Medford committee reviews first draft of West Medford Square zoning, no vote taken

Medford City Council Planning & Permitting Committee members on April 9 reviewed the first draft of a West Medford Square zoning proposal from consulting firm Innis Associates, a step in a citywide rezoning effort intended to increase housing capacity and better align ground‑floor commercial uses with transit nodes. The meeting was held in the City Council chamber at Medford City Hall and by Zoom; no votes were taken on the draft.

"This is the very first time that we'll be reviewing a draft proposal for the West Medford zoning proposal," said President Bares as he opened the agenda item, framing the presentation as an early step in a longer process. Innis Associates senior urban designer Paula Ramos Martinez told the committee the materials were preliminary and that the consultant team was seeking comments from councilors, staff and the public to refine the plan.

The draft would expand mixed‑use zoning near the West Medford commuter‑rail stop and along the rail corridor. Under the proposal shown April 9, the city would use the mixed‑use categories applied elsewhere in Medford: Mixed Use 2A (four stories by right, plus two additional stories under incentive zoning) and Mixed Use 2B (six stories by right, plus two with incentives). In residential areas adjacent to the square the draft applies Urban Residential 2 (four stories by right) to create a stepped transition from the square into surrounding neighborhoods.

Paula Ramos Martinez (Senior Urban Designer and Planner, Innis Associates) cautioned the committee that…