Milton staff outlines incentives, density trade-offs in Deerfield implementation update

Bob Buscemi, Milton’s director of special projects, updated the City Council Wednesday on the Deerfield Implementation Plan and proposed incentives that would let developers increase residential density in exchange for specified amenities.

The update matters because the plan is intended to reshape the Deerfield corridor’s development pattern and to boost Milton’s commercial tax base; it would change allowable mixes of residential and nonresidential uses and create conditions for developer-funded open space, trails and parking structures that could affect taxes, public services and traffic.

Buscemi told the council he has refined district-level guidance and incentive formulas after community meetings and follow-up conversations with developers. He said Deerfield is being treated as four distinct character areas and that the proposed incentives were vetted with developers: "Everything I'm showing you tonight here has kind of been blessed by the development community as far as what they're thinking," Buscemi said.

Under the proposal staff described: the city would increase the public open-space requirement from 10% to 20% and…