Final Quincy Tap Report - Microsoft

A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL REPORT

Germantown Housing DevelopmentQuincy, MA

A ULI Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report

Table of Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. ULI and the TAP Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5A. Urban Land Institute (ULI)b. Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs)c. Panelists, Stakeholders, and TAP Process

2. background & Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A. Property Overviewb. Site Descriptionc. Quincy Housing Authority Goals

3. Neighborhood Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A. civicb. Recreational

4. Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A. Landscape and Streetscapeb. Parking and circulationc. Improved connectionsD. Recreational PathsE. Funding

A ULI Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report 3

Under the direction of the Urban Land Insti-tute’s boston District council, e QuincyTechnical Assistance Panel (TAP) convened inthe Germantown neighborhood in Quincy, MAin October 2013. e TAP convened stakehold-ers, city and community leaders, and a panel ofland use and development professionals for aday-long session focused on options for improv-ing the overall environment of the Snug Harborand Riverside Housing Developments as well asimproving parking capacity and management forthe residents of the neighborhood.

Focusing on the Quincy Housing Authority’s(QHA)goals for improving the neighborhood,the team met with the QHA, toured the Ger-mantown neighborhood, before interviewingnearly a dozen stakeholders and communityleaders to understand the neighborhood and it’sneeds in terms of parking and aesthetic improve-ments. Data collected and prepared by the QHAstaff prior to the TAP informed this discussion.

e panel then held a “closed door” charretteduring which it discussed the redevelopmentpossibilities. e outcome of this collaborativeeffort was a presentation by the panelists at apublic meeting and this report.

e report that follows is separated into fourchapters and provides background about theTAP program, an overview of the issues associ-ated with the Germantown neighborhood, thePanel’s recommendations regarding the neigh-borhood and the QHA’s next steps.

Chapter 1: ULI and the TAP Process gives anoverview of the Urban Land Institute’s bostonDistrict council and its Technical AssistancePanels and provides a detailed list of participantsin the October 2013 Quincy TAP includingstakeholders, and a panel of land use and devel-opment professionals.

Chapter 2: Background and Assignment provides arecount of the Germantown neighborhood’s his-tory and the QHA’s goals for improvements tothe neighborhood.

In Chapter 3: Observations and Findings thepanel enumerates the relevant issues raised in thetour and provides recommendations for aestheticand parking improvements that will have themost significant impacts.

Finally, in Chapter 4: Recommendations, the panelprovides its recommendations for neighborhood-wide aesthetic, safety and parking improvementsand funding sources for the improvements.

Executive Summary

MMaapp ooff GGeerrmmaannttoowwnn nneeiigghhbboorrhhoooodd..


1. ULI and the TAP Processa. Urban Land Institute (ULI)

e Urban Land Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofitresearch and education organization supported byits members. Founded in 1936, the institute nowhas 30,000 members worldwide representing theentire spectrum of land use and real estate develop-ment disciplines, working in private enterprise andpublic service.

As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estateforum, ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas,information and experience among local, nationaland international industry leaders and policy mak-ers dedicated to creating better places. e missionof ULI is to provide leadership in the responsibleuse of land and to help sustain and create thrivingcommunities. ULI boston serves the six New Eng-land states.

b. Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs)

ULI boston’s Real Estate Advisory committeeconvenes TAPs at the request of municipalities andpublic agencies. ey serve underresourced com-munities and nonprofit organizations facing com-plex land use challenges who benefit from planningand development professionals providing pro bonorecommendations. At the TAP, a group of diverseprofessionals representing the full spectrum of landuse and real estate disciplines typically spend oneto two days visiting and analyzing existing built en-vironments, identifying specific planning and de-velopment issues. ey then formulate realistic andactionable recommendations to move initiativesforward in a way consistent with the applicant’s

goals and objectives.

c. Panelists and TAP Process

Panel Members

ULI boston convened a panel of volunteers whosemembers represent a range of disciplines associatedwith land use and development required to assessQHA’s options for improving the Germantownneighborhood. Disciplines represented includedtransportation engineering, urban planning, civilengineering, landscape architecture, architecture,and public housing. Members were selected withthe intent of convening a robust array of profes-sional expertise relevant to the city’s objectives forthe TAP.

e following is the list of panelists:

Jason Denoncourt, Project Manager, eGutierrez company (TAP co-chair)

Jeremy Wilkening, Director of Real Estate,Urban Edge (TAP co-chair)

Steve cebra, Senior Vice President, WalkerParking consultants/Engineers

Susan connelly, Director, community HousingInitiatives, Massachusetts Housing Partnership

Amy Korte, Principal, Arrowstreet

brandon Kunkel, Landscape Architect, copleyWolff Design Group

Nancy Ludwig, Principal, IcON architecture

Scott Payette, Principal, Scott Payette Architects

Kartik Shah, Urban Designer, cannon Design

Scott Turner, Director of Planning, Nitsch Engineering

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•


Michelle Landers, Director at ULI boston pro-vided organizational and technical support inpreparation for and during the TAP event, andserved as report writer.

