Somerville hears wide public comment on Arts & Innovation rezoning, R&D district and Summer Nova master plan; many call for signed CBA before vote

Somerville city planners and the mayor’s office on March 10 presented four linked zoning amendments intended to create an Arts & Innovation subarea of the Master Plan Development Overlay District, revise rules for arts and creative enterprise uses, establish a new Research & Development (R&D) zoning district, and update laboratory regulations. City staff said the package aims to preserve and expand local arts and climate‑tech clusters while encouraging new job growth and civic space.

Nut graf: The public hearing drew large in‑person and remote turnout with a wide mix of views. Many artists, arts organizations and neighborhood advocates said they broadly support the proposal’s goals but repeatedly urged that a negotiated community benefits agreement (CBA) and a project labor agreement (PLA) be finalized before council votes on the zoning. Others—developers, business groups and many residents—argued the overlay would bring jobs, civic spaces and new arts facilities and asked for zoning changes to proceed alongside continuing CBA talks.

Tom Gallagani, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, introduced the package as the outcome of “several years and several streams of community engagement,” and said staff had worked with neighborhood groups and property owners to craft changes aimed at protecting arts uses while allowing innovation uses to grow. Director of Planning Dan Bartman and planner Steve Carey walked the committee through three principal…