Do You Have 5 Minute to Support “Walkable”Housing in Melrose?

If you’re like us, one of the main features attracting you to Melrose was its incredible potential as a walkable city. Much of our advocacy focuses on strengthening the qualities that make it walkable. One way we can promote a more walkable city is by advocating for housing development which is within walking distance of amenities like restaurants, grocery stores, and transit service.

Last year, in order to promote these same goals, the Planning Department created a process by which developers can build homes targeted towards “one car” (or no-car) families. The Planning Board is currently hearing the first-ever proposal under this new process, for the development of five all-electric, Net Zero-ready townhomes on Myrtle Street, to be marketed towards one-car families. The Planning Board will continue this hearing on Monday evening, March 28th.

While we believe these sorts of homes enjoy strong public support, not all members of the Planning Board agree, with one Board member at the last meeting calling it “foolhardy” to believe that families would want to live in Melrose with one car. We disagree! If you feel that one-car homes should be allowable in Melrose — or if you live in a one- or no-car household, and would like to share your story — we encourage you to contact the Planning Board via the instructions on the city’s “remote meetings” page, and let them know! Your voice can truly make a difference.

We all have a role to play in addressing the region’s housing crisis, and we should encourage the types of housing which embrace Melrose’s past — and future — as a walkable, transit-friendly city. You can read our letter of support for this proposal below.

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Date: February 28th, 2022
To: Melrose Planning Board
Subject: Support for Proposal at 148 Myrtle Street

We are writing to you to express our committee’s support of the proposed development at 148 Myrtle Street. In particular, we are supportive of a Special Permit request at this site for Shared or Reduced Parking Spaces under MZO § 235-40.C.

Our members are highly supportive of transit-oriented housing development in Melrose, and of the idea that households within transit-oriented neighborhoods should not be required to own and maintain storage for multiple automobiles. Myrtle Street is part of Melrose’s historic core of neighborhoods which arose alongside our rail corridor. Its location remains amenity-rich; this parcel is a two minute walk to the library, a three minute walk to Shaw’s and our downtown, a five minute walk to Melrose Cedar Park train station, and an eight minute walk to the Ell Pond Lake Trail. Being centrally located, there are numerous parks, playgrounds, schools, daycares, and employers in the direct walkable and bikeable vicinity.

Many of our members – including multiple officers – live in single-car households with multiple children. That’s exactly the sort of family unit we feel this proposal appeals to. Far from being an inconvenience, the freedom to conduct one’s daily affairs without needing to use an automobile is one of the characteristics which drew many of us to Melrose in the first place. We are confident that families will continue to choose Melrose for this reason, and that we can and should be building more housing which
appeals to those families.

When we learned of this proposal, we contacted the team at Brown Dog Properties to explain our role within the community and to ask the developers to put a little more consideration into supporting convenient bicycle access for residents. For many of our members in one-car households with multiple working parents, bicycle access is key to making the equation work. Joe Roman had a long conversation with us about different options at the building, and also told us that city staff had highlighted some of those same questions. Given that we as a community do not have design standards for on-site bicycle storage, we appreciate the fact that the developer has improved both the outdoor and indoor accommodations, and feel that this development contains sufficient options to make daily bike access feasible for all units.

Embracing, developing, and protecting walkable cities requires a commitment on behalf of residents and planners alike to support a built environment which embraces walkability. That means safer streets and sidewalks, but it also means avoiding the temptation to build excess auto capacity within our housing stock. We feel this development has the right amount of parking for the location and housing type being proposed. Last year, when the Planning Board held a series of public hearings around changes to our zoning, you heard loud and clear from the community that growth in our housing stock must center around sustainable design principles. We feel that this project is the sort of development our community wants, and urge the Planning Board to look favorably upon its review.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Melrose Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
http://pedbikemelrose.org/