Planning Initiatives

The First Street Corridor has long been home to many commercial and industrial uses, including Massport’s Conley Container Terminal. The current zoning reflects a time when industrial uses were more prevalent along this corridor, and does not reflect the natural spread of residential uses into this area from the traditional South Boston residential neighborhood.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) began a community planning and rezoning initiative for the First Street Corridor in South Boston in May 2010. With a task of aiding the BRA in creating a vision and mixed use zoning district for the area, a Working Group consisting of 13 South Boston residents was formed. Initial walking tours and two community-wide charrettes were held to kick off the planning and rezoning processes. In addition, a total of 12 working group and/or community-wide meetings (all open to the public) were held. The feedback received during those events and all meetings aided the Working Group and the BRA in developing a comprehensive vision and zoning recommendations for the First Street Corridor. The overall goal of the processes was the creation of a mixed use zoning district (Article 68) that reflects the changes in the area and protects both residential and commercial/industrial uses.

Article 68 was written as the zoning article for the East and West First Street Corridor. It was created with help from the Working Group and public input. It was approved by the City's Zoning Commission in September 2011, and enacted on September 15, 2011. Article 68 can be found here at: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/pdf/ZoningCode/Article68.pdf. The corresponding Map 4F can be found here at: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/pdf/ZoningCode/Maps/4F_SouthBoston_ND.pdf

1. FINAL DRAFT Article 68 August 2011
   
2. FINAL DRAFT Article 68 Zoning Map August 2011
   
3. Community Meeting Presentation – June 22, 2011
   
4. Charrette Presentation – May 5 and May 8, 2010