By William C. Shelton

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

I’m not someone who gushes over consumer products. I’ve never written about them or the stores that sell them.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

The developer of 139 Summer Street will appear before the zoning board of appeals on Wednesday January 21 at 6pm, to request Special Permits that would allow him to add a third dwelling unit, and avoid parking restrictions. His proposal makes a mockery of the SomerVision plan, which mandates preventing infill development in settled residential neighborhoods in order to preserve their unique character. His proposal would also cause numerous permanent harms to the abutters, including loss of open and green space, visual blight and loss of direct sunlight, increased noise and exposure to noxious gases from vehicles, and increased basement flooding due to runoff.

An overhauled ordinance that seeks to make zoning more predictable and fair while enacting more than 100 policies and goals called for by the community in the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan, has been submitted by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to the Board of Aldermen, and the city is seeking public input and feedback on the ordinance. The overhaul, which breaks ground for the city on inclusionary housing requirements and zoning to support the city’s arts and maker economy among other community-driven provisions, is the first major review of the rules for development and land use since 1990, and incorporates a review of many regulatory provisions and mapping decisions that were first put in place nearly a century ago.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to the U-Haul facility on Linwood St. last Friday on reports that a man had been found in the office prior to its opening on that day.

On these recently cold days I was craving a hearty meal that was both filling and satisfying. I opened up the cabinet and refrigerator and found the following ingredients, so I decided on a chili. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Whenever we undertake any sort of planning process in Somerville, the specifics of the project may change, but the goal is always the same: building community. What does that mean? It means planning for our community’s future based on our shared values, hopes and dreams. That’s why we undertook an extensive community-based process to create SomerVision, a plan that codifies those values and asks not necessarily what we want to build, but what kind of community we want to be in 2030.

McCarthy, James F. Sr. – Of Somerville January 13, 2015.

Beloved husband of Louise (Lindstrom) McCarthy.

Loving father of James F. McCarthy Jr. and his wife Inez of Medford, Elizabeth Costa and her husband Roy of Stoneham, Kevin McCarthy and his wife Susan of Somerset, NJ.

The one and only Junior Brown is coming to blow the roof off of Johnny D’s this coming Saturday night.

By Jim Clark

Regular patrons of Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant and Music Club may have already had the good fortune of witnessing guitar-slinging legend Junior Brown in action. He has played the venue countless times throughout the years. But if you have not yet taken the opportunity to see for yourself then there can be no better place to be this coming Saturday night than Johnny D’s, experiencing a concert by one of the world’s premier singer-songwriter-performers.

If you use the City of Somerville website somervillema.gov, now’s your chance to help make it better. To kick off the coming full redesign of the site, community members are being asked to take a quick survey. Questions cover how site visitors use the site, features they would like to see and issues with the current site that they would like to see addressed. The survey is available online through Monday, Feb. 2, at somervillema.gov/surveys, and it will also be distributed via the Council on Aging, the Disabilities Commission and the city’s SomerViva immigrant outreach program (details below).

Many Somerville residents believe there is just too much snow to be removed in too short a time, with little flexibility allowed for those with incompatible schedules.

By Jim Clark

A number of concerns and complaints that have been voiced by Somerville residents over the updated snow shoveling policies announced by the city last month has compelled members of the Board of Aldermen to conduct a public hearing to solicit feedback and suggestions from the public.