Somerville news blog city forum massachusetts journal newspaper MA

Development and Zoning Subscribe to this category's feed

Parking, SomerStat and Politics

Posted by Joeb a 6:50 pm on June 21, 2009

In spite of the overwhelming cupidity of the Board of Aldermen, one or more may ask why or how the Mayor connects "access" to higher tickets across the board? ... The obvious conclusion is that he cares nothing about access, and everything about money. While that may be good for his budget, it is at real cost to citizens and businesses, and, ultimately, to the management system that justifies - or rationalizes - that cost.Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, City Finances, Development and Zoning, Government Reform, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 19 Comments »

Future of the PowderHouse Community School

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 8:09 pm on May 13, 2009

As announced in the Somerville Journal : What should happen with the former Powder House Community School?
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane invite all interested community members to a public meeting to discuss the Powder House Community School site at 1060 Broadway. The meeting will take place
Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, City Finances, Development and Zoning, Events, Neighborhoods and Squares, Schools and Youth | No Comments »

Forum on Gentrification and Displacement

Posted by MatanBY a 8:09 pm on May 12, 2009

Forum on Gentrification and Displacement! Thursday, May 14th, 6 PM Elizabeth Peabody House 277 Broadway (at Broadway & Grant Street) Somerville, MA 02145

Gentrification and Displacement: What do they mean?  What

Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Civic Action, Development and Zoning, Economy & Poverty, Events, Housing, Neighborhoods and Squares, Politics | No Comments »

Community Corridor Planning project meeting!

Posted by Jennifer Lawrence a 9:54 pm on April 15, 2009

The Community Corridor Planning Project invites you to attend a meeting on April 29th to learn about and talk with your neighbors about changes that will come about in Somerville and in your neighborhood with the Green Line extensions.… Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares, Transportation | No Comments »

Apr 25th SomerVision economic development open house

Posted by Columbine a 9:11 pm on

Somerville's future - what's in the works? Come find out.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Economy & Poverty, Neighborhoods and Squares, Transportation | No Comments »

SomerVision Open House!

Posted by Jennifer Lawrence a 9:10 pm on

SomerVision City Planning Open House

Saturday, April 25th from 11 am to 2 pm

Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street

The intent of the open house is to provide information to

Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Events, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Somerville’s Multimodal Roadways Planning

Posted by eila a 8:09 pm on April 8, 2009

Thanks to the interdependence of everything, Barry Rafkind's post Keep Big Brother ouf of Somerville has morphed into a discussion about whether or not traffic cameras can induce more folks to obey traffic laws (see comments starting from # 7). I'm saying that, with regards to the specific pedestrian safety issues that Steve Roix has worked gallently to solve, this speaks to a deeper need to create a signal timing plan… Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Keep Big Brother Out of Somerville

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 10:20 pm on April 5, 2009

Dear Chairperson Bill White and distinguished aldermen, I strongly object to the installation of surveillance cameras in public spaces around our city and urge you to request their immediate removal. I believe this surveillance program, which was roundly rejected in Cambridge, MA, violates American ideals of freedom and liberty and the Constitutional right to privacy...Read More.>>

Posted in Civil and Human Rights, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 11 Comments »

Arts at the Armory: Time for a New Approach

Posted by Joeb a 8:30 pm on March 31, 2009

Last Thursday, responding to requests from the Actors Shakespeare Company and Arts at the Armory, I attended the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. Testimony at that hearing was a revelation in several very different - and conflicting - ways.… Read More.>>

Posted in Arts and Culture, Development and Zoning | 2 Comments »

Support the Proposed Condo Conversion Ordinance – Speak Out Now

Posted by fberman a 3:01 am on February 23, 2009

On March 3rd, the Somerville Board of Aldermen will hold its hearing on the proposed Condo Conversion Ordinance. If you are a Somerville homeowner, you know that the Libertarian, Cambridge-based Small Property Owners Association (SPOA) -- which mailed letters to every Somerville homeowner -- is seeking to derail that legislation by disseminating inflammatory and baseless claims about how passage will result in plummeting property values and escalating property taxes.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Government Reform, Housing | 18 Comments »

Union Sq.: Jan. 6 mtg. on open space plan, Jan. 2 deadline for re-zoning testimony

Posted by fberman a 11:37 pm on December 29, 2008

Madeleine Masters, Planning Director with the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development emailed an announcement about the upcoming meeting on the Union Square Open Space and Recreation Plan, which will be held on Tuesday, January 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Hodgkins Curtin Park Renovation Planning Meeting

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 10:01 pm on December 11, 2008

The following message was sent by Stephanie Hirsch to some ResiStat groups today. This is the park bounded by Holland Street, Simpson St., and Paulina St.. Hello ResiStat groups - Please see below for an announcement of a planning meeting regarding Hodgkins Park: Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane invite all interested residents and… Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Keep Union Square Livable

Posted by Alain Jehlen a 11:37 am on December 4, 2008

[Posted for Union Square Neighbors] Union Square Neighbors (USN) is a group of area residents who are concerned with the future of Union Square. We believe that careful planning and a cohesive community vision are critical to the future of the square.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | 9 Comments »

Union Square Hearing–6:30 on Thursday at City Hall

Posted by Adam Rich a 3:49 pm on December 1, 2008

Please join the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee (AHOC) and Save Our Somerville (SOS) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the hearing of the Union Square Zoning Ordinance at City Hall. We are very concerned that the proposed Union Square zoning does little to protect affordability in the area.Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Housing, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Benoit Kills Willow, Despite Community Outpouring

Posted by Greg Nadeau a 9:05 pm on November 28, 2008

The tree is gone. Several of us confronted the arborist. Ellie and Kirsten went to court in Woburn where Joe Benoit mysteriously turned up and successfully challenged their request for a temporary restraining order. (with video)Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | 44 Comments »

