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Home My Public Portal About2021-01-26 Zoning Amendment - Central Bus Dist TOWN OF 1630 WATERTOWN • Office of the Town Manager Administration Building c- 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 Phone:617-972-6465 Michael J.Driscoll Fax: 617-972-6404 Town Manager www.watertown-ma.gov townmer@watertown-maxov To: Honorable Town Council From: Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager Date: January 21, 2021 RE: Agenda Item—First Reading on a Proposed Zoning Amendment to the Central Business (CB)District and Referral to the Planning Board for a Public Hearing i I Enclosed please find an email correspondence from Steven Magoon regarding a proposed Zoning Amendment to the Central Business (CB)District. Therefore, I respectfully request this matter be placed on the January 26, 2021 Town Council Agenda as a First Reading and referral to the Planning Board for a public hearing. cc: Steven Magoon,Director of Community Development and Planning/Assistant Town Manager Community Development and Planning Carolyn M.Murray,Esquire,KP Law Mark R. Reich,Esquire,KP Law Osmond, Marsha From: Magoon, Steven Sent: Thursday,January 21, 2021 10:10 AM To: Driscoll, Michael Cc: Sideris, Mark; Hand,JoAnna; Osmond, Marsha; Schreiber, Gideon; Marchesano, Ingrid; Pronovost, Marilyn Subject: FW: CB District-Zoning Amendment Request Attachments: Watertown Proposed Zoning Amendment 1-20-21.pdf Mr. Manager, attached is a request made on behalf of Berkeley Investments for an amendment to text of the Zoning Ordinance. This request will extend the uses allowed in the CB district for existing historic buildings to allow for bio medical lab operations. I would respectfully request that this be placed on a Town Council agenda for a first reading and referral to the Planning Board for public hearing. Steve Magoon Assistant Town Manager, Director, Community Develoopment and Planning Administration Building 149 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472 Office 617 972-6417 Cell 617 987-1136 From: Regnier, Christian <CRegnier@GOULSTONSTORRS.com> Sent:Wednesday,January 20, 2021 2:49 PM To:Sideris, Mark<msideris@watertown-ma.gov> Cc: Magoon, Steven <smagoon@watertown-ma.gov>;Schreiber, Gideon<gschreiber@watertown-ma.gov>; Morgan Pierson <mpierson@berkinv.com>; Esther Chung Byun <ebvun@berkinv.com>; Young Park<vpark@berkinv.com>; 'min nerPsasaki.com Subject: CB District-Zoning Amendment Request Council President Sideris- On behalf of Berkeley Investments and in coordination with Sasaki Associates, I am pleased to enclose a request for a zoning amendment to the CB District that would allow the conversion of existing, older buildings to lab/life science uses. As detailed in the attached, the proposed amendment would facilitate the preservation of historic buildings in the Watertown Square area and provide other benefits. We respectfully request that the Town Council schedule the First Reading of the proposed amendment and referral of the same to the Planning Board for a public hearing at its next available hearing. Please let me know if you have any questions, or need further information. Thank you. 1 Sincerely, Chris Christian Regnier Cell: (617) 653-3904 office: (617) 574-6591 Bio goulston&storrs 400 Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA 02110 goulstonstorrs.com cregnier@goulstonstorrs.com ************************************************************************** This communication may contain information which is privileged and/or confidential under applicable law. Any dissemination, copy or disclosure, other than by the intended recipient, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us via return e-mail to cregnier@goulstonstorrs.com and delete this communication without making any copies. Thank you for your cooperation. 2 oulston&storrs counsellors at law Christian G.Regnier cregnier@goulstonstorrs.com (617)574-6591(tel) January 20,2021 VIA EMAIL,ONLY _ Mark S. Sideris,President Town Council of Watertown 149 Main Street Watertown,MA 02472 Email: msiderisnwatertown-ma.zov Re: Proposed Zoning Amendment for Central Business (CB)District Dear Council President: We are counsel to Berkeley Investments ("Berkeley")and coordinating with Sasaki Associates, Inc.,the owner of property located at 64 Pleasant Street(the"Property"). On behalf of the property owner,we are pleased to submit for the Council's consideration the enclosed proposed zoning amendment for the CB District. Also enclosed are a Statement in Support of the zoning amendment and authorization from Sasaki for Berkeley to represent it regarding the zoning amendment. As detailed in the Statement of Support,the zoning amendment will allow the adaptive reuse of historic buildings in the CB District and diversify employment opportunities in Watertown Square with reduced construction-period impacts. We look forward to working with the Town Council,Planning Board,Planning Staff and other boards,committees and interested parties on this exciting amendment. I We respectfully request the Town Council schedule this zoning amendment for the First Reading and referral to the Planning Board at its next available hearing date. Should you have any questions,please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you. Sincerely, Christian Regnier i Attorney for Berkeley Enclosures cc: Steven Magoon,Director of Community Development&Planning Gideon Schreiber,Senior Planner,Community Development&Planning I Goulston&Storrs PC Boston•DC•New York 400 Atlantic Avenue,Boston,Massachusetts 02110-3333•(617)482-1776 Tel•www.gouistonstorrs.com STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT Historic buildings, such as those within the Chase Mills property in Watertown Square,are part of Watertown Square's fabric.However,the costs to upkeep these buildings and bring them up to modern accessibility, code,engineering and life safety standards,including to create a safe working environment within the context of the pandemic,are substantial and frequently infeasible.Often in the life cycle of these buildings,continued investment may not be economically justifiable.The zoning amendment — detailed