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Executive Summary
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RKG ASSOCIATES
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CANTON, MA
Corridor Study
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Route 138
[Original embedded text, retained for comparison]
Route 138 Jan 2020
Corridor Study EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CANTON, MA RKG ASSOCIATES
with MassDevelopmentSource page 2
Rou
The Route 138 Corridor Study Area
2Source page 3
ute 138
Canton’s unsung
Executive Summary &
Key Recommendations
Canton’s Route 138 Corridor is home to
dozens of businesses, hundreds of residents,
economic engine and thousands of jobs. Helping this unique
community to attract and retain businesses and
provide a high quality of life for residents and
workers alike will be key to its long-term viability
as an employment center.
The Route 138 Corridor is a key piece of
what makes Canton unique. Unlike many
communities of Canton’s size and location,
the town is home to a significant business
community that provides thousands of
jobs and accompanying tax benefits.
Canton Center and the town’s other
employment clusters have critical roles to
play – but Route 138’s mix of large firms,
small businesses, and retail and service
providers makes it an area of local and
regional importance. Combined with the
Corridor’s many residents and visitors, these
make Route 138 one of the “MetroSouth” Vision Statement:
region’s most dynamic economic areas,
and a key driver of Canton’s tax base. The Route 138 Corridor in Canton
will continue to thrive and grow as a
Despite its importance as a corridor, the significant contributor to the town’s
stretch of Route 138 in Canton faces a commercial and industrial tax base,
number of challenges. In its present state, the serving as a regional employment hub.
Corridor mostly functions as a linear strand
of loosely-connected uses. It lacks a unifying Strategic partnerships in transportation,
aesthetic and spaces for gathering, and forces open space, zoning changes, and a
a reliance on a personal automobile to get variety of development types will ensure
around. The resulting traffic congestion, a that the Corridor offers a safe, vibrant,
lack of safe pedestrian and bicycle amenities, and appealing environment for all users.
and lack of visual connectivity can make
distances between activity centers feel even
3Source page 4
further apart than they actually are.
This Corridor Study identifies ways
that Route 138 in Canton can be
improved and enhanced, informed by
conversations with the local business
community, residents, and Town staff. In
addition to improving the quality of life of
the area’s workers and residents, making
the Corridor a more pleasant place to be
will help Canton retain existing jobs and
compete for additional employment in
the face of changing worker preferences.
While Route 138 runs from Canton’s
southern border with Stoughton
to its northern border with Milton,
this study focuses upon its most
commercially-oriented stretch: from
Randolph Street south to the Stoughton
line. The study area is comprised of
residential, business, and several
different industrial zoning districts.
The Route 138 Study Corridor
extends from Randolph Street
south to Canton’s border with
Stoughton, and includes parcels
on adjacent streets like Dan Road.
The Route 138 Corridor Study Area highlighted within Canton
Public Feedback: Opportunities Public Feedback: Challenges
Increase the desirability of the corridor by improving Vehicle congestion during morning and evening rush
the mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, and housing hours is a deterrent.
choices.
Variety of retail offerings and restaurants is less than
Reduce congestion by improving general traffic flow, ideal.
curb cut management, and signalization.
Lack of sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike facilities make it
Increase transportation access by adding sidewalks, challenging to get around.
crosswalks, and/or bike facilities.
Corridor has an inconsistent look and feel and is less
Reduce congestion by widening Route 138 to four lanes. aesthetically-pleasing than other sections of Route 138.
Improve corridor aesthetics through landscape Lack of public transportation limits travel options and
treatments, building and façade improvements, and the connections from MBTA Commuter Rail.
screening of storage areas.
Improve turning movements and safety by constructing
a center turn lane on Route 138.
Increase transportation options and connectivity by
extending public transit to the corridor.
4Source page 5
Public Outreach
Nearly 200 local residents, workers, business owners, and
other stakeholders took part in a robust public process that
identified the community’s goals and perceived challenges for
the Route 138 Corridor. Two interactive public forums and an
online survey were used to gather feedback on the Corridor
Vision Statement, community priorities, and what types of
development the public is interested in seeing in specific locations.
