Committee recommends ordinance requiring landlords to notify tenants of parking-permit restrictions near transit

The Somerville Legislative Matters Committee on Sept. 30 recommended an ordinance amendment that would require property owners to notify prospective tenants, before they sign a lease or buy a unit, when a unit is ineligible for a residential parking permit because it is in a transit area.

Jackie Stegneri, project manager in the Parking Department, explained the change is intended to close an enforcement and disclosure gap between projects that received discretionary approvals (special permits) and those built "by right," which currently lack a uniform enforcement mechanism to ensure tenants receive notice. "The goal of this ordinance is to strengthen the advertisement and notification requirements for these property owners and to close the existing loophole and give us the ability to enforce this restriction, for all projects equally," Stegneri said. She said the ordinance would require a standardized, department-prescribed notice form approved by Parking and Inspectional Services.

Under the city’s zoning rules adopted in 2019, new residential developments within a half-mile of a transit station may be ineligible for on-street residential parking permits unless the property is zoned NR (neighborhood residential). Stegneri told the committee the proposed ordinance would ensure that tenants receive consistent written notice regardless of whether a project was approved by special permit or permitted by right.

Legislative analyst Pamela Salisbury identified a drafting-style edit to the ordinance preamble to prevent an unintended reading that would replace an entire code table rather than insert the new language; the committee accepted an amendment replacing "as follows" with "by inserting the following." City Solicitor Celeste Amara confirmed staff will continue to refine language to ensure enforceability and standardized forms.

The committee voted by roll call to adopt the drafting amendment and then to recommend the ordinance amendment to the full council for enrollment and ordainment. The change, if approved by the full council, would require departments to produce the approved tenant-notification form and incorporate it into permitting, and give staff an enforcement mechanism beyond certified letters for by-right projects.