The City Council heard from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council on a final report of a re-use planning study for Union Hospital (North Shore Medical Center) on Lynnfield Street.
According to Josh Fiala, principal planner with the MAPC, the study shows more of a desire to develop assisted living toward the front of the property on Lynnfield Street, then senior housing in the back. There is also 13 acres available for development toward the back parking lot. Also included on the site would be a medical village.
“That area should have an active life and future,” Fiala said, adding that there have been two community meetings about this study which was conducted from August to October. The first meeting had attendees come with ideas for use of the site.
“Through our study analysis we are also suggesting some zoning changes,” Fiala said. R1 is the zoning on most of the property.
The hospital was built under a special permit in the 1950s.
Fiala said that moving forward the city will have to consider zoning changes for creating a new medical village zoning district. Senior living facilities of 100 residents or more would require a special permit,” Fiala said.
He added that it was clear during the study that people did not want to see development that would burden the schools. The project would also include 10 percent affordable housing for projects with more than 200 units.