B E A L S + T H O M A S BEALS AND THOMAS, INC. T 508.366.0560 Reservoir Corporate Center F 508.366.4391 144 Turnpike Road www.bealsandthomas.com Southborough, MA 01772-2104 Regional Office: Plymouth, MA
November 4, 2016
Mr. H. Theodore Cohen, Chair Cambridge Planning Board 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139
Via: Hand Delivery
Reference: NorthPoint Lot JK Design Review PB #179 Cambridge, Massachusetts B+T Project No. 2084.02
Dear Chairman Cohen and Members of the Board:
On behalf of the Applicant, DW NP Property, LLC (an affiliate of DivcoWest), Beals and Thomas, Inc. respectfully submits this Design Review Application for Lot JK (the Site), which is part of the larger NorthPoint development. The proposed development is the construction of a 370,000 gross square foot mixed-use building. The southern portion of Lot JK is located in Cambridge, and the northern portion of Lot JK is located in Somerville.
As shown on the master plan for NorthPoint, the Site is bounded by North Street to the south, North First Street to the west, Dawes Street to the north, and a new park to the east. The attached application is submitted in accordance with Special Permit #179 (through Major Amendment #6), Condition 10, and the City of Cambridge filing requirements for Large Project Review, pursuant to Section 19.43 of the City of Cambridge Zoning Ordinance (the Ordinance).
The Site is currently undeveloped vacant former railroad land. It is one of twenty (20) building parcels in the NorthPoint mixed-use development. To date, condominium buildings on Lot S and Lot T, a rental residential building on Lot N, Northpoint Common, Child Street Park and related infrastructure and other public amenities (including the Brian P. Murphy Memorial Staircase) have been constructed in NorthPoint. The proposed building on Lot JK will be the first commercial building to be constructed in NorthPoint. The surrounding roadway network is currently undergoing preliminary construction preparation.
The new Lot JK building is an approximately 370,000 gross square foot commercial building to be used for a combination of retail, lab and office uses. The proposed building will be approximately 143 feet high (as calculated pursuant to the Ordinance), plus three levels of underground parking containing approximately 348 parking spaces. The Ground Floor includes approximately 15,000 square feet of retail uses, accessed from the street or public area of the building lobby, located in Cambridge.
Mr. H. Theodore Cohen, Chair Cambridge Planning Board November 4, 2016 Page 2 As reflected in the attached Application, the proposed building complies with the Ordinance, the Master Plan Special Permit #179 (through Major Amendment #6) and the updated NorthPoint Design Guidelines. Representatives from the Community Development Department and the development team have met on multiple occasions to review the plans for the Site and confirm compliance with all requirements and guidelines. As part of the attached application, we have submitted the following materials for review by the Cambridge Planning Board:
• Site Plans; • Cross-sections of Floor Plans; • Architectural Elevations; • A Zoning Compliance Summary; • LEED/Green Building Compliance Summary; • Shadow Study; • Wind Study; • Acoustical Report and Noise Mitigation Narrative; • Preliminary Signage Plan; • Compliance with the East Cambridge Design Guidelines; and • Cross-sections of abutting streets.
There are no changes proposed to the approved uses or massing on the Site nor are there any changes to the layout of roads serving the Site from that shown on the approved 40-scale Roadway Network Schematic Plan. The NorthPoint team is excited to be bringing the first commercial building to NorthPoint and we look forward to meeting with the Planning Board to review and discuss the proposed project. Thank you for your consideration of this application. Very truly yours, BEALS AND THOMAS, INC. John P. Gelcich, AICP Senior Planner JPG/---/208402LT071
8856945.2
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 2
A
CBD
EF
G
LM
H
N
T
S
JK
U
Q2
V
R
Q1W
I
COMMUNITYCOLLEGE
LECHMERESTATION
DAWES ST.
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
WEST BLVD.
N. FIR
ST ST
.
N. FIR
ST ST
.
WATE
R ST
.
EAST
ST.
LEIG
HTON ST
.
MUSE
UM W
AYGILMORE
BRI
DGE
CHIL
D ST.
CHIL
D ST
PARK
EARH
ART
CENTANNI PARK
MIDDLESEX COUNTYCOURTHOUSE
SILVAPARK
EDUCATION ST.
LECHMERECANAL
LECHMERECANALPARK
GLASSWORKS AVE.
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HWY
CAMBRIDGE ST.
GORE ST.
WINTER ST.
SECO
ND
ST.
FIRS
T ST
.
THIR
D S
T.
SCIA
RAPP
A S
T.
NORTH ST.
