The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services (MONS) and the Office of City Councilor Rob Consalvo, underwent a neighborhood planning process and a full rezoning of Roslindale. The purpose of this planning and rezoning process was to develop the Roslindale Neighborhood Strategic Plan, a much-needed blueprint for the future of Roslindale. The Plan also helped to inform the drafting of Article 67, the final neighborhood zoning article for the community. The Roslindale Neighborhood Strategic Plan provided viable recommendations to advise final zoning regulations, and thus ultimately assisted in the maintenance and well-balanced growth of the neighborhood.
The planning and rezoning process began in early 2005. The neighborhood was largely concerned about the size and density of recent developments, dwellings being built on undersized lots, and the design elements of these projects.
In September 2005, Mayor Menino appointed a fifteen-member Advisory Group, which was comprised of community leaders, members of various neighborhood associations and longtime Roslindale residents. By the end of 2007, the Advisory Group had met 14 times, working closely with the BRA and other city agencies. In addition to the Advisory Group working sessions, there were three community-wide meetings/forums.Three key issues continue to be at the forefront for many community members: 1) development density, 2) transportation and parking, and 3) open space preservation.
In response to these main issues, the Roslindale Neighborhood Strategic Plan was written to include a series of recommendations and a timeline for their implementation. The final Roslindale Neighborhood Strategic Plan was adopted by the BRA Board in October 2007 as the guiding document for development. Many of the recommendations listed in the Plan were included in Article 67, the final zoning article for Roslindale. Article 67 was written by the BRA and reviewed by both the Advisory Group (2 meetings in 2008) and the community at large (1 community meeting for draft Article 67; the final Article 67 went before a public hearing with the Boston Zoning Commission in June 2008). Once Article 67 was adopted in June 2008 by the Boston Zoning Commission, Article 67 replaced the IPOD and the base code zoning regulations.