Commercial Development is Possible in Arlington
For many years, our commercial property has decreased, with much of what was once commercial property having been redeveloped into residential property. This trend has accelerated in recent years with the use of the Mirak property at 1165R Mass. Ave., formerly zoned Industrial, for a new apartment complex, and the planned conversion of the former Christo’s building, in Capitol Square, to mixed use with a net loss of commercial space, among others.
As has been noted many times in recent discussions about housing density, our town gets virtually all of its tax revenue from residential property, with only about 5% of property taxes coming from commercial property. This is in stark contrast to many towns and cities in our area. The result is that Arlington residents pay an ever-growing burden in property taxes to maintain basic services. Even if base housing prices weren’t accelerating rapidly (and Arlington is hardly alone in that, nor is Massachusetts), the total cost of housing is escalating even more rapidly here in Arlington due to rising property tax burdens. Seniors on fixed incomes, people with lower-paying (but essential) jobs, and others with limited resources are increasingly forced to leave as housing becomes unaffordable.
Increasing residential property units will add stresses to our infrastructure and service delivery. Meanwhile, at best, new residential taxes *might* cover increased service and infrastructure demand. Research conducted in a number of cities suggests that in fact adding residential units is highly likely to cost the town more than we will recoup in property taxes. We can wish this were not true, but the data says otherwise.
Whenever anyone suggests greater commercial development in Arlington, there are three primary responses from commercial-development skeptics. One response is to push instead for “mixed use” development, which tends to be a little retail space and lots of housing.
The second response is to argue that a town like Arlington, with its location and infrastructure, can’t possibly support commercial development because such uses need to be near major highways for commuting and other transportation purposes. Even light industry (breweries, commercial bakeries, etc.) are dismissed as difficult or impossible to support for this reason.
Finally, it is argued that such developments would need to be much bigger than any parcel we have in Arlington.
So it was with interest that I read yesterday about a new proposed lab development in Somerville, just outside Porter Square. The building would be four stories tall — the same as the condo development recently approved for the former Christo’s building at Mass. Ave. and Lake Street. It would cover a small footprint. It does not come with any parking at all. And if any location could be inconvenient for truck traffic, that neighborhood is it. This article in the Boston Business Journal provides more information:
My point is that if someone can build a biotech lab in Porter Square, they could certainly build one in a space like the former Mirak property. I’m betting that there are other spaces which could be similarly developed if we had the imagination and initiative to make it happen.
We talk about wanting diversity in this town, but we won’t achieve diversity while becoming an enclave for the rich. Without broadening our property tax base, this town will be nothing more than an expensive bedroom community. It’s way past time for our town officials to become more proactive in seeking out opportunities like this lab, instead of passively allowing residential developers to drive the future of our community without any intervention or direction from us.
—from A Pro-business Resident
