Station Plaza

September 17, 2019

Design Review Station Plaza

Presented by: DW NP Property, LLC and DW NP Q, R, V Property, LLC c/o DivcoWest Real Estate Investments 200 State Street, 12th Floor Boston, MA 02109

Prepared by: Beals and Thomas, Inc. Reservoir Corporate Center 144 Turnpike Road Southborough, MA 01772

In collaboration with: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. Galluccio & Watson, LLP Goulston & Storrs PC

Submitted in Compliance with the City of Cambridge Zoning Ordinance and M.G.L. c.40A

September 13, 2019

Ms. Catherine Preston Connolly, Chair Cambridge Planning Board 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139

Via: Hand Delivery

Reference: Cambridge Crossing – Station Plaza Design Review PB #179 Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Chair Connolly and Members of the Board:

DivcoWest Real Estate Investments and its affiliates, DW NP Property, LLC and DW Q, R, V, LLC (collectively “DivcoWest”), respectfully submit this Design Review Application for the pedestrian plaza located on Blocks Q1, Q2 and R, each of which are a part of the larger Cambridge Crossing development (the “Station Plaza”). We have designed the Station Plaza to create a welcoming experience to Cambridge Crossing and the greater East Cambridge neighborhood that considers vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle activities.

We note that significant portions of the Station Plaza are located on land owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the “MBTA”) and delineated as “Station Plaza West (Divco Permanent Easement)” and “Station Plaza East (Divco Permanent Easement)” on the enclosed plans. As such, while these MBTA‐owned areas are not technically subject to the City’s design review process under Article 19.000, DivcoWest is submitting these areas for the review of the Planning Board because these areas are adjacent to and contiguous with plaza areas that are located on DivcoWest‐owned land subject to the Special Permit.

As described more fully in the Minor Amendment related to Parcels Q2 and R submitted separately, DivcoWest entered into a land exchange agreement with the MBTA. That agreement allowed DivcoWest to purchase the MBTA parking lot that had been at this location. Pursuant to its agreements with the MBTA, DivcoWest became responsible for completing the Station Plaza. This has required coordination between the MBTA and its design‐build contractor for the Green Line Extension on the plaza that DivcoWest is designing and constructing on MBTA‐owned land surrounding the new MBTA Lechmere Station, pursuant to DivcoWest’s requirements and easement rights under the above‐ referenced land exchange agreement.

In the Planning Board’s consideration of the Station Plaza, we note that the MBTA’s GLX Station design proposes to locate bicycle racks to the north of the MBTA Station North Headhouse and not in the

location that we have proposed to the west of the Headhouse. DivcoWest feels that the proposed westerly location would allow for improved pedestrian flow across the Station Plaza and is working with the MBTA to implement this design change. Ultimately, however, the decision as to the location of these bicycle amenities will lie with the MBTA. If the MBTA determines that it desires to locate any or all of the bicycle racks to the north of the Headhouse, we will update the Planning Board and CDD staff with drawings depicting this revised layout.

Importantly, DivcoWest commits to maintaining the plazas in perpetuity. We consider these plazas our front door, and these parcels the gateway to Cambridge Crossing.

We believe that the pedestrian plazas, as depicted in the enclosed drawings, will create an exciting nexus for Cambridge Crossing, the East Cambridge neighborhood and the new MBTA Green Line Station. It will provide many public benefits, among them:

‐ Creating a lively pedestrian‐oriented environment surrounding the new Lechmere MBTA station. ‐ Providing a public space amenity, with seating and planting, for those who use public transit. ‐ Facilitating intermodal transportation connections between bus and train, bus and bicycle, train and bicycle, pedestrian and train, pedestrian and bus, and pedestrian and bicycle. ‐ Linking the retail center of Cambridge Crossing to regional transit, increasing the customer catchment area and thereby contributing to the vitality and health of the retail district. ‐ Providing space for public events such as farmers market, displays and events. ‐ Integrating Cambridge Crossing with the East Cambridge neighborhood by creating a finished, accessible open space where there otherwise would be a vacant lot and gap in the urban fabric.

