Seattle Street in Allston could get 43 affordable condos, a woonerf and edible plantings

A developer has filed plans for a three-story, three-building condo development at 65-79 Seattle St. that would include things most Boston projects don't get, including plantings that will include nut trees and a "woonerf" - a sort of combination plaza, driveway and shaded area that is popular in the Netherlands and which could ultimately be connected to a local "greenway" path once Harvard finishes its own research campus nearby.

In its filing with the Boston Planning Department, Urbanica says half the units will be sold to people making no more than 80% of the Boston area median income, with the other half sold to people making no more than 100% of that amount.

The proposal for the one-acre site calls for 31 two-bedroom units, 7 one-bedroom units and 5 three-bedroom units, along with 24 parking spaces.

Urbanica says that unlike most other recent proposals, which have but a single entrance for each building, ground-floor units will have doors opening onto the woonerf, to encourage the sort of stoop life that was once a key part of the urban scene in dense cities like Boston.

And, the company continued, unlike most other proposals, in which buildings are set as close as possible to the existing sidewalks, the complex, which will stretch to Windom Street, will be pulled back far enough to create a green space around the site, which, coupled with planned rooftop plantings and a " green wall system," both visible from the street, will create "a layer of calming greenery and attractive plantings for the enjoyment of the local residents."

The Project is influenced by the existing architectural characters of the surrounding homes. The design is conceived as a small village, with three (3) separate buildings, connected through an internal street and pedestrian walkways, and capped at three (3) stories to be in proportion with abutting homes. The proposed buildings will present a familiar yet modern face to the neighborhood and unify the street - scape at every vantage point.

In addition, the buildings will be constructed in compliance with the Stretch Code, use PassivHaus principles, and meet LEED Gold certifiable requirements. The combination of a high level of energy efficiency and sustainable construction strategies will keep the units affordable to live in over the long term, and continue to advance ecologically responsible development models.

The units will not have gas hookups and will use heat pumps for heating, air conditioning and hot water; the buildings will have solar panels on the roofs.

Street view, looking into the woonerf:

65-79 Seattle St. filings and meeting/comment schedule.