James Lydon, Executive Director of the QuincyHousing Authority, served as a primary contact forthe TAP.

Stakeholders

e success of this TAP would not have been possi-ble without the cooperation of the diverse group ofstakeholders who met with the panel and sharedideas, assessments and opinions on a range of is-sues.

Stakeholder contributors to the Quincy TAP in-cluded:

TAP Process

e Quincy TAP was held on October 29, 2013.In the morning, the panel met at the GermantownNeighborhood center and was welcomed by QHAExecutive Director, James Lydon, Quincy Mayor,omas P. Koch, Ward 1 councillor, MargaretLaforest, and QHA commissioner and formerWard 1 councillor, Leo Kelly, along with severalother QHA staff members. e panel was given anoverview of the neighborhood, its history, relevantissues and dynamics within the neighborhood, andthe city’s aspirations for improving the neighbor-hood.

is introduction was followed by a tour of theneighborhood. After the tour, the panel inter-viewed a diverse series of stakeholders that in-cluded QHA staff, residents, and communitycenter staff.

e panelists then engaged in an intensive “closeddoor” charette to develop recommendations ad-dressing some of the relevant issues associated withaesthetics, safety, parking, and community connec-tions along with “next step” recommendations thatwere shared with the community at a public pres-entation that evening.

e panel delivered its presentation to an audienceof approximately 30 people, consisting of local res-idents QHA staff, and other interested individuals.e presentation is available electronically by re-quest from the QHA and at the ULI boston web-site http://boston.uli.org.

Margaret Milne, QHA

Sean Glennon, Director of community De-velopment, city of Quincy Planning Depart-ment

Regina Jones-Jenkins, Germantown residentand chair of the Harborview Residents Asso-ciation

Larry Norton, former public housing Ger-mantown resident, current homeowner

claire brennan, Germantown Neighborhoodcenter

Joanne Roche, QHA

Kathleen Porazzo, QHA

carolyn crossley, QHA

Deborah Williamson, QHA

David Ferris, QHA

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Panelists at Firehouse Beach


a. Neighborhood Overview

e Germantown neighborhood is located on abeautiful peninsula extending into Quincy bay,but none of the public housing developments lo-cated there takes advantage of its waterside locationin terms of amenities or activities. Additionally, thelocation is in need of streetscape improvements,landscaping and other elements that would softenand improve the visual environment.

Parking is also an issue. ere needs to either beadditional parking and/or present parking areasneed to be clearly noted and designated.e Ger-mantown neighborhood is home to the publichousing developments: Riverview, Snug Harborcrowley court and O'brien Towers, as well as asmall cluster of privately owned homes.

e study area for this TAP included:

•Snug Harbor - a Massachusetts DHcD-fundeddevelopment consisting of 100 four-unit structuresan located on 28.3 acres of land

•Riverview - a HUD-funded development whichincludes 45 four-unit structures on 28 acres of land

•crowley court - a DHcD-funded developmentthat consists of 44 units of housing located in 12brick single-story structures on 3.7 acres of land

Site History

e Germantown neighborhood was originallyknow as Shedd’s Neck. Originally settled as a glassmaking and basket weaving manufacturing com-munity for German immigrants, the planned com-munity failed and until the middle of the twentiethcentury was known mainly as a small farming com-munity.

After World War II, the QHA and common-wealth of Massachusetts built 400 units for return-ing veterans and their families. ecommonwealth sold surplus land it owned to thefederal government to build low-income housing,this became the Riverview development, consistingof 180 units for families.

2. Background & Assignment

e Boardwalk at Firehouse Beach


b. Site Description

e study area of Snug Harbor, Riverview andcrowley court consists of three different types ofhousing stock.