Mystic View Task Force Annual Meeting

Posted by Lynn McWhood a 7:05 pm on November 15, 2008

The Mystic View Task Force is holding its annual meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. The focus of this year’s meeting will be reports on air pollution research. Taeko Minegishi, a scientist at Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., will report on the results of measurements of

Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events | No Comments »

An attack on condo conversion control

Posted by Jonathan Rich a 1:03 pm on October 31, 2008

I just got a robo-call from the "Small Property Owners Association" telling me that I should email my alderman and demand that all condo conversion controls be eliminated. It also urged me to attend the BOA meeting on November 18. We've had some discussion on this site about gentrification. Well, I can't think of a better way to promote gentrification than to wipe out large numbers of rental units via condo conversion.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Housing | 6 Comments »

Community meeting about BU biocontainment lab

Posted by Columbine a 8:42 pm on October 8, 2008

From a phone message received today, October 8: Hello, this is an important message from the National Institutes of Health. On October 14 we’ll be holding a meeting of the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel for the risk assessment of the national emerging infectious diseases laboratories at Boston University Medical Center. The purpose of the meeting is to get… Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Letter in Support of Conditioned Liquor License for Churrasco (now Pampas)

Posted by Joe Lynch a 5:08 pm on August 12, 2008

Below is a letter I submitted to the City of Somerville License Commission in favor of the above petitioner and his application to obtain a conditioned liquor license for Churassco (now Pampas) Buffet and Grill Beer at 505 Medford Street in Magoun Square.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Meeting on Cambridge Biolab

Posted by Abby a 4:15 pm on August 10, 2008

Folks, Just a reminder about this meeting about a proposed bio-lab in Cambridge.  As residents of Somerville, we can speak to the danger of the materials going through our city to get to Cambridge.
The meeting is on August 12, at 7:00, at the Cambridge Kennedy School in East Cambridge.
158 Spring St… Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Aug 12 Meeting on Cambridge Biolab

Posted by Abby a 3:44 pm on

You may not have heard, but a developer is planning a Level Three biotech lab in Cambridge , to test toxic gases and other intriguing Cantabridgian products. What's particularly interesting and notable to Somerville is that such items cannot be legally transported through tunnels, so, if they come from the airport, they come through Somerville . Nobody in Somerville seems to have noticed, but such a lab could kill your kids. Level Three labs are legitimate alternate testing sites for Level Four substances on occasion, and lack only the security conditions for that higher status.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Public Health & Safety | 3 Comments »

Level Three Biotech Research in Cambridge

Posted by Joeb a 3:39 pm on

Isn't it odd that there has been no discussion in Somerville at all about the Cambridge Biolab 3, pending in East Cambridge?? The requirements for transporting its contents mandate "no tunnels" so everything that goes to Logan goes through Somerville. And everything is virtually all that's in the Biolab 4 except fissionable materials!Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Public Health & Safety | 1 Comment »

Metropolitan Planning Organization Open House

Posted by eila a 5:08 pm on July 27, 2008

PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING INPUT

UNTIL AUGUST 5, 2008:

The Boston Region MPO will hold two Open House sessions on July 30, 2008 from 12:30 pm - 2 p.m.

and from 5:30 pm - 7 pm

AT: Suite 2150, State Transportation Building

10 Park Plaza, Boston…

Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Events, Transportation | No Comments »

Matt McLaughlin of SOS on Union Square rezoning: Don’t let residents be forced out.

Posted by Alain Jehlen a 9:05 pm on July 21, 2008

Note: We’re planning to run a range of views on the rezoning of Union Square. This one is from Matt McLaughlin, president of Save Our Somerville. The Green Line is coming through, which is a great step forward for Somerville. I look forward to jumping on the Green Line and going into Boston. But where am I going to live? ...…Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Housing, Neighborhoods and Squares, Transportation | 14 Comments »

Assembly Sq Community Mtg

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 10:40 pm on July 8, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Events, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

Sustainability Scavenger Hunt at ArtBeat

Posted by fberman a 7:43 am on July 4, 2008

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

Read More.>>

Posted in Arts and Culture, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Housing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

“Live” from the Union Square Rezoning Meeting

Posted by Greg a 4:44 pm on June 28, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | 13 Comments »

From Davis to Teele Square, Holland Street sidewalks are inaccessible

Posted by eila a 9:10 pm on June 19, 2008

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

Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | No Comments »

AHOC meeting

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 1:45 pm on June 10, 2008

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!Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Events, Housing | No Comments »

Assembly Square Land Swap Discussion

Posted by Pat Jehlen a 10:00 am on

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Events | 1 Comment »

Mystic River Reservation Master Plan

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 4:45 pm on June 9, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events | No Comments »

Support Foss Park Funding Bill H.4446

Posted by John Teves a 12:21 pm on

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Neighborhoods and Squares, Schools and Youth, Sports | 2 Comments »

Union Square Zoning Mtg

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 11:40 am on June 8, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Events | 1 Comment »

Green Line petition for terminal stop at Route 16

Posted by reisnere a 3:45 am on

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.…Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Transportation | 1 Comment »

Useful Information on the Green Line Expansion Project

Posted by Bill@SCAT a 1:04 pm on June 4, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning | No Comments »

Union Square Access Report 06/03/08

Posted by eila a 7:42 pm on June 3, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares | 2 Comments »

Comment Period on Waterfront Access at Assembly Sq. ends Monday, April 14

Posted by Wig Zamore a 7:35 pm on April 12, 2008

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.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Transportation | 1 Comment »

Hotel Davis Square: What’s in it for us?

Posted by Suzanne Bremer a 9:25 pm on March 30, 2008

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.…Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Politics | 11 Comments »