CITY PLANS TO OVERHAUL ZONING ORDINANCE, FORMS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

SOMERVILLE - Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the

Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) announce the

formation of a Zoning Advisory Committee, a team of 20 individuals from a

variety of backgrounds, which will advise the Mayor and Planning Staff as they

seek to overhaul the Somerville Zoning Ordinance.  The team will serve as a sounding board as the

City develops strategies to develop the new Somerville by Design Zoning

Ordinance that will implement the goals of the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan.

The new zoning will also implement the transit-oriented goals of the recent

Station Area Planning series and address concerns addressed in last summer's

report submitted to the Board of Aldermen about the RA and RB zoning districts.

The SomerVision Plan recommended over a hundred changes to the Somerville

Zoning Ordinance. The most recent overhaul of the zoning was 23 years ago, and

while zoning best practices have changed, and Somerville has changed, the

structure of Somerville's zoning ordinance has not.

"Somerville has been widely regarded as a leader in best practices, from open

government and customer service to our innovative programs and policies," said

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "An updated zoning ordinance, based on national best

practices and local needs, will provide more clarity and certainty for the

developers and residents alike. I look forward to an immersive and transparent

process which will benefit all stakeholders in the City."

"The core of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance has remained unchanged since

1925," said George Proakis, Somerville's Director of Planning, "Past updates to

the zoning have always focused on protecting the iconic character of

Somerville's neighborhoods, fostering the City's vibrant town squares, and

balancing the powerful market pressures for infill development with the

concerns of existing residents. Each amendment was made to address the concerns

of the time using the best regulatory tools that were available to planners and

administrators. But, the trade-off with this approach was that the rules became

increasingly complex for local property owners, architects, lawyers, and

administrators to understand. With a new revision, it is my hope that the

Zoning Ordinance can protect residential neighborhoods while encouraging new

transit-oriented development, and this advisory committee will help us

determine the best way to achieve those goals."

The Zoning Committee is comprised of:  

• Ward
  
  4 Alderman Tony LaFuente;
  
• Brandy Brooks, SomerVision Steering Committee member;
  
• Natasha Burger, Historic Preservation Commission;
  
• Adam Dash, Attorney;
  
• Rich
  
  DiGirolamo, Attorney; 
  
• Ben Dryer,
  
  Contractor;
  
• Deborah Fennick, Design Review Committee;
  
• Susan Fontano, Zoning
  
  Board of Appeals;
  
• Lenore Hill, Vice President, Coldwell Banker Residential
  
  Brokerage;
  
• Tom Lichoulas, Ward 3 resident and Developer;
  
• Courtney O'Keefe, Ward
  
  5 resident;
  
• Kevin Prior, Planning Board;
  
• Peter Quinn, Architect; J
• eff Roberts,
  
  Ward 6 resident and Planner;
  
• Kat Rutkin, Somerville Local First;
  
• Rebecca
  
  Schrumm, President of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce;
  
• Courtney Koslow, Ward
  
  5 resident and Developer;
  
• Mark Chase, Ward 3 resident;
  
• Phil Ercolini, Ward 1
  
  resident; and
• Anne Tate, Ward 4 resident.