While opinions and priorities varied, general consensus around
a series of opportunities and challenges emerged (see previous
page). Clear patterns also emerged within participants’ locational
preferences for different types of land uses. Interest in retail,
restaurants, and offices was concentrated at the northern gateway to
the Corridor, while desire for additional research and development
facilities was concentrated in areas near existing industry clusters
on Dan Road and New Boston Drive. Some respondents voiced
Attendees of the first public forum participated concerns about new housing (or, in some cases, new development
in several interactive mapping exercises to of any type), while other stakeholders emphasized a need for a mix
indicate opportunities and where they would like
to see different land uses in the future. of uses capable of accommodating more local workers and residents
and supporting the Corridor’s retailers.
The first of two public forums was held at the
Bank of Canton on July 10, 2019. The second,
also at the Bank of Canton, took place on
October 23, 2019.
Respondents’ preferences for locations of different land uses in the future.
5Source page 6
Route 138 Today
Route 138 is largely defined by the small retail, service, and office
structures that line the street itself, with a number of residential
structures scattered throughout. Most commercial structures are
older, many having been built in the 60s and 70s and not having seen
substantial reinvestment since. The Corridor’s largest employers -
including those in high tech industries like biomedical research and
building technologies - are concentrated in industrial park settings
on side streets like Dan Road and Pequot Way. The Corridor’s office
and industrial inventory is mainly comprised of three types of space:
DXL Group, a men’s clothing company, is one of traditional suburban office structures, large industrial/distribution/
the Corridor’s largest employers warehousing facilities, and “flex space,” which constitutes a mix of
office, industrial, and warehouse space. These flex spaces, which are
leasing at rates similar to traditional office spaces despite far fewer
finishes, are valued for their ability to accomodate front-office work,
The Corridor light manufacturing, distribution, and other activities all under one roof.
contributes 57%
The Corridor’s walkability is limited, and local workers reported
of Canton’s total a lack of nearby options for dining and retail, often requiring
commercial tax roll. employees to drive to other areas for food and shopping.
The vast majority of workers in the Corridor commute alone by private
Estimated Annual Tax Impact car. In addition to a lack of transportation alternatives, this is also a
of Corridor Properties product of Canton’s limited and highly-competitive housing supply.
Industrial $5.02m Employees’ Wide Search for Housing
Office $2.08m
Canton’s relatively expensive housing prices and low vacancy
Residential $0.94m rate create a situation where most of the Corridor’s workers
Retail $0.58m cannot find attainable housing in Canton. This leaves employees
All Other $0.48m searching for suitable housing choices further from their job – in
turn, creating more vehicle traffic, foregoing potential economic
Canton Assessor, 2019. benefits for the town, and in some cases requiring employers to
bus employees in from other communities. These are important
location factors for most firms; unaddressed, these issues may
curtail the Corridor’s ability to attract and retain jobs in the future.
Approximately Approximately
23,800 11,000
people work in Canton* employed people live in Canton
5% 95% 11% 89%
live in commute from work in commute
Canton elsewhere Canton elsewhere
Boston 8% Boston 29%
Brockton 5% Quincy 4%
Stoughton 3% Norwood 3%
Quincy 3% Cambridge 2%
Randolph 2% Brockton 2%
Weymouth 2% Braintree 2%
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015
*Includes public employees
6Source page 7
Canton’s Economic Engine
Despite a number of high-visibility
commercial vacancies along Route 138,
the Corridor’s occupancy rate has been
consistently above 90 percent in recent years
– strong for the region. Despite its challenges,
businesses see Route 138 in Canton as
a great place to do business, whether
they are small retail shops, locally-owned
contractor companies, or international firms.
The Corridor is unique among many
suburban commercial clusters for its
concentration of high-tech, innovative firms.
International businesses like Siemens,
Johnson Controls, and Organogenesis are
opening new frontiers in their respective
fields with work done in facilities along
Route 138. These firms offer high-paying,
sought-after jobs, and compete for talent
against renowned technology centers
like Cambridge’s Kendall Square and
Boston’s Seaport District. Competing
with these more walkable, mixed-use, These and other Route 138 firms compete for talent with
transit-connected clusters - increasingly Greater Boston’s most in-demand tech clusters.
the preference of today’s younger
workforce - will be key to retaining
these businesses in the long-term, and
attracting other successful firms to the area.