We look forward to the opportunity to meet with the Planning Board to discuss this application and to bringing this exciting amenity to Cambridge Crossing. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

DIVCOWEST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS

Exhibits: Cambridge Crossing – Station Plaza, September 13, 2019, containing: ‐ Master Plan showing the location of the pedestrian plaza; ‐ Site Plan of the Station Plaza; ‐ Site Plan showing the Temporary Condition of the Station Plaza; ‐ Property Ownership Diagram showing the Station Plaza and indicating the portions owned by DivcoWest (labeled “DivcoWest”) and the portions owned by the MBTA (labeled “DivcoWest Permanent Easement”); ‐ Site Sections of the Station Plaza (2 sheets); ‐ Rendered Views of the Station Plaza and the bicycle center at Parcel Q1 abutting the Station Plaza (3 sheets); ‐ Outdoor Bicycle Parking Diagram; ‐ Site Lighting Diagram; ‐ Site Materials and Furnishings; ‐ Street and Landscape Trees and Shrubs (2 sheets); and ‐ Design Guidelines checklist. CAMBRIDGE CROSSING - STATION PLAZA

Cambridge Planning Board Design Review Station Plaza West

Station Plaza East

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Approved Masterplan per Amendment #7(MINOR) MORGAN AVE

MORGAN AVE L.L.O.W.

Bike Storage Lockers

BUILDING Q1 Movable Furniture and Chess Tables, Typ. Bicycle Electric Bike Charging Station Bottle Filling Station Brick Pavement BUILDING Q2 Center Wall Mounted Information Sign at Q1 Decomposed Granite Pavement in Tree Pit, Typ. L.L.O.W. Backless Bench Stone Setts, Typ Plant Beds, Typ. Bench, Raised Plant Bed PARCEL R Typ. with Stone Boulder Proposed Street

Tree in Tree Pit, Typ. EAST STREET EAST

+ 28 P.L. 3 A A’ Brick Pavement, Typ. 1 L.L.O.W. STATION PLAZA WEST Concrete Steps Viaduct, Above MBTA BUS Concrete L.L.O.W. Pavement, DROPOFF AREA Typ. Lightpole, (NIC) Typ. DivcoWest has requested that GLX STREET FIRST NORTH

relocate these bike racks to the west to P.L. avoid blocking the station entrance. B + 28 MBTA STATION Elevated NORTH HEADHOUSE STATION PLAZA EAST Bike Lane, + 26 MBTA Typ. BICYCLE P.L. SHELTER B’ Crushed Stone L.L.O.W. Blue Bikes P.L. Trash and Recycling Receptacles, Typ. Stone Wall with Reclaimed + 24 Granite Boulder 2 Stone Steps Temporary Market

0’ 20’ 40’ 80’

MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY 3

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Plan MORGAN AVE

MORGAN AVE L.L.O.W.

Bike Storage Lockers

BUILDING Q1 Movable Furniture and Chess Tables, Typ. FUTURE Bicycle Electric Bike Charging Station BUILDING Q2 Bottle Filling Station Brick Pavement Center Wall Mounted Information Sign at Q1 Decomposed Granite Pavement in Tree Pit, Typ. L.L.O.W. Backless Bench Stone Setts, Typ Raised Plant Bed PARCEL R Temporary Construction Fence with Stone Boulder Proposed Street Tree in Tree Pit, Typ. Temporary STREET EAST Temporary Crushed Stone Construction P.L. + 28 3 A A’ Fence

1 L.L.O.W. STATION PLAZA WEST Temporary Viaduct, Above Bituminous DivcoWest has requested that GLX Concrete Brick Pavement, relocate these bike racks to the west to Lightpole, Pavement Typ.

avoid blocking the station entrance. Typ. NORTH FIRST STREET FIRST NORTH

P.L. B Concrete MBTA BUS + 28 Pavement, DROPOFF AREA MBTA STATION Typ. Elevated NORTH HEADHOUSE STATION PLAZA EAST (NIC) Bike Lane, + 26 MBTA Typ. BICYCLE P.L. SHELTER B’ Crushed Stone L.L.O.W. Blue Bikes P.L. Trash and Recycling Receptacles, Typ. Stone Wall with Reclaimed + 24 Granite Boulder 2 Stone Steps

Temporary Crushed Stone Temporary Market 0’ 20’ 40’ 80’ Existing Concrete Sidewalk

MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY 4

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Plan - Temporary Condition MORGAN AVE RIGHT OF WAY

PROPERTY LINE PROPERTY LINE

NORTH FIRST ST PARCEL Q1 RIGHT OF WAY (DIVCOWEST) PARCEL Q2 (DIVCOWEST)

LLOW - C LLOW - B PARCEL R (DIVCOWEST)

LLOW - B STATION PLAZA WEST - 2 MBTA PERMANENT (DIVCOWEST) MAINTENANCE EASEMENT MBTA PERMANENT MAINTENANCE EASEMENT MBTA VIADUCT, LLOW - B ABOVE LLOW - A BUS DROPOFF AREA LLOW - D (MBTA) STATION PLAZA WEST - 1 (DIVCOWEST PERMANENT EASEMENT)

