Downing Square Proposal | Arlington

[autonomy]

http://arlington.wickedlocal.com/ne...rs-voice-concerns-with-downing-square-project

While the land is not a Superfund site, Hallet said it could cost $500,000 to $750,000 to clean up contaminated soil and build a cap covering the majority of the site, some of which may be covered by state grants.

So that's why the "SOLD" sign is there, it's been sitting empty for years. Anybody know what used to be there that it needs cleanup? I always wondered myself, since it's fenced off and has landfill-type pipes coming out of the ground, but could not find any information.

Also, that render... the bike path looks nothing like that in that area! Agree that it will look really out of place, but the area could use more housing options, especially given that the 77 bus is right there.

 

[Arlington]

I say it is a perfect use for the site. The "looking out of place" claim is what NIMBYs say when they have no other reason for opposing a project.

At four stories it isn't going to loom over anybody--particularly since the 2 and 3 story stuff along Lowell St is probably at a 10' higher elevation, maybe 20' higher when you look at front doors.

And this is a location with all kinds of eccelctic stuff: facing Arlington Coal & Lumber across a bike path, Gold's Gym, a gas station specializing in small engine repair, a bus terminus, and Mass Ave small storefront retail. It is an urban place, not Levittown.

But the core case that a 4-story complex works here comes down to it being a perfect TOD project for near the terminus of the 77 Bus (a Key Bus Route).

1) Highly walk/bike accessible to nearly all household shopping (Trader Joes, Walgreens, UPS, Hardware and a full range of other local pizza/deli/haircut/bank retail) For car-lite and car-free below-median families, its ideal.

2) Great transit via the 77 & 350 bus. The claim that these households will not even generate rush-hour car trips is highly credible.

34 Units to house people who tend not to drive cars is going to produce maybe 30 trips in the AM...fewer than the 90 trips that the nearby daycare (that's also becoming housing) generated. Even in a NIMBY's fever dream of 2 commute trips per household, this complex would produce 68 AM rush trips...still less than are being otherwise removed from this area.

Site link here:
https://goo.gl/maps/76v9qQuq8jN2

Low res photo of site plan here:

Oversimplified view from bike path:

 

[Arlington]

www.historicaerials.com seems to show

1930 ~ 1960s: some sort of industrial/commercial yard
1971 to 2001 looks like an auto graveyard behind a car repair business
2003 to 2004 site cleared of vehicles / site overgrown
2008 to 2010 site cleaned down to bare dirt

Since 2010, covered with volunteer trees and seasonal vegetation.