City Updates

The Somerville Public Library is excited to announce the title of its tenth annual Somerville Reads campaign, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Copies will be available at all three Somerville Public Library locations as of September 3, 2019.  Somerville Reads is a citywide reading initiative that encourages all Somerville residents to read and discuss the same book to promote literacy and community engagement.

The City of Somerville is accepting applications to fill 10 seats on the newly formed Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee. The committee’s input will support and guide city policies and plans to make improvements for public transit riders and pedestrians. Committee members will promote riding transit and walking and will work to create a more comfortable, safe, and enjoyable built environment for doing so. Community members committed to advocating for a robust multimodal transportation system are encouraged to apply to serve on the committee as members.

The Somerville Public Library and St. Mark Community Education Program will host a free, 12-part Citizenship Interview Preparation Class on Saturdays this fall in partnership with Project Citizenship. The class is designed to prepare participants for all parts of their citizenship test, from literacy to U.S. history and government while improving English speaking and listening skills.  

Prospective students must have a basic level understanding of English and must hold a legal permanent resident card for five years, or three years if married to an American citizen.

The Somerville Traffic & Parking Department announced this week that the rate for parking in metered spots within the city has increased to $1.25 per hour, a $0.25 increase. This increase is the first for meter rates in more than ten years. The Somerville Traffic Commission approved the new rates at their June 2019 meeting. The new rate is in line with other communities in the greater Boston area, and will help increase turnover of parking spaces in the city’s business districts and squares.

Celebrate the season at “Seize the Summer,” the August installment of the City’s SomerStreets festival, on Sunday, August 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. between Davis Square and Teele Square on Holland Street. SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally-renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity.

Join City staff on Thursday, August 15, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Winter Hill Community School cafeteria, 115 Sycamore St., for a quarterly meeting on parking changes on the Central Hill Campus. There is also a form on www.somervillema.gov/shsparking where community members can submit questions, comments, or leave suggestions about parking around Central Hill. 

As part of the ongoing reconstruction of the former Powder House Community School, located at 1060 Broadway, the pedestrian walkway connecting Broadway and Holland St. will need to be closed for approximately four months as the project team begins work on the new green space adjacent to the building. The walkway was originally expected to close in mid- to late-July, however that start date has been postponed. A new start date will be announced in the coming weeks.

Please join the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development and Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen on Monday evening, July 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. for a community meeting to discuss the plan for the Central Hill Campus (Phase I). The meeting will be held in the Central Library, 71 Highland Ave.

As part of the ongoing reconstruction of the former Powder House Community School, located at 1060 Broadway, the pedestrian walkway connecting Broadway and Holland St. will need to be closed for approximately four months as the project team begins work on the new green space adjacent to the building. The walkway is expected to close in mid- to late-July, and remain closed through approximately November. During the closure, pedestrians may access Holland St. by heading west on Broadway to Teele Square, or east on Broadway to Paulina St.