The Commonwealth of Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900

Boston, MA 02114 Charles D. Baker GOVERNOR Tel: (617) 626-1000 Karyn E. Polito Fax: (617) 626-1181 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR http://www.mass.gov/envir Matthew A. Beaton SECRETARY April 19, 2019

CERTIFICATE OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL NOTIFICATION FORM

PROJECT NAME : The Residences at Readville Station PROJECT MUNICIPALITY : (Hyde Park) PROJECT WATERSHED : Boston Harbor EEA NUMBER : 16000 PROJECT PROPONENT : AD MELIORA LLC DATE NOTICED IN MONITOR : March 20, 2019

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) (M.G. L. c. 30, ss. 61-62I) and Section 11.06 of the MEPA regulations (301 CMR 11.00), I hereby determine that this project does not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Project Description

As described in the Environmental Notification Form (ENF), the project consists of redevelopment off a site on Hyde Park Avenue in Boston. The project will include construction of approximately 427,006 square feet (sf) in two six-story buildings, including 305 residential units and 4,200 sf of restaurant/retail space; 221 parking spaces (within a below grade garage); 305 indoor bicycle parking spaces; a central open space with a pool and landscaping; a stormwater management system; and associated utilities. Both buildings will be certifiable as Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Access to the site will be provided along Hyde Park Avenue including access to the underground garage and to an auto court with a public pocket park. The site will be served by municipal water and sewer.

Project Site

The 2.75-acre project site is located at 1717-1725 Hyde Park Avenue in the Readville neighborhood of Hyde Park in Boston. It is bounded by Hyde Park Avenue to the east, the Milton Street EEA# 16000 ENF Certificate April 19, 2019

Bridge to the south, the Mainline and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail tracks to the west and an industrial site to the north. Milton Street Bridge is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Portions of Hyde Park Avenue located south of Milton Street, Milton Street itself, Neponset Valley Parkway, and Truman Parkway are under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The site contains a vacant industrial building, paved parking, and open space; approximately 60 percent of the site is impervious. It is surrounded by residential and commercial development.

Existing access is via Hyde Park Avenue. The site is adjacent to the MBTA Readville Commuter Rail Station and near two MBTA bus routes. It is located within an industrial sub-district of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Zoning District. The project site is located within the Readville Industrial Area which is listed in the Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth.

Environmental Impacts and Mitigation

Potential environmental impacts associated with the project include: creation of 0.33 acres of impervious area (site total of 1.92 acres); generation of 2,132 new average daily trips (adt); creation of 221 parking spaces; use of 58,531 gallons per day (gpd) of water; and generation of 53,210 gpd of wastewater. Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts include pedestrian and bicycle improvements; implementation of construction period best management practices (BMPs); and installation and maintenance of a stormwater treatment system.

Permitting and Jurisdiction

The project is undergoing MEPA review and requires an ENF pursuant to 301 CMR 11.03(6)(b)(14) because it requires an Agency Action and will generate 1,000 or more New adt on roadways providing access to a single location and construction of 150 or more new parking spaces at a single location. The project requires a Land Transfer in the form of an easement from MBTA and a Vehicular Access Permit from MassDOT.1 The project will require a Construction and Access Permit from DCR.

The project requires multiple approvals and permits from the City of Boston (City) including Article 80B Large Project Review and associated reviews/agreements from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA); review by the Boston Civic Design Commission; Zoning Relief from the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal; a Transportation Access Plan Agreement (TAPA) and Construction Management Plan from the Boston Transportation Department (BTD); Site Plan Review and Water and Sewer Connection Permits from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC); and Curb Cut and Street/Sidewalk Opening Permits from the Boston Public Works Department.

The project will require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit (CGP) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and review from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC). It may require a Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation from the Federal Aviation Administration.

1 The ENF does not indicate that the project requires a Vehicular Access Permit from MassDOT.

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Because the project requires a Land Transfer from the MBTA, MEPA jurisdiction is broad within the area of the Land Transfer. Otherwise, jurisdiction is limited to those aspects of the project that are within the subject matter of required or potentially required Permits that are likely, directly or indirectly, to cause Damage to the Environment, as defined in the MEPA regulations.

