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Somerville to use $50,000 state grant for study of zoning incentives tied to fossil-fuel-free ordinance
Summary
The mayor requested and the Finance Committee recommended accepting a $50,000 EEA grant to fund a zoning-incentives study to support compliance with Somerville's fossil fuel free ordinance; the committee recommended approval for forwarding.
The Somerville Finance Committee on Sept. 23 recommended accepting and expanding a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and Environment for a study of zoning incentives to increase compliance with the city's fossil fuel free ordinance.
Director Christine Blaise told the committee the city had originally applied for $75,000 but was awarded $50,000 after the state delayed its response for almost a year. The city used a request-for-proposals process and contracted in February with consultants including VHB and AutoCASE for the project.
Blaise said the study will produce recommendations for zoning amendments and incentives backed by a financial analysis, multiple focus groups, and outreach, including consultations with utilities. The stated aim is to reduce the number of variance requests from the city's fossil fuel free ordinance—adopted by the council in November 2023—and to identify approaches to oversize transformers in new developments and create community benefits in buildings pursuing electrification.
Committee members asked no substantive follow-up questions about the grant and laid the item on the table to recommend approval.
The committee recommended the acceptance of the grant; the item will be forwarded for formal acceptance and any required mayoral/council approvals.
