Forest Street Residential Overlay District

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; details are thin.

What: a zoning amendment (order 26-1009705C) creating a Forest Street Residential Overlay District and rezoning certain parcels into it.
Where it stands: passed in one evening, 10-0 on every reading, on 2026-07-20, on Urban Affairs' recommendation to approve.
Committee review: Urban Affairs worked through the draft on 2026-06-17 and voted 4-0 to approve it as amended (450-unit cap, 50 ft public-way setbacks, 60 ft height); the 90-day deadline was July 27.
Next: nothing further in the record (the usual 20-day appeal period would follow).

The council heard the proposal earlier; the transcript of 2026-07-20 does not describe the district's terms.
A councilor-at-large filed a Chapter 39, Section 23D certification (for a councilor who missed part of the hearing) on the same night.
Councilor Ducette said on 2026-07-21 that he spoke with the Forest Street developer after the council meeting about selling heating and cooling from a thermal network (see Geothermal Thermal Network).

Based on auto-generated captions; the solicitor was to put the final wording in proper form.

Area: about 31 acres, five parcels along Forest Street and Williams Street; underlying limited industrial zoning. Modeled on the Lazot Drive executive residential overlay.
Proponents: Attorney Robert Buckley (with Redgate Real Estate Advisors and Christine Hung of his firm).
Multi-family dwellings by special permit, capped at 450 units overall (Planning Board suggested 400 plus 50 townhouse-style units; Councilor Preciado preferred 400).
Council keeps site plan approval; special permits need two-thirds. Zoning change itself expected to need eight votes.
Setbacks from public ways raised to 50 ft; maximum height 60 ft excluding rooftop mechanicals; no stories limit.
Planning Board wanted no demolition permit before special permit approval; the solicitor was to find a place for it.
Affordability stays at 12% of units at 80% of area median income; the council's proposed discretion to vary it was expected to be removed.
Open for the solicitor: permit vesting versus the three-year lapse rule, subdivision and "public way" wording, compact parking placement.
Planning Board (May 18, 6-0) was generally favorable with modifications.

About 98 minutes across 4 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

2026-07-21 - Climate Resiliency Committee - Mentioned as a possible site for a developer-built thermal network.
2026-07-20 - City Council - Certification filed; legal-form amendment moved to the end of the agenda, then passed all readings and in one evening, 10-0 (Councilor Robey moved the committee recommendation).
2026-06-22 - City Council - Urban Affairs' June 17 amendments reported (400-unit cap for the district, 3-1; 12 percent affordable requirement made variable; setbacks 20 to 50 feet; height 80 to 60 feet); sent to the solicitor for the July meeting. Applicant: Redgate Real Estate Advisors, attorney Robert Buckley.
2026-06-17 - Urban Affairs Committee - Line-by-line review of the draft overlay with the proponents; amendments on the unit cap (450), setbacks, height and planting strips; approved 4-0 and referred to the solicitor.
2026-06-08 - City Council - Planning Board's favorable recommendation and comments (order 26-1009705A) filed; Urban Affairs to take it up June 17.