January 30, 2018 Dedham square design guidelines public mtg

td__dedham_square_design_guidelines_public_mtg_01_30_18.pdf
File Size:	82 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Dedham Square Design Guidelines Public Mtg
Community Notes
January 30, 2018
Dedham Middle School
70 Whiting Ave., Dedham, MA 02026
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Agenda

Introduction
This is Dedham
Urban Design Analysis
Urban Design Recommendations
What Design Guidelines Can and Can’t Do
How Can Design Guidelines be Successful
Questions for Discussion

Introduction
Attendees were given a booklet of the agenda other material relevant to the meeting, which can be found here:  http://www.dedham-ma.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=6433  John Sisson kicked off the meeting.  He explained that the town has partnered with Gamble Associates for designing guidelines for Dedham Square.  Gamble Associates has done similar work for other towns.  The Planning Board and Planner formed a Steering Committee last year and selected Gamble after an extensive search.  The members of the Steering Committee are Michael Podolski (Chair), Peter Smith (Vice Chair), Michael Butler, Amy Haelsen, Ryan McDermott, George Panagopoulos, Giorgio Petruzziello, Michelle Persson Reilly, and Jessica Porter.  The next Steering Committee meeting is on March 13, 2018.  There are a couple of additional projects that they will be tackling in the future, such as a long term vision for the square and recommendations for what to do with the old Police Headquarters.

This is Dedham
David Gamble, of Gamble and Associates is an Architect and Urban Planner.  He stated that one of his goals for the meeting is to manage expectations of the project.  He explained that Dedham has a lot of great old “bones” that are still intact, and that is unusual in this day and age.  The town should look to incent new development to capture old designs.  David also talked about the fact that all ages are looking for more walkable towns.  A number of recommendations to make progress in those areas can be found in the booklet.  The development of design guidelines will be 1+ year effort.  David said that downtowns should not be devoted to cars and parking as much as Dedham currently is.  The amount of parking diminishes Dedham’s assets.  Also, the streets are too wide in some cases, there is some underutilized property, and a lack of open space in the Square.  There is also some inappropriate scale in some of the new development.  

Urban Design Analysis
Gamble is using lots of previous studies to inform their recommendations.  Route 1 is a problem that we’ll need to think about in relation to the guidelines.  Think about the difference in character between Route 1 in Dedham and the VFW Parkway.  This is the same road, but a completely different experience once you cross over into West Roxbury.  Also, the downtown area is not as big as it might seem.  It is about the same size as the footprint of the South Shore Plaza.  Dedham Square should strive to have less than 200 ft between each storefront.  There are currently lots of gaps.  There is a lot of underutilized space that borders the highway, and a high % of the space is currently being used for parking.  Most of the area is asphalt.  In the future the Keystone parking lot should be transformed into something special (i.e., not a parking lot).  

Urban Design Recommendations
Gateways to the square need to be addressed
The Transition from Route 1 to VFW Parkway needs to be addressed
Open Spaces should be nurtured, and more pocket parks should be created
Dedham Square needs to build a better block
Pedestrian linkages need to be enhanced

What Design Guidelines Can and Can’t Do
Design guidelines CAN:
Improve character of new development
Articulate standards of quality
Provide examples
Represent spatial and dimensional criteria graphically
Bring clarity to the review process
Go too far

Design guidelines CANNOT:
Regulate business use
Replace zoning codes
Redesign streets
Master plan areas

How Can Design Guidelines be Successful
Public participation is crucial for success.  This section of the meeting involved participants responding to a series of multiple choice questions about priorities and challenges for design guidelines.

Questions for Discussion/Public Comments
The town needs to examine the role of the Design Review Advisory Board and perhaps give that board more authority.
We need to look at the overall design of the town, not just Dedham Square.
Has there been any consideration of burying electric lines, to get rid of electric poles?  Not yet.
History has a vital place in Dedham, and we need to remember that.  Decisions about the future of the Police Station will be critical.
Parking will be a problem if we don’t replace the Keystone lot.
What is Gamble’s take on the current mix Dedham Square business owners (local vs. non-local)?  Gamble thinks it’s currently a good mix.
How will parking needs change in the future?  In 10 years there will be many fewer cars on the road.
How long will this vision take to realize?  Probably 15 to 20 years.
We need to encourage mixed-use for some of the underutilized properties on the other side of Rt. 1.
We need to factor the identity of Dedham into plans.  What do we want it to become?  New residents want a more urban setting.
At a future meeting, Gamble should present examples of other similar award winning towns.
We need more transparency of Boards that make and enforce design policies.
Building height needs to be a special consideration.
We should consider extending historic building status to other Dedham Square buildings.
We need to figure out how to get pedestrian access across Route 1 (potentially footbridges).
The Main branch of the Library should be included in the Dedham Square map.
Will the design guidelines be regulatory?  No, they will be recommendations.
We need to identify the steps that will happen after the study is complete, to lead to making a tangible difference.

The meeting ended at approximately 8:40 p.m.

Notes taken by Heather Springer

Keywords:  Dedham Square, Design Guidelines, Gamble Associates, Open Space