Town Center Changes in Works

The Planning Board along with Town officials are working to boost the economy and housing situation of the Town Center. The objective is to enable economic development, preserve the existing and natural environment and update the rules and regulations for development in the Town Center.

“Downtown Winchester is seen as a one-errand town,” Planning Board Chairman Lance Grenzeback told the at this week's meeting.

This is an  and ideas to enable economic development in the form of retail stores, restaurants, offices, parking and housing that will be on the table for 10 to 15 years to come.

The Town applied for Downtown Initiative grants for housing and development research from the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance’s Great Neighborhoods Program. The Planning Board determined that there is a demand for 200 additional units of housing in downtown. The program will provide approximately $200,000 of services over two years to advance the Winchester Town Center Initiative. The Town will direct all work on the initiative.

“The desire to move out of empty Victorian houses to a smaller one is an issue that is common amongst empty-nesters who don’t want to move out of town but don’t want to maintain six-bedroom houses,” Grenzeback said. “This could potentially have businesses on the first floor and housing on the second floor of downtown businesses as work--live-in units. These apartments and condos would be about 83 percent owner-occupied.”

The Planning Board would have to make an effort to change the zoning plans in town to add two or three stories to already existing businesses.

“The Planning Board would make a effort to preserve what people like about Winchester while making these improvements,” he explained.

The other aspect of the Initiative plan is to make complimentary cluster shops for consumers.

“In downtown, you might be able to buy a pair of shoes, but you might not be able to buy a suit to go with them,” Grenzeback said. “We know there is a need for more housing, economic improvements, better parking and public transit in the center of town."

One striking statistic discovered by the FinePoint Associates from 2009 revealed that residents spend $371 million per year on retail and restaurants, but of that total, $26 million dollars per year is spent outside of the town, as Grenzeback showed the Board of Selectmen in a PowerPoint presentation.

"Right now, the Town Center is working, just not well enough," Grenzeback said.

“This has potential to be very significant," Selectman Thomas Howley said. "It is the first major investment for the Town Center in a long time."

Grenzeback said the Town wants to bring more development into the center.

“Winchester is pretty built-out,” Grenzeback said. “Right now, we are compiling the building blocks for this project. Later this summer, we’re going to have to sit down and see how we’re going to put these pieces together.”

The Town Center Initiative will involve a number of projects over the course of the next decade. Two current events in the works are the rebuilding of the MBTA station and . There is a public hearing Monday, June 18 in regards to the Town Center parking changes.

Click on the attached PDFs for more information about the Town Center Initiative.

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