to kind of give you a sense, and I'm going to speak in a second um, uh, about parking and and some other things here. Um what really was important to us and what we continue to work on preliminarily is how do we weave this all together and how do we weave this together with the rest of Medford Square. Um and there are opportunities and there's challenges. The river is an incredible opportunity. The senior center is an incredible opportunity and the creating the connectivity and and and um and complementing the vitality um that uh exists there is a real opportunity. But there's also challenges. There's um several other buildings um some of which you know

frankly we anticipate are going to be there long term that are not as dynamic. Um there's a parking garage on the lefth hand side plan left here um for for the medical office building. Uh that parking garage um you know we're being realistic. We're also recognizing it's probably going to be there for a period of time. And so what we're trying to do is is is see the challenges, see the opportunities and and really view and try and create um a flow um for pedestrians and and for vehicles um to make sure that really what this project is is a project in the round. Every side is the front door um and try and make it dynamic and try and make it interesting. I mentioned a minute ago about Beyond Walls. Um really super excited. Um this is the first time they've joined a private RFP. Um they do a lot of work with municipalities. Um city of Lynn in particular um would love during this occasion when the weather gets warm to join any of you for for one of the beyond walls uh Saturday tours in Lynn mural tours. Um they have successfully integrated themselves in so many communities where they collaborate with uh neighbors and communities and stakeholders and artists and they work on really a whole theme of public art that uh in in our view is going to extend throughout this entire project. Um a resident on the earlier matter mentioned the fact that we made a commitment to make sure that the project includes a significant expenditure of money on this. Um, we really view it as an essential part of of any project in an area like this. Um, we see this as frankly part of the public architecture. Um, and and creating something beautiful and interesting. So, we're excited that they're going to be part of this project and really excited uh once this zoning is in place, we're really going to be kicking off a a public dialogue and public participation process uh throughout the throughout the coming

months. I wanted to touch briefly on parking because I know a lot of people really care about parking. Um, and there's uh ask a hundred people about parking and you'll find 150 opinions. Um, so I thought it was really important just to really kind of zero in a bit on parking to share what the preliminary plans call for. Um, the the result here, there'll be a little over 500 parking spaces um here. Um, this slide shows you between lots C, B, and A going top to bottom. um roughly where where those lots um are are uh the parking spaces are located. Um and we thought it was important to disperse it throughout the project. Um in the parking garage itself, lot C. I wanted to spend an extra minute here. Um that will include uh dedicated parking for city hall staff and visitors. Um and there's also in the project dedicated space being made available um for parking for the senior center. Um, so it's something that the mayor um from day one has stressed the importance um of supporting um the senior center and and making sure um coming to and and experiencing city hall uh for all your needs um is is also um easy to do. And then last but not least, just to give you a a schedule sense of things, um we are scheduled, as Alicia said, to um sign um the site control agreements. Um um we're in the last day of March, so I guess I should have changed this to April, but it's going to be uh the first couple days of April that those will be signed. Um the reszoning process here, we are tonight. And um as soon as that reasonzoning process is done, uh as Alicia said, we're going to be releasing um our team to really and start having some more robust conversations. We've already been reaching out and having some conversations in the neighborhood um with the senior center, with other uh property owners. Um but really to to do

a lot more of that and to now start getting a bit more in detail and and prepare a permitting package that would come before uh the community development board. Uh assuming things stay on schedule by by second half of 2027, we would start construction um and anticipate um a 24 to 30 month uh completion schedule um on that construction. Um I'm going to stop here. Um Valerie Moore from um Nutter uh is our council and I think Valerie, if I'm correct, you have more detail on the overlay.

That's right. So I get to talk about the less exciting part of this and I don't have any pretty pictures, so I'm sorry for that. Um, so you may be wondering at the outset before we get into the the specifics of the overlay, why are we here with an overlay when you're in the midst of resoning Medford Square? So, I want to start by talking a little bit about why we did that. Um, part of the reason was that the Medford Square resoning has been going on on its own timeline and we don't control when that might end. We needed some certainty around when zoning would be finalized for this project site so that we could advance development plans and meet the timelines that are set forward in the agreements with the city for the disposition of this property. There are also some aspects of the Medford Square zoning in its various iterations that don't really fit this proposal. And so we drafted the overlay to grant some relief from the provisions of the draft zoning that don't work for this particular project. And here we felt that an overlay was really the right path for that because the city has far more discretionary review power over this project through the land disposition agreements with the city than it does over a normal development project. So before we ever get in front of the community development board for site plan review, the city itself gets to review the project as part of um the transfer of the parcels. So there's more ability of the city to control what happens here through that process. Um, and so the overlay is intended to make sure that there's the flexibility in the zoning to accommodate whatever final iteration of the project the city signs

off on before we get in front of the community development board. And I'll also note that the overlay ensures that as time moves forward and you make changes to the Medford Square zoning itself over time, our project continues to conform with the overlay because those same changes wouldn't be made to the overlay at the same time. So we provided a draft overlay and we did use the draft Medford Square zoning that was in place at the time as our base for drafting that. So it follows the same formatting and has a lot of the same provisions in it. It is far more slimmed down than the Medford Square zoning because there are a lot of provisions in the broader Medford Square zoning that we really don't need for this project. For example, there are some provisions around height bonuses. Because the height of the project is proposed to conform with um what's set forward in the overlay, we don't need those bonuses. So, we took those provisions out. There are also some provisions that govern um development next to existing residences. There are no existing residences next to these parcels, so they're not those aren't pertinent provisions for this project. And similarly, there are some provisions around adaptive reuse of historic buildings that um just are not applicable to the project itself. So, we did undertake sort of a streamlining of the overlay to make sure that um what's in there is really limited to kind of what we need and putting some design controls around the proposed project. So the first sections of the overlay are the use table and really this was almost exactly the same as what's been included in the Medford Square zoning with um one change from the time that the draft that

was in place at that time which is we added a parking garage as a principal use um that had not previously been an allowed use in the proposed Medford Square zoning but obviously that is a very important component of this project. Um, with respect otherwise, all of the uses are the same as what was included in the um, I believe it's MS4 subd district in the Medford Square base zoning. With respect to dimensions, we did make some modifications in the dimensional table to conform to the site as we know it and um what the components of this particular project look like. So for example, we clarified that things like facade buildout and active ground floor requirements don't apply to the parking garage. We felt that was particularly important here where it faces I93. So applying those types of requirements that make more sense for other parts of Mford Square don't really make as much sense for what we are contemplating for the parking garage parcel. Um and we did that through the use of the footnotes. That's a little bit different than what's proposed for Medford Square itself. Um, we did modify the open space requirement to conform to what's been shown on the plans that the city has um, reviewed so far. So, we did modify that slightly. We because this is an overlay, one of the ways that um, an overlay can be written is to sort of opt in to other parts of the zoning ordinance. So we did draft a section where we specifically incorporated by reference and made the project subject to other parts of Medford zoning ordinance. So that would be the parking provisions particularly signage inclusionary housing um and as

well as the administration section of the z the base zoning ordinance. um so that the project will continue to be subject to the same community development board site plan review process that um it otherwise would have been. So the the remaining sections of the zoning overlay um talk about dimensional and other more qualitative criteria for the project. Um, we modified some of those things like with respect to active frontage, we added landscaping as another means to activate frontage and provide some more flexibility for this project. Um, and we also modified the garage parking design criteria section because it wasn't entirely clear how it applied when the parking structure was a principal use. um it was something that seemed to have been drafted more to contemplate how you would design accessory parking. So, we did make some modifications to that to clarify that um the requirements around sighting of a garage don't apply to the parking. Um we did add in some provisions making sure that the community development board has flexibility to grant waiverss from some of these design criteria. Um, and that's in part to make sure that once we have final design plans that everyone's happy with the the community development board's empowered to approve the project that uh the city signs off on. So, those are the main changes. Um, and that's sort of walking through the structure of the overlay. With that, I'm happy to answer any questions that you all have um either about the overlay itself or about the project. Great. Thank you, Peter and Valerie. Um, so we will move to questions from members of the two bodies. I will start with the council and then once we've

heard any questions from the council, I'll turn it over to you, Chair Carr. So, any members of the council who have questions, council? Yes. Uh this could be a question for PDS um as much as anybody, but how could could you just uh sort of clarify how this would interact with zoning that's uh you know passed on the 28 the full Medford Square package? So would this um would this overlay kind of still be in the zoning or would it overwrite would it effectively overwrite parts of it uh once it were passed if it were passed earlier?

I can answer that in part if you'd like. The two should will stand independently. So our overlay should exist on its own um and would continue to be the zoning that governs the project.

Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah. And I' I'd like to I'd like to thank you for how diplomatic you were at the beginning of your introduction when you were pointing out that we've been seriously dragging our feet um in this process. It but yes, it's very true that this has taken taken a lot of time. So I can definitely appreciate the need for having this sort of you know accelerated um accelerated part of the zoning um going going through Um, yeah, I think there was a meeting on this as much as as far back as uh there are meetings on this going back as far as like March or May of last year and transom was awarded the RFP I believe in May 2025. So, it really has been quite a process. Um, but yeah, thank you very much for the presentation.

Thank you, Councelor Lemming. Any other questions or comments from members of the council? Councelor Sang,

I'm going to be brief because um transom's been very generous, I think, to city councilors in order in in terms of uh letting us ask tons of questions. Um I know in the past I've asked a lot of questions about uh parking, public benefits, um labor standards, etc. Um, I just wanted to ditto what councelor Lemmings said. This is going to be a project that's going to be very positive for the square. It's the type of catalyst that residents have been asking for and um, I'm excited to see this coming to fruition and part of that is ush doing our part. Um, I'm looking forward to the questions that the CDB will have um, for transom and for the city staff. Um, but on my end, I'm very supportive. Thank you, councelor S. Councelor Lemming.

