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Somerville resident Justin Rank was one of many community members who appeared to speak before the Planning Board and Land Use Committee, expressing his views on the proposed new zoning ordinance.
By Jim Clark
On the evening of Tuesday, October 30, the City of Somerville Planning Board and the Board of Aldermen Land Use Committee gathered at East Somerville Community School to hold a joint public hearing on the proposed zoning ordinance.
Members of the community were invited to speak and share their thoughts and concerns over the new zoning regulations that are currently nearing completion.
The new zoning ordinance would supersede the current one, which was originally adopted on March 23, 1990.
Land Use Committee Chair Ward 6 Alderman Lance Davis led off the meeting with opening remarks before inviting those in attendance to come forward and make their statements.
A wide range of views was presented at the meetings, with most speakers expressing one or more issues they are having with the proposed new ordinance.
A sampling of comments from the meeting includes this one:
“Generally, I support most of the changes in the zoning. I can’t figure out the sense of not allowing a homeowner to add a third dwelling in the NR district. Most of the written and verbal testimony presented at the last hearing asked for this to be implemented in its newest revision. While I’m a strong supporter of ADUs that should not take place of an actual dwelling unit in the NR district, they’re extremely restrictive and will create situations that invite violations and displacement of tenants when an owner occupant needs to relocate.”
Another attendee of the meeting offered the following:
“I’ve only been watching this sort of process for about a year, and it’s stunning, the amount of effort and good faith that goes into it. My comment is sort of a meta-comment, both for those of you who are making decisions and for those of us who are making demands. Let’s find a way to, without destroying anything, finish this process at this iteration and approach it iteratively in the future. I have seen now in that one year, twice for six weeks, this Board absolutely consumed with this zoning conversation, to the detriment of many other issues in the city. We are not gonna get this perfect. It will never be perfect. There are irreconcilable challenges and interests here. I would ask you to look for the best we can do on this iteration, and then improve it iteratively.”
Yet another speaker said this:
“I am speaking in support of the new zoning. I think it’s a really big improvement over what we have currently. I want to thank the Board of Aldermen, and especially the Planning Board for all their hard work. I am concerned, as several other who have spoken, that it doesn’t do enough to build the density that is needed here in Somerville. A lot of people want to live here and there aren’t enough units for all of them. So, as a result, it’s becoming harder and harder to afford a place to live in Somerville.”
Following the public’s comments, the Committee and Board members followed up on continuing discussion of details pertaining to the ordinance.
Chair Davis assured the attendees that written remarks by the public would be accepted and read by the Land Use Committee and the Planning Board.
A video of the entire meeting is available for viewing by going to http://somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/.
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“I am concerned, as several other who have spoken, that it doesn’t do enough to build the density that is needed here in Somerville. A lot of people want to live here and there aren’t enough units for all of them. So, as a result, it’s becoming harder and harder to afford a place to live in Somerville.”
Another YIMBY activist. We like Somerville precisely because it is not overcrowded and dense. I don’t know any Somerville owners who want tons of high density building in Somerville. I certainly don’t.
I wish we could beg all the young adults moving here to PLEASE consider other communities! You are driving up rents and home prices, and a lot of long time residents have had to move out. We are already densely populated and even with all the new construction, it’s simply not enough. Please, please, PLEASE look elsewhere. Stop gentrifying Somerville!!
Want to control housing cost?
Change the no more than 4 unrelated adults in a unit to no more than 3 and enforce it with $5k a month fines for violations. Exceptions only for units where the owner occupies the unit in question.
As long as a developer can turn a two bedroom unit into a 6 bedroom one and rent each at $1k a year speculators and investors will define the market, not residents whether they rent or own.
Magic Mike and SoK, you are totally right.
We need the density here? Is this person serious? Just go out on any day of the week and try driving or cycling through here. It’s a nightmare.
We don’t need any more people living in Somerville any more than someone needs to adopt 80 cats, just because they need a good home. You can only reasonably house so many of anyone, cat, dog, human, or any other species. Eventually something has got to give.
There are plenty of other homes out there waiting for people to fill them. Nobody lives forever. If you want to live here, just wait your turn. Someone will either move out or die. Creating more living spaces here won’t bring the housing or rental prices down, especially if we’re so desirable as a place to live. All we’re doing is cramming more and more of us in like sardines.
Enough is enough. We already have a Boston and a Cambridge that’s full. Let’s not be a clone.
Blame the boomers like Magic Mike, once again they F everything up by restricting building and screwing over the younger generation.
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/11/millennials-home-buying-generation-priced-out/574840/
“Enough is enough. We already have a Boston and a Cambridge that’s full. Let’s not be a clone.”
Other way around.
Somerville 18,431.6 people per sq mile
Cambridge 16,354.9
Boston 13,321.0
According to Wikipedia.
“Blame the boomers like Magic Mike, once again they F everything up by restricting building and screwing over the younger generation.”
I didn’t realize being born in 1973 made me a baby boomer. Not at all. I am a Somerville homeowner. I could not have afforded a home when I moved here in 2006. No way. But I didn’t moan about it and stomp my feet like a cry baby demanding that I get a 50% “affordable” home. I worked my ass off and in 2013 was able to buy. Yes, that’s 7 years of hard graft. Some of you activists should try it.
I always find it funny when people talk about when Somerville was at its best, between 1950 and 1980, they forget that the population was much higher. the difference was the number of cars per household which has changed.
Matt C.
The number of cars yes, but also the make up of the households. I am sure you would find more families living here back then and less units with seven 20 somethings in it, though it did happen, it was a smaller percentage. So I thinks a larger percentage of the population is of car owning age than it used to be as well as a higher rate of car ownership. When the population was at its highest, in the 30’s and 50’s a lot of it was families with with a lot of children.
Restricting building construction? In Somerville??! Lol. A short walk around almost any neighborhood proves otherwise. We’re packing ‘em in!