Review of the ENF

The ENF provides a description of the project, preliminary project plans, and analysis of alternatives. It identifies measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate environmental impacts. The ENF includes elements from the Expanded Project Notification Form (PNF) submitted as part of the Article 80B review including a transportation study, infrastructure study (sewer, water, and stormwater) and review of historic resources. The Proponent submitted supplemental information during the MEPA review period including trip generation estimates and commitments to sustainability.2

The Proponent considered several alternatives in addition to the Preferred Alternative including: the No-Build; industrial and warehouse uses; and office use. Under the No-Build alternative, the site would remain vacant and underutilized. This alternative would avoid new environmental impacts but would not realize the site’s economic potential, provide housing in proximity to transit, or improve the infrastructure on-site and along adjacent streets.

Industrial and warehouse uses are allowed based on current zoning; however, the ENF indicates that the Proponent has not been successful in attracting industrial/warehouse users because of a weak market. Industrial reuse would introduce more truck traffic and potential safety concerns within residential areas proximate to Neponset Valley Parkway and the AMTRAK rail tracks. The ENF also indicates the Proponent has not been able to attract office uses.

The ENF indicates that the City’s Imagine Boston 2030 Plan (2016) identified Readville as one of six neighborhoods which provide an opportunity for new mixed-use development. The City has experienced a significant demand for new rental and condominium housing units. The Preferred Alternative will improve a blighted site, provide a transit oriented development (TOD) residential development, including on-site income restricted housing units (approximately 13 percent), and enhance pedestrian access and open space.

Transportation

The project will require a Construction and Access Permit from DCR because it will result in a substantial increase in traffic on a DCR roadway. The project requires a Vehicular Access Permit from MassDOT associated with proposed mitigation at the Neponset Valley Parkway/Milton Street intersection; the Father Hart Bridge is a state-owned roadway. The ENF includes a transportation study prepared in accordance with the BTD Transportation Access Plan Guidelines and the BPDA Article 80 process; the study generally conforms to the current MassDOT/EEA Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines. Access to the site will be provided from Hyde Park Avenue. Existing site driveways located along Hyde Park Avenue will be closed. The auto court will be able to accommodate pick-up/drop-off

2 Emails, on behalf of the Proponent, from Mitch Fischman, MLF Consulting LLC, on March 31, 2019 and Michael Littman, Howard Stein Hudson on April 1, 2019.

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needs and all Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft. The project will include an on-site loading area that can accommodate a 36-foot box truck.

Based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual’s Land Use Codes (LUC) 221 (Multifamily Housing – Mid-Rise) and 932 (High Turnover (Sit-Down) Restaurant), the project is expected to generate 2,132 unadjusted adt on weekdays. When adjusted for mode share, the project is expected to generate 1,582 new vehicle trips, 454 transit trips and 258 pedestrian/bicycle trips on an average weekday, with 109 new vehicle trips, 38 transit trips and 21 pedestrian/bicycle trips during the weekday morning peak-hour, and 127 new vehicle trips, 41 transit trips and 22 pedestrian/bicycle trips expected during the weekday evening peak-hour.

The transportation study does not include a safety analysis of the seven study area intersections; however, MassDOT comments indicate that none of the study area intersections are Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)-eligible.

The project proposes 221 parking spaces in below-grade levels of each building consistent with the BTD maximum parking ratio for the area of 0.72 spaces per residential unit. MassDOT comments encourage the Proponent to investigate reducing parking or land banking of parking spaces until and unless needed, based on monitoring conducted at a future date, as well as construct the parking facilities to allow for conversion to other uses at a future date, if merited.

Traffic operations and vehicle queue analyses were performed at the study area intersections for the 2018 Existing, 2025 No-Build and 2025 Build conditions. Future traffic conditions included an annual average traffic growth rate, development by others, and planned infrastructure improvements. The study indicates that all signalized intersections are expected to operate at an overall Level of Service (LOS) D or better under 2025 Build conditions. Several individual intersection approaches under DCR jurisdiction are anticipated to operate at LOS E or D. The Milton Street westbound approach at the Milton Street/Neponset Valley Parkway intersection under MassDOT jurisdiction will operate at LOS F under the 2025 Build conditions during the weekday morning peak hour and LOS E during the weekday evening peak hour, with considerable added delay in the weekday evening peak hour as a result of project-generated impacts.

