CLIENT: town of Needham
LOCATION: Needham, MA
SCOPE: Planning
STATUS: Completed
SIZE: 15.2 Acres

Needham Highway Commercial 1 Zoning & PLANNING Assessment

STUDIO ENÉE has been working with the Town of Needham, MA for 2 years on the planning, assessment, and revisions to the zoning by laws for the Highway Commercial 1 site. The 15 acre site, adjacent to Interstate 95, is prominently located along the civic and commercial corridor through Needham and Newton, currently serving as the gateway to Needham.

In 2019, to maximize future development opportunities on the site, the Town of Needham Planning Department and Planning Board hired STUDIO ENÉE to review the current zoning by laws graphically and review density, building heights, setbacks, and parking in As Of Right and Special Permit scenarios. STUDIO ENÉE attended community meetings to elicit feedback from neighbors and community members. It was determined that the proposed by laws needed input from a traffic study before they could be revised.

In 2020, after a traffic report was provided with revised land uses and development strategies, new studies for density, height, parking, uses, and setbacks were developed. It included recommendations for three program use scenarios including mixed income housing, R&D, and mixed use development to be tested on the transit oriented site. Throughout the process, STUDIO ENÉE worked with the Town of Needham’s Planning Board to engage the community though a series of community meetings.