Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting #1 June 11th, 2018

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 1 Presentation outline

I. Introduction: Why are we doing this plan? II. Evolution of Chelsea Creek III. State of Chelsea Creek IV. What is a Municipal Harbor Plan? V. Overview of Waterfront Regulations VI. Local Case Studies

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 2 I. Introduction: Why are we doing this plan? “A Vision for Chelsea Creek” 2015, MAPC

The MHP will draw from recommendations from “A Vision for Chelsea Creek.”

The MHP will incorporate and enable relevant priorities from this plan.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 3 Introduction: Why are we doing this plan?

To assess current and future uses along waterfront (and their critical assets) and plan for long-term change

Goals • Maximize economic development opportunities • Increase open space and waterfront public access • Foster appropriate, viable maritime uses along the waterfront • Buffer residential neighborhoods from maritime industrial uses • Align City zoning with MHP recommendations

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 4 Introduction: Why are we doing this plan?

Key Concerns

• Historic and continuing pollution of Chelsea Creek • Economic viability of the existing industrial uses in a changing port-based economy • Lack of public access to the waterfront • Social and environmental justice issues related to public access and well-being • Attract emerging marine industrial trends/businesses suitable for the waterfront

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 5 “Herein lies one of the most challenging aspects of waterfront design: It is local, regional, and global all at once, which can create conflicts among competing interests” -Dan Adams

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 6 II. Evolution of Chelsea Creek

1775 maps of shoreline in Harbor 1775 shoreline over current aerial photograph

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 7 1942 – Chelsea as a global 1938 – A historic lack of recreational uses industrial waterway along Chelsea Creek

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 8 Evolution of Chelsea Creek

• First naval battle of the • Working waterfront has evolved: • Shipbuilding • Manufacturing • Hub for bulk storage

Impacts of the working waterfront: • Underutilized properties • Major truck routes • Not fishable or swimmable

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 9 Everett/Chelsea: 546 ac Chelsea Creek: Everett 150 ac

Evolution of Chelsea Creek Chelsea

Somerville Major industrial waterway in the : 260 ac • Stores 70 to 80 percent of the region’s Brickbottom: 110 ac heating fuel and 100 percent of the jet fuel Massport (all parcels): 400 ac that’s used at Logan International Airport • Provides road salt to 350

communities Raymond L. Flynn Marine Boston Park: 130 ac

Industrial Newmarket: 80 ac Massport

Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park Industrial areas along the Boston Harbor

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 10 Creating access for historically disadvantaged, environmental justice communities has been a recurring theme for decades.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 11 III. Current State of Chelsea Creek

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 12 Existing Uses Forbes site Public (Future development) open space Underutilized 0.8 acres industrial 1% 8.6 acres Eastern Ave. Extension site (Future development) Future development 6% 39 acres Parking 31 acres Industrial 23% 29% Triangle Gulf Oil Tanks (Fuel storage)

Assorted office Airport Parking / warehouse 3% 4.2 acres 9% Underutilized 29% industrial / storage Salt storage 11.4 acres Rental car Fuel storage staging 37.9 acres Study area Eastern Mineral Assorted office PORT Park Parcel boundary (Salt storage) / warehouse) Source: City of Chelsea GIS. Percentages relative to total study area.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 13 Eastern Salt, Marginal St. Gulf Oil Tanks, Eastern Ave

Airport Parking, Eastern Ave. PORT Park, Marginal St. Underutilized industrial, Eastern Ave

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 14 Evolving Character Forbes site (Future development) Much of the study area is occupied by industrial uses that are water-dependent and unlikely to change. Eastern Ave. Extension site (Future development)

Industrial Triangle Temporary Long-term Gulf Oil Tanks (Fuel storage) uses industrial uses (55.3 acres) (60.3 acres)

41% 46% Airport Parking

Underutilized 13% Study area industrial / storage

DPA boundary Rental car Long-term staging Near-term industrial uses transitional uses Near-term (17.4 acres) transitional sites Eastern Mineral Assorted office PORT Park Temporary use (Salt storage) / warehouse)

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 15 Public access

• Lack of connectivity from adjacent neighborhoods. • Designated truck routes create barriers to pedestrian access. • The 2016 vision plan proposes open spaces at the Chelsea St. bridge. • PORT Park and the pier at 201 Marginal St. provide quality waterfront access. • They successfully balance the district’s industrial

character and public open space needs. Public Park (no waterfront access)

Access to the waterfront Existing points of access

Commuter rail Truck routes PORT Park, Pier Harbor Distance between at 201 Marginal Walk points of access

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 16 Varied conditions of the Harborwalk

Harbor Walk entrance

Parking lots along Eastern Ave. Near the parking lots along Marginal St. Seating along the Harbor Walk

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 17 Future public open spaces will need to be carefully designed to be compatible with Chelsea Creek’s use and character.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 18 V. What is a Municipal Harbor Plan?

A document stating the community’s goals, standards, and policies to guide public and private land use along harbors.

If approved by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the plan will help guide and coordinate local, state and federal actions along the Chelsea Creek waterfront.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 19 What is a Municipal Harbor Plan?

What can an MHP do? • Alter dimensional standards required by state regulations • Request a change of land use • Suggest new water-dependent uses • Advocate for additional waterfront access for public enjoyment

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 20 What is a Municipal Harbor Plan?

What can’t an MHP do? • Serve as a tool for managing flooding or other environmental threats • Provide a traffic study for industrial areas • Reprogram land under active water- dependent industrial uses • Achieve all the recommendations of the visioning study

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 21 What can the Chelsea Creek MHP achieve?