SSnnuugg HHaarrbboorr

e Snug Harbor Development is funded by thecommonwealth of Massachusetts and operatedand managed by the QHA. It consists of 100 four-unit homes scattered over 28 acres of land. e ex-teriors of the homes are cedar shakes and are ingood condition having recently undergone an $8million renovation to replace the siding. While thebuildings themselves are in good shape, there is lit-tle to no landscaping and the homes have chainlink fences and metal clotheslines in various statesof disrepair. Much of the fencing has been recentlyremoved and has increased the look of the neigh-borhood greatly.

Parking in the Snug Harbor Development is unor-ganized and not clearly managed. Residents preferto park as close to their homes as possible out ofconvenience or perceived safety issues. becausethere is not adequate parking for the number of

cars owned by residents, this leads to residentsparking on lawns and open spaces rather thannearby paved lots. e paved lots are not wellplaced or well marked and are underutilized. ereis currently no parking management plan in placeand residents are not required to display a permitfor on-street or off-street parking in the develop-ment.

RRiivveerrvviieeww

e Riverview Development is funded by the fed-eral government and is operated and managed bythe QHA. It consists of 45 four-unit structuresscattered over 28 acres of land.

e Riverview Development is also in good shapehaving recently undergone an $8 million renova-tion to replace the roofs and siding of the build-ings.

Overall, parking at Riverview is more organizedand centrally located small paved lots are wellmarked and maintained.

ccrroowwlleeyy ccoouurrtt

crowley court is funded by the commonwealthof Massachusetts and consists of 44 units in 12 sin-

Homes in the Snug Harbor Development Homes in the Riverview Development

gle story brick buildings. e residential units arereserved for the handicapped and the elderly andwhile the outdoor decorations put in place by theresidents may not be aesthetically pleasing, the resi-dents clearly see this as their home and communityand in general are more welcoming to new resi-dents than the other developments.

While the panel focused on landscaping and safetyimprovements that would be universal for all threedevelopments, the bulk of the parking and circula-tion work focused on the Snug Harbor Develop-ment.

c. Quincy Housing Authority Goals

As stated during the TAP application process, thegoals of the QHA include improving the overall

environment of public housing developments withstreetscape and landscape improvements. ey alsorequested that the panel recommend improve-ments for parking circulation and connections tothe water.


Homes in the Crowley Court Development

a. Civic Assets

ee SSnnuugg HHaarrbboorr ccoommmmuunniittyy SScchhooooll

e elementary school serves the children in boththe private and public housing.

ee GGeerrmmaannttoowwnn ccoommmmuunniittyy cceenntteerr

Along with the elementary school, the German-town Neighborhood center serve as the gateway tothe neighborhood.

e Neighborhood center is located in a formerchurch that was decommissioned by the Archdio-cese several years ago. currently the Neighborhoodcenter serves families in both public and privatehousing.

ee MMaanneett ccoommmmuunniittyy HHeeaalltthh cceenntteerr

Located on bicknell Street, the Manet communityHealth center opened in 1983. e health centeris not-for-profit and provides health and socialservices to the community.

ee HHoouussiinngg AAuutthhoorriittyy OOffifficceess

e QHA Maintanence Office is located at 15bickell Street. e office handles all maintance is-sues for the Housing Authority and is open to resi-dents to report maintanence issues daily. e QHAuses the lot behind the office to store heavy equip-ment.

ee RRoottaarryy

e rotary once hosted community movie nightsand other civic events, but is currently unattractiveand unwelcoming. e Shed Memorial beacon inthe center of the rotary has stood in it’s current lo-cation for more than 60 years. e memorial, inthe form of a lighthouse, consists of a column ofQuincy granite topped by a large glass and copperlantern. e Memorial is currently undergoing re-pair.


3. Neighborhood Assets

Sailor Snug Harbor Beach from Palmer StreetQHA maintenance facility and Manet Commu-nity Health Center from Palmer Street

b. Recreation and Public Space

FFiirreehhoouussee bbeeaacchh

Firehouse beach is located at the end of DoaneStreet. It is located next to an active firehouse andis owned by the QHA. ere is a small parking lotand recent renovations include a 247-foot board-walk that provides access from the lot to the beach.

e sand at the beach is quite coarse, so while itmay not be well suited for a swimming beach, it isa wonderful opportunity for passive use, sitting,sunbathing, or beach games.

While this beach is listed on beach guides pro-duced by the city of Quincy, few residents outsideof Germantown use or know of the beach.

