The Quincy Planning Board on Oct. 15 approved a certificate of consistency for a redevelopment project at 1620 and 1630 Hancock Street (planning board case 2025COCO1), with the approval tied to a list of special and general conditions the planning department read into the record.

The board’s action follows a presentation from the applicant’s attorney and an outline from City Solicitor James Timmons of a city agreement to acquire a small lot on Mechanic Street so the project can relocate a trash/delivery area and a transformer pad off Hancock Street and eliminate a curb cut there.

Timmons told the board the city negotiated to buy “the property tucked right in here” behind the proposed project and that the acquisition will allow the city to grant easements. “By acquiring the lot behind the project… the transformer pad is gonna be moved behind the building and then in addition, there’s a drive aisle that’s 14 feet wide that’s going to provide access for deliveries to the site and it’s going to be part of the trash pickup,” Timmons said. He added the city will retain ownership of the Mechanic Street parcel and will record easements that permit the developer to use Mechanic Street for project needs while preserving utility easement connections to Hancock.

The planning department recommended approval “under Quincy Center Urban Revitalization District Plan as amended and as defined within the Quincy zoning ordinance title 17 section 8.3,” and read more than two dozen special and general conditions into the record. The conditions require compliance with the city’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance and Affordable Housing Trust Fund review, completion and recording of the land disposition agreement (LDA) and an Urban Redevelopment Covenant (URC) dated 10/15/2025, submission of a final stormwater permit and construction management plan, reconstruction or coordination on sidewalks and curbing on Hancock, Elm and Mechanic streets, television inspection of sewer mains, and post-construction as-built submissions to the city engineer, among other requirements.

The department’s recommendation also notes that the project was previously reviewed under the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs certificate for the New Quincy Center final environmental impact report (EEA number 14780), and states the city, as redeveloper under that certificate, will be responsible for any required mitigation and reporting under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.

In public comment, Dan Cody, business agent for Boston Pipers Local 537 and a representative of the Quincy South Shore Building Trades Union, requested the developer meet with the building trades to discuss community standards and local hiring. A separate commenter urged the developer to hire Quincy residents for construction work.

Member Kelly moved to approve the certificate of consistency consistent with the planning department recommendation; Member Foley seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote with all members present voting in the affirmative.

Next steps identified in the approval language include completing the city’s acquisition and recording of the land-disposition and urban-redevelopment instruments, finalizing the recorded easement to 29 Mechanic Street to allow dumpster, transformer and utility access during site work, submitting required permit applications, and satisfying the planning department’s special conditions prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy.

The board’s action does not itself grant building permits; the planning department noted multiple ministerial and technical permits (stormwater, street openings, DPW approvals, and others) must be completed before construction begins.