October 5, 2012 Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs MEPA Office 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 RE:
Fenway Triangle Mixed Use Project Expanded Environmental Notification Form
Dear Mr. Sullivan: WalkBoston has reviewed the EENF for the Fenway Triangle Mixed Use Project in Boston. Our comments focus on the pedestrian environment and the need to integrate the project into its surroundings. 1. The project consists of two (approximately) 17-story structures, one facing Boylston Street and the other facing Brookline Avenue. Van Ness Street lies between the two buildings and they share frontage along Kilmarnock Street. 2. An interesting and beneficial addition of the development to the existing street pattern is the plan to create “New Street� running between Boylston Street and Van Ness Street. The thoroughfare is in fact a new street that is a portion of a long-range plan envisioned by the City to offer additional walking and vehicle circulation options through the area. New Street will eventually connect Boylston Street to Beacon Street, and it also leads to an internal access route for parking and service vehicles at 1325 Boylston Street.
3. The potential improvements that this project will bring to the area are substantial. The proposed development follows City of Boston guidelines for the creation of wide sidewalks (as recommended in the Fenway-Longwood-Kenmore Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan). The new sidewalks are part of a long-range plan to change the overall design of buildings along Boylston Street and to provide a standard street wall of setbacks on the Boylston Street and Brookline Avenue frontage. The plan provides wide sidewalks to alleviate the significant pedestrian congestion that results from games and other events at nearby Fenway Park, which is one-half block away. The new sidewalks will include street trees, lighting, and street furniture on Boylston and Van Ness Streets. We urge that all sidewalk paving be designed to provide a broad flat walking surface for pedestrian safety, perhaps coupled with trim of other paving materials along the curb or the building frontage. Somewhat less expansive treatment is planned for the project’s frontage on Kilmarnock and New Streets, but an extensive and wide sidewalk is proposed for the frontage of the proposed building along Kilmarnock Street leading toward its intersection with Brookline Avenue. This area has been shown as a potential site for a sidewalk cafÊ. 4. The project will investigate the feasibility of modifying signals at Brookline Avenue/ Kilmarnock Street/Fullerton Street to improve traffic and pedestrian operations. We applaud this effort, and hope that the pedestrian crossings where Kilmarnock and New Streets intersect Brookline Avenue also receive appropriate analysis to ensure safe pedestrian crossings. 5. The proposal includes suggestions for implementing an extensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan. All efforts to increase walking and the use of public transportation are important at this location, which is especially rich in transit access and will need to accommodate not only walkers to this site but also to nearby Fenway Park.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on this important project. Please feel
free to contact WalkBoston with questions you may have. Sincerely,
Wendy Landman Executive Director Cc
Proponent BTD? BRA?