Somerville adds stormwater and tree-ordinance reviews to planning workplan

At its Oct. 8 meeting the Somerville Planning Board added two items — a review of the town's stormwater ordinance and a proposed tree ordinance — to the planning workplan and asked staff for a comparative analysis showing what must change to comply with recent state stormwater rules.

Staff member Mike (first introduced during the discussion) told the board that the state's updated stormwater regulations now include tree requirements, which prompted the local conversation about a standalone tree ordinance. The board asked staff to produce a side-by-side comparison of current local ordinances and the state mandates so the full planning board can consider mandated versus optional elements.

Board members and staff also reviewed scheduling constraints. Members said holidays and existing public hearings limit the number of meetings left this year and that legal noticing requirements for council review could delay efforts if items are not timed carefully. Staff said it would circulate a two-page project list and requested member feedback within about a week to help set realistic target dates.

The board did not adopt ordinance language at the meeting. Members directed staff to return with the requested comparisons and a proposed timeline that accounts for noticing and council review, so the board can draft recommendations at subsequent meetings.