City, MAPC to Discuss 'Re-Birth' of Tremont Street Corridor

The City of Melrose’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), in conjunction with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), will be having a Tremont Street Corridor Visioning public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Hall in the GAR Room, according to a Mayor Rob Dolan's blog.

"This is a very important process as we as a community continue to try and identify smart, responsible growth for Melrose," Dolan said in the blog. "This approach can be seen throughout the community in projects such as Oak Grove Village, Stone Place, as well as infrastructure improvements at Cedar Park and Wyoming Commuter Rail Stations. My hope is that the next areas to go through this re-birth are the Tremont Street corridor as well as the Highlands Business District."

Dolan continued, saying Tuesday's public session is the "first step in identifying opportunities for and barriers to transit oriented development along Tremont Street between the Cedar Park and Highlands Commuter Rail Stations."

"As a community, we will work with MACP to develop a vision for the area and make recommendations on potential changes to land use and zoning," Dolan wrote. "We will also develop recommendations for how to improve walking, biking, and transit access from surrounding neighborhoods to the two commuter rail stations."

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The visioning meeting will be a discussion about the future of the Tremont Street/Essex Street Corridor, including the areas around the Cedar Park and Highlands Commuter Rail Stations, according to a city press statement. OPCD and MAPC are want public input from Melrose residents, businesses, customers, property owners and other constituents regarding neighborhood planning for the Tremont Street/Essex Street area, according to the statement.

Participants will take part in an interactive discussion to identify issues and suggest ideas for improving the corridor, reads the statement. For more information or to RSVP for the meeting, visit the Metropolitan Area Planning Council website.

The study is funded by the Metro Boston Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant, according to the statement. The funds are distributed by the Metro Boston Sustainable Communities Consortium to support the implementation of MetroFuture, the regional plan for Metro Boston, according to the statement.

The grant supports local planning efforts, state and regional policy work, development of tools and data, and capacity building for local residents and leaders, reads the statement. For more information on the Sustainable Communities Grant, visit the Metropolitan Area Planning Council website.