Sorry, one additional question. Um, logistically, how would how would the the timeline for for this one go? Is it theoretically even possible to just to to pass it tonight, assuming we wave the city council rule or like what is the fastest that this one that this could be passed theoretically? Mr. President, do you want me to respond to Yeah. Uh, Director Hunt.

Okay. So, in theory, the CD board would vote this would vote a recommendation and then the C city council would hear that recommendation and close their public hearing and then they would put this on the their agenda for their next meeting and they would uh vote for it at their next meet their next noticed meeting. So conceivably if we close the public hearing tonight and the community development board made a recommendation, we could vote on this next Tuesday is what you're saying. Uh if that's your next Sorry, I don't have your agenda. That's our next regular meeting. Yes.

Um that that would be allowed. You would have to wave your six day written.

Well, if we close the public hearing tonight, I think we'd be fine. So if so, and I will remind you that the ca that uh legal council had advised that the CD board have a clean copy of the zoning to be recommending. And so we did there were edits that we requested to bring the version that was on the agenda in line with the version that you all had seen and included some typographical and clerical uh type setting things. and they made those changes and we circulated that to members of the two boards. My apologies if that was today or yesterday. It's a blur. Um and that in theory if the board was recommending that version, they would have a clean version in front of them to recommend to you. um if they are asking for any sort of significant changes, we would need to get a clean version for them to then review and vote out at their uh meeting on the 14th. And I noticed that Planner Evans has her hand up.

Yes, I'll recognize Planner Evans. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, I apologize that I was sick yesterday, so I'm trying to catch up a little bit, but um, Director Hunt, are you saying that we do or do not have a clean copy of the overlay? Cuz if we do, I believe, why couldn't the city council vote on it tonight? Then it this is their public hearing as well. So, you mean actually adopt it this evening? Yeah. Yeah, why not? You know what? Let me go back and look at my notes because I think it is actually this is their public hearing.

Yeah. If it if it's if it's a if the six day thing is a city council rule that can be waved. So and this is a meeting of the city council. So in my you know headsp space I'm thinking we could in theory close the public hearing tonight. um vote on it. If if the assuming the CD board closes their public hearing and offers the recommendation, which would be the the drafts that were circulated to everybody today, if they if both bodies close their public hearing, it could be adopted with a waiver of the city council rules because that's not that's not state law. That's a rule of the city council that we could that we could wave.

Oh, that's all theoretical. Corrected. Um, Planner Evans is correct. I went back to my notes because I had asked like theoretically on the main Medford Square zoning. If both boards closed and they had a clean version, could they vote it that night to adopt the hearing? Um, I know we're all on Zoom and I know we're all co-hosts, but I was going to make a really funny joke, which is that I recognize Counselor Lemming and you guys were having a back and forth, so I didn't even get a chance to make that hilarious joke, but I will recognize Director Hunt.

Sorry. Um, that the our lawyer did say that you could in fact vote the night because this is a regular city council meeting and not like a committee of the whole this evening. So you could vote to adopt it.

The options before us essentially and we still need to get through questions from the council and then questions from the community development board and then public comment on the public hearing. So um but it seems like our options would be if both bodies were to close their public hearings tonight and the city board was to make a recommendation to approve and then um the city council were to vote to approve and wave the six-day written comment period. then we could technically approve it tonight if we wanted an alternative. Um, obviously there's many alternatives, but you know, this could be referred to our regular meeting next week. If the community development board wanted more time on this, they could continue their public hearing to the 15th. So, there's a few different paths, but it sounds like both the um closing tonight is is possible and a vote tonight is possible if we were to wave the council rule of the written comment period. So, with that, I'm going to go to councelor Callahan and then counselors here. Councelor Callahan,

thank you. Um, I did want to uh thank everyone here for all the work that has been done. Um, but I wanted to call out specifically because uh on the city council, we've actually had many meetings on this um this project. Uh and at our last meeting I asked a question um and got just such a such a great answer. I just want to highlight the question that I asked last time um which was like what has been the history of um public input on this particular project? Um and uh director Hunt kind of led us through this long thing of like many many years of public input coming in on this particular project. Um so you know I I it really helped me as an individual counselor to feel very comfortable with this particular piece of zoning. um knowing that you know this project has really had a lot of scrutiny and it has um gone through you know a very rigorous process um and that it is going to be bringing things into our city that our residents have really been asking for for quite a while. um you know between the housing and the grocery store, coffee shop, like many of the things uh parking across the street from um from the senior center uh on the ground parking like all of these things as well as a a whole parking structure. So um and I know that some of the CDB uh members may this may be you know less you've seen this not as many times as we have seen it. Um, but I also wanted to just let people know that, you know, I have asked um and wanted to know uh just how much public input there has been, how

much public support there is um for this development specifically. Um and I feel very confident just from the answers that I have gotten um that you know this project has really been very well vetted um not only by our staff but also by the community um and that these are in fact uh you know this does sort of answer many of the um specific requests that we have had from the residents of Medford for many years. So, I just wanted to put that those two cents in because I know this, you know, some of the like half of the people here uh were probably not at that meeting where we discussed this in the city council alone. So, I just wanted to bring that up um and thank everybody for the many years of work on this project. Thank you.

Thank you, Councelor K and councelor Scarpelli.

Uh thank you, Council President. And uh again, I I too want to thank everybody. I think that um where we were a year ago and where we are today, I think that we've done a great job as a team and especially with um Chair Carr and the community development board and all their members and the joint meetings. I think it really shows our community that we're giving everybody an ample time and effort to um to share their concerns, share their input. Um, again, I think that uh there still I'm I'm still getting calls about uh our senior center and parking. So, I think that'll be an ongoing concern. You know, what what happens during the construction when you talk about 2029 being the date and what happens with our senior center and how do we accommodate the seniors? But I think we'll have a plan in place and I'm comfortable that I when I've talked to seniors that that that we'll have something in place to make sure hopefully that um we can calm everybody's um fears of whether the senior center will be a viable location for our seniors during the process. But um so I just want help help I I want everybody to convince me just real quick that where's the six days? So if we we're we're right on the one yard line. We're doing everything right. We've done everything above board. We've gone through the whole process. We might have those last group of people that just want to put something on the record in writing or whatnot. And and I would hate to say here we go. We're right on the one yard line. And is that six are those six days that drastic that moving it up six days and getting it? Um, I'm not even saying ram ram through or push through because I think we've have done our due diligence with this process, but is would that would those six days be something that would hinder uh the

process in the in the time frame that we've now put forth? Because I I think everybody's been super cautious about making sure we leave the public comment open that we've left it so people can share information that we can um get everybody's input and exhaust every avenue possible. But again, I just wanted to share that because uh I know I'll get a few emails and phone calls uh tomorrow saying, "What are you doing? I wanted to send something in writing. Shame on you, Councilor Scott Py." But again, I I just I only share that just to say, you know, maybe my colleagues and my friends on the community development board could say, you know, slow down, George. I think we're okay. I think the timeline uh would really be affected. So moving it forward at this pace would really help moving this in a in a positive direction because I don't want to hint to that. I don't want to slow that down, but I just wanted to share that comment because I think we've done a great job. So thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Scarpelli. And um yeah, I mean I tend to whether it's today or next Tuesday. I'm, you know, we'll see if we get written comments or not. I I personally, that's just a personal feeling. I I don't mind either way. Um, I do wonder if Director Hunt or maybe the transom team could speak if there's a a difference in those two outcomes substantively for the project if we if it was if this overlay was approved tonight or or next week and and again like that also haven't turned it over to Chair Carr yet and we haven't heard from our CD board members yet and they may want more time on it as well but um just if we could I don't know director Hunt or or Peter if you have thoughts on the timing.

Um Mr. Sure. I'm I'm happy to to give my two cents. Um um I think Councelor Scarpelli is raising a really valid point. Um our interest is our preference would be not to lose the entire month of April. Um and so I think if you and the CD board were comfortable with a plan that got us to Tuesday, um you know that that's great. Um, we're we're holding off and I'm sure you can understand releasing the community process and the design process and then we're going to go really, you know, really allin um pending this. Um and so we would like to to obviously hit the ground running and keep the schedule. Um um so so again tonight to Tuesday I I think councelor Scarpell's um it sounds like you know even pre us being involved you guys have done so much and uh we certainly have no objection to making sure we hear everything. Um as a matter of fact after Tuesday we're going to start meeting in a way that we're going to get comments right and and we're going to be hearing things. So, anything you learn actually helps us and and educates us.

Great. Thank you, Peter. I appreciate that. And I think that's actually a really good point for this and for all zoning, right? Zoning is is a start, not a finish. Um, you know, zoning doesn't build anything. Zoning doesn't doesn't construct projects. Zoning doesn't uh transfer properties, right? Zoning is the start of um conversations like that. It's a signal. It's a foundation. Um, and then and then you know folks like Peter and Doug and the community development board and Alicia and Danielle and and certainly sometimes the city council as well. Then we start talking about site plan review and community meetings and all of the other things that go into making a project happen. So I think not only helpful to understand the timeline but a really important grounding uh that we we often talk about in our zoning meetings about um you zoning doesn't doesn't finish anything. It's the beginning of a of a process in many ways. So, thank you, Peter. Um, Council Ling, I did see your hand if you want to. Um it well it was to uh to sort of uh offer offer a response to uh councelor Scarpelly's uh um points which he brings up definitely brings up a lot of a lot a lot of good points um with regards to you know doing our doing our due diligence and uh you know potentially keeping the public comment period open for six days. I was just I was just going to say that uh in in a vacuum it wouldn't make it it would make a whole lot of sense to uh just immediately pass this but this is also happening in the context of the full Medford Square reszoning and there still is a completely um there there still is a different public comment uh period that is open for the for the full Medford Square. I kind of, you know, Med Medford's developed a probably has developed a reputation over the years as a city that's hard that could be a

little bit difficult for developers to work in. So, I would like, you know, uh I would like to get some reputation for being able to speedily speedily approve things. Um but but obviously, you know, six days is not like approving things here versus the April 7th meeting wouldn't really be uh wouldn't really be too big of a deal. And it it seems like Peter um is in agreement with that as well. And and there's a great synergy, right? We just closed the city council's portion of the Medford Square hearing. If we close this today, if you have comments on either of them, send them to us in the next six days. All right. Do we have any uh further questions from members of the council before I turn it over to Chair Carr? Seeing none, I'll turn it over to Chair Carr.

