[SBC] Parking/land use question

[Enid Kumin]

That is the concept that was used in Cambridge to develop Mass. Ave. from
Harvard Square to Alewife.  If I'm not mistaken, the guiding principle for
the last "new" vision of Somerville Ave. involved making it motor vehicle
friendly, ergo the little parking lots in front of buildings.  I'm with
Charlie.  The Mass. Ave. concept is preferable.  I would say that it's
something to take up with Monica Lamboy.

Enid

On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 6:50 AM, <alanjane at peoplepc.com> wrote:

> I really have no idea. Unfortunately, it sounds like a good idea but one
> that would be hard to convince the Alderman and businesses. To me, your
> suggestions can be combined by requiring the parking (in a new or
> reconstructing parcel) to put (at least some of) the parking on the side or
> rear.
>
> Alan
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Charlie Denison" <cdenison at comcast.net>
> To: "sbc members" <sbc at lists.bostoncoop.net>
> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 2:57 PM
> Subject: [SBC] Parking/land use question
>
>
> > Hey everyone,
> >
> > Does anyone know if the city has any sort of program or policy to
> > encourage or allow business owners and landlords to remove parking in
> > front of stores and convert it to spaces for people?  For example,
> > Somerville Ave has many small "strip mall" type developments with small
> > ugly parking lots in front.  There is great potential to reclaim at
> > least some of that space for outdoor cafes, more trees and places to
> > sit, bike parking, etc.  Just today I bought a coffee and wanted to sit
> > outside but there was no place to do so because all the space was taken
> > up by parking.  With the Somerville Ave reconstruction also taking
> > place, it would be nice of at least some of these businesses remove the
> > parking in front and make the area more "people-friendly".  I realize
> > removing parking is always controversial, but this type of parking
> > really is a poor use of very valuable space.
> >
> > Related question:  I would think that for "new" development, the city
> > would encourage or require parking to be located in the rear of a
> > building (or to the side), not in front.  Is this indeed the case?
> >
> > Charlie
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>
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