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Somerville Land Use Committee hears case for taller, lower‑carbon “mass timber” housing
Summary
A Somerville resident presented mass timber and Type IV construction to the Land Use Committee, highlighting faster construction, lower embodied carbon and potential to fill a ‘missing middle’ of housing density; councilors asked staff to study zoning options and the committee marked the item work complete.
Somerville City Council’s Land Use Committee on Oct. 21 heard a presentation on “mass timber” (Type IV) construction and how recent changes to the Massachusetts building code could allow taller, denser wood‑based buildings that the presenter said reduce embodied carbon and speed construction.
Gavin Robb, a member of Somerville YIMBY, told the committee that Type IV describes a building‑code construction category for large engineered wood panels, beams and columns. “The structure is the finish, and as you can see, it’s a natural material, it’s a beautiful material,” Robb said, arguing the technology can produce high‑quality, dense infill housing with lower…
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