Thank you, Council President Bears. Before I um call on my fellow board members, I just have a few comments. Um, I'd like to just remind folks that most of this CD board as presently constituted has only been involved in the zoning process for a total of 70 days this so far. And you know, we weren't here last year. Most of us uh some of us were, but very few. So I I kind of I think we've done a great job as a group with the the partnership of the city council, but I don't think by any means of the stretch of the imagination we'd be be conveyed as or characterized as dragging our feet for something that we thought was initially a very good overall Memphis square proposal but had many many missing pieces that have since been filled in I think correctly. So, so, uh, I'll just say that I will say that I the transom folks is that's a great design. I'm looking forward to quickly passing that. And, uh, we'll, uh, with that, I'll I'll go to John Anderson for comments and we'll go around around the horn on the C on the city board. John Anderson,

thank you. And uh I really appreciate all the work that's gone into this and sort of feel embarrassed to ask some of these questions that no doubt a lot of it comes from ignorance. Uh I'll start with some simple questions. Uh the grocery store and the cafe, you have specific sizes down there. How does that map against people's usual expectations for uh grocery stores and cafes? Uh, Chair Carr through you if it's okay. Yes, please.

Um, Mr. Anderson, uh, really great question. Um, let me talk about the grocery store because that's that's one that's more rooted in in good information. Um, cafes can be whatever cafes want to be relatively speaking. So, it could be 1500 square feet, it could be more, it could be, you know, any number of things. Uh, urban grocerers, we have the the design that you see, and when I say design, let me be very careful. This is merely a massing plan. I mean um really really uh it's it's um we only we showed you tonight colored pencil. We only in the last 60 days frankly had finished a comprehensive survey and really have gone to hard lines. And when we say hard lines I mean computerenerated um you know we're getting into engineering now right not just um not just ideas. Um but the the size that we're showing is consistent with um the the stable of urban grocerers that are potential uh or um opportunities to have them come to Medford. Um that number may vary and change before we ever get to the CD board based on the feedback we get from that stable of potential grocerers. Um some are a little bit larger, some are a little bit smaller. And so what we're trying to do, and this is just our problem, but the opportunity is we want to make sure we're not going to design the building six times through that process, right? So we're we're trying to have those conversations as much of that conversation now to educate ourselves so that we've built in some flexibility. So if it's not 12,500 feet and ends up being 13,000, can we accommodate it easily? And so we we were trying to in our base plan create the flexibility to make sure that we are attracting the greatest swath of potential urban grocerers understanding that the depth of the market of urban grocerers is not very deep. Um and so um that's where we've kind of come up with the the the square footage that we're

currently showing. But but I will tell you do not be surprised to see it change as we advance conversations with with prospective users. the the cafe is less regimented because candidly we're not going to have that least when we start construction most likely. That typically is something that happens post construction and it's it's more of a generic space that we make sure is efficient and we do uh mock layouts of the space to make sure we understand where the front of house versus the back of house and restrooms and everything would go and where we would have the utilities and and um um whatnot. Um, but that is much more generic. That the grocery is going to be um, knock on wood. Um, ultimately by the time we're starting construction, we have a partner um, that's sitting side by side with us and and quite literally physically designing the space together.

Great. Could you give me a little help? Are you talking about sort of the size of a medium stop and shop? Um, let me I I think the best way to do this and because I found it helpful and I hope it helps you is to kind of give you examples of different sizes of things that you know a super stop and shop that the the traditional stop and shop that people know is about 65,000 square feet. Uh, a a typical CVS, a freestanding CVS that sits on a corner, way too many corners in my opinion, but a freestanding CVS is typically 12, excuse me, 10 to 12,000 square feet. Okay.

So, if that if that kind of anchors kind of gives you a sense, um I say I'll give you one more. A market basket, a Home Depot and a Lowe's are 90,000 plus. And what's your target for this one? Um we think the ger is going to be somewhere between 12,000 and maybe as high as 20,000, but I think closer to 12,000 to 15,000. Okay. Okay. Um next question. But thank you very much for that. Uh, I noticed on the maps a reference to Lake View Avenue. Yeah, it's we we're not renaming the streets. That's got it's so funny. Well,

we there's a lot of things on there and everybody has called us on that. And you think I would going to my fifth meeting with you all. I probably would have corrected it by now. We are not names. You've mislocated Bedford Square as well. Yes, I understand. Um, okay.

I'm learning slowly, but I'm learning. Uh now about the artwork which I'm very excited about. Who is responsible for maintaining that? Um well so the the answer is going to be uh and I I don't know the full answer but I I believe look at I I see and again we're going to have conversations with the community but and Beyond Walls and what Beyond Walls has done really remarkably is that the building's become a canvas right um for a lot of this work right so there's going to be sculpture and there will be opportunity for ground level artwork um but the the predominant most visible stuff is really the canvas uh that that is the buildings and and we're certainly going to be uh responsible for all that. I anticipate, Mr. Anderson, that we're most anything that we're going to do in the public art uh realm, we're going to uh be responsible for and will want to be responsible for candidly. Um not that the city wouldn't be good stewards, but we know that we would be because it's part of a much bigger investment, if you will, in the area, and we would want to make sure that uh it was maintained to a high level. So we in this context is your company your corporate.

Yes. Correct. Transom real estate and and the ownership of the buildings. Yep. And if you were if that were to sell responsibility for the art would go with the sale presumably. Yes. I think the building owners would Yep. Okay. Thank you. Um it was mentioned somewhat I think the the attorney mentioned that one difficult one thing that had to be adjusted was the open space plan. What was the nature of the adjustment that had to be made? Did did you want more or less or I'm going to let Valerie answer that question if okay we the um it's it's not it's actually more a definitional um thing. Um but Valerie um please.

So that's exactly right. If you look at your zoning ordinance, you have multiple different types of open space. Um, and in the Medford Square zoning itself, the type of open space that was included was open space landscape, the open space that we're contemplating doesn't quite meet the um percentage criteria that had been specified for that definition. So, we changed it to the open space definition that's in your zoning. Um, but kept the same 10% requirement that was in the Medford Square zoning. It's just a bigger um a more inclusive definition in terms of what can be.

Okay. And along similar lines when I was reading about that um let's see oh there there's talk there's it says in the proposed changes that the open that the open space will be available to all residents. Now I'd like a better understanding what all residents mean. residents of the specific building where it is a collection of buildings or the general public and does open space imply public access? So open space um as defined in your zoning does not always imply public access. Um it could include something like a rooftop garden that may just be for the residents of the building or a deck kind of space. So, it's still treated as open space under the zoning ordinance, but it's not public. Certainly, if we were to construct a public open space, that would also meet the definition of open space.

Sure. And a question on art. Uh, art, particularly public art, can be very controversial. How do you go about sort of adjudicating differences in taste? Oh, Valerie, you want to take that one for me? No.

Um, that's it. Look, it's a it's a great question and so I think that um I'm going to not really punt on the answer, but to say that's why we have Beyond Walls with us truthfully, right? We we have an organization that has worked successfully in so many cities and continued to be invited into so many cities that they've they've curated a process that results in something that they've obviously been very highly successful. Um I um have my own taste. You have your own tastes. Um and certainly um there'll be a divergent of opinions ultimately on what the final thing is. But um I I think here um the fact that these are city um um city parcels uh as as um Valerie said early on and in this conversation, the city has more review actually over this than they would a traditional private project, right? And so we're going to be working with with uh city staff um to make sure our outreach is robust, make sure that we are working with Beyond Walls to do an outreach that's robust to make sure that we're getting thematically um what's there. Um and you know um so I'm not I'm not purposely punting on your answer, but I'm relying on a group that frankly has had tremendous success executing this.

Yeah. because I mean we wouldn't want to see anything too avantguard but nothing too conservative either you know something in the middle at least that's my opinion um oh at one point I believe Danielle mentioned a specific accommodation regarding sidewalk width widths I didn't see that in the overlay was I just mistaken Danielle can you answer that one I I think Valerie, you might go Valerie. Sorry. That's all right.

Um, sure. I think there are some minimum requirements for 12 foot sidewalks within all of the setbacks in your Medford Square proposed zoning.

Um, we made that requirement a little bit more flexible for Medford for the Medford Square overlay because there are some places where due to con site constraints, we may not hit exactly the 12 ft. Um, but again, because the city will have its ability to review and approve this, as will the community development board, you'll have the opportunity to make sure that there are sufficiently wide sidewalks. when I see that in the table of dimensional requirements.

Um, no. In your draft zoning, I believe it's under the separate narrative dimensional requirements section and then I believe appears again under the development standards and design guidelines. Um, so there's some language in that section. um because we took it out, it's harder for me to find it in the clean copy that I'm looking at. But um I understand. But I guess my my point is that that would nevertheless be effective in the overlay. So that that there would be no minimum of 12 feet in the overlay. That's right.

And but wouldn't that have to be specified in the overlay somewhere? No. No, just the absence of it is enough. Correct.

