Newsroom - Development

In Review of First Biennial Report…

National Park Service Commends Base Open Space Planning Efforts

(Issued July, 2005) – Initial plans for the use of open space on the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station have received a positive review by the National Park Service.

Responding to South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation’s first biennial report, Elyse LaForest, Program Manager of the Federal Lands to Parks Program for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service / Northeast Region, commended SSTTDC for “the progress you have made with the development of this property,” adding, “We hope….your organization can move forward with opening the site for public park and recreational purposes.” It is expected that much of the passive recreation and outdoor recreational facilities will be completed between 2008-2012. The centerpiece will be a foot and bike trail system with wooded areas, wetlands, ‘no activity’ buffer zones, picnic areas, and wildlife observation areas.

SSTTDC is the agency responsible for overseeing development of the 1,385-acre property based on a master plan created by its master developer partner, LNR Property Corp. Over 12 years, the site will be transformed in phases into a mixed-use development consisting of office, retail, residential, light manufacturing and active and passive recreational components. About 1,000 acres will be preserved as open space.

The land transferred by the Navy through the National Park Service to SSTTDC in 2003 included 225 acres of Public Benefit Conveyance (PBC) areas which may eventually include: Wildlife viewing area, canoe launch, tot lot, picnic area, scout camp, pedestrian and bike trails.

In the 324 acres of Economic Development Conveyance land (EDC), use highlights will include: playing fields, indoor recreational facilities, public parks, winter park, sites for a community facility and a public school, and a nature preserve.

Discussions continue with the Navy related to transfer of the remaining 836 acres. Along with a long list of environmental and permitting requirements, SSTTDC in the next two years will focus on the site’s open space and recreation network.

Thanking the National Park Service on behalf of the SSTTDC Board of Directors, Executive Director Terry Fancher said, ”The citizens of the South Shore region will use and cherish this land for generations.” In accordance federal requirements, SSTTDC will erect a sign acknowledging that the property was conveyed by the National Park Service’s Federal Lands to Park Program.

Abington, Rockland, Weymouth Give Thumbs Up

After The Vote: A Full Agenda As Base Development Agency Strives To Move Project Forward

(Issued July 26, 2005) – Now that the towns of Abington, Rockland and Weymouth have approved the new reuse plan for the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station that straddles the three towns, one might think that construction can now begin. Not so fast.

Before a shovel hits the ground, the agency responsible for overseeing base redevelopment, the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation, and master developer partner LNR Property Corporation, in the next two years face a complex series of state and federal environmental and regulatory requirements. The developer’s schedule calls for Phase I construction to begin in 2008.

SSTTDC Executive Director Terry Fancher says, “In effect, we will be creating a new ‘community within the communities’ on the site as we transform it into a municipal governmental body. Our goal is to develop a blend of the three towns’ zoning regulations and bylaws – employing even higher standards whenever feasible.”

As an example of the Corporation’s commitment to high standards for the project, Fancher pointed to the Board’s recent vote to adopt a 50-foot ‘no-activity’ buffer zone adjacent to wetlands on the base. The currently mandated state standard is 30 feet.

The site, an active military base for six decades until it was closed in 1997, consists of 1,385 acres. Some 70 Navy structures still remain and several small Superfund sites are being remediated. Nearly all the existing buildings will be leveled to make room for the planned redevelopment, a billion-dollar mixed-use village to be built in phases over 12 years.

Near-term projects on the SSTTDC Board and staff agenda include:

* Preparation of new regulatory framework for the property as noted above. Components include: amended land zoning and bylaws; regulations related to wetland protection, water resource protection, wastewater disposal, permits, licenses and fines, signage, inspections and code enforcement.

* Amended application for a no-cost Economic Development Conveyance (EDC). Because the towns the new reuse plan involves notable changes in the number and type of residential units and the amount of commercial development, federal law requires a revised EDC. In 2003, the first EDC consisted of 324 acres transferred by the Navy to the SSTTDC. Another 680 acres is expected to eventually be transferred under an EDC. This is the commercially developable land to be transformed by LNR into The Village Center Plan.

* Filing of Notice of Project Change to the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA).

* Reconvening of the EOEA Secretary’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to review the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required under MEPA, and comment on it as aspects are completed.

* The revised reuse plan must be filed under the Mass. Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) for review of impacts to resources, wetlands and wildlife, as well as mitigation proposals. This is followed by a review and comment period open to the public and to local and state agencies.

* Updating of the Development and Disposition Agreement (DDA), the contract between SSTTDC and LNR Property Corp.

* Updating of the Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) under which LNR would assume base cleanup duties at a negotiated price with the Navy, monitored by DEP and EPA.

The original reuse plan for the site, adopted in 1998, envisioned a large retail / entertainment complex comprised of 1.4 million square feet of commercial and 2.1 million square feet of retail space, and up to 700 senior housing units. But in the past six years – in response to changing economic conditions, stakeholder input, local, state and federal environmental concerns, and exhaustive peer reviews – a revised reuse plan was created. The new plan responds to these factors and supercedes the 1998 plan, calling for a total of 1.3 million square feet of commercial development and up to 2,855 residential units. About 3,000 jobs will be created on-site.

