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Beth Israel presents revised Oak Street lot with five‑foot planting strip; board asks for planting details
Summary
Beth Israel presented a revised parking layout for a proposed 52-space lot on Oak Street, adding a five-foot vegetative buffer along Oak; the Planning Board asked the hospital for planting species and specifications and confirmed the project will proceed through formal site-plan review.
Beth Israel Deaconess representatives presented a revised Oak Street parking-lot layout June 17 that maintains the proposed 52 parking spaces while adding a five-foot vegetative buffer along Oak Street.
Evan Huber, speaking for the hospital team, said reconfiguring some stall lengths and the drive aisle allowed the team to provide “a 5-foot vegetative space for a 5-foot vegetative border on the Oak Street side” while keeping the target 52 spaces. Hospital counsel and consultants said the drive aisle will remain at least 19 feet wide and that some spaces were shortened by a foot to preserve overall capacity.
Board members welcomed the change but asked for more detail on planting palette and long-term maintenance. “Just get if we could get more information on the types of plantings, that that would be there year round, right, not just seasonal,” Natasha said. The hospital representatives agreed to supply evergreen selections (for year‑round screening) and planting specifications for the formal site-plan review filing.
Staff confirmed the project will require site-plan review because it creates more than 25 parking spaces; the hospital said it will submit a formal application and plant-specifications as part of that package. No vote was taken June 17; the board indicated the revised layout is an improvement but asked the hospital to ensure the buffer will provide effective screening and a planting plan that will be maintained long term.
The board also discussed the condition of existing landscape strips along Chestnut Street on the hospital campus and suggested the hospital consider broader campus plantings while the Oak Street improvements are designed.