Okay. Um, thank you. Now the the other thing I have is I actually went through the use table and I found oh about 15 different uses that are different uh from Medford Square 1 2 3 and four and the proposed overlay. Now I I'll just mention two of the ones that sort of jumped out. a residential use. Three family and multiplex are both allowed by right in the overlay, but they're actually uh forbidden in the rest of the square.

I'm going to defer to Valerie again, but I believe the only not knowing seeing what you're saying, the only change made to the use table had to do with having parking be a non-necessary a parking garage being a non-necessary use. the rest of the the rest of the uses are consistent with what the underlying Medford Square draft was.

Yeah. Well, I guess I I'm not sure that's true. I'm looking I I spent some time over the weekend looking at what got distributed Friday afternoon and found these various anomalies. And in just going through it quickly this afternoon, it didn't look as though many of them had been changed. Uh, another one is public entertainment or recreation facility under commercial use. It's a no in the MSO.

I think there may have been some version control stuff here, John. So, I think I think Peter and Valerie may have based this on the January draft and the draft that we're we were looking at last week was the March draft from Inis. So that might be why there's different uses. And and correct me if I'm wrong, Peter, but generally there's not a ton of uses. You're looking at, you know, you're not building three family houses. No, I think we're looking at three. I think quite literally we have uh four uses on this property. Okay.

Right. Um multif family, more than six units, I think is how you guys do it. Freestanding garage. Um, and I can't remember exactly how your commercial um, definitions go, but um, we'll have retail and then uh, maybe commercial retail matches the grocery. Now, I also noticed that um, marijuana, which is a solid no in the rest of the square, uh, goes to the ZBA in the overlay. Was was that intentional?

That comes from your your draft base. I think that's also version control. I think in removed that marijuana uses in the city generally have been ZBA special permit but um in the in draft that just moved to no for the Medford Square. So I think that's a difference between the January and March Medford Square drafts. I think all these use I think all of these use table things are differences between our January and March Metford Square drafts. Zach, if I could, does that I think to John's larger point, should we should we try to correct them so they're aligned with me square? Is there any reason not to?

That is that I mean I don't have an issue certainly with it. I think that makes sense. I think they should be the same. I'm just noting why I think they're coming up here. I agree with your your your logic for sure. Go ahead, John. Just let me mention one more doggy daycare. no in Medford Square, but yes as a yes by right in the overlay. That could have that sort of surprised me. Yeah. Again, I I have no we have no objection to making sure that this um matches what your current version is were were none of the uses articulated are of of uh particular relevance here. But understand the questions for sure.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess my question that I would put to everybody Um, how do we want to handle this? Just sort of take it as as a goodwill gesture and move forward or do we want to see a actual uh correct as we can version? And you know, I didn't spend all weekend going over this. I spent I don't know, two or three hours and that's what I dug up.

Danielle, you have your hand raised. Um, I thank you, Mr. Chair, and um, Mr. President. I would recommend that if the if the board was inclined to recommend something tonight, it would be to recommend their draft the zoning as drafted, but to substitute the table with the March table in the regular zoning because we want things like the banks to be by special permit. We don't want that cafe to fail and then be like, "Oh, well, Bank of America's good for the rent, you know. We don't want that, you know."

Agreed. Valerie, do you see any issue with that given the except, you know, the the tweaks you've made or want to make? I think they can be postured as recommendations. Um, I'm not sure that it should be framed as substituting the use table. Um, because we could also handle adding additional uses that you want to see later. Um, but for ones like the marijuana establishments, to the extent that you just want to change them to nose and make that recommendation tonight, we can make a clean copy of that. So, I don't see why that would hold up um the review and approval of the zoning.

I think we we agreed on the Medford Square table. It sounds like there's no issue from you guys with the Medford Square table. Is that is that accurate? Correct. Okay. Yeah. By the way, I'm looking at you to step on my toe virtually if I Yeah, I I don't think we have any issues with them unless you're telling me you have a secret doggy daycare that you get in here. We're working on it. Um, John Anderson, are you all set?

Well, I I I just wonder how other members of the board feel about this. I'm a little uncomfortable to vote to approve something that we know has uh some problems. They're not serious problems, but to sort of debate them and talk about how we're going to change it in a big meeting like this at 7:30 at night seems like not really the right way to do it.

I mean, I was suggesting that you could recommend that we just make sure that the use table in the overlay is the same as the use table we have in the Medford latest Medford Square draft. And and I think it's really a clerical issue, not a not a substantive one. I tend to agree with that because it's it's uses they're not using. We're just cleaning up the zoning so it's consistent across the square regardless of the overlay or non-overlay portions of the square. I think that's correct. So John, why don't I do this? Why don't I move on to to Sean and then Paige and then we'll get their opinion. We'll start with Sean, then Paige, and then Dena. Go ahead, Sean.

Yep. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chair. Yeah, my what I had identified is the same thing Doug had identified. The the table of uses don't match and I would be comfortable with simply uh a mo a motion that we substitute the table of uses in the overlay for the table of uses that was in the March 25th, I think it was, uh presentation at the joint meeting last week. That would be uh that would be fine with me. My concerns are the exact exact same as Danielle mentioned. I don't want the bank to the the grocery store not to appear or the the cafe to fail and then we have a bank instead which is not the intent of our current use table. Um there's a couple other uses. There are a couple other changes, not added uses, but just changes to the whether you can or cannot make do a use or whether you need a a permit to do a particular use or not. Um, and I think that should just be consistent in the overlay. Um, my other question was, we keep referencing a grocery store, an urban grocery store, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the desired intended use, correct? Or is that a mandated use in some other document that you have with the city of Medford that we are not privy to? In other words, you don't have to put a grocery store there if no groceryer wants to be there. Uh chair car through go ahead Peter please.

Um great great question. Um our our um arrangement is to provide um a minimum amount of retail. Um so you are correct. It doesn't mandate grocery. Um our proposal though um identified grocery as uh the key driver here. Uh I will tell you for that big space we're talking to no one that could be referred to other than a ger. Um so that is the absolute priority but certainly um and again I think people know this urban grocerers are are a very limited pool. So we are being very deliberate and very flexible to make sure that we're doing everything possible to roll out and uh including having this resoning in place to be able to say to them, hey the zoning is now in place for you um to derisk it if you will uh to to enhance the likelihood of success. But we're all motivated for sure the the grocery for this amount of square feet is the optimal um both I think for the city but candidly also for us. Um we don't really want to break up these spaces into smaller spaces and have um a litany of smaller tenants here.

Thank you for that answer. So that would um all the more reason to have the table of uses matched I think. But thank you. That's a great answer. I appreciate it. I'm all set, Doug. Thank you. Thank you, Sean. Um, Paige, why don't you go next?

Yep. Thank you everyone for being here and I appreciate having this opportunity. Um, I agree with what Justan said, what John Anderson brought up. Um, I'm sure other people on the board agree as well. So, thank you for matching that because when I was looking at them back and forth, I had a couple questions. Um, real quick because I caught it fast. the active frontage. I noticed I was trying to pull it up on the one of the versions I have. I know it's for the parking garage, but is that something that would be waved for the buildings with the lot A, B, and C? Uh, Mr. Chair, if I can have Valerie respond, that would be great.

Go ahead, Valerie, please. Right. So, um, the footnote that we added to the proposed dimensional table only applies to the parking garage. Um, I think later in the zoning there's there we did add some flexibility to grant waiverss from those requirements. Um, but it's really only the parking garage that the footnote itself um, sort of removes that requirement from.

Okay. Thank you. And then I noticed when I looked through the um the awesome RFP that was put out there, the map has trees and it could just be because it's pretty a pretty rendering of budding 93 in the parking garage. Is that the intention or is it just for the design? There was a picture with lot C and there were trees that were running behind 93. Yeah, I I think as though so that that portion of the property is mas dot property that you're probably looking at. The parking garage will go within three feet of the property line um or the the rightway line um with mas dot. So I I'm not looking obviously at what you're looking at at the moment here. Um that side of the garage is again going to be a design effort with mas dot. I'm sure you can imagine um there. So I my guess is what was shown there was just an attempt to show vegetation that was there today. and frankly um not necessarily intentional.

Okay. Just interested with obviously what we've been speaking about about you know taking care of the environment and trees. Just interested if that was part of the intention. Thank you.

Thank you, Paige. Uh Dina Kgerro, please uh go with your questions, please. Yeah, I raised my hand during the time and I would I was going to say that I would definitely align the um the use tables with the the draft of the 325 meeting. I think it makes sense for all the same reasons. I was just thinking about a bank myself. Um and I do I do want to thank Ransom for the uh presentation. It was excellent. This is like the first time I've really kind of seen what the project's all about. And I'm excited about it because I remember as a young girl going to a very vibrant Method Square and there was a grocery store right near uh where you're thinking of putting one too. So that's just that really is is wonderful. Um, so the alignment and and Valerie, if if we if you did align them, would the would the use table also meet the the garage needs, the parking garage needs and lot see?

I believe that was one of the changes that had been made. So, it should be allowed. I will double check that in whatever we submit. But we made changes to that use. I think I think if I can, Valerie, I think it's a little bit more I think it's a little bit different, which is our version allowed freestanding non-cessory parking garages. The underlying Medford Square zoning never allowed that the draft. So, so I think um um the the suggestion here is that when we say convert to the the March table, the March table with the change allowing

right the freestanding non-acessory parking structure is is really technically what has to happen here. That's that's my point. Thank you very much, Peter. Y the other thing I just um my father is 86. He loves the senior center and they talk about the parking in lot A. So currently the seniors, especially when they have mobility issues, will park in lot A. Uh you said that there's I think you said 70 maybe 70 spots in that area and and just a little bit concerned about uh where the where the seniors will be parking be able to park in lot A and also uh the availability of the parking in the parking garage in lot C.