Canton’s Largest Employment Sectors
347
2-Digit NAICS Codes, Private Primary Jobs
2017 ’10-’17 businesses
Jobs Change in the Corridor
Canton Total 22,735 + 11%
Construction & Building Tech 3,010 + 43%
39
retail
29
wholesale
Wholesale Trade 2,890 + 1%
businesses trade
Management of Companies 2,460 + 28% businesses
Manufacturing 1,930 0%
36
professional
27
finance &
Finance & Insurance 1,840 + 1%
services insurance
Health Care 1,820 + 19% businesses businesses
Prof., Scientific, & Tech Services 1,770 + 53%
33
construction
23
manufacturing
Administrative Services 1,170 + 4% businesses businesses
Educational Services 1,020 (1%)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Workforce & Labor Development
ESRI Business Summary, 2019
7Source page 8
Zoning & Regulatory Challenges
As one of the town’s primary commercial
and industrial activity centers, the Route 138
Corridor is largely zoned for business uses. Eighty
percent of the land area within the study area is
zoned as either Industrial, Limited Industrial, or
Limited Industrial B. The remaining 20 percent
is comprised of a Business zoning district and
several different residential districts mostly situated
at the Corridor’s northern and southern ends.
The Corridor’s current land use patterns mostly
reflect its zoning districts, with relatively little mixing
of uses. In several cases, the requirement of special
permits for certain uses may be deterring the
addition of amenities that residents, businesses,
and workers have said they desire. For example,
restaurants are not allowed by-right in any of the
Corridor’s zoning districts, including its Business
zones. While the Corridor’s thousands of employees
and visitors would likely provide a strong market
for eating establishments, prospective businesses
may be discouraged from opening in the Corridor
due to the additional effort and uncertainty
that comes with a special permit process.
Typically, a community’s “Limited Industrial” district
is more tightly regulated than those in its traditional
“Industrial” district. This is currently not the case in
Canton, where the town’s Limited Industrial districts
are less restrictive than its Industrial district when
it comes to allowing commercial uses like office
and retail. Similarly, Canton’s Light Industrial areas Existing Zoning along Route 138.
allow warehouses by-right, but its Industrial areas
require that warehouses receive a special permit. can induce higher-speed driving, less walking, and generally
diminish an area’s perceived character or “sense of place.”
The Corridor’s physical layout closely reflects the
historic dimensional regulations controlling where The Limited Industrial district that comprises 41
buildings are placed and how they relate to the percent of the Corridor has a minimum lot size of 1.5
area’s streets. Canton’s Business district has the acres, and allows for just 40 percent of each lot to be
most flexible regulations, with no minimum lot size, covered. While this style of industrial zoning is reflective
width, or frontage requirements, and structures can of more traditional industrial businesses and uses, the
cover up to 90 percent of their parcel - dimensions changing nature of American industrial businesses has
more typical of a downtown setting like in led many communities to reconsider these dimensional
Canton Center. However, much of the Business regulations. Even as many of Canton’s firms and
districts’ dimensional flexibility is diminshed by employees express a desire for restaurants, coffee shops,
a requirement that all properties fronting Route and services nearer their facilities, these dimensional
138 must have a 60-foot setback. Large setbacks regulations can make it challenging or impossible to
build additional “outbuildings” on large industrial parcels.
8Source page 9
Lack of No Lack of Parking against Above-ground Buildings set back
landscaping sidewalks branding the road utilities far from street
Route 138 in Canton today is generally defined by large setbacks, parking near the street, a lack of sidewalks, and
other factors that can reduce walkability and diminish the area’s character or “sense of place.”
Landscaped Clearly-marked Buildings closer Signage design Landscaped
pedestrian refuge crosswalks to the street standards frontage
Current best practices, seen here on the similarly-scaled Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington, MA, focus on aesthetics and
safety, with smaller setbacks and parking hidden away from main roads as a means of establishing a “sense of place.”
large setbacks
and acres of
surface parking
define much of the Corridor’s
physical landscape
L: setbacks on Dan Road.
R: setbacks at Route 138 and Pequot Way. The Corridor’s surface parking, in red.
9Source page 10
Recommendations
Land Use & Zoning
To begin addressing the Corridor’s future potential,
the Town should focus early efforts on changing
existing zoning, to encourage the creation of more Create a new Mixed-Use (“MU”)
cohesive districts with appropriate use mixes, zoning district, applied to parcels
improved site design and layout, and parking
regulations that better match today’s standards.
at the northern and southern
gateways to the Corridor.
