Somerville Voices

East Somerville residents deserve the dream of a better community. Let’s talk together about what costs and benefits the new development will bring to our community and to East Somerville residents.

Sustainable Somerville — a nascent network of community organizations working to make/keep Somerville a great place to live, work, and play — is sponsoring a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt at ArtBeat (Saturday, July 19th in Davis Square), to show how the common thread of sustainability connects the work of the

On Monday, I went to the Union Square rezoning meeting held at Somerville High. I took my laptop with me and took the following “live blog” notes. The slides and maps are available on the city website.

Today, 2 residents from the Community Access Project of Somerville (CAPS) took their digital levels and measuring tapes and perambulated down Holland Street. We checked both sides of the sidewalk, from Winter Street to the Traffic and Parking Building (133 Holland St.) and then went back to Davis Square via the other side

Please join us for this important AHOC meeting as we discuss our leadership, prepare for the Union Square meeting Zoning on June 24th, plan for a busy summer in the green line corridor and get updates on the Condo ordinance!

Federal Realty Investment Trust will present development plans, and the exchange of a parcel currently owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a slightly larger strip along the river which FRIT will develop into DCR parkland. FRIT will also discuss access to Draw 7 Park, and proposals for easements. Legislation to accomplish the land swap is currently before the legislature. Community members are invited to learn about the process and plans for community investment and mitigation. There will be a chance to ask questions and raise concerns.

This community meeting on the Mystic River Reservation Master Plan will include a presentation of the Draft Master Plan, followed by smaller group discussions on specific topics, including: Open Space and Recreation Programming, Conservation Plans, Pathways, and River and Riverfront Access.

For those of you who may not know, Governor Patrick filed the environmental bond bill (H.4446) this past December. Open space for outdoor recreation (as we all know) is extremely limited in Somerville. These funds can be used to develop Foss Park into the Urban Oasis we so desperately need in Somerville. There is tremendous potential to significantly upgrade the park for all who utilize the area. We must maximize this critical moment by taking advantage of these opportunities.

The city is holding a Community Meeting on the latest proposal for Zoning in Union Square on Tuesday, June 24th, at 6 PM at the Somerville High School auditorium.

Having the Green Line go to Route 16 will also serve Somerville residents so STEP hopes that you will support the goals of Green Line advocates in Somerville and Medford by signing the petition for the terminal stop at Route 16.  There are some Medford residents who opposed this location for the end of the line and want to end it the stop to be built  near Tufts.  Take a minute and sign the petition on line.…

Fred Berman and Bill Bumpus host a program called “Progressive Voices” on Somerville Community Access Television. I thought this might be a good program for folks to view if they want more info about the Green Line Expansion Project. Their guest is Ellen Reisner from STEP (Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership. She brings with her a lot of info about the project and its ramifications for our fine city.

In the ordinary course of business, one notices accessible route problems throughout Union Square’s Somerville Reconstruction Project area. During construction, it is very important for the City to maintain continuous, unobstructed, level and safe sidewalks, as well as safe curbcuts and walkways for everyone.

April 14, is the last day the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will accept public comments on how to improve the proposed Assembly Square IKEA, and lessen its impact on the public’s right to freely travel to and enjoy our Mystic River waterfront.

It isn’t often that the words “surplus” and “parking” are associated with Davis Square. But the request currently before the Board of Alderman to declare three municipal parking lots surplus property in our hippest square does that as well as bring up the long simmering, but little acknowledged question of responsible management of city owned real estate.…