East Street Corridor Plan

Plan Overview

The Town of Dedham seeks to undertake a community visioning process for East Street, which serves as a key thoroughfare for cross-town connections and access to Route 128/I95 and two MBTA Commuter Rail stations. The subject area for the East Street Corridor Plan stretches from the Endicott Rotary south to Route 128 at the Westwood town line. To achieve a future vision for East Street, zoning recommendations and design guidelines will be developed to promote the types of improvements desired in the corridor, based on input from the public and a community advisory committee appointed by the Planning Board.


Birdseye view of East Street looking southBirdseye view of East Street looking south


Background

The Town’s “Designing Dedham 2035 Master Plan” recommended initiating neighborhood plans to inform any zoning updates deemed necessary due to the rising demand for development in the Greater Boston area. To get ahead of redevelopment potential along East Street, the Town seeks to create a plan to promote future economic growth and address the Town’s housing needs, while ensuring a stable commercial tax base and preserving neighborhood character. The Town recently completed the Bridge Street Corridor Plan in 2024, and similarly an East Street Corridor Plan would seek to develop a future vision for East Street.



Birdseye view of East Street looking southwestBirdseye view of East Street looking southwest


Scope of Work

The Town will embark on a community planning process by hiring a consultant team to work with Planning and Zoning staff and a 9-member Advisory Committee. The plan will include an analysis of existing conditions and zoning and a comprehensive public engagement process. The result of the plan will be zoning recommendations and design guidelines submitted to the Planning Board for consideration. The Advisory Committee will be comprised of elected officials and six (6) Town of Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners, appointed by the Planning Board. The project is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2027.



Birdseye view of East Street looking northeast, Boston skyline in backgroundBirdseye view of East Street looking northeast, Boston skyline in background


Plan Overview

The Town of Dedham seeks to undertake a community visioning process for East Street, which serves as a key thoroughfare for cross-town connections and access to Route 128/I95 and two MBTA Commuter Rail stations. The subject area for the East Street Corridor Plan stretches from the Endicott Rotary south to Route 128 at the Westwood town line. To achieve a future vision for East Street, zoning recommendations and design guidelines will be developed to promote the types of improvements desired in the corridor, based on input from the public and a community advisory committee appointed by the Planning Board.


Birdseye view of East Street looking southBirdseye view of East Street looking south


Background

The Town’s “Designing Dedham 2035 Master Plan” recommended initiating neighborhood plans to inform any zoning updates deemed necessary due to the rising demand for development in the Greater Boston area. To get ahead of redevelopment potential along East Street, the Town seeks to create a plan to promote future economic growth and address the Town’s housing needs, while ensuring a stable commercial tax base and preserving neighborhood character. The Town recently completed the Bridge Street Corridor Plan in 2024, and similarly an East Street Corridor Plan would seek to develop a future vision for East Street.



Birdseye view of East Street looking southwestBirdseye view of East Street looking southwest


Scope of Work

The Town will embark on a community planning process by hiring a consultant team to work with Planning and Zoning staff and a 9-member Advisory Committee. The plan will include an analysis of existing conditions and zoning and a comprehensive public engagement process. The result of the plan will be zoning recommendations and design guidelines submitted to the Planning Board for consideration. The Advisory Committee will be comprised of elected officials and six (6) Town of Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners, appointed by the Planning Board. The project is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2027.



Birdseye view of East Street looking northeast, Boston skyline in backgroundBirdseye view of East Street looking northeast, Boston skyline in background


  • Help Create the Roadmap for East Street Corridor

    The Town of Dedham’s Planning Board is seeking applications for interested Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners to serve on the East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee. The Committee will collaborate with a consultant team, the Planning Board and the Planning & Zoning Division to develop a roadmap for the future growth of the southernmost portion of East Street, from the Endicott rotary to Route 128/I-95 at the Westwood line. The committee will help the Town determine the attributes worth preserving or changing along the corridor.

