With Braintree-Weymouth Landing Project Finishing, Focus Turns to Attracting Development

Government officials in Braintree and Weymouth have been working for years to reinvigorate the Landing area, and with the completion of approaching in June, both towns are using the teamwork put to use so far on zoning overhauls and improving sidewalks, lighting, water quality and other infrastructure to drum up interest from residential and business developers.

"There really is a great potential to make it a vibrant village," Mayor Susan Kay said during a brief on the construction progress with Mayor Joseph Sullivan at Weymouth Town Hall last week. "It's a gateway to Braintree, it's a gateway to Weymouth."

Sullivan and Kay have slightly different visions for the area – Kay likes the idea of "pickle jar" mom and pop stores and Sullivan would like to focus on restaurants and residential – but both mayors agree that by working together they have created the kind of potential for development that was heralded half a decade ago by the opening of the commuter rail station.

and , two of the restaurants on the Braintree side, are considering adding outdoor seating, Sullivan said, and El Sarape may set up a cafe-style section on the public parking side of its property, to help highlight the 120-space lot. Neither mayor would name any incoming developers they have spoken with, but both said there is definite interest and that they are working with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce to promote the Landing.

"I do believe it will generate some private sector stimulation," Sullivan said. "We'll be banging the drums."

But despite the progress, significant barriers remain. For one, there is the group of vacant storefronts just over the Weymouth line that have proved difficult to fill. And there is also skepticism that individual, small retailers will be able to thrive even under the improved conditions.

"That's tough," said Peter Forman, President and CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

Forman said he believes the most potential lies in mixed residential/retail development rather than attracting small storefronts one by one. But even that might be a tall order for developers, who for a profitable investment may need more height than will be allowed – 2.5 stories by right and four by special permit on the Braintree side – because of the limited space in the area for horizontal expansion.

"Most developers have trouble making that work," Forman said. An anchor store would also help draw more businesses to the Landing, something both mayors and the chamber CEO said they agree on.

Still, there is significant upside to the upcoming completion of the project, Forman said, namely that developers will see the collaboration between Weymouth and Braintree officials and the work put in as a sign the towns are serious about the area.

"It sends a very powerful signal that the political leadership is there to make something happen," Forman said.

Representatives from both towns and Beacon Hill after Braintree and Weymouth passed new zoning regulations to make the business district more uniformly attractive and pedestrian-friendly. , for instance, drive-throughs were banned. There is also the height limit and facade guidelines.

The infrastructure work is funded by a Public Works Economic Development (PWED) Program grant from the state and includes transferring a number of utility poles underground, fixing unsafe crosswalks, improving traffic islands and patterns, and highlighting the .

Many of the more visible improvements will start to take shape in the final three months of construction, following a delay caused by problems found underground on the Braintree side.

While working below the street, the town discovered that a century-old pipe built to narrower specifications than used today needed to be replaced. That project became even more of a hurdle when workers found they had to go under an existing culvert to do some of the construction.

Braintree spent an extra $800,000 there, separate from the PWED money, Sullivan said. In return, the town will see improved water quality in the area and a better connection to Weymouth's water infrastructure.

"There's always going to be risk when you take on an assignment like this," Sullivan said. "It had to be done and now it protects us for another 100 years."

Another piece of the overall plan is relocating and surfacing the culvert that goes through the municipal parking lot. It was originally an MBTA issue from when the rail station was built, Sullivan said, but now funding for the approximately $1 million project is under discussion because of the agency's financial woes. The plan is currently undergoing Department of Environmental Protection review.

Bringing the culvert, or "smelt brook" to light and shifting it to the entrance of the municipal lot is part of an effort to highlight the existing parking. Another crucial piece of the Landing's future is the commuter station itself. A proposal by the MBTA to increase fares and cut some services to address a budget deficit would eliminate Greenbush service on the weekends.

"I'm very disappointed," Sullivan said. "I don't think it's the right step."

He and Kay said they are urging the Department of Transportation to reconsider at least scheduling two trains per day on the weekend. "I can understand reducing" service, Kay said, but not getting rid of it for two days altogether. The MBTA's board will vote on the savings package and if passed it would take effect July 1 of this year.

But even if weekend service on the Greenbush is wiped out under the current proposal, it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on potential development in the Landing, Forman said. First, development takes years and it is hard to foresee where service levels will be in the future, and second, the real strength of having the station is the weekday Boston commuters, who would be unaffected by the cuts.