Mayor Thomas Koch wants to rezone three of the city's four MBTA stations in order to attract new mixed-use development.

Mayor Thomas Koch wants to rezone three of the city’s four MBTA stations to attract new mixed-use development.



Koch is asking the city council to approve new zoning designations called “transit-oriented districts” at the North Quincy, Wollaston and Quincy Adams T properties.



The changes would streamline the local permitting process and loosen the zoning requirements at the three T properties. The changes would be similar to rezoning downtown to allow redevelopment there.



The new districts would allow developers to build denser projects than what’s currently allowed near the three stations. For example, new buildings could go as high as 10 stories.



The T owns the four transit stations in Quincy, but the city has “air rights” over the tracks, meaning the mayor and city council must allow the T to develop on its properties. The T is the agency that must solicit proposals from developers to build at North Quincy, Wollaston and Quincy Adams stations.



Special state legislation has designated the city as the lead planning agency for redevelopment of the Quincy Center station.



Koch’s administration will introduce the zoning changes during Monday night’s city council meeting at 7:30 p.m. inside Old City Hall. The proposal is expected to be referred to a future committee hearing and not voted on Monday.



The mayor’s proposal comes just as the T is about to enter into a 99-year lease with the development team of Bozzuto Development and Atlantic Development, which has proposed building residential and commercial space and a new parking garage on the North Quincy T station’s parking lot.



Koch sees similar development projects being proposed for the Quincy Adams and Wollaston T properties in the future.



City Council President Kirsten Hughes, who represents Ward 5, where the Wollaston T station is located, said it makes sense to rezone the T properties. Except for Quincy Adams, the T stations are near walkable business districts that attract people more likely to rely on public transit and less likely to use cars.



“I think that’s appropriate,” she said.



At Monday’s council meeting, Koch’s administration will also ask the council to authorize the T to lease its air rights to the Bozzuto and Atlantic development proposal.



Projects in the new transit-oriented districts would need to go before the planning board, which would review the designs and make sure they’re consistent with the new regulations. Developers wouldn’t need to go before the zoning board of appeals for a variance unless they wanted to bypass the new zoning rules.



The transit-oriented districts would allow for taller buildings, shared parking arrangements, less stringent parking requirements and no dimensional and setback requirements.



Ward 4 City Councilor Brian Palmucci, whose ward includes the Quincy Adams station, said it makes sense to encourage development directly next to train stations.



In recent years, apartment and condominium projects have been approved in neighborhoods across the city, some within walking distance to T stations.



“I field phone calls from folks on a daily basis who are frustrated with the high-density proposals in single-family-home areas,” Palmucci said.



“This comes down to identifying areas where the infrastructure can handle higher-density developments. It makes sense to have it downtown. It makes sense to have it at the T stations. In other areas, it doesn’t make sense.”



The transit-oriented districts would include the following requirements:

• Maximum building height: 10 stories. (Currently, the North Quincy and Wollaston T stations are in zones with six-story limits, and Quincy Adams has a four-story limit.)

• Minimum lot size: 1 acre. (Currently, North Quincy and Wollaston have a minimum lot size of one-tenth of an acre, and Quincy Adams has no minimum.)

• Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: 325 square feet. (Currently there are no minimum requirements in the three T station’s current zones.)

• Dimensional and setback requirements: None. (Currently, the stations are in districts with setback and lot frontage and width requirements.)

• Parking: one spot for every one residential unit; three spots for every 3,000 square feet of gross floor retail space; one spot for every 10 restaurant seats; one spot for every 2,000 square feet of gross floor retail space; one spot for every 600 square feet of gross floor office space if total office space doesn’t exceed 10,000 square feet; one spot for every 400 square feet of gross floor office space, if total office space exceeds 10,000 square feet; and shared parking arrangements are allowed.

(Currently, North Quincy and Wollaston stations are in districts with the following parking requirements: 1.5 spots for every one residential unit, one space every 400 square feet of retail space; and one space for every 600 square feet of office space.)

In other business Monday, the city council:

• Will meet at 6:30 p.m. before their regular meeting to hear a presentation on Quincy’s new five-year housing production plan.

• Consider Mayor Koch’s proposal to amend the home-rule petition regarding the city’s downtown development project to properly reflect the latest plans.