Description
The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a petition by Peter B. Kroon, et al, (also known as Friends of MAPOCO) to expand the requirements of the North Massachusetts Avenue Subdistrict (Section 20.110) applicable generally within the portions of the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District (MAOD) zoned Business A-2 (BA-2). In summary, Section 20.110 requires retail or active office use at the ground floor of any new building otherwise containing residential uses, with relief available under limited circumstances, and allows a total maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.75 and height of 50 feet for such mixed-use buildings.
The petition also proposes the following modifications applicable within the BA-2 portion of the MAOD south of Porter Square:
- Require all new buildings to have a 5' front set back from the sidewalk line, even if adjacent buildings do not, unless waived by Planning Board special permit.
- Require that buildings adhere to a 45-degree bulk control setback plane at the top story at both the front and rear of the lot.
- Clarify that no ground level parking (i.e. not just structured) directly facing Massachusetts Ave. is a permitted use.
- Require ground floor commercial establishments to be no more than 2,000 square feet at the ground level, exclusive of basement or upper floor square footage that may be part of the lease.
- Require that building heights allowed to 50 feet may only exceed 45 feet to the extent that the ground floor height exceeds 10 feet.
- Require that projecting bays that are exempt from FAR limitations are angled or curved at both ends and do not exceed 8 feet in width.
This hearing to be televised.
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