Zoning board approves Home of Somerset administrative move to 8890 West End Avenue with variances

The Somerville Zoning Board on Jan. 21 approved an application by Home of Somerset County to relocate its administrative office to 8890 West End Avenue and granted the variances and waivers needed for the move.

Home of Somerset’s attorney, John Duga, told the board the property is owned by Immaculate Conception Church and that his client is the contract purchaser seeking a D1 use variance, a D4/F variance for pre-existing conditions and multiple bulk variances for lot area, width, frontage, side-yard setback and driveway location. Duga said the applicant may also need a parking variance and is requesting design waivers for street trees, shade trees and curbing due to existing site constraints.

Alyssa Martini, executive director of Home of Somerset County, described the organization as a 501(c)(3) that coordinates emergency shelter through interfaith partners and provides transitional housing and case management. Martini said moving across the driveway to 8890 West End will expand office space from three cramped desks to three private offices, improve privacy and confidentiality for clients, and will not be used to shelter families on-site. "We need to expand staff capacity from three desks in a very small room to three private offices," Martini said.

Martini provided service statistics to the board: 58 families served in the most recent reporting period, 1,348 nights of shelter provided through partner congregations, more than 10,300 meals, and over 4,500 case-management hours. She said Home operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., has three full-time employees at the office location and conducts client services by appointment to minimize traffic.

Neighbor Steve Mick, who owns the adjacent property, said he supports the organization but asked the applicant to install screening, wheel stops or curbing to prevent cars from looping between properties and to address visible exterior maintenance issues such as fallen gutters and damaged siding. "We wish you the best of luck," Mick said, adding he wanted a seam of privacy between the properties.

Applicant witnesses and the engineer, Craig Styers, said the site currently has two parking spaces and an area suitable to be designated as an ADA space; the applicant agreed to stripe and sign the ADA stall and to consider a fence or screening to prevent through-traffic. Styers said the exterior work described is maintenance (gutters, soffits, siding) rather than new construction, and noted existing site lighting for parking and the driveway.

Board and staff questioned the applicants about compliance with conditions tied to prior approvals for properties owned by the church. The applicants said most prior-approval issues relate to a different church property and committed to comply with conditions applicable to 8890 West End, including providing the ADA space, ensuring adequate lighting and addressing exterior maintenance. Counsel and engineer said they would amend and record the existing license agreement that covers parking on the adjoining lot so employee and client parking remain available off-site.

Planning reviewer Mike Cole’s report was discussed at length. Applicant counsel said the applicant would consent to conditions based on Cole’s comments for items located on the subject property but could not accept conditions that required work on third-party properties not under the applicant’s control.

After public comment and board deliberation, a motion to approve the application was made and seconded. Roll-call votes were recorded in favor by Ed Alllet, Robera Carpinets, Morgan McLaclin, Rich O'Neal, Brian Fedimky, John Flores and Eric Alvarez; Stuart Daniels did not cast a vote. The board approved the application subject to standard conditions of approval and compliance with the planning reviewer’s recommendations for work on the subject property.

Next steps for the applicant include finalizing any amended parking license with the adjoining property, updating plans to show the ADA stall and receiving whatever building permits are appropriate; the board noted that certain permits or releases may be processed in parallel with compliance work but that site conditions must be satisfied before final release for occupancy related work.