Yeah, great great question. I'm going to um not give you a a great definitive answer only because only only because I don't know what I don't know, right? So, so we're we're going to be meeting again with the with the senior center. Um, and I I want to put it out there, the the we are contractually committed to give the parking spaces for your charge. Um, the uh exact location, all the details we have to work through. I'm not saying this to concern anyone. It's really just I don't want to to to the earlier comment about zoning. This is this is the beginning, right? gonna have lots of conversations. Um, and and you know, there there are some going back to the question about the grocery store, right?

We need to make sure that also that we're we're balancing all the different needs to to achieve as much success on as many points as we can. Um, and and no doubt that's going to be a balance. Um, but I don't have the answers today. So, I don't want to um be flippant. Um, but what I do want to say though is that this has been a number one topic um in every single conversation that we've had with staff, with the mayor, um, with the council when we've talked with them. So, it's it's very much dead center of our radar.

Yes. And and I was very pleased to hear to say that you were going you were working with them. So, I am I am perfectly comfortable with that that answer. You also mentioned in lot C in the in the garage it's going to be for city hall uh senior center uh in employees and wouldn't it be residential as well?

Yeah. So that's Gre Abs you're absolutely correct. So that will that garage will serve as um part of the parking that will meet the the parking requirement for the residential but also have an opportunity and there will be spaces available for public parking. Um the shioalier we haven't made mention of tonight but we've already met with them. We'll be meeting with them again and again and again to really help them um not only um give them a a greater sense of parking availability but really directionally right help them with the technology to make sure when you are buying tickets that you actually can right

simultaneously find that you can actually get get your parking in the garage and and have graphics and maps and everything to to help them which I understand Google maps has not helped um the the the the non-M Medford resident who goes to the shioalier um finds themselves meandering through Medford Square after they park their car. So, we're going to groups like that um that there's going to be parking available to um to address all those needs. That's wonderful. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Dina. Uh Goffman Fishman, you are next. Are you there?

Yep. Thank you. I'm just unmuting. Um I'm always uh last on these people get to my questions uh before I do. Um the last one that I wanted to just kind of get the English language explanation, especially for the public, I remember being mentioned a few times that one of the changes that needed to be made in this overlay was what counted as an entrance and exit and kind of what was facing 93. Um, is that something you're able to speak to? U, Mr. Chair, through you, I think I'm going I'm going to take a stab at it, but then Valerie can politely correct me, but I think it had to do with there was a

um technical language within your um underlying zoning that dealt with emergency exits from where they can be located. Um, which is a very unique provision. Um and and when you have a building that's if you will a full block building um one of the sides inevitably more than one of the sides is going to have emergency exits. So we were just the language tweak was really to address the reality that um for full block projects like this there have to be emergency exits that will face uh and run a foul of that provision. So Valerie, did I do an okay job? But please feel free to correct.

Yes, that's right. the um Medford Square draft zoning we reviewed had um a basically a rule that you couldn't have emergency act exits on a public way, but if your building is surrounded on four sides by public ways, you got to have an emergency exit somewhere. So, um that was something there was no way we could comply with. So, we did remove that language.

Perfect. Thank you. Just wanted to make sure that I understood how that loop was closed. Um that sounds so super reasonable. Um one question the last question I have is a theoretical one. It does not affect I think uh what uh we're doing today. But one of the uses that I expect to hear a lot of public interest in based on the local parent groups is a kind of cafe with kid playing space like the Mill Cafe in Arlington. Um and on kind of that's on the excited side. On the less excited side, if Capital One came in with like a Capital One cafe, that's a bank/cafe or a cafe/kid space. Um, for PDS staff, I think is the question. How do we handle things that are kind of dual uses in that way?

Um, so I'm going to give you the I think the non-awyer answer to it, which is I think your code allows that flexibility to be able to do it. Um, and um, for what it's worth, I I may come to regret it. I I agree with everyone's feelings about banks. So, um, yes, I'll just add we haven't really considered how that would fit into the uses that are in your zoning code. Obviously, they found a a way to fit something similar because the village play space across the street from city hall is fantastic. We love it.

In my family, we're there pretty frequently. So, um, you know, uses like that that are unique and don't neatly fit in the zoning, we generally always find a way to work with the city to to make sure that something like that can happen. And if not, then we'll be back in front of you with an amendment should we be so fortunate as to find a user who wants to to build something like that. Great. Thank you.

Thank you, Ari. Appreciate it. Um, I just have a few follow-up comments. Um, uh, Peter, on on a separate project just recently, you came before us, uh, for the Cappy site and you did something that we all enjoyed. It was a change, but you actually made more units and less parking. And I know that this proposal um you know it is it possible you come back and you want to change the unit mix. You want to possibly change the numbers? I would want that garage if I if it was my call to be two or three stories higher because I know Memphis Square cannot have enough garage parking. Not for the long term because no one builds a garage every 5 years in Memphis Square. They build it every 50 years. That's the problem. Anyway, if you could just talk about kind of the potential for possibly doing more given that the zoning that allows is actually much more than you're using in in some cases.

Mr. Chair, you confused me with your tactics on me. Last last meeting it was too much. Now it's too little. It's all good. I get it. It's complicated. So So here um let me say this. Um we have maximized what we think the project can support understanding that the project is trying to support some public parking on top of it and and by the way on top of about 150 spaces for which uh as part of our arrangement we're giving to the city you know to to use right so um is there the possibility the garage gets bigger maybe um um I don't I don't see that at the moment um we think we have again we're balancing a whole bunch of different uses here. One use we haven't talked about is the the Hyatt um hotel actually has the right to it's not included in my count, but they have a right to use 45 spaces on lot C um through a 99-year um easement that was done years ago. Um so we're not we're not impacting that. But just to give you an example, there's there's just so many different and we know there's a hotel there and we know there and we know that there's other uses. Um, we are talking to everybody in the neighborhood to really get as much information we can, including the medical office building that has a uh a significant garage that um on its best day is probably only 60% full um to just understand what the opportunities are, right? Um and and to see where the availability is. So, we're we're motivated the same way I think your comment indicated. um we think we've maximized it um based on what this project then and and and this is it takes me to just an interesting but important point and you referenced the the 10 River Beach Parkway project that that we've had a chance to visit with you and your colleagues on. Um that project and this project are almost the exact same size.

And I say that because this project's on three parcels and I'm sure uh chair car you know from your your practice and whatnot it's exponentially more comp complicated. Um we have more foundations, we have more infrastructure, we have more sidewalks, we have much more things and and so I say that which is we're we're trying to and and I think that the mayor and Alisia and Danielle have done a really tremendous job structuring um um a project that allows us to give so much um and tangibly back to the city. Um um but also balancing the fact that this isn't um this isn't relatively speaking a significantly large project.

That's a that's a fair comment. I appreciate that. I just had some uh some thoughts. You know that it's it's sometimes done where you you can design the the cores the elevators for garage to for future floors. I mean, they did that at Awife 30 years ago. Have never done it obviously, but that could be one potential because it's going to be a pre-cast garage, right? That's what it looks like on the plan to add floors to that in the future is probably possible technically if if you don't do it for five or 10 years if it's designed at the beginning that way. Just a thought for your engineers and your structural folks and their your pre-cast vendor, whoever that is, that you're going to sign up. It's it's just it might be short dollars that could allow potentially 100 spaces in the future if the market 10 years from now is a much different animal. And I agree with you on that garage obviously for Atrius, you know, that's that's empty every night at 505, you know, and and it's a shame we can't we've been I know the city has been trying for many many years to get their attention and trying to get something out of that as a an asset that is more than the private use. Anyway, thank you for that. Um, I will note that I I do believe the the city board did approve the freestanding garage in as part of the Memphis Square uh revised. Uh, so I feel like you have that right. I don't I think that's already baked into what we're looking at the final uh version in just a little bit of time. So I think I believe that should be a done deal. And if Alicia or Danielle tell me if if that's not the case. I think it's only in the west of Forest Street area. So, I think they would still need to have that in here. Uh Danielle, sorry.

Thank you, Mr. President. I think if we just use the MS4 column of the table, um then that doesn't have a footnote associated with it. That's the MS2. but also we'd have to amend it so that it's a Y not um special permit by CDB. But otherwise, all the other uses in the MS4 should work for these three lots, right? As far as I can see, I don't see any footnotes in the MS4 column that we have to worry about.

Yeah. I mean, if we're talking about cleaning up some of these pieces to make this clean and and not having to go back and revisit it the second we we pass it, whenever that is, it feels like this should be one for sure because we're obviously that garage needs to be built in, not an afterthought or an exception because it's clearly foundational to the plan. Okay. Um, let's see. Um uh I know u cult president bears that there you during the RFP process you were you were looking ahead at the possibility of a future city hall expansion. I don't think anything in this plan precludes that. Correct.

Um I'm not sure Peter I don't know if you want to or Alicia I would need to defer to the city on on that. The I mean let me just say this. the the back parking lot um the the majority of that back parking lot is is undisturbed and and there for city hall parking and presumably the city could do what the city wanted to do but I'm not privy to any of those conversations so I stop there and defer to staff

that's fair Peter could you just um you listed some of the larger grosses that are not urban grosses that would not be on this site like market basket etc. But could you do you have a like a short list of people so they get a sense of it of what what type of urban grocerers could go here? Could a Trader Joe's go here? Is that too big as well? Um, you know, I'm going to refrain from giving a list because I don't want to give the impression that the list means that we're having conversations or not having conversations. Um, but I think that um that one that you just mentioned is one that it sits in many urban environments.

Fair enough. Thank you. Um unless if anyone member of the CD board has any comments or questions, I think we've gone through everyone at this time. I'm satisfied and I would like to move forward.

