PROJECT REVIEW

Housing should be an appropriate use of the site given the context of the adjacent properties and the surrounding neighborhood, and should enhance neighborhood livability.

The project should take full advantage of the maximum unit density and/or building envelope, allowable under the zoning rules.

The need for affordable housing, including middle income (120-150 percent of AMI) housing, is a critical problem. We give special support to projects that propose creative ways to expand or improve unit affordability beyond the legally mandated requirements.

Project endorsed should include creative strategies to reduce the need for parking, such as ample bicycle storage, provision of space for car-share vehicles on-site or nearby, unbundling parking cost from residential unit cost, and measures to incentivize transit use. Proximity to transit should result in less need for parking.

In districts with an as-of-right maximum and discretionary approval up to an absolute maximum, HAC will support parking exceeding the as-of-right maximum only to the extent the Code criteria for doing so are clearly met. In districts where the minimum parking requirement is one parking space per residential unit (1:1), HAC will not, except in extraordinary circumstances, support a project with parking in excess of that amount.

If there are structures of significant historic or cultural merit on the site, their retention and/or incorporation into the project consistent with historic preservation standards is encouraged. If such structures are to be demolished, there should be compelling reasons for doing so.

The project should promote principles of good urban design: Where appropriate, contextual design that is compatible with the adjacent streetscape and existing neighborhood character while at the same time utilizing allowable unit density: pleasant and functional private and/or common open space; pedestrian, bicycle and transit friendly site planning; and design treatments that protect and enhance the pedestrian realm, with curb cuts minimized and active ground floor uses provided.

Projects with a substantial number of multiple bedroom units should consider including features that will make the project friendly to families with children.

We are particularly supportive of projects that employ substantial and/or innovative measures that will enhance their sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint.

Housing projects have an impact on their community far beyond the residents that will occupy it, and HAC supports projects that have a net positive impact across a broad set of stakeholders. This requires both a good faith effort to do outreach to the community and gather input on their needs and concerns, as well as coordinated effort to integrate a comprehensive set of community benefit objectives that are achievable without sacrificing HAC objectives.

Examples of community benefits include, but are not limited to:

Projects for which the developer has made a good faith effort to communicate to the community and to address legitimate neighborhood concerns, without sacrificing HAC’s objectives, will receive more support.