News & Announcements

Since the Last Newsletter

• Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, chair of the Land Use Committee posted a small guide about how residents in Somerville can propose zoning changes

• A real-estate transfer fee home-rule petition was reported positively out of the state Revenue Committee. This means it will be scheduled for a full vote to either approve or deny the measure. Read the petition.

• H. 1448, a state-wide bill that would require municipalities to meet production goals by 2040 and serves as a strengthening of a previous bill. Read a summary from statewide pro-housing group Abundant Housing MA (AHMA).

Upcoming Somerville YIMBY Meetings

• Somerville YIMBY will be having a public meeting on February 19 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. All are welcome. Find meeting details in our calendar.

• The Somerville YIMBY Policy Committee will be meeting February 15 at 8:30 pm. The Policy Committee is trying to formulate specific proposals to get in front of the City Council. At the meeting the group will consider new proposals (so bring yours!) as well as an existing proposal from Aaron regarding allowing Accessory Dwelling Units in garages. If you'd like to join, please contact the Steering Committee.

Other Upcoming Meetings

• The Somerville Charter Review Committee is meeting February 10 at 5:00 pm.  The Charter Review Committee is responsible for proposing a revised charter for Somerville. The charter dictates how the city government works.

• The Somerville Redevelopment Authority will be meeting February 16 at 5:30 pm. The SRA is Somerville's urban renewal authority and helps work on large scale redevelopment throughout the city.

Zoning 101: District Types

Zoning can get complex, but don’t let that deter you! In this newsletter we wanted to try out a new section that would help explain the basics of zoning, and Somerville’s zoning laws in particular.

Today's explainer will focus on districts. The districts are the top-level zoning rules that set what types of buildings are allowed in which areas. Somerville has 11 core district types, 4 special district types, and 4 overlay districts. For example, Neighborhood Residential is our least-dense district, made up mostly of one- and two-family homes. Meanwhile, the Urban Residential (UR) and Midrise (MR) districts allow greater height and a wider variety of building types and activities. Each district also has rules about parking, how far the buildings need to be set back from the road, and much more. The districts are the foundations on which all of the other zoning regulations are laid. Try looking for your home in the city's zoning atlas.

Fun fact: Somerville only allows housing in mid-rise and high-rise districts by special permit – unless it's 100% affordable. Entirely affordable housing has a faster, simpler permitting process thanks to our Affordable Housing Overlay District.

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