Thank you, Chair Carr. Um, I just want to I I hate to come back around and ask one last question, but Peter, you brought up an interesting point about the project you're working on in the Wellington area and this project and um you know, it would seem to me and and correct me if any of my assumptions are wrong that there's a little bit more land to work with here. It's a little bit of a different um arrangement and I and I'm just kind of wondering why we landed with a project of a similar size given the additional kind of available space um that you know the city is looking to transform. So I was wondering if you could talk about that a little bit more.

Yeah, happy to. It's a it's a fair and and good question. Um so obviously every project has different demand drivers and and and needs. Um, this project in particular, I think we are trying to um, we the city put out a a list of priorities. I think our project is meeting as many of those priorities as practicable. Um, and and I I like to think that's in part why we were selected u to to partner with you all on this. Um, those priorities though come with choices, right? And and and almost all of them are space choices. um the need to these parking lots while has as as unremarkable as they are from an urban context and an urban design, they have served a necessity, right? They've served as a place um for for parking for town city hall employees, city staff, um people visiting for the senior center and and and other uses and frankly residents who have just gotten used to being able to park their cars where they wanted to park their cars in these lots. Um so our proposal um and again as a condition of our our arrangement is we're we're recreating 150 parking spaces. Um and and you know let's just for the sake of the conversation assume they're in the garage. Um that's a significant amount of parking to to put into a garage. And as a result we needed there was no way to do this project without frankly a freestanding parking garage. There was um no no parcel big enough uh for us to be putting it inside of a building. financially. I think you you guys are all aware that financially going below grade is is a non-starter and and would never have happened. So So the parking garage took up all of lot C. Lot A. Um I'm just going to be forthright and just say um there it's hard enough to find an urban ger. It's going to be even harder to find one that has you parking in a parking garage. Um and so they care about surface parking and ease. Um because us humans are are if not predictable, we are predictable in one

way, which is we only go where it's easy to go. We tend to avoid hard things. And so um again to to optimize the likelihood of success here, um we've made sure to um show plans and and have conversations that are being very forthright about the fact that there's surface parking. So that eats up a fair amount of of lot A um that otherwise maybe could have been building. And then in lot B, um, where the largest number of residential units is, there is, um, ground flooror parking in there, about 70 parking spaces in in that one. Um, but really on that one, it's really a question about, well, why didn't we go taller, right? Uh, and and two two reasons. One, a design reason, one, a financial reality reason. I'll start with the financial reality reason, which is, uh, Massachusetts has one of the toughest high-rise code thresholds uh, in in the nation. um are and Doug I may get the feet wrong so you correct me if I'm wrong but I believe in Massachusetts um 70 feet to the ceiling of the highest at the top habitable floor is is when going above that you go into high-rise um and then at 85 ft you go into steel um and so both of those things present some pretty significant cost premiums which is the reason that throughout whether it's Wellington or other projects that the CDB certainly has seen but everybody has seen going up in recent years, you are typically seeing seven stories and under for for residential um projects because of the way the high-rise code kicks in and the extraordinary cost premiums that go with it. So, that's the financial reason. Um but for LAP in particular, I I want to share a design reason and something that when we were working on our proposal with PCA, um frankly, we are cognizant of these this building being the backdrop to a pretty beautiful and historic city hall. Um and this building could very well very easily

overwhelm um what I think is a very important historical building and and important civic building. Um and so the location of parcel B, we were very um very cognizant of that and and want to make sure that while the building's going to be interesting and dynamic to to Mr. Anderson's part, we're also going to be that's that side facing that um city hall is a place that we want to make sure that we're an appropriate backdrop. So we um um are very cognizant about scale there. So very quickly take all those things together, it just it it chisels away, if you will, right, the the opportunities for for density here. But I do believe we have enough density and enough vitality here to be that catalyst that that um one of your cat your colleagues talked about um which was important to us. Um, and I think that this will this project will certainly be a catalyst for other projects in in in the immediate proximity.

Thank you, Peter. I appreciate that. And I think that's an important thing to kind of pull out of um everything, you know, just cuz I think on the headline of well, you know, you're doing the same project on a much, you know, much greater square footage. You know, there's there's folks will say, well, why are we not doing more? And I think it's important to give that context. I think for me um you know I have I have my personal thoughts about that and and many of them I agree with what you said and I understand why they why they landed where they landed and um and I appreciate the project uh team for what they've put together. I think my one question and maybe it's something to consider as part of design um the design work that you move into. I hear what you're saying about the the small midsize urban ger and wanting surface parking and ease of access and I think um you know obviously that's not going to change in this plan but as some of the adjacent properties to the west um likely come into a reconsideration. I do wonder if integrating uh those projects into the south side of lot a for example the surface parking maybe you know and again you're the one who's having these conversations you have expertise here that I don't but um how big of a difference is you know open surface parking versus that parking but with a building on top of it you know how how you know is that a huge difference for the ger if the ger establishes with the surface parking finds a lot success and then says, "Hey, great. There's a lot of new customers maybe in walking distance 100 to 500 feet to my west." You know, maybe that changes the um the thinking around needing that surface parking to keep that amenity. So, um I think there would be value to figuring out how to make sure that that uh riverfront facing part of that lot that's going to be service parking could be activated in the future. And I'm sure you guys are

thinking about that. Um noted. And I'm gonna end this by just saying President Beer since I've been calling you chair bears all night. And the only thing only thing anyone's texted me tonight is I keep calling you the wrong title. Hey, you know, I'm cool with it. You can call me Zach if you want. Um but uh yeah, I think that's just my one thing is like I think there's a ton that's great here. And then the one question to me that's really outstanding is what's next and how do we are we you know what are we looking at for riverfront activation and changes on Clippership Drive and sure

the those parcels between the main intersection and this project in the future which I think seem to be really the next thing up on on our transformation uh you know we stand we stand ready to help um even even if it's not us that doing those things it's it's important um we're we're all we're now vested Awesome. Thanks. I just wanted to get that out there. Um, so thanks Doug.

Yeah. Um, President Bears, I just just it's worth noting that remember we've it's only been relatively recently that we've assumed a 08 car parking ratio for all of Memphis Square, right? Which I don't think you it certainly wasn't true a year ago, Peter. You didn't have, you know, you you had to make assumptions. You had what was in the RFP as your guidance. But I'm what I'm what I'm saying is that perhaps your parking can go further now, you know, because of that number which is essentially lower and maybe it is smaller units, maybe it is more units within the same within the same real estate just like you did in Wellington. Just something to look at. You don't need to answer it now at all. Um,

I do want to move this along and uh, Council President Bears, maybe we do we need to now since we've gone through both boards uh, council and our board, do we want to open it up for public comment? Yes. And everyone Doug said that, not me. We should move to public comment, but I do see John. Uh, all right. So, I'll go to John one last time. John, Mr. Anderson, you're you're muted. John. Um I'm sorry. I raised my hand by mistake, believe it or not. Oh, very good. All right, let's move on.

All right, so thank you to the members of the council and the community development board, Chair Carr, um Peter, Valerie, Alicia, Danielle. We are going to open this public hearing up for the public comment on the uh transom property. Um, if you'd like to speak on well the city hall parking lots transom project we uh overlay district um if you'd like to speak in public comment here um please raise your hand on Zoom and you'll have three minutes. I do see one hand on Zoom and now I see two. So we'll start with uh Mr. Castanetti if you could give your name and address for the record and you'll have three minutes. Thank you, Council Brew Cast. I appreciate your time. Thank you. Uh I have two quick questions and I have two brief comments. Um am I coming through? Can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you. Okay, thank you. Um they're proposing 500 parking spots when it's completed. Is that correct? approximately. Um, if you ask your questions, we will answer them all at once, if that's okay, Andy. Okay, then my question is, how many spots do we have today? All right. Um, we'll we'll get back to that. Do you have any other questions or comments?

Okay. Yeah, let me finish off the other question. Thank you. Um, does this development cost the taxpayer any money at all? Um I want to thanks all for your time and also I must thank John for asking intelligent and pertinent questions. Thank you very very much for your presence on board. You are a good patriot and good night.

Thank you Andy. So, I think the questions were um how much of the um new, you know, what if we're going to have what's the final parking compared to the current parking and um does this cost the city taxpayer any money? Peter, if you happy to respond if you'd like. Thank you. Yes, Peter.

Fine. So, the first the first question, I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I think we're very close um to replacing um all the parking spaces that are being removed. I don't think we're actually there, but I think we're close to it. Keeping in mind, of course, that we're adding obviously a whole bunch of different program here, right? So, we're also adding a whole bunch of different demand drivers. Um, what the city um made sure to preserve. And this is I think is a really important thing and I probably can't say it enough is for for the duration of the the next hundred years, the city has at no cost to the city uh the right to park um functionally 150 cars um divided between city hall and and the senior center. um provided to them. So um I'm happy to follow up with a specific parking count. I just don't have that in front of me tonight. Um in terms of of what this cost the city um um um I think the best way for me to answer that the the mayor and staff have done a really good job uh negotiating a deal for the city um in including the fact that we are paying um we are we are reimbursing the city for its legal fees and consulting fees. Um so um certainly um the city's done a a good job protecting the taxpayer in that regard. Um obviously when this project is built uh there'll be more residents and and there obviously are going to be incidental costs that any municipality as kind of part of its mission um is going to have but in terms of its project the the city is not subsidizing um this project um directly or indirectly.

All right. Thank you Peter. I appreciate that. We'll go to the next commenter. We'll go to Sorry, Tom, if you could give us your name and address for the record, please. And you'll have three minutes.

Tom, you're muted. Yeah, Tom. There you go. Are we okay? Go ahead, Tom. Name.