NORTH POINT PARK
SOMERVILLE
BOSTON
EAST CAMBRIDGE
NORTHPOINT COMMON
BRIAN P.MURPHY
MEMORIAL STAIRCASE
ZINC APARTMENTS
REGATTA RIVERVIEW
HULT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL
E(EDUCATIO
AVALON NORTH POINT
AVALON NORTH POINT II
Residential
Commercial
Residential, Commercialor Mixed-Use
Site
BALDWIN PARK
Masterplan / Site Location
JK
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 3
Context Urban Design Analysis - Retail Concentration
PARCEL JK
NORTH POINT COMMON
NORT
H FI
RST
STRE
ETNORTH STREET
DAWES STREET
BALDWINPARK
NORTHPOINT BOULEVARD
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETAIL
RETA
IL C
ORR
IDO
R
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
EAST
STR
EET
EAR
HAR
T ST
REE
T
OPEN SPACE
OPEN SPACE
CAMBRIDGE
SOMERVILLE
CAMBRIDG
EBO
STON
SOM
ERVILLEBO
STON
0 25’ 50’ 100’ 150’
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NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 4
Context Urban Design Analysis - Open Space / response to context
OPEN SPACE
OPEN SPACE PARCEL JK
BALDWIN PARK
POTENTIAL TERRACE BY TENANTNO
RTH
FIRS
T ST
REET
NORTH STREET
DAWES STREET
NORTH POINT COMMON
BUILDING BENDS TO OPEN VIEW CORRIDOR TO BALDWIN PARK
CONNECTION TO PARKS
CO
NN
ECTI
ON
TO
PAR
KS
POTENTIAL TERRACE BY TENANT
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
CH
ILD
STR
EET
EAST
STR
EET
EAR
HAR
T ST
REE
T
CAMBRIDGE
SOMERVILLE
CAMBRIDG
EBO
STON
SOM
ERVILLEBO
STON
0 25’ 50’ 100’ 150’
NORTHPOINT BOULEVARD
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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Pedestrian and Vehicular Circulation
PARCEL JK
NORT
H FI
RST
STRE
ET
DAWES STREET
MAIN ENTRY
NORTH STREET
GARAGE ANDSERVICE
PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION
TO GILMORE BRIDGE
NORTH POINT COMMON
PedestrianVehicular
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
CH
ILD
STR
EET
EAST
STR
EET
EAR
HAR
T ST
REE
T
BICYCLE ENTRY
OPEN SPACE
OPEN SPACE
CAMBRIDGE
SOMERVILLE
CAMBRIDG
EBO
STON
SOM
ERVILLEBO
STON
BALDWINPARK
Bicycle 0 25’ 50’ 100’ 150’
NORTHPOINT BOULEVARD
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NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 6
Parcel JK+142’-3”(Excluding Penthouse)
Zoning Envelope
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NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 7
Existing conditions
JK
MBTA MaintenanceFacility
Site
Gilmore Bridge
I-93
Charlestown
Northpoint Common
LechmereStation
EastCambridge
Somerville
Boston
Northpoint Property line
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 8
Site photos of neighboring context
1- VIEW FROM NORTHPOINT COMMON LOOKING EAST 2- VIEW LOOKING EAST DOWN NORTHPOINT BOULEVARD 3- VIEW FROM NORTHPOINT COMMON LOOKING EAST
4- VIEW LOOKING WEST DOWN NORTHPOINT BOULEVARD 5- VIEW FROM NORTHPOINT COMMON LOOKING AT PARCEL JK 6- VIEW FROM NORTHPOINT COMMON LOOKING AT EAST SIDE OF PARCEL JK
2 15 6
4
3
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 9
66’-6”
66’-6”66’-6”
WALL SET BACK 4’-0” TYP.
FACADE ALONG DAWES STREETBROKEN DOWN WITH VERTICALLY ARTICULATED RECESSES AND PUNCHED WINDOWS THAT MEET SOMERVILLE ZONING AND GLAZING REQUIREMENTS
28’
28’
PENTHOUSE LOWERED ALONG DAWES STREET TO REDUCE THE BUILDING HEIGHT AND SCALE. INCREASED DAYLIGHTON DAWES STREET
NORTHPOINT COMMON
OPENSPACE
GLASS BAR WITH SOUTHERN VIEWS TO NORTHPOINT COMMON AND RELATES TO THE PARK
SOLID BAR WITH PUNCHED WINDOWS. FACADE ARTICULATED WITH A REGULAR RHYTHM OF WINDOWS AND BAYS
Design Concept Diagrams
BUILDING MASSING BENDS TO
OPEN VIEW TO OPEN SPACE
BALDWINPARK
OPENSPACE
BALDWINPARK
NORTH STREET
NO
RTH
FIR
ST S
TREE
TDAWES STREET
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
NORTH STREET
DAWES STREET
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
NORTH STREET
DAWES STREET
NORTHPOINT COMMONNORTHPOINT COMMON
BALDWINPARK
BALDWINPARK
OPENSPACE
OPENSPACE
CAMBRIDGE SIDE
SOMERVILLE SIDE
CAMBRIDGE SIDE
SOMERVILLE SIDE
NORTH STREET
NO
RTH
FIR
ST S
TREE
T
DAWES STREET
NORTHPOINT BLVD.
NORTHPOINT COMMON
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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Landscape Siteplan
BALDWINPARK
NORTHPOINT COMMON
LOADING
TENANT
RETAIL
GARAGE
BIKES
LOBBY
BIKE RACKS
LOCATIONS OF SHORT TERM BICYCLE PARKING
Landscape Siteplan
NORTHPOINT COMMON
BIKE PARKING RACKS
0 25’ 50’ 100’ Scale: 1” = 20’
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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View from Northpoint Common
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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View from North First Street
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NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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View from North Street
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
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View from Dawes Street - Somerville Facade
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 15
View from Dawes Street - Somerville Facade
November 3, 2016
NorthPoint - Parcel JK
Page 16
View from North Street looking into Baldwin Park