Current Projects

Updated August 2006

Chelmsford Zoning Revisions for Affordable Housing

Taintor & Associates is assisting Chelmsford's Affordable Housing Plan Implementation Committee to fulfill several of the recommendations contained in its Affordable Housing Plan. These include: amending the Central Village district to encourage mixed use and multifamily housing, developing an overlay district to facilitate the reuse of historic mills sites, and examining the entire zoning code to identify how it might be more effective in managing the development of affordable housing.

Melrose, MA
Lower Washington Street Re-Zoning

The City of Melrose, through its Smart Growth Committee, is exploring the idea of re-zoning of an industrial zone located within walking distance of the Oak Grove MBTA station. Partially developed with historic mill structures, the area is envisioned as a prime opportunity for transit-oriented residential and mixed use development. Preservation of the mill structures and the creation of an active, pedestrian-friendly streetscape are among the community's goals for the area.

Somerset, Massachusetts
Master Plan
Taintor & Associates is partnering with Optimal Solutions to assist the Town of Somerset to complete a master plan for Somerset focusing in town center redevelopment. The Master Plan process will include public participation and visioning workshops, an inventory and analysis of existing conditions, documentation of the assets and liabilities, recommended strategies, and an action plan. The plan will be enhanced with ArcGIS maps prepared by Taintor & Associates staff.

Newburyport & Newbury, Massachusetts
Little River Transit Village Plan
The Little River Transit Village project is an effort to promote “smart growth” in the City of Newburyport and the Town of Newbury. Taintor & Associates led a team of consultants to extend the planning concepts initiated by the award- winning Newburyport Strategic Land Use Plan’s to a much larger area. Building on the strategic plan’s proposals, the expanded planning project is designed to promote: conservation of a greenbelt of open space; concentrated, mixed-use development around a MBTA Commuter Rail station and along Route 1; and construction of multifamily, mixed-income housing in the concentrated development area.

The first phase of the project is a series of studies to evaluate the feasibility of concentrating development in the “transit village” area, and of implementing the strategy through the establishment of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs in both communities. These studies included a build-out analysis under existing zoning regulations, an alternative development scenario using proposed overlay zoning districts with associated use and dimensional standards, a real estate market assessment, and analyses of impacts of concentrated growth on stormwater, traffic, and water and sewer infrastructure.

Maynard Downtown Mixed-Use Zoning
Taintor and Associates is assisting the Town in drafting changes to its Zoning Ordinance to encourage mixed-use development in its downtown. In addition to the development of an overlay district, discrete amendments to underlying districts will help to accomplish this goal. Use regulations, dimensional regulations, parking standards, architecutral design guidelines, and site plan review procedures are integral to this effort.

Massachusetts Chapter 40R Development Reviews

Working with the law firm of Blatman, Bobrowski, and Mead, Senior Associate Nancy Colbert is assisting communities in taking advantage of the Commonwealth’s new “Smart Growth” statute, Chapter 40R. Gardner, North Andover, Dartmouth, and Haverhill are among the communities working to explore the potential benefits of adopting a 40R zoning district. Nancy has held public educational workshops on the legislation, reviewed and critiqued development proposals, participated in strategic meetings with state and local officials, and drafted design guidelines for inclusion in the overlay zones.

TAINTOR & ASSOCIATES, INC.
20 Unicorn Street
Newburyport, MA 01950-2512

Phone: 978-462-0404
Fax: 978-462-0107

Email: info@taintorassociates.com

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