Have Transit…Seeking Development

Francisco Gomes, AICP, ASLA, Fitzgerald & Halliday Steve Cecil, AIA, ASLA, Harriman

Kacie Costello, AICP, Town of Wallingford, CT

Transit Types• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)• Street Car• Light Rail• Commuter Rail

BRT/Rail Transit Lines and Services in Southern New England• MBTA

• Green, Orange, Red, Blue Lines• Commuter Rail Service• Silver Line BRT

• Metro North• New Haven Line and Branch Lines

• Shore Line East• CTfastrak

Active Transit Corridor Projects in Southern New England• Green Line Extension Project• South Coast Rail• Silver Line Gateway• Downtown Providence

Enhanced Transit Corridor• Hartford Line (New

Haven/Hartford/Springfield Rail)

• CTfastrak

Green Line Extension Project:• Will extend Green Line 4.3

miles into Cambridge with seven stations

• Construction has begun and is scheduled to be complete by 2020

• $1 billion+ program

South Coast Rail• Would connect New

Bedford and Fall River to Boston

• Design for this route is currently 15% complete

• The full schedule to complete design and construction and the start of service depends on available future funding for the program. 

Silver Line Gateway• Will connect South Boston, East

Boston and Chelsea• Construction began in 2015 and is

expected to be complete in 2017

Downtown Providence Enhanced Transit Corridor

• Will provide buses every five minutes along a 1.4-mile stretch that runs from the Providence Amtrak Station to Rhode Island Hospital

• Funding was originally awarded for the Providence Streetcar Project.

• Preliminary engineering work will be done in 2016, followed by a final design phase in the spring of 2017.

Hartford Line• Commuter rail service• Service to begin in 2018• Service to 13 stations• $574 million project

CTfastrak• Bus Rapid Transit

connecting Hartford to New Britain

• Service began in 2015• Grade-separated right-of-

way• Headways of 10 minutes

or less during peak periods• Expansion east of Hartford

to Storrs (UCONN) is likely

Center for Transit Oriented Development -2004

TOD Demand

Driving the Demand• Underlying the growth of TOD is a

fundamental shift in demographics that is helping drive market demand for more compact, urban living.

• There are two primary drivers of TOD demand in the coming decades: the 79 million Baby Boomers approaching retirement and the 85 million Echo Boomers entering the housing markets for the first time.

Market Trends

Market Trends

Case Studies• Rosslyn Ballston Metro• Portland Street Car• Cleveland Health Line

Rosslyn Ballston Metro Corridor Arlington, VA • The assessed value of

land around stations increased 81 percent in 10 years;

• 8 percent of county land generates 33 percent of county revenues

• 50 percent of residents take transit to work, 73 percent walk to stations

Cleveland Health Line• Bus Rapid Transit• Has generated $114.54 in

economic development for every dollar invested

• The $50 million project has leveraged $5.8 billion in transit oriented development

Portland Street Car• New development comprises 28% of

the total market value in the corridor.• The corridor has increased in market

value by $11.63 billion since 1998.• The corridor comprised 11 percent of

Portland's citywide market value in 1998. After the streetcar line launched, that figure increased to 17 percent of Portland's total market value, as of 2015.

• One-quarter of all apartments developed in the corridor from 1998 to 2015 were subsidized affordable housing units

Mode as a Factor“The analysis revealed no case in which one mode of transit — BRT, LRT, or streetcar — was more instrumental in stimulating development than another. In fact, under comparable conditions (similar land potential, similar levels of government TOD support), the type of the transit investment did not make any difference in the level of TOD impact.”

“MORE DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUR TRANSIT DOLLAR” Institute for Transportation & Development Policy

TOD Success

Successful TOD projects all have one common thread: the development project has to be successful without transit in order to be successful with transit. In other words, these are transit-oriented, not transit-dependent projects. Source: G. B. ARRINGTON Parsons

Brinckerhoff

Challenges to TOD• TOD cannot overcome local and regional economics. If the local

real estate market conditions are not supportive of development, subsidies may be required

• Achieving increased property values requires building more complex (mixed use) projects at higher densities. Such projects have higher costs of development and higher risks.

• Low levels of transit connectivity and service do not add the “transit premium” that may be necessary to incentivize development.

• Developers are often reluctant to introduce a new “product” that has not been tested in a regional market and banks may be reluctant to provide financing.

