[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6536749,"mediaKeyId","3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb","parentId",3690027,"title","Land use committee advances three citywide use changes tied to Summer Nova; master-plan overlay and mobility controls remain under review","audioSeconds",1744,"startMs",2704000,"endMs",960000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb&start=2704&end=960","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb/thumbnail_2704000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6536749/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Land-use-committee-advances-three-citywide-use-changes-tied-to-Summer-Nova-master-plan-overlay-and-mobility-controls-remain-under-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536749-6c55d0d8bdc58bbcc2f77e963fb4c3d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165783&Signature=CVX64rWFBnNZAF43YJuri-jwWBvGhtlq0KX7AUZ4tuY~TwAxRH5bl8iX~0Xyy8D7RZ6eKTK30lT~PteEcHCE1590JcJscKUx9BddOIGjvUiPCmj5yHGv8sq0fO4iqbsZ-Nh9RA4DxIv8x2~kk8lZKuHR9kz4H0ZZMUIX7BiWT5C-vGhHiulEGER67oLzZuNRLkWihHdJkcyUI1O1QUZUQKWmIdP5ymK43RYaVaVweKsrHkYfrEvHnaOHf2LWmjN7ckkR5T7tS~QtHlcgwPjRndago9jP4~GlBayQYLGY5WrX9fX0ik89g9cCvczu7Jsf9u4hcx0HxYzi6i7REMb5Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Somerville City, MA","date","2025-06-06T12:06:00Z","article","A joint hearing of the Somerville City Land Use Committee and the Planning Board on June 11 recommended approval of three zoning-use changes related to the proposed Summer Nova redevelopment, while leaving the project's arts-and-innovation master-plan overlay for further review.

The committee voted, by roll call, to recommend approval of: (1) a citywide amendment to arts and creative enterprise (ACE) categories; (2) a new Research & Development (R&D) base zoning district meant to replace or supplement the existing Fabrication district for certain parcels; and (3) revised laboratory-use definitions and regulations. Votes on each item were recorded as unanimous (5-0) in committee and will be considered by the full council as part of the broader process.

Why it matters: Those three use-level changes would alter what kinds of businesses and activities are allowed by right (or by permit) across parts of Somerville, and are linked to larger master-plan proposals for the Summer Nova campus in Union Square. Committee discussion focused heavily on transportation and parking safeguards built into the overlay proposal and the community benefits agreement (CBA) negotiated with local neighborhood groups.

Planning staff and mobility experts told the committee the R&D zoning was drafted in part to respond to risk assessments about laboratory uses and to preserve a path for existing tech / lab tenants while keeping some manufacturing- and arts-related uses in place. Director-level staff noted the R&D district keeps the same scale limits as the Fabrication district (four stories, 60 feet) but changes the permitted uses and increases the required ACE space from 5% to 10% on redevelopment.

Mobility and monitoring: The proposal for the Arts & Innovation subarea that remains under discussion would allow taller buildings and a different site plan than the base R&D/Fabrication districts. As presented to the committee, the overlay includes a city-negotiated package of mobility controls and reporting requirements the proponent agreed to in the CBA. Key elements described to the committee include:
- A parking cap inside the overlay (7 50 total spaces across the master plan) and a requirement that planning board approval use a staff-prepared parking demand model to determine how much parking should actually be built;
- Mobility management and monitoring tied to permitting: initial mode-share targets would allow up to 40% of site trips to be by automobile at opening, but require a drop to a 25% automobile mode share for residents and employees by two years of occupancy; monthly commercial-parking utilization reporting, monthly pickup/drop-off and delivery reporting, and quarterly resident/employee travel surveys were described as part of the enforcement package;
- Permit controls that allow the planning board to impose conditions, reprogram or limit use of parking facilities, and deny or refuse master-plan approval if consistency and required findings are not met.

Representatives for the Summer Nova development told the committee the parking number reflects tenant needs and lender expectations but said the proponent will work with city staff on demand-modeling and that the ultimate number built can be reduced through project-phasing and later permitting. Russell Preston (Summer Nova) described the mobility package as \"a very rigorous and comprehensive mobility set of mobility requirements\" and said the team plans to use shuttles, transit passes, bike programs, childcare on site and other measures to reduce drive-alone trips.

The committee also received notice that the Union Square Neighborhood Council provisionally reported a CBA vote tally of 2,208 ballots cast with 71% supporting the agreement. The committee did not take a vote on the overlay master-plan special permit or on the Summer Nova subarea itself; those are expected to return for further review and would require additional planning-board and council actions.

