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Land use committee backs rezoning of Medford Street parcels for 100% affordable housing
Summary
The Somerville City Land Use Committee voted to recommend rezoning two Medford Street parcels and one Walnut Street parcel to a denser mid-rise category to allow a proposed 100% affordable housing project; a councilor recused themself from discussion because of a role with the Somerville Community Land Trust.
The Land Use Committee recommended approval on May 1 of a zoning map amendment to change the zoning for 295–297 Medford Street and 93 Walnut Street from Mid‑Rise 3 to Mid‑Rise 4 to accommodate a proposed affordable housing project.
A committee member announced a recusal on the item and left the meeting, citing a volunteer position with the Somerville Community Land Trust and noting the trust is a party to a proposed project on the site. The clerk then read the petition (Item 9, 25‑0269) and the committee received no substantive public debate before a motion to approve was made.
Committee discussion was brief. A committee member described the site as "literally a hole in the ground" and said they were "elated to know that this is gonna be a 100% affordable housing development, by public transit." That member moved to approve the amendment; Councilor Wilson was recorded as the mover. The roll call recorded three votes in favor and no recorded oppositions; the motion was recommended to be approved and will proceed to the full council for final action.
Why it matters: the change would raise the allowed density at a transit‑served site and — according to testimony on the record — enable an all‑affordable housing proposal on a parcel that advocates said has been stalled for years. The committee recorded a formal recusal and limited discussion, so remaining approvals required before construction are expected to include planning‑board level and permitting steps for any development that follows adoption of the zoning change.
What happens next: as with other zoning map amendments, the committee recommendation will be forwarded to the full Somerville City Council for a final vote. If the council adopts the rezoning, subsequent permitting and any master‑plan or site‑plan approvals required for a multi‑building development would follow.
