[Massplanners] [EXTERNAL]Mandatory Mixed Use - 3A Zoning Question

[Amy Dain]

One thing I heard from a mixed-use developer recently who has been working
in an area with a strong market for street-level retail is that the zoning
for mixed use typically goes where there already is existing retail that
has value... and owners don't find, very often, that there is enough new
value created with a 3-story limit, to take on the costs and risks of
redevelopment, including tearing down existing buildings that now generate
revenue. He said that once you get to four stories or more, the financial
rewards of redevelopment start to entice owners to do this. This is a
slightly different framing from the question of whether 3-story mixed use
is financially feasible. In this telling, it might be "feasible" but you
won't see much redevelopment and gain much housing with a three-story
limit. I guess this is a hypothesis to interrogate as you discuss this
question with mixed-use developers.

On Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 3:26 PM Ryan, Christopher via MassPlanners <
massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

> Thanks, will do.
>
>
>
> One issue has been the assertion that at some point, the market will
> change and 3 stories will be feasible again…..maybe, maybe not.
>
>
>
> So logically, we zone for a desired outcome, not a market condition. But
> who knows if the state might balk at 3 story MMU based on development
> feasibility. I wonder if they’ve had the opportunity to evaluate this as
> yet.
>
>
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> *From:* Richard McCarthy <rmccarthy at norfolk.ma.us>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 16, 2024 2:01 PM
> *To:* Ryan, Christopher <cryan at belmont-ma.gov>
> *Cc:* Mass Planners <massplanners at masscptc.org>
> *Subject:* [EXTERNAL]Mandatory Mixed Use - 3A Zoning Question
>
>
>
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not
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>
>
> Chris,
>
>
>
> It’s a challenging question to answer.  I’m sure you know there are so
> many variables in doing mixed use.   We struggle with the same questions
> here. I remember 3 years ago when we working on increasing building height
> from 2 ½ stories to  3 stories people were very concerned.  We have a great
> mixed use building in town center that is 2 ½ stories that is fully
> occupied. We explained how that project at 2 ½ stories was pretty unique
> in that that a local bank owned the property received site plan approval
> couldn’t afford to build a standalone bank. The bank partnered bank with a
> local developer to build a mixed use building which they are a tenant with
> other tenants.
>
>
>
> We are tackling this topic again if I have anything I will share.
>
>
>
> Please share what you have.
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Richard J. McCarthy, Jr.
>
> Town Planner
>
> 1 Liberty Lane
>
> Norfolk, MA 02056
>
> 508-440-2807
>
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>
> *From:* MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> *On Behalf Of *Ryan,
> Christopher via MassPlanners
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 16, 2024 10:55 AM
> *To:* massplanners at masscptc.org
> *Subject:* [Massplanners] Mandatory Mixed Use - 3A Zoning Question
>
>
>
> Good morning planners
>
>
>
> I am having a lot of trouble finding resources to verify an assumption
> that mixed use buildings are generally not viable at 3 stories and require
> at least 3 stories of residential in addition to the ground floor
> commercial to be feasible to develop in the current market. We’ve been
> counseled on this by several consultants but have not been able to find any
> journal articles, newspaper pieces, memos, white papers, or anything else
> that definitively provides evidence for this.
>
>
>
> Since we are seeking to establish a mandatory mixed use zoning subdistrict
> in Belmont, we’d like to be able to provide information to our citizens who
> are skeptical about this assumption and would rather we limit MMU to 3
> stories total. Does anyone have information which could help us with our
> outreach for this provision?
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
>
> Chris R.
>
>
>
> ====================================================
>
> *Christopher J. Ryan, AICP, Ph.D.*
>
> Director of Planning & Building
>
> Town of Belmont
>
> 19 Moore Street
>
> Belmont, MA 02478-0900
>
> Tel: 617.993.2658
>
> Email: cryan at belmont-ma.gov
>
> Web: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building
>
> ===================================================
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