The City, with funding from the Proponent, will construct improvements at the Milton Street/Hyde Park Avenue, Milton Street/Neponset Valley Parkway, and the Wolcott Square intersections to provide new traffic signals, upgrade existing traffic signals at Wolcott Square and coordinate signals at these intersections. Safety improvements include New ADA-compliant accommodations, crosswalks, sidewalk widening, improved bus circulation, and reconfigured intersection geometries. MassDOT comments request the Proponent and the City evaluate the feasibility of roundabout improvements at one or both ends of the Milton Street bridge and re-evaluate whether the modifications achieve the greatest possible operational and safety benefits for all users. MassDOT comments recommend these improvements be completed prior to occupancy and DCR comments indicate its understanding that the improvements will be complete prior to issuance of an occupancy permit. Prior to or during permitting, the Proponent should update MassDOT and DCR on the timing of improvements. If it appears that the improvements will not be completed prior to project occupancy, DCR may request additional traffic analyses.

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The Proponent will upgrade all abutting sidewalks and pedestrian ramps to provide consistency with City standards and Complete Streets design guidelines. The project will include improvements to the streetscape along Hyde Park Avenue and Milton Street; a pick-up/drop-off auto court for residents; and the creation of a public pocket park off Hyde Park Avenue. The sidewalk along Hyde Park Avenue will be redesigned and widened to include foundation plantings against the building face, an eight-foot wide concrete paved sidewalk, and a four-foot wide permeable paving strip to accommodate streetscape furnishings such as bicycle racks, street lights, and street trees located every 30 feet. The sidewalk along Milton Street will be narrower than at Hyde Park Avenue (five to eight feet) and will consist only of concrete paving and a retaining wall to address the three feet to ten feet grade change as Milton Street rises between the sidewalk and the site. MassDOT comments request implementation of these improvements prior to the opening of the project.

Any proposed mitigation within the state highway layout and all internal site circulation must be consistent with a healthy transportation design approach that provides adequate and safe accommodations for all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit riders. Where these criteria cannot be met, the Proponent should provide justification, and should work with MassDOT to obtain a design waiver.

Public transportation within the study area is provided by the MBTA and will be accessible to residents of the site. The project abuts MBTA property and will include a pedestrian platform to connect to the MBTA Readville Commuter Rail Station to the west of the site. It is expected that a portion of the residents will use public transportation as their primary mode of transportation. The Proponent should consult with the MBTA Capital Delivery Department regarding bus service and associated infrastructure.

The ENF identifies the following transportation demand management (TDM) measures to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips:

• Designation of a full-time transportation coordinator to oversee transportation issues, including parking, service and loading, and deliveries, as well as raise awareness of public transportation, bicycling, and walking opportunities; • Posting of public transportation information within the project site for residents/visitors; • Provision of an annual (or more frequent) newsletter or bulletin summarizing transit, ridesharing, bicycling, and other travel options; • Provision of an orientation packet to residents detailing available public transportation services, bicycle and walking alternatives, and commuter options and nearby vehicle sharing and bicycle sharing locations; • Provision of electric vehicle charging stations within the garage to accommodate five percent of the total parking with sufficient infrastructure capacity for future accommodations of at least fifteen percent of the total parking spaces; • Provision of 306 secure interior bicycle parking spaces; • Potential provision of car-sharing spaces on the site for residents and the general public; and • Evaluation of providing MBTA monthly subway or commuter rail passes for residents.

The Proponent will work with the City to develop the TDM program and encourage transit and bicycle use. The TAPA will include specification of TDM measures. The Proponent should consult with

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MassDOT and DCR regarding bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, details of TDM measures, development of additional programs and implementation of the TDM program.

Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater

According to the ENF, the project will use 58,531 gpd of water and generate 53,210 gpd of wastewater. The project site is served by separate BWSC water, sanitary sewer, and storm drain infrastructure. I refer the Proponent to the detailed comments from BWSC and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) regarding requirements and conditions associated with these systems. At the site visit, the Proponent indicated that it anticipates that the project will connect to the sewer infrastructure southwest of the project site along the MBTA ROW to avoid construction of a pump station, which would be required to connect to a sewer line in Hyde Park Avenue (as proposed in the ENF). The project will require a Land Transfer in the form of an easement from MBTA for connections associated with drainage and sewer.

Comments from BWSC indicate that the Proponent should submit a site plan and detailed capacity analyses for each of the systems serving the project site, and an analysis of project-related impacts on those systems. Comments from MWRA provide guidance on infiltration/inflow (I/I) removal and discharge permitting from the Toxic Reduction and Control (TRAC) Department.

