There are few transit-oriented sites available for development in Dorchester that will not cause direct displacement of existing residents or businesses. The site at 495 Geneva (Geneva @ Vinson) should be prime for the kind of dense development that can bring more middle-income housing. However, there have been misplaced concerns about density and parking that could leave us with exactly the kind of development that residents in Dorchester say they don't want.

More units in an underused parcel facing a loading dock will not have any noticeable impact on anyone’s quality of life. If the City is to meet its housing goal and make strides towards solving the affordability crisis, such short-sighted points of view cannot be allowed to outweigh the neighborhood’s interest.

I’d like to see the following from any development happening at 495 Geneva:

• A height of 4-5 stories, the site is across from a T station and along a major thoroughfare; there are 4 story buildings in close proximity
• I would like to see more units- ideally enough to allow them to serve 65-110% AMI. At a FAR of 4:1 there is room for up to 18 two-bedroom units.
• Less parking- the space should be used for to either enlarge the footprint or to have green space; the site is adjacent to T station with numerous key bus routes.
• A good faith effort to offer all of the units at rents or sale prices in the middle-income price range (see BPDA guidelines, 65-110% AMI)

If we want to keep Dorchester a mixed-income community, we need developers who are invested in the success of the neighborhood and its low-income and middle-income residents. I want the developer to be more flexible in terms of what he is proposing AND open to more than just making money. But by that, I mean aiming for more affordability and a more walkable, sustainable development, not catering to demands for more parking and concerns about parking or classist anti-renter sentiments.

I want to show the developer that there is support for dense affordable or middle-income housing on the lot. Please sign the petition to signal your support. If you want to create your own letter based on a template from above click here.

Thanks for reading!