Fancher says the revised reuse plan “reflects a strong commitment to economic development, job creation, and the expansion of the local tax base and sustainability, while preserving and enhancing the site’s environmental and recreational resources.” Over 1,000 acres of the site will remain as open space and recreation. About 381 acres of this total is preserved through an agreement with the National Park Service’s ‘Federal Lands to Parks’ Program. New property tax revenues to be divided among the three host communities are projected between $3.8 and $11 million annually at full buildout. These will be divided based on the percent of the base lying in each town (46% Weymouth; 42% Rockland; 12% Abington).

The South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation Board of Directors consists of John R. Ward of Rockland, Chairman; Robert P. Lundquist of Weymouth, Vice Chairman and Treasurer; James W. Lavin of Abington, Clerk; John W. Rogers of Rockland; and John W. Burke of Weymouth.

At Public Community Meeting . . .

Regional Planning Agency Head Supports Base Reuse Plan

(Issued March 1, 2005) – The head of one of the region’s top planning agencies, deeply involved over the past few months in the peer review and bylaw refinement process related to the proposed ‘Village Center Plan’ at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station, has given the plan high marks.

Among attendees were members of the Abington and Rockland Boards of Selectmen, the Weymouth Town Council and Mayor David Madden, Diane Madden of MassHighway, representatives of master developer Lennar Partners, and Board members of the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation, the agency overseeing redevelopment of the former base, which hosted and organized the meeting.

Responding to questions about the project’s fiscal impacts at a recent open community meeting at Abington High School that attracted about 40 people from Abington, Rockland and Weymouth, Marc Draisen, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), said, “The project supports itself…Compared to other projects, this is an exceptionally good deal for the communities from a fiscal perspective…The advantages to the communities as a whole are not limited to how much revenue will be made. Other favorable impacts include jobs, affordable homes, recreation amenities, and increased property values in surrounding areas.”

In response to questions about regional highways, several people at the meeting noted that Route 18 widening is scheduled to begin in FY06 and take two years. They added that state and federal transportation funds have already been earmarked for the Route 18 widening, and for part of the cost of a parkway through the base connecting Route 18 with Weymouth and Sharp Streets. Three Route 18 intersection improvements are also currently under construction.

“These improvements to Route 18 and the configuration of streets through the site will limit through traffic,” Draisen said. “Additional connections to the site will help to broadly distribute new traffic, and reduce the likelihood that any one street will be overburdened.”

SSTTDC Financial Analyst Jeff Donohoe said that, although all the details of the Village Center Plan have not been worked out, the peer review groups had identified a host of issues and recommended changes. He added, “It might be prudent for the towns to approve the plan and zoning, as the Navy has been very successful selling property by auction in other parts of the country. This means taking far more control of our destiny than an auction. Approval of the zoning – even without all the details filled in -- doesn’t mean any other development requirements go away. All the rules and regulations remain fairly robust in Massachusetts.”

The proposed New England village-style mixed-use plan – to occur in a decade-long phased construction – is expected to create some 12,000 construction jobs, and result in over 2,500 jobs for the region at full buildout. Total value of the project is projected at over $750 million. New property tax revenues to be divided among the three towns are projected at $3.8 to $11 million.

The South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation Board of Directors consists of John R. Ward of Rockland, Chairman; Robert P. Lundquist of Weymouth, Vice Chairman and Treasurer; James W. Lavin of Abington, Clerk; John W. Rogers of Rockland; and John W. Burke of Weymouth. Executive Director is Terry Fancher.

May Be Viewed At Libraries, Town Halls and Online

Peer Review Plan Available in Library

(Issued February 2, 2005) – The comprehensive “Peer Review of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station Village Center Plan” – compiled over the past three months -- is now available for viewing at the public libraries in Abington, Rockland and Weymouth; at the Town Manager and Selectman’s offices in Abington and Rockland; in the Mayor and Town Council’s offices in Weymouth; and online at www.ssttdc.com, the website of the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation (SSTTDC). A copy is also available for review at the SSTTDC offices at 223 Shea Memorial Drive on the base in South Weymouth.

The report was prepared by a special Peer Review Team assembled by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), and the Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC), the two regional planning agencies with jurisdiction over base property, in association with SSTTDC, and officials of the three host communities.

The approximately 300-page Peer Review provides an in-depth analysis along with findings and recommendations related to The Village Center Plan, the reuse plan for the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station, focusing on issues related to Smart Growth, Zoning, Housing, Economic Development, Transportation, Open Space, and Water Resources.

In the report, the team of experts concludes that “development of the Village Center Plan will not only benefit the three towns that hosted the base for many years, but also the South Shore and the metropolitan Boston region as a whole.”

– By Stanley Hurwitz

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