Planning board agrees to draft decision on minor traffic-condition amendments for Boston Children’s Hospital project

The Needham Planning Board closed a public hearing June 17 and authorized staff to prepare a decision to amend three traffic-related conditions in the special permit for the Boston Children’s Hospital project at 360 First Avenue.

The changes the hospital requested would allow the town to use $30,000 the hospital already paid for traffic improvements at the Kendrick Street/Third Avenue intersection at other nearby locations, clarify a $25,000 obligation to fund a signal-warrant study and roadway safety audit, and move required traffic monitoring from one year after certificate of occupancy to three years after occupancy.

Tim Sullivan, attorney for Boston Children’s Hospital, outlined the requested changes and the reasons for them. “We were obligated to pay $30,000 to the town to use for construction of improvements at Third Avenue and Kendrick Street,” Sullivan said. He told the board the Commonwealth would not permit the originally anticipated improvements at Third and Kendrick, and the hospital asked that the payment be usable elsewhere. Sullivan also said the hospital asked that operational traffic monitoring “commence three years after occupancy so that the first monitoring conducted is reflective of a fully operational facility.” On condition 3.5 — the signal warrant analysis and roadway safety audit — Sullivan said the hospital intends to fund that work and estimated the cost at $25,000.

Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and oversight. Adam, a planning board member, called the requested changes “minor” and said they appeared to be factual cleanups to the existing decision. Eric asked whether three years after the certificate of occupancy would allow enough time for the facility to reach full operations; Sullivan and Lee (staff) said the project team expects about six months of pre‑opening activity followed by a ramp-up period and that three years from the CFO would capture operations that reflect expected traffic.

Town departments had no outstanding objections. Lee read responses from police, public health, engineering and the fire chief, noting none had new comments. With no public speakers raising new issues, the board voted to close the hearing and asked staff to prepare a draft decision to grant the requested amendments for signature and vote at the next meeting.

The board made no final change to the decision text at the June 17 meeting; it closed the public hearing and will consider the exact amended language at a future meeting.

A follow-up vote to adopt the final amended decision will be required for the changes to take effect.