Can you send an email for us?

Or maybe two.

Author

Aaron Weber
December 02, 2024

A warm welcome to everyone who subscribed at the Somerville Winter Market last month. We’re glad to have you on the list. If you’re already a subscriber, then you already know what’s next: we’re asking you to send a quick email to city officials asking for more housing. This time, we’ve got two emails - one in Somerville, and one just over in Medford.

Plus: scroll to the end for upcoming events including our monthly social & regular meeting.

Somernova/Central Somerville Ave

The Somernova project is moving along slowly with extensive community input. We expect that the ultimate outcome will be good, but we fear that it will not include any housing. Adding a significant number of jobs without housing means an increase in competition for our existing stock of homes, which means more fuel on the fire of rising prices and displacement. Please write to [email protected] to encourage them to allow at least some residential uses in the Central Somerville Avenue plan.

For example, you might send something like this:

I’m writing to ask the city to keep housing elements in the final draft of the Central Somerville Avenue plan. Adding jobs in a redevelopment will increase the need for housing in Somerville, so it makes sense to include more homes to meet at least some of that need. In addition, locating new housing near those new jobs will help reduce traffic.

- Your name & address

Support a new Dorm for Tufts Students

Tufts University has proposed a badly-needed new dorm for hundreds of students, but opponents are rallying against it they want it to have more parking. But if any building in the community is going to be built with less parking, it should definitely be a dorm. After all, students are the least likely to need a car, and the most likely to leave one at their parents’ house if it’s not convenient to store. Not only that, but Tufts has a nearby garage that’s got plenty of room already! If you live nearby, and especially if you live in Medford, please write to [email protected] and encourage them to approve the proposal with as little parking as possible.

For example:

I am writing to support the proposed Tufts dormitory on Boston Ave. I live nearby, and I’m glad to see a building with very little parking. Having less on-site parking encourages students to leave their cars back home, which reduces traffic and pollution overall. In addition, providing more on-campus housing for students means less competition for off-campus housing. Both of those factors mean that this dorm will be good both for the students who live in it, and for everyone else in the community as well. Please approve the proposal without delay.

- Your name and address

Upcoming Events

  • December 4: Strong Towns Local Conversation, 5:30 pm, in-person at Forge Baking, 626 Somerville Ave

  • December 5: Land Use and Planning Board joint meeting. Topics include several proposals for housing and a change in the uses allowed in Urban Residence zones. Planning Board at 6, followed by a joint session at 6:30. Online.

  • December 6: Somerville YIMBY monthly social, 6:00 pm, in-person at Remnant Brewing.

  • December 11: Somerville YIMBY monthly meeting. 6:00 pm, online via Zoom.

  • December 16: 675 Somerville Ave Community Meeting: Zoning limits this proposal to three stories, although six would be far more appropriate.

    • If you can attend, especially if you live nearby, please do, and speak in favor of the project.