LLOW - A - LLOW MBTA STATION STATION PLAZA EAST NORTH HEADHOUSE LLOW - D (DIVCOWEST PERMANENT EASEMENT) MBTA BICYCLE

STORAGE LLOW - D - LLOW LLOW - A

MBTA PERMANENT LLOW - D MAINTENANCE EASEMENT

MBTA PERMANENT 0’ 20’ 40’ 80’ MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY MAINTENANCE EASEMENT (MASS DOT) 5

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Property Ownership Diagram STATION PLAZA WEST NORTH FIRST STREET

Bus Circulation Planting Cycle Queuing Zone Zone Track Zone 10’-0” 10’-0” 5’-6” 8’-0”

BUILDING Q1, BEYOND

PROPERTY LINE PROPERTY Street Tree in Decomposed Granite Brick Pavement, Typ. Concrete Pavement, Typ. Raised Bike Lane Planting Soil, Typ. HP 28.75 28.00

Trench Drain

0’ 4’ 8’ 16’

SECTION A-A’ 6

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Sections NORTH FIRST STREET STATION PLAZA EAST EAST STREET

Cycle Circulation Buffer Track Zone PARCEL R, 2’-0” 5’-6” 21’-6” BEYOND Street Tree in Decomposed Granite, Beyond

MBTA Green Line Viaduct Viaduct Pier

Concrete Pavement, Blue Bike Station Typ. Stone Wall with Reclaimed Granite Brick Pavement, Typ. MBTA Bicycle Raised Bike Lane TW 28.50 Boulder Shelter 26.15 24.15 PROPERTY LINE PROPERTY PROPERTY LINE PROPERTY

0’ 8’ 16’ 32’

SECTION B-B’ 7

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Sections Rendered image is intended for landscape and plaza design review. As a result of the proposed landscape density, views of the building design may be obscured.

1. VIEW LOOKING TOWARD STATION PLAZA WEST 8

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Rendered Views Rendered image is intended for landscape and plaza design review. As a result of the proposed landscape density, views of the building design may be obscured.

2. VIEW LOOKING TOWARD STATION PLAZA EAST 9

3. VIEW LOOKING TOWARD Q1 BICYCLE CENTER 10

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Rendered Views MORGAN AVE

MORGAN AVE

7 Long Term Bicycle Parking Spots

BUILDING Q1

BUILDING Bicycle Q2

Center NORTH FIRST STREET FIRST NORTH

PARCEL R

STATION PLAZA WEST P.L. Blue Bikes

MBTA BUS DROPOFF AREA 180 MBTA Bicycle Parking Spots (NIC) P.L. MBTA STATION STATION PLAZA EAST DivcoWest has requested that GLX relocate NORTH HEADHOUSE MBTA these bike racks to the west to avoid blocking BICYCLE the station entrance. P.L. SHELTER

P.L.

MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY 0’ 20’ 40’ 80’ 11

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Outdoor Bike Parking Diagram MORGAN AVE

MORGAN AVE L.L.O.W. LP-S LP-S LP-S LP-S LP-S

LP-P LP-P LP-P

BUILDING Q1 NORTH FIRST STREET FIRST NORTH 1 LP-P: Pedestrian Scale Light Pole BUILDING 3 Street Light Pole, Typ. Q2 5 Building Mounted Lights, Typ. See Architect’s LP-P Review Package. LP-S LP-S L.L.O.W. PARCEL R

Existing Light Pole 4 Installed by GLX, Typ.

P.L. L.L.O.W. LP-P LP-P LP-P LP-EX 2 Light Column, Typ.

LP-EX L.L.O.W. LP-C: Light Column LP-EX LP-EX LP-EX LP-EX LP-EX 2 LP-EX LP-C LP-EX LP-C LP-C LP-EX LP-EX MBTA BUS LP-EX MBTA STATION P.L. LP-EX DROPOFF AREA LP-EX NORTH HEADHOUSE STATION PLAZA EAST (NIC) MBTA BICYCLE P.L. LP-EX LP-EX SHELTER LP-C LP-C LP-EX L.L.O.W. LP-EX LP-P LP-C P.L. LP-EX LP-EX LP-P

Pedestrian Scale 1 Light Pole, Typ. 3 LP-S: Street Light Pole MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY 0’ 20’ 40’ 80’ 12

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Lighting Diagram Stone Setts Pavement Decomposed Granite Pavement Concrete Pavement Brick Pavement

Bike Rack Trash Receptacle Light Column Light Pole - Pedestrian Light Pole - Street

Stone Wall and Planter with Bench Backless Bench Movable Tables and Chairs Movable Chess Tables Reclaimed Granite Boulder 13