SSaaiilloorrss SSnnuugg HHaarrbboorr bbeeaacchh

Once home to community gatherings, this beach isovergrown and the entrance to the beach is markedby jersey barriers.

bbaasskkeettbbaallll ccoouurrttss

e basketball courts have fallen into a state of dis-repair, but represent a recreation opportunity forthe neighborhood residents. In the recent past, the

basketball league at the community center sold outand had a waiting list, so there is major interest inplaying basketball in the neighborhood.

JJeeaann KKeennnneeddyy PPllaayyggrroouunndd

e playground seems to be in good condition.ere were conflicting reports about how often it isused by the resident children, however, if parentsfelt the playground was safe and well maintained itcould represent another community asset.

PPuubblliicc SSoocccceerr FFiieelldd

e soccer field is owned and maintained by thecity of Quincy. When the panel viewed the field inlate October, it was hard to tell what its primaryuse was because there were no goals or lines on thefield. If that was because it was off season, fine. Ifthe field is generally kept in such condition, someinvestment might create a space that the neighbor-hood could use outside of organized city soccerleagues.


View south from Firehouse Beach Basketball Courts on Taffrail Road


a. Landscape

While the seaside location gives the neighborhoodsome fantastic natural amenities such as thebeaches, the overall environment could be greatlyimproved with some modest investments in appro-priate landscaping and streetscaping.

When selecting which trees and shrubs to plantand where to plant them, it is very important tokeep scale in mind. by placing larger “street trees”between the sidewalk and the street edge, you cancreate a natural buffer for pedestrians. For entitieslike the QHA, it is especially important to choosetrees that are well suited to the climate or are nativeto the area. is will reduce maintenance and in-crease the likelihood that the trees survive andthrive. Good choices for street trees in German-town include Honey Locust, Ginko biloba andWhite Oak, all of which are commonly plantedtrees in Quincy.

4. Recommendations

Street tree examples. Above: Honey LocustRight: Ginko Biloba

Streetscape scale examples

e next level of scale to consider is the area be-tween the sidewalk and the individual homes oryards. is area can provide some measure privacyfor the homes and will help fill in the vast emptyspaces that currently exist. Good tree and plantingchoices for these areas include Redbud, ShadblowServiceberry and New Jersey Tea.

e final level of scale is the area immediately adja-cent to the individual homes. currently, the plant-ings in these areas range from none at all tovegetable gardens to well maintained flower gar-dens. e panel felt that individual gardens includ-ing vegetable gardens should be allowed tocontinue and even encouraged as they can foster asense of ownership among the residents. In addi-tion to the minimal landscaping, the presence ofoutdated clothes drying lines and chain-link fencesdetract from the scenic setting. e panel recom-mends that the QHA continue the removal processof these drying lines and fences.

Planting a variety of low maintenance shrubs andgrasses in these areas will have a beautifying affecton the area and will minimize the time that QHAmaintenance crews have to devote to mowinggrass, which can currently take three full days eachmonth. Planting recommendations include:Northern bayberry, Pennsylvania Sedge and Salt-meadow cordgrass.

b. Streetscape

In addition to these landscaping recommendations,investments in streetlights, street furniture, such asbenches, curbing and sidewalks would have the effect of improving the aesthetics of the neighbor-hood as well as making pedestrians safer. is mayencourage more people to walk through the neigh-borhood which increases “eyes on the street,” alongwith a sense of community.

Wayfinding signs are currently non-existent in theGermantown Neighborhood. A welcome to Ger-mantown sign placed at the rotary, would welcomeresidents and guests to the neighborhood.Wayfinding signs directing people to the civic andrecreational amenities are recommended as a wayto activate some of these areas with residents ofboth the neighborhood and the city of Quincy.

e rotary is another area that could use somemodest investment. e rotary once hosted com-munity movie nights and other civic events, but iscurrently unattractive and unwelcoming. eShedd Memorial beacon in the center of the rotaryis currently undergoing repair. e panel recom-mends improving electrical access in this area toexpand the number of trees that are lit for the holi-day season, installing some street lights so the areais well lit for evening pedestrians. With a focal artpiece - such as the beacon and some statementplantings, this rotary could serve as the centerpieceof a ‘civic spine’.


Pennsylvania Sedge, a good choice for replacing somelawns

Rotary in its current state

b. Parking and Circulation

e issue of parking surfaced many times in thestakeholder interviews, site tour and planningcharette. currently, the parking is managed differ-ently in Snug Harbor and Riverview. At Riverviewthere is a parking permit program and it is well en-forced. Parking in the Snug Harbor Developmentcan best be described as random. Residents preferto park as close to the their front door as possible,out of convenience or perceived safety issues, thisleads to residents parking on lawns and other openspaces rather than nearby paved lots. e lotsthemselves are poorly striped and underutilizedwith limited signage and space delineation.

ere is no parking management plan in place andenforcement by local police or property manage-ment is sporadic. Residents are not required to dis-play a permit for parking and spaces forvisitors/non-residents are not designated. becauseof these issues, it is not possible to determine theadequacy of the current parking supply at SnugHarbor.