Goal: encourage a mix of commercial and
residential uses in order to provide the retail and
restaurant amenities employees say the Corridor
lacks, as well as potential locations for workers to
live.
• Mixed-use development should be defined as both
office over first-floor retail/residential space, and
residential over first-floor commercial space
• Establish a square footage threshold for mixed-use
development whereby a project of a certain size
would be allowed by-right, but anything exceeding
the threshold would require a special permit.
• Multi-family housing should be allowed via special
permit.
• Fast food restaurants with a drive-thru should
be minimized, while fast casual and sit-down
restaurants should be allowed by-right up to a
certain size, and by special permit beyond that.
• Other allowable uses should include retail, office,
medical office, breweries, gym/fitness centers,
makerspaces, and co-working spaces, among
others.
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Light manufacturing today is typically
very different than it was when Canton’s
Simplify and clarify the industrial zoning regulations were enacted.
Corridor’s industrial zoning Allowing for light industrial uses by-right
districts by rezoning those in the Corridor’s designated industrial
areas may make it easier for a variety of
parcels to MU or LI. manufacturing businesses to locate in Canton.
Goal: make development of appropriate uses less
difficult, and allow infill with uses that can improve
workers’ and residents’ quality of life.
• Eliminate the base Industrial (I) zoning district, which
very closely resembles the LI and LIB zones.
• Limit heavy manufacturing to the LI district, and allow
light manufacturing by-right in both the LI and LIB
districts.
• Limit fast food with a drive-thru in the LIB district.
Encourage fast casual and sit-down restaurants.
• Consider allowing restaurants by special permit in the LI
district, but allow them by-right in the LIB zone up to a
size threshold.
• Allow professional and medical office uses in the LIB
district; keep them as a special permit use in the LI zone.
• Allow assisted living/independent living facilities only in
the LIB district. Save parcels in the LI zones for industrial
and commercial uses, reducing the risk of use conflicts
over time.
Proposed Dimensional Regulations
Couple zoning district
Existing
changes with Requirement
LI MU LIB LI
adjustments to Minimum Lot Size 1.5 acres 10,000 sf 20,000 sf 65,000 sf
dimensional regulations. Lot Width 200’ 150’ 200’ 200’
Frontage 100’ 100’ 100’ 100’
Goal: encourage a more cohesive and Lot Coverage 40% 70% 50% 40%
visually inviting development pattern
for the Corridor, while improving Front Setback 60’ 25’ 60’ 30’
walkability and establishing gathering Rear Setback 25’ 15’ 25’ 25’
places in the Corridor’s northern and
Side Setback 25’ 10’ 25’ 25’
southern gateway areas.
Height* 40’/4 story 35’/3 story 40’/3 story 52’/4 story
*Increase height in the MU district when parcels are aggregated to an acre or more
11Source page 12
Existing & Proposed Parking Requirements
Consider revising parking Principle Use Current Requirement Proposed Requirement
requirements to match
Detached Dwelling 2 spaces per unit 2 spaces per unit
today’s mobility patterns.
Multi-family Dwelling 2 spaces per unit 1 space per bedroom
Goal: dedicate less of the Corridor’s Hotel/Motel 1 space per room 1 space per room
valuable land to surface parking, Sit-Down Restaurant 1 space per seat 1 space per 3 seats
which spreads out uses, diminishes
walkability, and limits business Fast Food Determined by BoA 1 space per 4 seats
owners’ ability to expand or develop 1 space per 250 sf of ground
Retail floor, + 1 space per 500 sf of 4 spaces per 1,000 sf
outbuildings. upper story space
1 space per 250 sf of ground
Office floor, + 1 space per 500 sf of 3 spaces per 1,000 sf
upper story space
Auto/Gas Determined by BoA Determined by BoA
1 space per 250 sf or 1 per
Industrial 1 space per 1,000 sf
3 employees
Create a shared parking
Mixed-Use Sum of all uses calculation
Reducing unused
parking can leave
space for infill
office, retail, and
flex space.
Improved sidewalks
and consolidated
driveways can
make for more
inviting and safe
communities.
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Revise sign bylaws to incorporate
design standards for free-standing
and building signage.