BWSC infrastructure ultimately directs wastewater flows to MWRA’s Deer Island Treatment Plant. I refer the Proponent to BWSC and MWRA comments which request the Proponent fully offset the project’s wastewater flows with I/I or stormwater removal (at a ratio of 4:1) from a hydraulically related sewer system to ensure the additional flow does not increase surcharging and/or overflows in their systems. The City is a member of the MWRA Regional Sewer System and is required to assist in the ongoing efforts of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and MWRA to reduce I/I into the sewer system. BWSC will require the Proponent to develop an inflow reduction plan and address the 4:1 requirement.

Stormwater runoff from the entire site currently drains to a catch basin southwest of the site on MBTA property, which discharges to BWSC infrastructure and ultimately to the Neponset River. According to the ENF, the project will comply with the BWSC standards for stormwater management and incorporate BMPs to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff leaving the site, recharge at least one- inch of stormwater and improve the water quality (subsurface infiltration/detention system and water quality units).

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sustainable Design

I encourage the Proponent to incorporate additional energy conservation measures, in particular Passivehouse, into the project design to minimize GHG emissions. Multi-family residential buildings are particularly well-suited to Passivehouse design methods, which include high-efficiency building envelopes and require significantly smaller heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Buildings designed to Passivehouse standards are potentially eligible for financial incentives from a number of sources. Heat pumps may be eligible for Alternative Energy Credits (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/statutes-regulations-and-guidelines) and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center incentives (http://www.masscec.com/residential/clean-heating-and-cooling). I note that the City has adopted the Stretch Energy Code, which requires projects to minimize energy use in

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comparison to baseline Building Code. Buildings constructed to a Passivehouse design standard are likely to exceed Stretch Code requirements.

The ENF indicates that the Proponent will work with ICF, the Commonwealth’s contractor for the Mass Save Residential New Construction Program to determine an incentive path. The ENF includes a Climate Resiliency Checklist/GHG Reduction form which indicates that the project will include measures for energy and water use reduction, maximize daylighting, implement outdoor air systems with total energy recovery, all-LED lighting design, air-to-air heat recovery, and equipment commissioning. In addition, the Proponent is evaluating on-site renewable energy for the project.

I encourage the Proponent to consider taking advantage of a new feature of the Commonwealth’s solar PV SMART plan that allows building owners to receive financial incentives by providing solar production directly to the utility, without requiring the participation of residents as offtakers. For more information, please consult the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources’ (DOER) web site at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/development-of-the-solar-massachusetts-renewable-target-smart- program. Additional resources regarding incentives include:

• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center rebates for air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow systems, and solar thermal. See http://www.masscec.com/get-clean-energy/business. • MassSave utilities for rebates and incentives on energy efficiency equipment and for performance-based incentives. See https://www.masssave.com/. • Credits associated with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards for ground source heat pumps, air source heat pump, solar thermal systems, and combined heat and power. See https://www.mass.gov/alternative-energy-portfolio-standard.

Construction

The project must comply with MassDEP Solid Waste and Air Pollution Control regulations, pursuant to M.G.L. c.40, s.54 during construction and demolition (C&D). All C&D activities should be undertaken in compliance with the conditions of all State and local permits. The Proponent will install BMPs on the project site to control erosion and sedimentation during the construction period. The Proponent will prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) in accordance with the NPDES CGP. The project will transport C&D material including asphalt, brick, and concrete (ABC) off- site for processing and reuse. Portions of the stone wall will be reused on-site. The project will target diverting a minimum of 75 percent of C&D material from landfills. The project will abate all identified asbestos containing material (ACM). The Proponent should evaluate measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate construction period impacts (e.g., noise, dust, odor) and identify appropriate mitigation.

The contractor will use construction equipment with diesel oxidation catalysts and/or particulate filters to the maximum extent practicable to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) from diesel-powered equipment. The Proponent will require that off-road vehicles use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD). The Proponent will ensure compliance with the Massachusetts Idling Regulations including signage limiting idling to less than five minutes; measures should also include driver training and periodic inspections by site supervisors. The Proponent is advised that if oil and/or hazardous material are identified during the implementation of this project, notification pursuant to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP, 310 CMR 40.0000)

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must be made to MassDEP. All work disturbing on-site soils shall be under the supervision of a Licensed Site Professional. The Proponent should develop a spills contingency plan.