    Advisory Committee Positions

    The East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee will be

    The Town of Dedham’s Planning Board is seeking applications for interested Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners to serve on the East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee. The Committee will collaborate with a consultant team, the Planning Board and the Planning & Zoning Division to develop a roadmap for the future growth of the southernmost portion of East Street, from the Endicott rotary to Route 128/I-95 at the Westwood line. The committee will help the Town determine the attributes worth preserving or changing along the corridor.

    Advisory Committee Positions

    The East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee will be comprised of nine members:

    • One member of the Select Board;
    • One member of the Planning Board;
    • One member of the Zoning Board of Appeals; and
    • Six (6) Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners, appointed by the Planning Board.

    Committee Responsibilities & Expectations

    The Advisory Committee’s duration is anticipated to last from late 2026 through Summer 2027. The committee will dissolve once a final report, including findings and recommendations, is provided to the Planning Board for their review and consideration.

    Those selected to serve on the Committee are expected to:

    • Attend an estimated five (5) committee meetings during weekday evenings
    • Provide input and guidance throughout the process
    • Facilitate and encourage public participation in the planning process

    How to Apply

    Any person who desires to be considered for appointment to this committee must respond by Friday, October 16, 2026 at 1 PM. Interested persons shall send a letter and/or resume to Planning and Zoning Office Manager Ariel Jacobs via email: ajacobs@dedhamma.gov. The letter should include reasons for interest in and qualifications for the position. Applicants must be available for interviews at the Planning Board meeting of October 28, 2026 at 6 PM.

  • Town Receives State Grant for East Street Corridor Plan

    The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced that the Town of Dedham was awarded a $50,000 Planning Assistance Grant through the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to begin work on the upcoming East Street Corridor Plan, a community visioning process for the southernmost stretch of East Street (from the Endicott Rotary to the Westwood town line). The plan will help the Town determine the zoning attributes worth preserving or changing along the corridor.

    East Street serves as a key thoroughfare for cross-town connections, including access to Route 128/I-95 and two MBTA Commuter Rail stations. To achieve a vision for

    The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced that the Town of Dedham was awarded a $50,000 Planning Assistance Grant through the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to begin work on the upcoming East Street Corridor Plan, a community visioning process for the southernmost stretch of East Street (from the Endicott Rotary to the Westwood town line). The plan will help the Town determine the zoning attributes worth preserving or changing along the corridor.

    East Street serves as a key thoroughfare for cross-town connections, including access to Route 128/I-95 and two MBTA Commuter Rail stations. To achieve a vision for the future of East Street, zoning recommendations and design guidelines will be developed based on input from the public and a community advisory committee. The East Street Corridor Plan seeks to mirror the Bridge Street Corridor Plan that was completed in 2024.

    This fall, the Planning Board will hire a consultant team to start the project and will appoint a nine-member East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee. The plan will include an analysis of existing conditions and a public engagement process, with the final draft to be submitted to the Planning Board for consideration. The Planning Board then has the opportunity to endorse the plan and potentially sponsor any zoning amendments based on recommendations that may come out of the plan, like they did at the Spring 2025 Town Meeting with the recommendations for Bridge Street.

    The Advisory Committee will be comprised of elected officials and six (6) Dedham residents, students, business owners, and/or property owners, appointed by the Planning Board. Further information about applying to serve on the East Street Corridor Plan Advisory Committee will be shared in the coming weeks. The project is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2027.

    For more information and to follow updates on the East Street Corridor Plan, visit: beheard.dedhamma.gov/east-street-corridor-plan

    About Mass EEA Planning Assistance Grants

    Planning Assistance Grants are part of the Commonwealth’s effort to encourage municipalities to implement land use regulations that are consistent with land conservation and development objectives including reduction of land, energy, and natural resource consumption, provision of sufficient and diverse housing, and mitigation of/preparation for climate change.

    For more information on the Community Planning Grant Program, visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/environment-climate-one-stop-eco-one-stop-grants-catalogue#eco-one-stop-overview.

Page last updated: 24 Sep 2026, 03:22 PM