Somernova Community Benefits Agreement Moves Forward

The Union Square Neighborhood Council and Rafi Properties have negotiated a proposed Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) which will govern future development on the Somernova campus. This is an ambitious project and the CBA is equally ambitious, with benefits that include enhanced wage and labor standards, subsidized arts spaces in the completed project, and a very strict transportation demand management program.

The CBA will be presented on May 28, and everyone who lives nearby is invited to vote on it on June 4. If and only if if 2/3 of the voters support it, it will go into effect.

Service Opportunities

Somerville’s independent advisory boards have enormous influence over development and growth in the city, and they could use your voice. These roles are paid, take only a few hours a month, make a significant difference in how the city approaches key decisions. We strongly encourage you to apply for these positions.

You can also apply to be a member of the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (MABPAB), which advises MassDOT and other agencies on bike and pedestrian issues.

Dormer Petition Still Moving

We submitted our petition to modify dormer regulations at the beginning of this year. City Council sent it to the Land Use Committee, and we made our case to that group on April 17. They in turn referred it to the Planning Board, which reviewed it on May 1. Describing the petition as “a proposal that nobody asked for” but also as “a good step forward,” the Planning Board decided to issue a neutral recommendation, neither for nor against. The amendment now goes back to the Land Use Committee, where it will be on the agenda for June 5. For discussion about its progress and the lessons we’re learning from it, join our messageboard.

Upcoming Events

May 27: 32 Webster Ave Community meeting — Learn more about a proposal for new homes on this long-vacant blighted parcel. 6:00 pm, online via Zoom.

May 28: Somernova Community Benefits Presentation — After more than a year of negotiations, the Union Square Neighborhood Council will present the proposed benefit agreements on labor, housing, environment, plantings, traffic, parking, and arts spaces. 6:30pm, in person at St. Anthony’s School, 480 Somerville Avenue and online via Zoom.

May 29 and ongoing: Where Do Black Men Live? — The Black Response will host several screenings of their new documentary film exploring the experience of Black men navigating housing instability in Cambridge.

June 2: Davis Square Neighborhood Council — Note changed date due to holiday. 6:00 pm, online via Zoom and at the Somerville Community Baptist Church.

June 2: Gilman Square Neighborhood Council — Agenda TBA. 6:30 pm, online via Zoom.

June 2: Union Square Neighborhood Council — Agenda TBA. 7:00 pm, online via Zoom and at 337 Somerville Ave, 2nd Floor.

June 4: Voting on Somernova Community Benefits — Two thirds of voters must approve the Community Benefits Agreement. In person at St. Anthony’s School, 480 Somerville Avenue, 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

June 5: Land Use Committee Joint Meeting with Planning Board — The extensive agenda includes Somernova, our dormer amendment, and more. 6:00 pm, online via Zoom.

June 6: Somerville YIMBY Monthly Social — In-person at Remnant Brewing in Bow Market, 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

June 9: Somerville Ave Quick-Build Improvements — Meeting to review plans to upgrade safety along Somerville Ave. Online via Zoom, 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

June 11: Somerville YIMBY monthly meeting — Online via Zoom, 6:00 - 7:00 pm.

June 22: Somerville YIMBY Book Club — We’ll be talking about the book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. If you have trouble finding a copy, reply to this message to borrow one. In person at Bloc Cafe, 1:00 - 3:00 pm.

As always, you can find our Google calendar at somervilleyimby.org/calendar. If you notice we’ve missed an event, feel free to reply to this message and let us know!

Recommended Reading

Voters support more action to boost housing, new poll finds. An important message from the Commonwealth Beacon: polling shows that new housing is far more popular than vocal opposition suggests.

If so many people are leaving Massachusetts, why aren’t housing costs going down? The Globe points out that, at least for now, immigration is greater than out-migration.

A new era of single-stair apartment buildings is coming to Denver and other Colorado cities. The Colorado Sun explains how outdated rules on staircase and hallway design drive high construction costs — and how modern single-staircase designs are coming to more places in Colorado. Could Massachusetts be next?

Shops make a city great: Economist Noah Smith discusses the value of commercial as well as residential density.

The Problem with My City Is That It’s a City. A McSweeney’s parody op-ed by a city resident opposed to urban life.