Conclusion

The ENF has sufficiently defined the nature and general elements of the project for the purposes of MEPA review and demonstrated that the project’s environmental impacts will be avoided, minimized and/or mitigated to the extent practicable. Based on the information in the ENF and consultation with State Agencies, I have determined that additional MEPA review is not required. Remaining issues can be addressed through permitting.

April 19, 2019 ______Date Matthew A. Beaton

Comments received:

04/01/2019 Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) 04/05/2019 Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) 04/09/2019 Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) 04/18/2019 Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

MAB/PPP/ppp

8

Charles D. Baker, Governor Karyn E. Polito, Lieutenant Governor Stephanie Pollack, MassDOT Secretary & CEO

TO: David J. Mohler, Executive Director Office of Transportation Planning

FROM: J. Lionel Lucien, P.E, Manager Public/Private Development Unit

DATE: April 9, 2019

RE: Boston – The Residences at Readville Station: ENF (EEA #16000)

The Public/Private Development Unit (PPDU) has reviewed the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) for the Residences at Readville Station project in Boston. The 2.75- acre site, located at 1717-1725 Hyde Park Avenue in Boston, currently consists of unoccupied industrial property, a large paved area, and limited vegetated open space. The project proposes to construct 305 housing units across two six-story buildings (one home ownership condominium building and one rental apartment building), as well as approximately 4,200 square feet of restaurant/neighborhood retail space.

Based on the information presented in the ENF, the Full-Build project is expected to generate 1,582 weekday vehicle trips, with 109 vehicle trips occurring during the weekday morning peak hour and 127 vehicle trips occurring during the weekday evening peak hour. The project will include 221 parking spaces, which will be provided below-grade within each building. The project exceeds the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) threshold for combined trip generation (1,000 new trips) and parking (150 spaces). The project abuts MBTA property and proposes to provide a pedestrian platform connection with the MBTA Readville Commuter Rail Station. Although the ENF indicates otherwise, the project will require a Vehicular Access Permit from MassDOT as proposed mitigation at the Neponset Valley Parkway/Milton Street intersection will impact state-owned roadway (the Father Hart Bridge).

The ENF includes a transportation study which adheres to the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) Transportation Access Plan Guidelines and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Article 80 development review process. The transportation study generally conforms to the current MassDOT/EOEEA Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines.

Study Area

The TIA study area includes the following intersections:

• Hyde Park Avenue at Neponset Valley Parkway/Wolcott Court/Wolcott Square; • Neponset Valley Parkway at Truman Parkway;

Ten Park Plaza, Suite 4150, Boston, MA 02116 Tel: 857-368-4636, TTY: 857-368-0655 www.mass.gov/massdot Boston – Residences at Readville Page 2 4/9/19

• Hyde Park Avenue at Milton Street/MBTA Parking Driveway; • Neponset Valley Parkway at Milton Street; • Milton Street at Industrial Drive; • West Milton Street at Milton Street/Sprague Street; and • Hyde Park Avenue at Reservation Road.

The study area is considered to be acceptable and adequate in capturing the impact of the project on area roadways.

Trip Generation

The TIA includes trip generation rates that were calculated using the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)’s Trip Generation Manual (10th Edition). As presented in the ENF, trip generation was calculated based on Land Use Code (LUC) 221 –Multi-Family Residential – Mid-Rise and LUC 932 – High Turnover (Sit-Down) Restaurant. Mode share splits were applied using travel-to-work data for local Census tracts from the American Community Survey and converted to person trips using vehicle occupancy rates published by the Federal Highway Administration. Accordingly, the site is expected to generate 1,582 daily weekday vehicle trips, with 109 vehicle trips occurring during the weekday morning peak hour and 127 vehicle trips occurring during the weekday evening peak hour.

Safety

The TIA does not include a safety analysis of study area intersections; however, we note that none of the study area intersections are Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)- eligible.

Traffic Operations

Capacity analyses were conducted for the weekday morning and weekday evening peak periods for existing, 2025 No-Build, and 2025 Build conditions. All signalized intersections are reflected as operating at a Level of Service (LOS) D or better under 2025 Build conditions. Some individual intersection approaches under the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) jurisdiction are anticipated to operate at LOS E or D; additionally, the Milton Street westbound approach at the Milton Street/Neponset Valley Parkway intersection under MassDOT jurisdiction will also operate at LOS F under the 2025 weekday morning peak hour and LOS E under the 2025 weekday evening peak hour, with considerable added delay in the weekday evening peak hour as a result of project-generated impacts.

