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Design Review Board: approvals for signs and small projects; Sawmill Crossing preliminary denied
Summary
The Somerville Design Review Board approved two monument signs, a mail kiosk and a small storefront addition, and approved final plans for a medical facility with conditions. The board denied preliminary approval for the 42‑unit Sawmill Crossing apartment project and deferred final action on a large multi‑building residential proposal.
The Town of Somerville Design Review Board on April 24 approved several smaller projects and issued a denial of preliminary approval for a large multifamily proposal.
At the meeting the board voted to allow two monument signs and associated landscaping at a Bank of America branch, and approved a mail‑kiosk structure at the Pineland Preserve amenity center. Members also granted final approval with conditions for a small addition at 314 West Fourth North and for the MUSC Somerville medical facility, with staff review of specific materials and canopy/lighting adjustments.
The board declined to grant preliminary approval for Sawmill Crossing, a proposed 42‑unit apartment building at 615 North Cedar Street. Board members said the proposal’s height, massing and lack of usable open space did not fit the immediate neighborhood and the town’s form‑based expectations. The motion to deny preliminary approval passed on a voice vote.
Other items returned direction or deferment. The board provided conceptual feedback to several commercial proposals — including preliminary elevations for a Huntington Bank outparcel at Sawmill Center, a proposed Sphinx convenience store on Hudson Drive, and a Coastal Suds laundromat on Ladson Road — and asked applicants to revise materials, rooflines and landscaping to better match Somerville’s Lowcountry character.
The board’s actions were largely unanimous on the items voted. Staff will track follow‑up conditions and return items to the board when applicants submit revised plans for preliminary or final review.