Goal: create a consistent look for signage along the
Route 138 Corridor that still allows businesses to
advertise, but creates more structured wayfinding in
a more visually-appealing manner.
Examples of signage along the Route 138 Corridor.
Today, the Route 138 Corridor is dominated by
private vehicles and trucks, with a development
pattern that reinforces the necessity to drive.
The lack of multi-modal transportation options
severely limits residents, employees, and visitors
from arriving or getting around by any means other
than an automobile. Throughout the planning
process, participants emphasized the importance
of reducing congestion, improving safety, and
ensuring that people can get around without
having to rely on a car or truck. Integrating a series
of transportation improvements that provide
enhanced mobility options would recognize and
better support the different ways that people move
through the Corridor and throughout Canton.
Both residents and businesses noted the impact that
vehicular traffic congestion has upon the Corridor
and the ability to get employees, customers, and
goods to the area. This congestion and lack of
access management creates safety challenges for
entering and exiting vehicles, as well as vehicles
attempting to make left turns along Route 138.
Fortunately, MassDOT is currently working on
conceptual plans for the stretch of Route 138 from
Milton to Stoughton, including the entirety of this
study area. At this stage in the design process, The Corridor’s lack of transportation alternatives presents serious safety issues.
MassDOT has identified conceptual improvements
that include a center turn lane to ease conflicts with
left-turning vehicles, a new signal at New Boston
Drive, and pedestrian and bicycle improvements
throughout the Corridor.
13Source page 14
Engage with and support ongoing
MassDOT initiatives that aim to improve
the Corridor’s effectiveness for drivers,
pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Goal: make Route 138 a safer, more pleasant place to
walk and bike, while adding infrastructure that relieves
pain points like left turns for drivers.
MassDOT
Above: Early design studies by MassDOT have included shared-use, separated paths for
bicycles and pedestrians along Route 138.
Below: On secondary and feeder streets, on-street bike lanes or shared lane markings can
help bicyclists to feel more comfortable and to encourage bicycle commuting.
Partner with the MBTA and/or Corridor
businesses to examine transit
connectivity solutions - especially to
Canton’s two MBTA Commuter Rail
stations.
Goal: provide realistic and competitive commute
alternatives to driving alone.
Potential long-term locations for expanded MBTA bus
service and/or public/private shuttle service
14Source page 15
Examine opportunities for a potential
trail network that links greenspaces
and offers east-west connectivity.
Goal: give workers and residents pleasant places to
walk, enjoy the area’s natural amenities, and connect
to Canton’s western half - potentially expanding
commuting options.
Identity & Business Recruitment
One of the largest challenges for the Corridor and
for Canton overall is that it lacks an entity tasked
with economic development and promoting the
Route 138 Corridor to prospective businesses. The
Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI)
and the town-sanctioned Economic Development
Committee (EDC) do a commendable job of filling
Potential future pedestrian and trail amenities
in some of these gaps and serving as conveners of
the local business community. The dedication of the
volunteers who make CABI and the EDC successful Consider expanding the Town’s
organizations cannot be understated - but they capacity to take on economic
remain member-driven, volunteer organizations,
responsible for fulfilling a wide range of economic development and marketing tasks.
development, networking, and recruiting tasks.
Goal: grow the Town’s ability to represent and
The Town would benefit greatly from having an
internally-staffed position or organization to both
advocate for its business community beyond the
market Canton and promote its unique identity to Economic Development Committee (EDC) and the
prospective businesses, and to make sure existing critical yet volunteer-led Canton Association of
businesses feel heard and supported by Town staff. Business and Industry (CABI).
Build relationships that connect the Corridor’s existing businesses, and
work with regional partners to ensure that Route 138 in Canton is known as
a great place to do business.
• Work with CABI to develop a comprehensive list of businesses and company points of contact. This list could be
used for outreach, marketing, or to invite business leaders to events in town.
• Convene recurring industry roundtables to better understand the needs that different types of businesses have,
where they may be experiencing challenges, and ways the Town could strengthen efforts to parter with the
business community.
• Ensure that relationships with existing economic development organizations like the Neponset River Regional
Chamber or the Massachusetts Office of Business Development are active, and that opportunities in Canton are
being promoted to prospective businesses.
• Boost Canton’s regional and national presence by joining a trade organization, attending trade shows, or
advertising in trade publications.
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