Sorry, technology. I got a terrible um echo here. I've been an observer of of Medford Square and a resident for a long time here in Medford and I have to say I find it kind of ironic that parking seems to be the tail wagging the dog once again here after years of discussion about Medford Square. Um and that that this proposal uh development from Transom uh actually adds 184 parking spaces at least according to the uh press release that I'm looking at on my other other other screen here. Uh I'm kind of worried that um you know you're trying to create a pedestrianfriendly environment here, a pedestrianoriented development. You've got uh hundreds of apartments, which I suppose is a is a real plus in terms of of housing, but the idea of 567 parking places here, um I think is a little is a little a little overwhelming. And I think it frankly is the kind of thing that you would never see built in a place like Conquer or Lexington or Winchester in in the heart of their downtown, putting a big honking uh parking garage uh there. Um, that's number that's my first comment. The second comment, I'm a little skeptical about the grocery store. I don't know much about the grocery business. My grandfather was in it. But I do know that, you know, grocery stores uh is a high volume, low margin uh business and having a grocery store at a mere 13,000 square feet. I think there was a comment earlier that the typical urban store is 20,000 ft and above. and uh suburban grocery stores like the one in Chelsea or up in Wuburn uh are are considerably uh larger. I'd

worry a little bit about the uh longevity of that business model, but it's not my money going into it. So, I just I wanted to add that I think Medford Square is at a nice scale. I absolutely supportive of increasing housing and that's been its real deficit in ter of having a 24-hour population uh in in the square. But I kind of wonder about the scale of this uh of this project and particularly concerned about the uh parking garage especially also because I believe that there's been discussion about allowing other parking garages in Medford Square in the in the resoning uh picture. So I just wonder if this is a thin edge of a very large wedge.

Thank you Tom. Thanks Tom. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in the public hearing for the Medford Square City Hall parking lots overlay district? All right, Sheila, name and address for the record and you'll have three minutes.

Can you hear me now? Yes, we can hear you.

All right. 19 Sagamore Park. Um just a quick question um sort of overlapping what the other gentleman said about uh the parking lot um and also my other comments for the last meeting about Medford Square um about design. I've been into several communities where they have um parking lots that are beautiful on the outside. for example, Newbury Port where they're very um you know interested in having beautiful design being such a historic uh community and they've done a wonderful job of what the outside the veneer of the parking lot looks like as well as in Sarasota, Florida. So, I was wondering I don't know this will come if this is the proper uh time to discuss that because I know there's going to be design review, but I think that would be very important for us to think about when we do design the garage that it blends in more to um the surrounding buildings and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb and be just an ugly concrete um building. That's all I really had to say. I think this is going to be an exciting project and I'm very excited about all of the artwork and the sculptures. And um to add on to what one of the other gentlemen at the last meeting said about trees, I think again he's absolutely right. When you have lots of trees and green, it creates a a much more beautiful space. So I hope that there's be lots of trees and green here um to make it more inviting. Thank you. And thank you for all your hard work everybody.

Thank you Sheila. Right. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak in the public hearing on this project on this zoning uh zoning amendment? All right. Seeing none, I'm going to close public comment. Um and we can talk about how we want to move forward here. Um, I think Carar, I will turn it over to you if you want to speak to if you and your members want to talk about what kind of recommendations you want to make. It sounded to me like the recommendation was to make sure that the use table matches the MS4 in our latest draft. But I'll turn that over to you.

Yes, thank you. Appreciate that. I I I do think from what I'm hearing tonight, there is consensus that we we should have the use table match what we just approved for this overlay. So, um I don't know if uh if Danielle is think do you think we can work up some language on that? Is it just as simple as that or is there is it more do you want to make a specific reference to uh that I guess the March 25th date uh that use table it's still in process right but I think we want to make sure it's applied here thank you um Mr. Chair. Um, I guess I have a question for Director Hunt. Is it the March 23rd or is it March 25th? Because I'm looking at March 23rd. Was there a March 25th?

I think it was March 23rd discussed March 25th. The the file name is 23rd. It was presented at the 25th meeting, right? But I would say it was dated on the 23rd, correct? Because that's what it that's what the memo says.

I believe that's correct. So we would be we would be adopting or aligning the table of uses dated March 23rd presented at the March 25th date and now basically applying it to the overlay district in Medford Square for the trends and properties I believe. I think it would be to yeah adopt what are we calling this the Medford Square City Hall overlay amendment as amended to substitute the existing use table with the MS4 subd district uses um as amended to change use I what is I1 from the CDB to a Y because right now under miscellaneous commercial uses, parking area, garage non-accessory to permitted principal use is a special permit and we should just make that a Y which would be subject to state plan review. That sounds correct to me

because the other standalone garage is um use I6 and that's specifically for municipal parking garages. Very good. Sean, does that sound right to you? You're you're often our voice of reason when it comes to legal language.

Yeah, I think you're I think you're close enough uh someone to make a motion. Uh unless attorney Moore has wants any additional language. No, I think that's that's right. Um, as Miss Evans said, as long as we are amending the principal garage used to make that allowed as of right, um, then we're fine with the amendment as proposed. Alicia, you have a comment.

And I just uh Danielle did missed the word the clean version, the version circulated today. So there was the version that was first advertised and then the version set circulated today had all those italics and and some of those little details that Christian caught um in it. So I just want to make sure we're referring to that version. Maybe we need to repeat it. Before we do that though, let me um let me go to John Anderson. And uh John um you have a comment or question?

Yes, thank you. Uh, I guess I'm very reluctant to vote yes on something that references two documents, one of which we're sort of arguing about which version it is. But if uh, attorney Shawn Bean says it's okay, I'll go along with it. But my personal preference would be to vote no. But I don't want to be the skunk at the garden party. All right. Thank you, John. We can have a five to one vote, John. It won't matter.

Um maybe Alicia, could you take one more run at that? Just motion motion language that we could put it to a vote if there's there's a lot there to chew on. I apologize for putting you on the spot. We're gonna drop it in the chat. Okay. Christian wrote it up what Danielle was saying. Right, Danielle? That's what he has there. That's the version. I'll read it out and I'll put it mostly. Yeah.

The motion is to recommend the city council adopt the Medford Square Hall City Hall overlay amended amendment as amended on March 30th. So that's referring to the version that was circulated to today substituting the existing MSO MSO with MS4 subdist the one in the draft MSD. zoning. Hold on. I'm putting this in the chat. I'm I'm reading it in the chat and and I feel like I need I need an interpreter to I'm just trying to chew on it. Thank you. Go ahead.

Yeah. All right. So, we'll read it through. The motion is to adopt the Medford Hall Square City Hall overlay amend amendment as amended on March 30th, 26. That's the version that Valerie sent me yesterday that I circulated to all of you this morning.

Okay. substituting the existing MSO and he doesn't say this but use column with the MS4 subdist use column in the draft Medford Square District zoning text document dated March 23rd 26. Additionally replacing the allowance for use I1 from CDB to Y. Yeah, I think it I think I should further say the uses within the use column just to make clear that that we're not changing the the title of the use column.

Right. Are there any other comments about this change, this motion, this draft motion from either the well from the obviously the CD board? Hearing none, I'll ask for um I'll ask for that motion seconded. Uh, I'd move move to approve the uh motion as read by Director Hunt.

Second. I second it. Thank you, Paige. I'll read the role. John Anderson, yes. John Began, yes. Paige Baldini, yes. Thank you. Dina Golierro, yes. I Goffman Fishman, yes. And myself, Doug Carr. Yes. Motion passes six to zero. Great. So, I think for us, we should just move and and I think you guys may have to move as well to close the public hearing. So, is there a motion for a member of the council to close the public hearing?

I moved. On a motion of councelor Le public hearing seconded by councelor Scarpelli. Mr. Clerk, please call the role.

Councelor Callahan. Yes. Council Leming. Yes. Council me. Yes. Councelor Scarpelli. Yes. Councelor Singh. Yes. Vice President Lazaro is absent. President Beers, yes. Six in the affirmative, one absent. The motion passes. Chair Carr. Yes. I'll entertain a motion to close the public hearing following what the Council President Bear has just noted. So moved. And can I hear a second, please? Second.

Very good. Roll call. John Anderson. Yes. Sean Began, yes. Paige Baldini, yes. Dina Colligerro, yes. Arie Goffman Fishman, yes. And myself, Doug Carr, yes. The motion passes six to zero. To you, President Baris.

Great. We have one more thing and then we will be done for the evening. We have our updated meeting schedule. So, give me one second to pull that up. Motions and orders and resolutions. Paper 26052 offered by councelor Lemming updated proposed zoning meeting schedule through June of 2026. So this was an update to the document that we discussed I believe in February um outlining our upcoming meetings. Let me just share my screen here. All right. So, um, these first two meetings, that's the one we held last week and the one we are are in in in right now. It's right here. Um, and then we have proposals for April, May, and June. Um, so in April, we would be finishing up the uh Medford Square zoning and and starting some prep work on the Boston Avenue and TUS zoning. Um so April 8th on Boston, the council uh planning and permitting committee would be taking a look at the uh zoning proposed zoning from last spring to confirm the boundaries to remove the resident any residential districts that were in there. Um and that's going to be just like kind of a preliminary meeting to make sure we have the right boundaries. On April 15th, the community development board would be discussing the the Medford Square zoning as we discussed tonight and your public hearing was continued to that. Um on April 22nd, uh the council planning and permitting committee would be further discussing and looking at um the TUS and Boston Avenue proposals. On the 28th, the council will be having the final vote on Medford Square if recommendations are referred from the

community development board on April 15th. Um on April 29th, we'll have our second meeting in the council planning and permitting committee to discuss the kind of building and planning development sustainability cleanup portion of this project. Um and then on April 30th, there's a public information session uh on TUS and Boston A to receive feedback from the public. And then essentially May and June, we would be moving through the process of um reviewing draft zoning in early May for TUS and Boston Avenue. Um and then further uh having our that referred out to joint city council and community development board meetings for consideration in May and in early June. Councelor Leming.