PPhhyyssiiccaall IImmpprroovveemmeennttss

e first step in improving the parking situationinvolves establishing the current parking inventory.e paved areas that serve as resident parking lotsare unorganized and it is not clear exactly howmany parking spaces are contained in each area. In

addition to striping the lots, installing curbing orwheel stops along the edges would prevent resi-dents from driving onto the lawns and other re-stricted areas.

In addition to striping the lots, the panel recom-mends painting lines for parallel on-street parkingwhere appropriate.

With a goal of providing two parking spaces perunit, some ideas for consolidating and increasingthe size of some of the lots are demonstrated below.

OOppeerraattiioonnaall IImmpprroovveemmeennttss

e panel recommends that the QHA develop apermitting system for Snug Harbor residents andlimiting free permits to two per household. iswould be in line with the ratio of available parkingsuggested by the panel.

Parking for visitors or overnight guests should bedelineated and provided at remote lots.

Providing residents with a permit to display intheir car, whether it is a discreet sticker or a hang-ing placard, would aid enforcement efforts by boththe QHA and the city of Quincy.

e panel also recommends that additional permitsbe made available to residents for a fee. We under-stand this will be unpopular, but parking permitfees may help underwrite some of the parking im-provements.


Current Conditions Ideas for Increasing and Improving Parking Lots

c. Improved Connections

e panel felt that the QHA could have a big im-pact in the short term by focusing the first roundof landscape and streetscape recommendationsalong the “civic spine.” beginning at the Snug Har-bor community School and continuing alongPalmer Street past the community center and ro-tary, to the Health center and QHA offices, themajor civic and social service assets form a naturalfocal point for the neighborhood.

A welcome sign at the rotary can enhance thisfocus and provide a point of pride for the neigh-borhood.

e rotary itself would be the center of this spine

with the Neighborhood center on one side andthe Health center and social services offices on theother. e rotary was once home to communitygatherings like a movie night and community treelighting, reinstating some of these events andadding programming such as a farmers market orother community gatherings would be an effectiveway to activate the open space.

Installing a crosswalk and some landscape improve-ments, including restoring the Shed Memorial inthe rotary, would make the rotary safer and moreattractive and would further strengthen the con-nection between the neighborhood center and therest of the neighborhood.


Improved connections along the “civic spine”

d. Recreational Paths

Looking at aerial images and walking the neighbor-hood, it became clear to the panel that there aremany opportunities to increase the connectionsthroughout the neighborhood and to the waterwith a series of recreational paths.

e foundation for a walking path that extendsalong the shore and through the neighborhood islargely in place. With some signage and brushclearing, this path could become a neighborhoodamenity for residents and visitors with a small capi-tal investment. is path would link the beaches,the basketball court, the soccer fields and the civic

spine and would provide scenic views and an activ-ity option for residents.

A bike path linking the Neighborhood center tothe beaches and tot lot is another low cost way tolink the neighborhood assets and draw Quincy res-idents from outside the Germantown Neighbor-hood.

e. Funding

Although there is no clear source to fund these rec-ommendations fully, there were potential sourcesidentified for pieces of the plan as well as existing

Improved connections throughout the neighborhood and to the water with a pedestrian path (green) and a bikepath (red).


DHcD state public housing commitments toSnug Harbor including $5 million in ADA accessi-bility money and $1 million for site work. erewas mention of a $70,000 grant for refurbishingthe basketball court and a strong indication by thecity that community Preservation Act moneywould be appropriate for the site. e panelstrongly recommends that the QHA takes the timeto look at these sources, their ability to potentiallyleverage other sources and how they can be bestused together. For example will the ADA fundsalso cover widening sidewalks and creating HPparking spots? If so, how then would the QHAbest leverage or use the funds to help support thestreetscape improvements along the ‘civic spine’and re-work the parking plan? ere seems to be alot of opportunity and potential resources to startto make the QHA's goals, reality and if well coor-dinated, the potential to get more done with lessresources.


Date post:	16-Jan-2022
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

Final Quincy Tap Report - Microsoft

Documents