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The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities

The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities. Douglas I. Foy Secretary of Commonwealth Development Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sprawl Means. High land consumption per person and disinvestment in cities

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The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities

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  1. The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities Douglas I. Foy Secretary of Commonwealth Development Commonwealth of Massachusetts

  2. Sprawl Means. . . • High land consumption per person and disinvestment in cities • Growth in daily miles of travel, nearly constant gridlock, no alternative to driving for many • Air and water pollution • Loss of forests, farms, other open space • Low housing production, limited to McMansions • Obesity and chronic health problems • Isolation of seniors – our fastest-growing cohort

  3. Office for Commonwealth Development Fix It First/Infrastructure Commonwealth Capital Transit-Oriented Development Development-Oriented Transportation Smart Growth Zoning Act City and Town Center Redevelopment Highway Program: Communities First Environmental Policy Local Capacity Building Investing in Great Cities & Towns: 10 First Steps

  4. (1) Office for Commonwealth Development • “Super-secretariat” linking transportation, housing, environment and energy agencies • Ensures consistent state support for growth in cities, town centers, and other walkable, infrastructure-rich areas • Infrastructure programs, other spending, regulation • Incentives for cities and towns to reform zoning

  5. (2) Fix It First: Infrastructure • MassHighway: Roads and Bridges • Priority for repair and rehabilitation of streets, roads, structurally deficient bridges • Bridge program to be doubled • Dep’t of Conservation and Recreation: Parks • Merger and reform of state parks agencies • Capital budget doubled in 2004 • MBTA: “State of Good Repair” program • Public Housing: Introduce private investment?

  6. Bridges: Aging Baby Boomers

  7. (3) Commonwealth Capital • Common administration of discretionary capital spending to ensure • Consistency of projects with smart growth • Alignment of municipal policies and zoning with state interest in smart growth • Coordination of agency decision-making • Includes economic and community development, land protection, off-street parking, wastewater infrastructure and other programs

  8. Commonwealth Capital • Reviviendo Gateway Project, Lawrence –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

  9. (4) Transit-Oriented Development • Commonwealth Development/MBTA Program • Community-based master planning -- stations with surplus MBTA property • Re-zoning by first group of communities underway • Funding • New $30 M program for parking, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, housing • $40 M for infrastructure to support early projects • MassHousing Priority Development Fund • $100 M, including planning grants and financing

  10. Urban Transit-Oriented Development • Maverick Gardens Hope VI Mixed-Income Redevelopment, East Boston –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

  11. Suburban Town Center Transit-Oriented Development • 10-12 Summer Street, Manchester –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

  12. (5) Development-Oriented Transportation • “Fix it First” doesn’t mean “fix it only” – near-term transit and highway improvements support city- and town-center growth • Boston: Silver Line Phase III • Worcester: Route 146 • Pittsfield: East Street • Future transit and highway corridor projects will be conditioned on smart growth land-use plans and zoning

  13. (6) Smart Growth Zoning Act(Chapter 40R) • Incentives to create “smart growth zoning districts” in • City, town, village centers/commercial districts • Around transit stations • Other “smart growth” locations • Criteria = infrastructure + walkability • Must have 8-20 units/acre, affordable units, housing or mixed use • Incentives: State $ for re-zoning and issuing building permits, priority in grant programs

  14. (7) City and Town Center Redevelopment • State Historic Preservation Tax Credit signed into law • Focus on smart growth, affordable housing • Current cap: $15 million/year • Upper-story downtown redevelopment -- Housing Development Support Program (CDBG) funding doubled • “Rebirth of Older Industrial Cities” project with NAIOP, Northeastern University, 12 cities • Addressing barriers to urban economic development

  15. Revitalizing Historic Downtowns • Amesbury –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

  16. (8) Highway Program:Communities First • New Highway Project Development and Design Manual to incorporate principles of • Context-sensitive design • Accommodation of all modes (inc. peds, bikes, transit) • Traffic calming • Being produced through open, collaborative process • Goal: most progressive manual in nation

  17. (9) Environmental Policy • Environmental review and permitting • Fast track for smart growth projects • State Revolving Fund (water infrastructure) • Reforms to facilitate sewering for town center growth and get tougher on sewer extensions to outlying areas • Brownfields redevelopment • State support targeted to cities and town centers

  18. Smart Brownfields Redevelopment • Heywood Memorial Library, Gardner –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

  19. (10) Local Capacity Building • Technical assistance grants to cities and towns • Priority Development Fund (Dep’t of Housing and Community Development/MassHousing) • Smart Growth Grants (Environmental Affairs) • Commonwealth Development agency staff support • mass.gov/ocd • Governor’s Awards for Smart Growth

  20. Places to Watch: Lowell

  21. Brockton

  22. Haverhill

  23. “Redevelop First” – The first of Massachusetts’s ten Sustainable Development Principles

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