Corporate Innovation District Zoning Hearing Tuesday

Framingham Planning Board staff will be presenting its proposed “Corporate Innovation District Zoning” for the precincts of 4, 7, 10, and 11 tonight, July 28. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Ablondi Room in the Memorial Building. The public is welcome to attend.

The purpose of the Corporate Innovation District is to promote a mix of uses at a higher density, enhance economic vitality, and create employment opportunities, while preserving a pedestrian environment.

The district promotes the development and redevelopment of parcels as a master planned community rather than parcel-by-parcel development.

The goal of the District is to establish an innovation center for employment opportunities and business growth, while
generating connections between the District, businesses and industry outside of the District, and points of interest within the region.

Any zoning change would require a vote of Town Meeting.

Below is the proposal:

Regulations (Corporate Innovation District)
1. Purpose and Intent
Corporate Innovation District (CID) is comprised of commercial, mixed-use, office, and
residential projects. The CID is intended to promote a master planned community that
functions as an employment center while establishing a mixed-use environment where a
community can live and work. The CID regulations, herein, establish a clear set of guidelines
for developers to follow for development within the CID.

2. Complete Streets
Projects within the CID shall incorporate Complete Street infrastructure as outlined in the
Town’s Complete Streets Policy. CID projects shall be accessible to all users of different
ages, abilities, and modes of transportation. Connections to trails and open space are
encouraged for projects within the CID.

3. Parking
The Planning Board may grant, by a special permit, a reduction in the required number of
parking spaces for commercial, mixed-use, office, and residential projects, where applicable.
Projects are encouraged to provide alternative modes of transportation and shared parking
options to alleviate the demand for parking within the CID, when a reduction is requested.
All parking in the CID shall be provided within the project boundaries or a designated
satellite parking area. On-street parking in the CID is not permitted. For mixed-use projects
with a residential component the minimum number of parking spaces shall not be less than 2
per residential unit by special permit from the Planning Board.

4. Dimensional Regulations
a. Building height shall be regulated based on the number of floors within the CID. Each
floor within the CID shall not exceed 15 feet in height. Roof top equipment and/or
accessories shall not exceed 20 feet above the last permitted floor.
b. The Planning Board may grant, by a special permit, a 0.50 FAR bonus, for a total 1.50
FAR, if the following conditions are met:
1) Projects that further the goals, intent, and objectives of the CID guidelines, herein,
may receive up to a 0.25 FAR bonus and/or 1 additional floor.
2) Projects should strive to incorporate energy efficient features and technologies where
possible in the design and construction of the building and site. Projects that are
designed to achieve a national or generally accepted certification that is equivalent to
the LEED silver or higher may receive up to a 0.25 FAR bonus and/or 1 additional
floor.
3) Any increase in FAR and/or building height shall not adversely affect the Level of
Service (LOS) within the immediate area of the CID, in accordance with Section
VI.F.
4) The roof top equipment and accessories shall not exceed 20 feet above the top floor
of the building and shall be screened and incorporated into the building design.
5. Mixed-use Residential Projects
a. Mixed-use projects with a residential component shall:
1) comply with, Section V.H. Affordable Housing of the Framingham Zoning By-law;
2) require a minimum of 25 percent of the total gross floor area of the first floor to be
used for non-residential uses;
3) require residential units on the ground floor to be located at the furthest point from a
roadway, where possible. Residential units on the ground level may have direct
access; and
4) require entrances to residential units be separate from non-residential uses.
6. Design Standards
a. Primary building entrances shall be designed to emphasize the pedestrian environment.
b. Outdoor dining areas shall not impede pedestrian traffic flow. A minimum pathway of 5
feet that is free from obstacles shall be maintained.
c. First floor commercial, restaurant, retail, and other related uses that face a roadway shall
provide a minimum of 50 percent of the façade as clear window area.
d. The first floor of office and other related use buildings within the CID shall be designed
to provide a minimum of 60 percent of the façade with transparent glazing.
e. The base, middle, and top areas of a building shall be clearly delineated through the use
of architectural features.
f. Flat facades shall be avoided through the use of balconies, changes in materials, or
architectural details. Architectural features shall be visually appealing and utilized to
mask the scale of the building.
g. New buildings are encouraged to reinforce the scale and architecture of existing
structures within the CID.
h. Exterior building walls with blank wall surfaces greater than 20 percent of the total wall
area is prohibited.
i. Rooftop gardens are strongly encouraged.
j. Roof forms and lines should complement adjacent building designs.
k. Buildings shall use parapets or architectural roof features to conceal elevator and stair
shafts, large vents, and rooftop equipment such as HVAC units where visible from
adjacent buildings, pedestrian paths, or other important vantage points. These
architectural features shall further minimize noise impacts.
l. Service and loading areas, dumpsters, ground-mounted mechanical equipment, and
utilities shall be located on the side or rear of a building and not visible from roadways or
open space areas. The screening of these features is encouraged through the use of
architectural forms, fencing, and/or landscaping.
m. Garage entrances shall be sited in locations that minimize the impacts of vehicle
movement on pedestrian activity.
n. Below-grade parking, structured parking, and/or parking in the side and/or rear of the
building are strongly encouraged.