Wallingford, CT

Commuter Rail service will begin in 2018 and is expected to create market demand in station areas

WALLINGFORD

Land Use and Zoning

Transportation and Environmental Features

Recommended TOD Focus Area

The station area is perceived as “run down”

Industrial/Warehouse land use in the station area is not compatible with a residential neighborhood

Many of the retail areas are not pedestrian friendly

There is an excess of parking in the station area

Commuting Patterns

The top destinations of commuters who live in the station area are located on the Hartford Line

Commuting Patterns

Currently, there are approximately 21 boardings per day at Wallingford Station

Commuter Preferences

There is a demand for transit, bicycling, and walking as a means of commuting to work

Housing Market Trends

Housing Market TrendsWallingford Home Values

Wallingford Rental IndexHome values

are flat Rental cost is rising

Housing Market Trends

Housing Permits at 20+ year lows

Housing Market TrendsHousing Occupancy(within 3 minute drive of station)

Vacancy rate increased between 2010 and 2015

Market ConditionsDevelopment Potential for a three-year horizon

Land Use Strategies• Concentrate land uses• Organize new developments

along street fronts• Hide surface parking• Manage parking access• Reduce parking

requirements

Concentrate Land Uses• Shift auto-centric retail to north• Shift pedestrian-scaled retail to

south • Shift industrial/heavy commercial to

north of Hosford Street• Concentrate residential development

in station area

Organize new development along street fronts• New residences, storefronts

and commercial entrances should be oriented to the street

• Setbacks should be sufficient (but not excessive) to allow for landscaping in front of residences, plazas in front of commercial buildings, and café seating in front of restaurants.

Hide Surface Parking• Place parking lots behind buildings and building

line• Provide landscaping on perimeter of parking areas

and landscaped islands within larger parking areas

Manage Parking Access

• Require connections between adjacent parking lots

• Encourage shared driveways for adjacent parcels

• Restrict width of driveway entrances

Reduce Parking RequirementsWallingford’s parking requirements exceed the Institute for Transportation Engineers parking generation rates and those of transit oriented development areas.

Use Wallingford ITE SurburbanMultifamily 1.75-2.5 per unit 1.23 per unit

Office 4 per 1,000 sf 2.84 per 1,000 sfRetail 4 per 1,000 sf 1.4-4.0 per 1,000

sfRestaurant 13.3 per 1,000 sf 10.6-12.4 per

1,000 sf

Infrastructure Strategies

• Enhance Pedestrian Connectivity

• Provide Bicycle Facilities

Development Strategies• Direct new development to commercial, industrial, and vacant or

underutilized parcels in station area• Minimize disturbance to existing residential areas• Avoid environmental resource areas• Consolidate small parcels into larger development areas, while

allowing for individual development blocks that are not dependent upon adjacent development.

• Provide a range of housing types that increase residential density in station area

• Allow a 3-story maximum building height (exclusive of basement)

Recommended Development Types• Townhouses• Multifamily Apartment or Condo Buildings• Mixed Use Buildings

Potential Development Areas

Development Concepts

Potential Development Summary• 132 townhouse

units• 514 Apartment/

Condo units• 42,000 sf retail/

restaurant/ office

Fiscal Impact of TOD Build Out• The existing development areas generate

$287,000 per year in tax revenue.• Expansion of existing land uses under the

current zoning would increase tax revenue by no more than $22,759 per year.

• Redevelopment as per the development scenarios would generate $2.35 million in property taxes per year, an additional $2.07 million above existing tax revenues.

Implementation Strategies• Rezone Station Area• Adopt Design Guidelines• Expand IHZ• Implement Tax Increment Financing (TIF)• Establish a Development Authority• Pursue grant programs

Rezone Station Area

TOD

• New TOD zone would allow residential development by right

• Higher densities would be allowed• Building coverage, frontage,

setback, and lot size requirements could be optimized for development

• Parking requirements could be reduced for the zone

Adopt Design GuidelinesDesign guidelines go beyond zoning in providing specific guidance and/or requirements for site configuration, building style, and facades.

Expand IHZ• Single family detached = 6 units per

acre• Duplex or townhouse = 10 units per

acre• Multi‐family (includes mixed use) = 20

units per acre• Density must be at least 25% higher

than underlying allows as of right (no special permits or special exceptions)

• 20% of the units must be reserved for households earning no more than 80% of area median income ($57,671)

Implement Tax Increment Financing (TIF)Tax Increment Financing uses anticipated future increases in property taxes to pay for current improvements or to repay debt issued for such current improvements. Investment in a specified area (TIF District) is repaid over time using the increased tax revenue generated by the investment.

Establish a Development AuthorityA development authority is an agency designated by a town’s legislative body to act on the town’s behalf when undertaking a municipal development or infrastructure project. The authority can:• Clear, demolish, repair, rehabilitate, operate, and insure real property

while it is in their possession• Make site improvements• Install, construct, or renovate streets, utilities, and other infrastructure• Provide financial assistance to eligible businesses.• Development Authorities are also responsible for acquiring project

financing, and can be the channel for financing the project through bond sales.

