Vote in your Neighborhood Council election!

YIMBYs running for the Union Square Neighborhood Council

Author

Aaron Weber
May 13, 2025

Union Square Neighborhood Council Election

Somerville is home to three separate formal Neighborhood Councils, which are independent from the city but have significant influence over growth and development. The oldest is the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) which handles things like the community benefits agreements surrounding the US2 and Somernova projects. If you live, work, volunteer, or receive services near Union Square (check the map for eligibility) you can participate and vote.

Somerville YIMBY members Andre Comella and Aaron Weber are both running for the USNC board, and we’d love your support on May 17 and 20.

May 17: Voting from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, in-person at the Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street.

May 20: Voting from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm, Somerville Media Center, 29 Properzi Way.

Gilman and Davis Neighborhood Councils

Both the Gilman Square Neighborhood Council and the still-forming Davis Square Neighborhood Council represent major opportunities for community action to support housing and positive growth in the city. If you’d like to be more involved, drop by our messageboard or reply to this message.

Be Somerville

The city is now accepting applications for paid positions on independent advisory boards including the Planning Board, Urban Design Commission, Condominium Review Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and more. These roles take up just a few hours a month, but make a significant difference in how the city approaches key decisions. Apply today.

Upcoming Events

Slice of the City events, where you can join your city officials for a slice of pizza, will be ongoing all month. Check the full schedule (including rain dates) at the city website.

May 13: Western Pearl Street Design Open House — postponed from last week due to rain, drop in between 5:00 and 7:30 at Leathers Park.

May 14: Somerville YIMBY Monthly Meeting — Our regular business meeting. Agenda will be largely focused on city council elections. 6:00 pm, online via Zoom.

May 14: Jake Wilson Policy Showcase — Jake Wilson’s mayoral campaign discusses policy issues at a fundraiser. (Note: this is not an endorsement, but we have included it because we believe it will be informative.)

May 15: Land Use Committee/Planning Board Joint Meeting — A packed agenda includes land use updates related to the Somernova proposal, our dormer resolution, conflicts between zoning and building codes, and new ways to support affordable housing. 6:30 pm, online via Zoom.

May 15 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.

May 17 and 20: USNC Voting — May 17 from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Argenziano School, and May 20 all day at a location to be determined. Online voting available upon request if needed.

May 21: Streetwise Talk — Somerville Bike Safety hosts a presentation from Neighborways Design. In-person, 6:00 pm at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler Street.

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!

Trust us when we say that this calculator for minimum parking requirements is actually fun. Try sharing it with someone who asks “but where will they park?”

The City of Boston has released its latest anti-displacement action plans.

A stat-heavy trip to the Journal of Planning Education and Research brings us an article with a surprising conclusion: eviction filing rates aren’t lower in areas with tenant-friendly laws, but they are lower in places that build more housing (and consequently have higher vacancy rates). In other words, landlords will try to evict even when courts favor tenants, but will hesitate if it’s harder to find new tenants.