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Materials and Furnishings Platanus x acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ Cornus florida Cladrastis kentuckea Bloodgood Plane Tree Ginkgo Flowering Dogwood Yellowwood

Tilia americana ‘McKSentry’ Zelkova Serrata American Sentry Linden Japanese Zelkova All trees are included in the City of Cambridge recommended species list. 14

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Street and Landscape Trees Ceanothus americanus Cornus sericea Cornus amomum Cornus sanguinea New Jersey Tea Redtwig Dogwood Silky Dogwood Bloodtwig Dogwood

Fothergilla gardenia Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’ Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’ Dwarf fothergilla Henry’s Garnet Sweetspire Little Henry Sweetspire Gro-Low Fragrant Sumac

Sambucus canadensis Viburnum x burkwoodii American Black Elderberry Burkwood Viburnum

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Shrubs Page Section Guideline Description Compliance Check 39 3.1 Open Spaces The provision of open spaces of diverse size and use is encouraged to The design of Station Plaza aims to create a welcoming enhance the public environment at Cambridge Crossing. All open spaces at experience to Cambridge Crossing and the wider East  Cambridge Crossing shall be designed to be public in nature, creating an Cambridge neighborhood with a contiguous pedestrian area open environment that the public can easily identify that is welcoming for from the MBTA Station to the plaza and First Street. The everyone's use. openness of the plaza and connections to the surrounding streets create a public space with a clear identity where everyone feels welcome. Signage, planting, benches and pedestrian scale lighting enhance the function and public nature of the plaza. 39 3.1.1 Open Space Programming Plaza: Cafes, Retail, Markets, Public Events, Seating, Water Features, The design of Station Plaza encourages seating, people Gathering, People Watching. watching and gathering. The design allows for event  organizing such as farmers market. 42 3.1.3 Plazas Tree and built shade structures are encourages to create a strong green The plaza is designed to consider vehicular, pedestrian, and connection, and a comfortable micro-climate during the summer months. bicycle activity. The double row of trees along First Street  Great care should be taken in the design of plazas and paths to minimize shades the street and sidewalk, defines the pedestrian the potential for unsafe conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians and sidewalks and cycle tracks from the roadway. Planting and cyclists. seating within the plaza are arranged to direct pedestrian movement, while providing shaded places to sit in the hot summer months.

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Design Guidelines CAMBRIDGE CROSSING - STATION PLAZA

Cambridge Planning Board Design Review Bicycle PARCEL Q1 Center FFE 28.93

Decomposed Granite L.L.O.W. Pavement in Tree Pit, Typ. Bottle Filling Station Stone Setts, Typ. Electric Bike Charging Station Bike Storage Lockers Wall Mounted Information Brick Pavement Sign at Q1 Concrete Pavement

Elevated Bike Lane + 28.00 + HP 31.15 Proposed Street Tree in Tree Pit, Typ.

Movable Furniture and Chess Tables, Typ. Raised Plant Bed with Stone Boulders

Existing Light Pole, 8’-0” by GLX. Typ. FIRST STREET NORTH STATION PLAZA WEST

VIADUCT ABOVE + 28.25

+ 28.46

FFE 28.33 FFE 28.33

FFE 28.33 FFE 28.33 MBTA STATION NORTH HEADHOUSE DivcoWest has requested that GLX relocate these bike racks to the west Trash and Recycling to avoid blocking the station entrance. Receptacles. Typ. Crushed Stone Light Column, Typ. FFE 28.33 FFE 28.33

Design and Installation by GLX to Remain. Chain Link Fence, by GLX Retaining Wall, by GLX

0’ 10’ 20’ 40’ 2

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Plan - Station Plaza West PARCEL R

Concrete Steps EAST STREET NORTH FIRST STREET NORTH

L.L.O.W. 18’-0” Temporary Market

VIADUCT ABOVE

+ TW 28.50 STATION PLAZA EAST BW 26.15 Stone Wall with Reclaimed + 25.25 Granite Boulders 8’-0” Elevated Bike Lane Concrete Pavement + 24.82 Blue Bikes 58’ - 0” Brick Pavement Light Column, Typ. Trash and Recycling Receptacles MBTA BIKE SHELTER Viaduct Beam Above, Typ. 4’ + 25.25 Crushed Stone 68’ - 0” 2’ + 24.82 Existing Light Pole, by GLX. Typ. Plant Bed + 24.00

P.L.

Design and Installation by GLX to Remain.

MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY 0’ 10’ 20’ 40’ 3

Cambridge Crossing - Station Plaza Site Plan - Station Plaza East