What comes next: Because the R&D district and the ACE and lab-use amendments are citywide code changes, the committee forwarded all three to the full council with a recommendation for approval. The overlay and master-plan level approvals (the site-specific items that allow taller buildings and the block-by-block plan) remain in active discussion; the planning board has a central gatekeeping role for master-plan special permits and can deny a master plan if the board finds it is not consistent with required findings. Mobility staff told the committee changes to signal timing, parking pricing, or other city-level capital improvements could be part of mitigation if monitoring identifies problems.

Ending: Committee members said they planned additional community outreach and follow-up on mobility details before the council acts on the overlay. The use changes approved in committee will move on to the full council agenda, while the overlay master-plan and several related site-specific zoning questions remain to be resolved in subsequent hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Somerville City, MA - Land Use - 2025-06-05 - Jun 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A joint hearing of the Somerville City Land Use Committee and the Planning Board on June 11 recommended approval of three zoning-use changes related to the proposed Summer Nova redevelopment, while leaving the project's arts-and-innovation master-plan overlay for further review.","taxTitle","Somerville City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4564,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536736,"Committee discusses citizen petition on dormer rules; staff signals a fall rewrite and item remains in committee",492,1258000,1750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb&start=1258&end=1750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb/thumbnail_1258000.jpg","/articles/6536736/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-discusses-citizen-petition-on-dormer-rules-staff-signals-a-fall-rewrite-and-item-remains-in-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536736-dd0a969b69eac1a3ca5d0cd579d071f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165783&Signature=ahd1ozeAjLMcTyb2m3nWV~ExaoTzQqLrSTzdJQHe3n4tQLu84GKFcE3MkKquSGHA3ZqAGQRj01s8PTuNfu~OX0wVmQJzWTy1ArOtWsoeHmyECdyQKEOEXlaf~wNOs26T~9w5GAk6oNKL2d34AT8Gif0F0bFAeCzlD~7QMW4iHuLKeNUQo8voIzLqYAVWqNncjB1Tu1UaTnpmBodCA5rNb19sfwEORC2oBz1y5im-T2dNoI5K4a0BplN~gxr5rm~AQr5fnHHX2cOi8bt75n1tc8OPsKAM5FR5kPIfl7uWCiQ~7YbsORoHHyEMiA-7idOVfu1OI~MR9g-IRRCkKQRqZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A citizen petition to amend multiple zoning sections covering dormers and roof forms drew an extended discussion on June 11. The petition would change definitions and dimensional rules in numerous sections of the zoning ordinance so it is easier to add dormers and modify roof forms across residential neighborhoods.

Planning department position: Director Bartman (planning) told the committee the department sympathizes with the petition's goal of making it easier for homeowners to add living space, but staff does not support the petition in its present form because of concerns about preserving neighborhood character and preventing the types of \"mutant\" or out-of-context buildings the 2019 zoning overhaul was intended to address. Bartman said the department has learned from five years of implementing the residential NR/UR standards and has budgeted a staff project in the coming fiscal year to review building-component dimensions (dormers, porches, stepbacks) and work with the community on updated standards.

Public input and next steps: Proponents (including representatives of Somerville YIMBY) argued the petition would ease construction and allow homeowners to add space without special permitting; opponents and planning staff cited concerns about citywide impacts and urged a public engagement process that includes open houses and targeted outreach. Several councilors asked staff to meet with proponents and the planning board. Staff said the department intends to budget and begin a comprehensive review of these building components in the fall and to engage the proponents then; the committee left the petition in committee pending that work.

Ending: No vote was taken; the item remains in committee with staff-suggested follow-up engagement and planned code review in the coming months.","A citizen-initiated zoning petition seeking changes to dormer and roof-form standards prompted detailed debate. Planning staff said they share the goal of easing construction but are not ready to endorse the petition's current form; staff said a broader code review of building components is budgeted for the fall.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536740,"Committee discharges means-of-egress zoning amendment without recommendation after procedural questions; deadline set for council action",845,1183000,2028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb&start=1183&end=2028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb/thumbnail_1183000.jpg","/articles/6536740/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-discharges-means-of-egress-zoning-amendment-without-recommendation-after-procedural-questions-deadline-set-for-council-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536740-ab43f4cc6bea492349dbddb103ca0f7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165783&Signature=OA7sQ24nxECnpZjIx2tpbt84s1HL~QqXYZpgkv8JApR8xD6hxYIZf0ZGAJFe1lukLd6jGRsVm6tIn8~olC9y3JhYAM~NmhWMvREkR3-R3ceqqjo-WMxfn3wvKkLiJYRNRl~0p2rEwbwgf~kt~I8HlkC6jIOSEbr0Ztf-vSqSzK~6lR5dRX-lg5mK0sE2j9UvZdn7ByI1FyvDq3L9bzrSnLq6k~QNkW~eOOcUfhVqsS4VNfRjeufahdu0eaYI704p-Vhg4nilp46yCczSNIJdEjTAdi~Wo7Kt1De6rCQcRBV3lCWalxmWG17JOasVUnHCUq6KAgcVJ9Cyku0mLF0mQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee considered a proposed amendment to Article 2 of the zoning ordinance that would allow the building official limited authority to waive certain dimensional standards related to means of egress. Committee members and city building-inspection staff discussed a previously circulated edited version of the text, clarified that the edit adds massing and height to the waiver language, and confirmed staff and clerks had circulated the updated attachment to committee members.