below seeks to encourage the continued reinvestment in and preservation of these historic buildings by enabling their adaptive reuse for lab/life science uses. A. Proposed Zoninu Amendment(the"Amendment") The Amendment would allow the conversion of existing,older buildings to lab/life sciences uses within the Central Business(CB)District,which encompasses much of Watertown Square,including the Chase Mills property located at 64 Pleasant Street.The uses allowed for such conversion would include: j I (i) "Laboratories engaged in research,experimental and testing activities,including but not limited to the fields of biology,chemistry,electronics,engineering, geology,medicine,and physics"; (ii) "Light Industry"; (iii) "Non-nuisance manufacturing"; and (iv) "Renewable or alternative energy research,development or manufacturing facility"(collectively,the"Lab and Related Uses"). Currently,none of the Lab and Related Uses are allowed within the CB District.The Amendment would allow(i)up to 4,000 sf of Lab and Related Uses as of right,and(ii)greater than 4,000 sf of conversion to Lab and Related Uses subject to site plan review within structures pre-existing the adoption of the I Watertown Zoning Ordinance on March 29, 1937.The pre-existing structure qualification allows the j Amendment to pertain to the CB District generally,while limiting applicability to buildings that are appropriate for and would benefit from preservation. B. Adaptive Reuse Approach The Amendment aims to encourage continued reinvestment in historic buildings in and around Watertown Square,and as a result,increase and diversify employment opportunities within the CB District. Specifically,the Amendment supports the modernization of existing building space rather than demolition and new construction.This adaptive reuse approach to historic preservation results in cleaner, higher-efficiency,accessible buildings,without increasing density or materially increasing impacts. Such adaptive reuse is significantly less impactful and more sustainable when compared to new construction. I III i I Page 2 Moreover,the resulting upgraded space is intended to be re-tenanted with companies focusing on lab/life science uses,expanding the range of employment opportunities available in the CB District. Lab/life science businesses themselves are diverse in size,from start-ups with seed funding to maturing research and development firms introducing therapies,as well as in employee makeup,with job j opportunities for lab technicians,accountants,PhDs,marketing specialists and more. The Amendment will support downtown economic growth and vitality by creating opportunities for early stage life science and biotech businesses to establish themselves in and near Watertown Square. C. Consistencv with Watertown Planning The Amendment is consistent with the Strategic Framework for Economic Development(the "Framework"),which identifies life sciences as"an opportunity for further[economic] growth in Watertown."For example,the Framework recognizes that"as [life science] firms have grown and moved from research to product development to production and distribution,some have moved to surrounding suburbs [outside of Boston and Cambridge] ... in search of larger and lower-cost facilities."The Framework further recognizes that Watertown already hosts"a number of smaller firms conducting pharmaceutical research."The cost efficiency of adaptive reuse that avoids new construction can unlock competitive rents that attract expanding firms and retain smaller firms. The Amendment also is consistent with Comprehensive Plan,which shows Watertown Square as a Commercial Mixed Use Area intended"to be enhanced... with mixed land uses where commercial development is the primary use,including light industrial[and]research and development"uses. Importantly,Watertown Square is identified as one of Watertown's"Established Commercial Squares." The Amendment aims to continue the commercial vitality of this location,expanding and stabilizing the potential employment base of the CB District with a vital industry. D. Conclusion The proposed zoning amendment allows the enhancement of historic buildings within the CB District. Introducing life science businesses enables diversification of employment opportunities that can further activate Watertown Square and support local retail and restaurants.Adaptive reuse of existing buildings delivers modernized facilities with reduced construction-period impacts. 4837-7269-0903,v.2 PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT Pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, Section 5 and the Town of Watertown Zoning Ordinance Sections 9.20 and 9.21 the undersigned owners of land to be affected by this submission,hereby submit to the Honorable Town Council of the Town of Watertown the following proposed Zoning Amendment: That the Town Council amend the Watertown Zoning Ordinance as follows: Section 5.01 Table of Use Regulations Change the designation from"N"to "Y"under the column labeled"CB" in each of row 5.a.1, 5.b.1, 5.e.1, and 5 j.I. Change the designation from"N"to"N(17)"under the column labeled"CB" in each of row 5.a.2, 5.b.2, 5.e.2, and 5 j.2. Section 5.03 Notes to Table of Use Regulations Insert after note 16 "(17) To further the preservation, continuing adaptive reuse, and modernization of existing,meaningful older buildings in Watertown Square, conversion greater than 4,000 s.f. of building area is permitted subject to Site Plan Review as provided in §9.03, if a structure existed before the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance on March 29, 1937." Or to take any other action relative thereto. 4828-2272-8142,v.8 The Parcel M number of the affected parcel is#202 1 E 0 64 Pleasant Street. Respectfully submitted on this 20th day of January, 2021. By: , Sass i Associa , nc., and its successors-in-interest Parcel 1D 202 1 E 0 64 Pleasant Street 4828-2272-8142,v.8 The undersigned, owner of 64 Pleasant Street(Parcel ID#202 1E 0) hereby authorizes Berkeley Investments, Inc., to represent it for purposes of the proposed zoning amendment affecting the property. By: Sass ' Asso Parcel ID#202 1E 0 64 Pleasant Street 4828-2272-8142,v.8