Newton Officials Seeking More Details on Proposed MBTA Garage

As planning and discussion continues on the proposed Riverside Station mixed-use project, Newton aldermen are still looking for more details on the MBTA's proposed six-floor parking garage for the site. 

During a Land Use Committee working session last week, Aldermen questioned how certain parking would be monitored on the site and what the MBTA would charge for parking in the garage facility.

Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large Susan Albright and Ward 7 Alderman-at-Large Marc Laredo asked about the pricing on the garage and whether people using the development's "community space" would have to pay for parking in the garage. 

"It's a very important question and not just a little detail," Laredo said.

Planning Department Director Candace Havens said it is likely the garage will have some kind of fee, but specifics on the pricing has not yet been discussed between the MBTA and the city.

The development plans call for 12 parking spaces in a lot just outside "building c," which will contain retail and community space. The rest of the public parking will be located in the 1,000-space MBTA garage. 

Albright and Laredo also questioned the parking plan for patrons using the development's proposed retail shops, and how it would affect the viability of the stores.

"I don't think the retail is going to survive just serving the residential [units] and office park," Albright said.

Last week's meeting was the first of many Land Use Committee working sessions on the project. During the session, the committee also discussed the proposed entrance for the site and the Federal Highway approval it needs in order to be built.

Developer BH Normandy is proposing a mixed-use project for the Riverside Station site that would include a five-story, 331,000-square-foot residential building with 290 housing units and separate garage parking. The site also includes a 10-story, 225,000-square-foot office building with separate garage parking, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 8,000 square feet of community space. 

As part of that proposed project, the MBTA has agreed to build a six-floor parking garage at the Riverside Station. If the mixed-use project receives approval from the city, the garage must be built first to replace the parking lot on which the new development would be constructed.

Havens said the site has plans for designated short-term parking spaces, car pool priority spaces as well as car-sharing (Zipcar) spots. 

Laredo questioned how the MBTA or property owners would "police" any short-term parking proposed for the development site. 

"Those are the kinds of things that haven't been defined yet, but need to be," Laredo said. 

In addition to the garage, Newton officials are also looking for more details on how parking will be managed during construction, especially during Red Sox game days. Parking will be reduced by roughly 300 spaces during construction, officials said. 

In November 2012, the MBTA presented some early details on its planned Riverside garage, which MBTA officials estimate would take 14-18 months to construct. 

Unlike the mixed-use project, the garage structure is on land zoned as "public use" and is therefore exempt from land use regulations. The garage site plan does not need a vote of approval from the aldermen.