The Proponent and the City of Boston has funded proposed improvements at the Milton Street/Hyde Park Avenue, Milton Street/Neponset Valley Parkway, and the Wolcott Square intersections to provide new traffic signals and upgrade the existing signals at Wolcott Square. New ADA-compliant accommodations, crosswalks, sidewalk widening, improved bus circulation, and reconfigured intersection geometries to increase safety and comfort are proposed, with each of the three signals coordinated with one another. These improvements are Boston – Residences at Readville Page 3 4/9/19

included in the 2025 No-Build and Build analyses. We urge the Proponent and the City of Boston to both:

• Evaluate the feasibility of roundabout improvements at one or both ends of the Milton Street bridge, as well as re-evaluate whether the proposed geometry modifications achieve the greatest possible operational and safety benefits for all users; and • Implement these improvements prior to the opening of the project.

Multimodal Access and Facilities

The ENF includes an analysis of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the study area. Improvements to be implemented by the Proponent include the upgrading of abutting sidewalks and pedestrian ramps to City of Boston standards, which will include the reconstruction and widening of sidewalks where possible, the installation of new accessible ramps, improvements to street lighting where necessary, and planting of street trees. Additionally, the improvements at the Milton Street/Hyde Park Avenue, Milton Street/Neponset Valley Parkway, and the Wolcott Square intersections will also improve pedestrian conditions. We urge the Proponent and the City of Boston to implement these improvements prior to the opening of the project.

The project site is adjacent to the MBTA Readville Commuter Rail Station. Additionally, MBTA Bus Routes 32 and 33 operate in the vicinity of the project site. The Proponent indicates that it will explore the feasibility of providing direct access to the MBTA platform for the Readville station west of the project site; the Proponent should consult with the MBTA Capital Delivery Department in achievement of this proposal. The Proponent should also consult with the MBTA Service Planning Department regarding access to nearby bus stops along Hyde Park Avenue, as it may be most appropriate to relocate existing bus stops and provide bus shelters to improve bus operations and provide the most desirable service for users.

Conceptual Plans

Any proposed mitigation within the state highway layout and all internal site circulation must be consistent with a healthy transportation design approach that provides adequate and safe accommodations for all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit riders. Guidance on healthy transportation design is included in the MassDOT Project Development and Design Guide. Where these criteria cannot be met, the Proponent should provide justification, and should work with the MassDOT Highway Division to obtain a design waiver.

Parking

The ENF proposes provision for 221 parking spaces, split between below-grade levels of each building. The Proponent notes that the maximum parking ratio of the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) for the area is consistent with the proposed parking provision of 0.72 spaces per residential unit. We encourage the Proponent to investigate reducing parking or land banking of parking spaces until and unless needed, based on monitoring conducted at a future date, as Boston – Residences at Readville Page 4 4/9/19

well as construct the parking facilities to allow for conversion to other uses at a future date, if merited.

Transportation Demand Management Program

To reduce site trip generation, the transportation study includes a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. The Proponent details the following TDM measures in the ENF with the goal of reducing vehicle trips by visitors of the project:

• Designation of a transportation coordinator to oversee transportation issues, including parking, service and loading, and deliveries, as well as raise awareness of public transportation, bicycling, and walking opportunities; • Provision of orientation packets to new residents containing information on available transportation choices, including transit routes/schedules and nearby vehicle and bicycle sharing locations; • Provision of an annual (or more frequent) newsletter or bulletin summarizing transit, ridesharing, bicycling, and other travel options; • Provision of electric vehicle charging stations within the garage to accommodate five percent of the total parking with sufficient infrastructure capacity for future accommodations of at least fifteen percent of the total parking spaces; • Potential provision of car-sharing spaces on the site for residents and the general public; • Provision of 306 bicycle parking spaces in a secure, sheltered area for residents; and

• Exploration of the feasibility of providing MBTA monthly subway or commuter rail passes for residents.

The Proponent is invited to consult with MassDOT to help implement the TDM program.

MassDOT recommends that no further environmental review be required based on transportation issues. The details of the above and any other access-related issues can be addressed during the permitting process for the project. If you have any questions regarding these comments, please contact me at (857) 368-8862 or Michael Clark at (857) 368-8867.