The Municipal Harbor Plan can address elements of the waterfront vision that relate to:

• Recommended land uses, • Building massing and height, • Open space requirements and • Improved standards for public access.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 22 VI. Waterfront Regulations

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 23 VI. Waterfront Regulations

Article 97 of the Constitution “The people shall have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic qualities of their environment”

Clean Water Act “The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 24 What is Chapter 91?

Chapter 91, or the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act : Chelsea • Provides public access to waterways East • Preserves and protect the rights of the public Charlestown Boston • Establishes priority for water-dependent uses • Guarantees that private uses of tidelands and waterways serve a proper public purpose. • Codifies the Public Trust Doctrine of 1641-47 Boston

South Filled Tidelands / Boston Ch 91 Jurisdiction

Historic Shoreline

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 25 What is Chapter 91?

Water dependent uses: Uses requiring direct access to water, e.g. recreational boating, commercial fishing, aquariums, harborwalks, shipping.

Nonwater dependent uses: May be located on waterfront but do not rely on proximity to the water, e.g., retail, hotels, offices, restaurants, and residences.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 26 What is Chapter 91?

Dimensional standards

For all non-water dependent uses, Chapter 91 regulates: Publicly accessible • Building heights uses on first floor • Public open space • Harbor walk • First floor uses

Setbacks above 55’

Harbor Walk Required open space (50% of site area)

Site planning requirements within Chapter 91 parcels.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 27 What is Chapter 91?

Where is Chapter 91 jurisdiction along Chelsea Creek? Chelsea Creek It includes filled tidelands extending up to the first public ROW. It is bound by the yellow boundary and the area Chelsea seaward of it.

East Boston

Chapter 91 Jurisdiction

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 28 Chelsea Creek What is a Designated Port DPA Area (DPA)?

Chelsea

• An area regulated to allow specific working port industrial uses that need to use the DPA watersheet to operate. East • Land use is limited to Water-Dependent Charlestown Boston Industrial (WDI) uses. East Boston • The boundary is periodically reviewed by DPA CZM, e.g. the Chelsea Creek boundary was adjusted in 2016.

Boston

South Boston DPA

South Boston

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 29 What is a Designated Port Area (DPA)?

Examples of water dependent uses

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 30 What is a Designated Forbes site Port Area (DPA)?

DPA boundary review

In 2016 the Forbes and Eastern Ave. Extension site were removed from the Eastern Ave. Designated Port Area through a boundary Extension site review process.

This allows for future non-water dependent industrial uses on those parcels.

Designated Port Area

Chapter 91 Jurisdiction

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 31 Case Study: East Boston

The 2008 Plan Amendment was developed to:

• Advance 2002 Municipal Harbor Plan’s vision to: – Provide the public with waterfront access, – Preserve and strengthen the working port, – Enhance the East Boston community, and – Ensure that the waterfront serves as a positive economic force

• Facilitate the redevelopment of three underutilized properties along the East Boston waterfront

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 32 Case Study: East Boston

The 2008 Plan Amendment proposed:

• Project information for three new projects: – 6-26 New Street: Residential and commercial development; public open space, public access – 102-148 Border Street: Residential building; community art gallery; interpretive historical exhibits; public open space; Harborwalk – 125 Sumner Street: Affordable housing units

• Building heights, setbacks, and uses and measures to activate the waterfront, consistent with the harbor plan and Chapter 91 standards

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 33 Case Study: East Boston

Outcomes of the 2008 Plan Amendment include:

• 6-26 New Street: Complete (259 residential units) • 102-148 Border Street: Complete in early 2018 (mid- rise residential community) • 125 Sumner Street: Project approved in 2017, construction to begin soon (52 mixed income residential units)

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 34 Case Study: Gloucester

The 2014 Plan was developed to:

• Support commercial fishing

• Provide flexibility of waterfront uses

• Promote public access while maintaining industrial uses

• Provide infrastructure and navigation improvements

• Enhance and focus administrative resources to support the viability of the port

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 35 Case Study: Gloucester

The 2014 Plan proposed:

• Revising the DPA

• Identifying emerging water-dependent industries

• Protecting commercial fishing vessel berthing

• Developing amplifications to existing regulations to promote flexibility with waterfront development

• Encouraging the integration of public access into waterfront development

• Creation of a Port and Harbor Committee

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 36 Case Study: Gloucester

Outcomes of the 2014 Plan include:

• East Gloucester re-zoning to accommodate a mix of residential, commercial, and marine uses (in progress) • Construction underway on Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 37 Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Process

April - June June - December November 3 months / 21 days 21 days

Final decision Notice to Submission of Public comment Development of MHP by the EEA Proceed MHP to EEA and consultation Secretary

Three public meetings: Public hearing: June 11 August 18 November 2018 October 18

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 38 What is a Municipal Harbor Plan? Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Process

Harbor Planning Group

• The Harbor Planning Group (HPG) will serve as an advisory body for the Municipal Harbor Plan.

• The planning team will meet with the HPG prior to all public meetings.

• There will be six total meetings with the HPG.

• The HPG, comprised of a mix of stakeholders from the business community, local non profits, and Chelsea residents.

• They will help guide the community engagement and outreach process.

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 39 How can I be involved?

• Stay Connected – sign up for email updates!

• Attend the next Public Meetings – • August 18 • October 18

• Check the website for updates and download this presentation! mapc.org/chelseaharborplan

• Share on Social Media #chelseamhp

• Involve your neighbors, friends and family! Pass along the information that you learned here today

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 40 MHP study area

Chelsea Creek Designated Port Area

Chapter 91 Jurisdiction

City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 41 City of Chelsea: Chelsea Creek Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting 1, June 11, 2018 utiledesign.com 42