Uh thank you. Council President, would you be able to reshare the uh the schedule?

Sure. Uh yeah, just uh um I guess just to offer some additional context on on why this is on why this is here because we approved um another schedule uh last month at the or earlier this month, the March 3rd meeting. Um it it was found that first some of the proposed meetings over overlapped with community development board meetings and staff did and PDS staff do want to be able to attend both well pretty much all scheduled meetings um on zoning without any overlap. Um one of the meetings um was found to be scheduled on Passover. So we we did want to change that. This schedule also contains all of the uh city regular city council meetings and the regular community development board meetings just to offer some clarity on when those are um even if they're not directly related to anything that is being considered um considered at the moment. Um the uh basic ba basically the the idea behind this is that we'll have sufficient time is that you know there uh is the Medford Square portions which were uh large which were discussed at the March 25th meeting. Um and this should and this hopefully provides sufficient timeline to get through the TUS and Boston Avenue pieces. Um on the April 8th meeting, uh we're just going to start within city council planning and permitting to discuss Boston Avenue. We did receive a request from some representatives from TUS University to attend to meet with the zoning working group meeting before we released anything publicly about TU's

institutional zoning. So we would have that meeting on April 9th just to hear hear their concerns before anything is made public. Um and obviously as usual the notes from those meetings will be shared with both bodies. Uh and then the first time that that would be made public would be April uh April 22nd uh when we start to go over that. Um, and then this hope and then the the idea the idea of the rest of this is just to give us a little bit of time in city council to sort of draft some of our own uh to to work on some of our own um uh to work on some of these papers uh before passing it off to the uh CDB with the first meeting on uh May 13th. Um and uh then essent then basically the workflow after that would be we have one of those joint meetings every two weeks. Um and then for three uh three times in a row and then and then sort of also have a schedule for June 17th uh for the June 17th CDB meeting just in case you know any any um additional items need to be uh discussed and reviewed then. Um but I but the way this happens in my head is the uh first joint hearing would essentially be an introduction, a discussion hearing feedback from the CDB. Hopefully, we'd be able to have something, you know, sort of calcified and and and seen as individual recommendations by um the second joint hearing. And then the third joint hearing um would be presumably when we um uh would be when that's referred out with sort of an additional CDB meeting scheduled there just in case. And this is sort of like scheduled right up to the wire uh because the cut off for in his contract is June 30th. uh beyond

then we really wouldn't be able to rely on their on their services. The agreement between the mayor and city council from December also contains a specification to sort of not review any propos any zoning proposals over the summer. So the the intent behind this is to sort of lay out a schedule whereby we'll be able to get through at least the uh at least the uh you know the Medford Square and then the TUS and Boston Avenue pieces uh before uh that cut off is done. And I think this this does allow quite a few meetings to to be able to do that. So that that's just some additional context um in addition to what council president bearer said. Um I would like to you know hear hear any uh comments, questions or concerns about this schedule from members of the city council and community development board. But I would also like to have just a motion to uh approve whatever we uh come up with after the discussion is done. Thank you, Chair Lemming. I mean, yes, committee chair Lemming, everybody's in chair tonight. Um, but yeah, this was discussed, I think, in, you know, just so folks know, like the zoning working group discussed this last week with our planning, development, sustainability staff, with Inis associates to make sure, especially that the Inis team has time to work on Medford Square over the next couple of weeks. Um and then there would not be a draft of any proposed uh updated draft of any proposed Boston or TUS zoning um until uh the May 5th meeting. So that gives time for uh further discussions looking at the boundaries and as well as the public info session on April 30th. So really the the um April meetings are that's a timeline that everyone feels like is good to get us up to May 5th. And um you know as Inis has been presenting in all of their presentations we have this time period until June 30th working with them on these two phases of the project. So

everything in May and June is designed to make sure that we have uh ample meeting time for our discussions and to make sure that we complete this uh project um before the contract expires. So I will ask if there's any other questions from members of the council at this time. Seeing none, I'll turn it over to chair car. Thank you, Council President Biz. Paige Baldini, go ahead and ask your question. Thank you so much. Um, couple quick questions. Are we going to update the zoning maps that have already been put through? So, that's up on the zoning website. Um, sorry. The zoning maps for

like Salem Street when we have Medford Square when we have the overlay, will those be available to the public to see on the website? They they should certainly Salem Street and Mystic A and um and that should already be available. I'll turn that over to Director Hunt. Perfect. Because I was having um issues finding it. And then are we get is the interactive map up too where you can put your address in? I will have to go to director hunt on that. I was up on the page earlier.

Uh Mr. President, I was actually just checking on the web page because I assumed that these were still here. I hadn't actually checked and I see some of the older ones are still there as drafts and I had sent some updates but you are correct. I'm not seeing clearly a Salem Street the submap there on the web page. Um, I I do see the Medford Square materials on the because I sent the Medford Square stuff to the communications team last week and so I do see that there. Um, but I had not noticed it. I don't know where the Salem Street one went. So I will

do see it. It's if you scroll down to approved adopted zoning proposals, the Salem Street district is there and the Mystica district neighborhood corridor district map amendment section. And then there's at a glance and I don't see a map public meeting. So I think that's the um that's the the change from MX2 to MX1 at Park and Salem that if you scroll down to all the way to the bottom. Yeah.

Is there any way that we can make that a little user friendly? I don't know. That's I know a website upgrade and I'm not here to judge. It just gets a little tricky. We'll have to coordinate with um Steve Smury and the mayor's team because they are the ones who are are doing the website. So, we'll have to check in with them. Great. And then is there communication for the Boston residents or business owners for these meetings? Do we know that schedule? I think the plan is to do similar um as to what we did to Medford Square. Um not sure. Again, I think we'd have to check with Steve uh and the mayor's office on the timing on that. Great. Thank you, Councelor Leming.

Um, yeah, sorry. I did did just want to just wanna jump in uh jump in on one point there. Although I think Council President Beer, would you be the one to recognize me in this case or is it Yeah, you know, we're just we're getting we're almost done.

Sorry. Yeah, being very technical here. Uh, sorry. So, so yeah. um with a a lot of this is a lot of this is um communications related stuff which we so on the schedule we do have the meeting at the Medford Public Library on the 30th as well as one that's more TBD uh like that's to be determined uh where the location of that on is on June 1st. Uh, and I would like for that public info session to go to Abutters and to have sort of a, you know, a concerted effort to uh put to uh put out postcards or do outreach to businesses within that within that area. Uh but but yeah some issues with the with the website um which is kind of something that we you know keep running into is that we don't actually have direct control over that mostly that mostly to update any form of the web of the Medford zoning page we would need we need to sort of ping and send reminders to the uh to the communications team to uh to update it. Um, I personally like to have the power to just update these things personally, but I I can't do that. And that means that things are oftentimes like a little bit um not the most not the most uh uh ideal in terms of in terms of organization. Uh we do have an RFP that um we also discussed and you might have seen those in the notes for the uh for the working group meeting for communications consultant to sort of help us out on this and act you know full-time. So that is so the options for that will come back to city council and hopefully we'll be hiring somebody on that to sort of like get a lot of these items more in order as the uh zoning as the zoning process uh as the zoning

process continues. Um but yeah, these those are those are points that we do need uh to sort of fix that part of the process, but we have you know limited control and resources to get everything everything perfectly right. So I did just want to point that part out. Yeah, something we're hoping for phase two of this project, whether it's the RFP that was released or as part of a combined RFP for the whole next part of the zoning is to have something like we had for the comprehensive plan where it's not hosted on the city website, which as you note has has limitations. Um, and the comprehensive plan website, um, you know, was a really robust resource specifically for the comp plan project. Uh I think where we left at councelor bears we were I was going to ask if there were any other community development board members who had a question. I don't I Paige was the only one who raised her hand but I'll give you one last chance otherwise I think we'll be moving towards adopting this uh this schedule if I don't hearing seeing none um shall we council you want to go ahead and uh make a motion

yes is there a motion to approve the calendar schedule by a member of the city council moved on the motion of councelor seconded by councelor Scarelli Mr. Cler, please call the role. Council Callahan, yes. Council Lemming, yes. Council me, yes. Councelor Scarpelli, yes. Councelor Singh, yes. Vice President Zar's absent. President Beers,

yes. Six affirmative, one absent. The motion passes. Terar. I'll entertain the same motion to adopt the uh the schedule uh as previously noted. So moved. Seconded. Thank you, John. Seconded. Uh roll call. John Anderson, yes. Sean Began, yes. Paige Baldini, yes. Dina Colliger, yes. Ari Goffman Fishman, yes. And myself, Doug Carchair, yes. Motion passes six to nothing. Back to you, President Baris. All right. I think that's everything for our agenda. So, is there a motion to adjurnn by member of the council? So moved on the motion of councelor Leming. Seconded by

second. Seconded by councelor Callahan. Mr. Clerk, please call the role.

Councelor Callahan. Yes. Council Lemming. Yes. Council me. Yes. Council Scarpelli, yes. Councelor Singh, yes. President Zaro is absent. President Beers, yes. Six in the affirmative, one absent. The motion passes. Char. Yes. The echo is continue. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting. So moved. So moved. And second. Yes. Good. Thank you, Paige. John Anderson. Yes. Sean Began, yes. Paige Baldini, yes. Dina Caligger,

yes. Hari Goffman Fishman, yes. And myself, Doug Carr, yes. Thank you all. Very productive evening. That was excellent. We'll see you. Thank you everyone. Meeting adjourned. All right.