Introduction and background of the Porter Square area

1. A Vision for Porter Square
q
Somerville Avenue, Beacon Street, and
Elm Street at Wilson Square
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning
Mayor s
and Community Development
May 4, 2009
4

2. Why Visioning?
• Porter Sq./ Somerville Ave./Beacon St are
Sq / Ave /Beacon St.
important commercial corridors
• Transit Oriented Development
• Potential for redevelopment

3. 1,000 Words

4. Historical Context
• ‘Beyond the Neck’
Beyond Neck
• Transportation Corridor
•CConnected N
t d New TTown with Ch l t
ith Charlestown
and Boston
• Milk Row

5. Study Area
• Porter Square
• Somerville Ave
Ave.
• Beacon St.
• White Street
• Wilson Square

6. Existing Conditions
Intersection at Beacon St. and Somerville Railroads facing Somerville Ave.
Ave.

7. Existing Conditions
Car Wash facing Somerville Ave
Ave. Residential property abutting Lesley
University at City Line.

8. Existing Conditions
White Street Elm Street Parking Lot
Lot.

9. Existing Conditions
Wilson Square Strip Mall Elm Street - Wilson Square

10. Existing Conditions
Beacon Street
Beacon Street Commercial
Vacant Gas Station

11. Transit Access

12. Recent Changes and Challenges
• Lesley Overlay District rezoning proposal
• Somerville Ave. reconstruction project
• T ffi and Parking issues i k
Traffic d P ki i in key
intersections (mainly Beacon St.)
• 369 Beacon St. site

13. Lesley University Overlay

14. Regional Business
• Shaw’s at Porter Sq.
Shaw s
• Lesley University
• Local business
• Strip Mall (Starbucks,
(Starbucks
Dunkin Donuts,
Laundry)
au d y)
• Car Wash

15. Strengths
• Great access to public transportation
• Somerville Avenue improvements
• Commercial corridor
C il id
• Education institutions (Access to Harvard
and Lesley University)
• What else?

16. Impediments to Development
• MBTA rails parallel to Somerville Ave
divide the community
• No key anchors in Somerville
• Shallow parcels limit development
• Little off-street parking on Somerville Ave
• Traffic issues and concerns in keyy
intersections
• What else?

17. Opportunities
• Lesley / Porter overlay district – campus
extension
• Somerville Ave reconstruction project
• Beacon Street reconstruction project
• TOD development opportunities
• Proposed developments on key sites
p p y
• What else?

18. Next steps
• Next Meeting: Monday May 11
Monday,
– Visual Survey
• Monday May 19
Monday,
– Drafting A Vision
• Tuesday, May 26
– Final Review

19. Special Thanks to
• Mayor Joe Curtatone
• Alderman Maryann Heuston
• Alderman S
Ald Sean O’D
O’Donovan
• Madeline Masters, Director of Planning
• Chris Diiorio, Planning Dept.
• David Guzman Economic Development
Guzman,
Dept.

20. Contact Information
City of Somerville
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community
Development
Economic D
E i Development Di i i
l t Division
Rob May
Director of Economic Development
617-625-6600
617 625 6600 x2524
rmay@somervillema.gov