Key concerns and process: Committee members pressed administration staff about where the edited language lived in the meeting attachments and whether the version before the committee was the latest. Several members said they wanted more time to consult an advisory body, the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), which had requested additional input; staff confirmed they had been in contact with the SCPD staff liaison but noted the commission's formal communication deadlines for supplemental materials would require submission before the June 11 public deadline or else the item would not appear on the June 12 council meeting. Staff told the committee the matter would need final council action by July 24.

Outcome: After discussion about timing and outreach, Councilor Wilson moved to discharge the item from committee without recommendation so the full council could consider it at the upcoming council meeting; the committee approved the discharge 5-0 by roll call.

What comes next: Because the item was discharged without a committee recommendation, the city council will consider the updated language at its next meeting. If the SCPD or other stakeholders want to submit supplemental materials after the public deadline for the upcoming meeting, staff warned those submissions would likely delay council consideration until the following council cycle.","An amendment to allow the building official to waive certain dimensional standards for means of egress was taken up and formally discharged by the land use committee without recommendation. Committee members and staff flagged procedural edits and a July 24 council deadline for final action.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536744,"Land use committee recommends updating Somerville zoning references to new federal flood maps",600,81000,681000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb&start=81&end=681","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690027-f77c9580203ff3f82e8ca680a95deafb/thumbnail_81000.jpg","/articles/6536744/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Land-use-committee-recommends-updating-Somerville-zoning-references-to-new-federal-flood-maps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536744-8aec69313c6164afa6150b39ed2c0959/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165783&Signature=dA1lp2Te7Bk7r7Arj~JIK75gto0mtEGWJtoyihN5gyfAP17lYPuqksR9y6ReLZg28J8SxF1ErM0FVM0TVD0bLGgLtjlg0LCOievd-NqWZmKEKNKXmjRrm7JwwUngTmgHRXV6ZJzps4nXHJXtNGtv7kSfqJYmad3uWyA7pSdZC08ZCdIXdczjRdJy99QvkZhH9VzZhJ~RkCPUog-aWSJgxlzOwXUhWyRqKOj05emVTtpStMaRbCnfCgN2QcS2cwbSRjhT7ZaBZPs11Y23Y9p-OLDi36T7o8kMlFdRMbuwyuy3XZF3F7Cs8eJsT3mBr2g0KwnWB-TQsnz2mlWCjajfJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Somerville Land Use Committee and Planning Board on June 11 recommended approval of a zoning text update to Article 8 that aligns local code language with the latest Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs).

City staff described the change as technical but time-sensitive: FEMA periodically updates floodplain maps and local zoning must reference the correct map editions for property owners to qualify for federal flood insurance. Staff told the committee the amendment largely adds or embeds definitions and references currently enforced at the state and federal level. They said the mapped floodplain in Somerville is primarily limited to portions of Assembly Square, Blessing of the Bay Park and the marina area.

Public comment: The planning board held a public hearing; no members of the public raised issues at that hearing. City staff said the amendment was coordinated with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and was intended to preserve residents' eligibility for flood insurance.

Action: Councilor Ewan Kampen moved to recommend approval as amended; committee members voted unanimously by roll call to recommend the replacement language and to recommend approval as amended. The motion carried 5-0 in committee and will move to the full council for final ordainment.

Ending: Staff noted the change was primarily administrative and urged timely council action so homeowners in the affected areas remain able to purchase flood insurance.","The committee recommended approval of an amendment to Article 8 of the zoning ordinance to update references to the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance rate maps so residents remain eligible for flood insurance and the city reflects current FIRM data.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Land use committee advances three citywide use changes tied to Summer Nova; master-plan overlay and mobility controls remain under review

Committee discusses citizen petition on dormer rules; staff signals a fall rewrite and item remains in committee

Committee discharges means-of-egress zoning amendment without recommendation after procedural questions; deadline set for council action

Land use committee recommends updating Somerville zoning references to new federal flood maps