Norwalk, CTSetting the Stage for TOD

South Norwalk TOD District Use strong demand for TOD near the

South Norwalk Transportation Hub as a community revitalization tool

Manage the physical and economic development to create a walkable district

Limit displacement of existing residents and businesses

Leverage public investment and municipal ownership to unlock private investment

Urban Renewal Tools at WorkNorwalk Redevelopment Agency Land disposition and redevelopment activities leveraging

municipal land Joint initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Redevelopment

Rendering of Washington Village Development (Icon Architecture)

Urban Renewal Tools at WorkNorwalk Redevelopment Agency Urban Renewal Plan and design

guidelines

Future Conditions of Blight

Urban Renewal Tools at WorkNorwalk Redevelopment Agency

Urban Renewal Plan and design guidelines

Transit Oriented Zoning Density and parking

standards Parcel assembly incentives District walkability and

ground level activation

Transit Oriented Zoning TOD/Historic District Zoning “Whistleville” – Lexington Avenue neighborhood Density bonuses for preservation Initiative funded by the Connecticut Trust for Historic

Preservation

Proposed Village District (2-family + multifamily)Restored historic home

New townhouses

TOD: Illustrations and Guidelines

TOD: Illustrations and Guidelines

Boston: Fairmount Indigo Corridor and TOD

Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative objectives: Encourage sustainable growth and TOD

around stations along a new transit corridor

Guide physical and economic development

Limit displacement of existing residents and businesses

Incorporate existing planning initiatives (City-led and Community-based) into one vision for the future

Context: Isolation, Economics and DemographicsEmployment of Residents

The unemployment rate in the corridor was 15.6% (Boston 9.3%)

The corridor has fewer than 25,000 jobs for a population of approximately 120,000

For Boston, there are about 650,000 jobs for a population of 640,000

Context: Isolation, Economics and DemographicsIncome Distribution

Nearly half of corridor residents make less than $40,000 in household income annually

The largest share of residents below the poverty threshold ($22,314) are in northern segments

Ethnicity and Origin The corridor has the largest percentage

of persons for whom English is a second language in Boston

The corridor is home to very diverse ethnic and immigrant populations

Corridor-wide Plan(Comprehensive Corridor

Plan)

Corridor IdentityCorridor-wide Strategy: Community Vision

Corridor-wide Strategy: Growth, Brand and Station Area Action Plans

Station Area PlansNeighborhood Scale: Economic, urban design, public realm, and open space plan

Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative

STRATEGIES

A unique collection of neighborhoods and urban centers within Boston that provide new opportunities to link culturally rich residential areas with mixed-use amenities in a setting that is accessible and affordable.“The world is at home here.”

A reorientation of the built environment and the community to the stations must occur to elevate this vision. The corridor vision, identity, brand and growth strategy begin with strategic investment at station gateways to form station nodes that are amenity centers with placemaking components.

Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative

TOD Nodes and Complete NeighborhoodsStation Gateways Amenity Centers with Placemaking Components

Station Gateways Amenity Centers with Placemaking Components Education/training place and

programs Health care facilities and programs Convenient service establishments Mobility hubs Food choice and quality Open space amenities Housing choice

Fairmount Indigo

Targeting Redevelopment: Sites and Districts

Susceptibility to change analysis

Site-specific feasibility analysis

Visualization Zoning tools

Key Site Development Scenarios: Urban Design and Feasibility Studies

Site-based Planning for TOD

Growth Strategy

Growth Strategy

Attitudes and Transit Oriented Development

Plannerly nostalgia and urban aspirations do not translate into community enthusiasm for compact (dense) development

Urban residential communities may not view infill and intensification as a benefit, but prefer the density of the existing conditions

Form-based diagrams and feasibility analyses may help convey the potential for new development, but images from analogous places seem to be work better in communicating opportunities

Key Boston TOD Tools and Methods

Repositioning the station areas as amenity and transportation hubs

Leveraging public property through RFP disposition

Using special permit processes to establish the scale and density of large projects

Managing entitlements through City design review and advocacy, using negotiation rather than standards

Using inclusionary zoning for affordable housing and affordable housing bonus incentives

Observations Leveraging transit to create TOD development

is successful when the district or neighborhood becomes more walkable, connected, and provides needed services and identity near the station

Be careful about assuming that “more development” is better in the context of community sensibilities and the indirect impacts of additional autos parking and moving near station areas

The public realm and public property are often keys to unlocking TOD development and walkable places

Understand the character of the transit service, market conditions and the community identity before crafting your zoning and planning tools

Branchville, CT

Study Area

Transportation and Environmental Features

Infrastructure Constraints: Wastewater Disposal

1

2

3

Market Realities

Development Approach• The development

approach is based upon parcel ownership patterns

Development Approach• 14 development blocks

were identified for development scenarios

Development Strategy• Concentrate commercial/mixed

use development in existing commercial areas

• Increase density of residential areas

Recommended Development Scenario

Phasing of Development

Preferred Concept Plan• Emphasis is placed upon

creating a walkable place with strong connections to the rail station

Preferred Concept

Architectural Design Guidelines

Architectural Design Guidelines

Fiscal Impact Analysis