The Urban Design Commission is currently considering approval plans for a multi-unit building for 73 Summer Street, which is currently the location of a now closed service station. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Max Eidelman

The city’s Urban Design Commission met on Tuesday, January 26, to approve new rules and regulations, as well as listen to presentations regarding proposed unit developments.

Among the new rules and regulations, which were unanimously approved, is a revision concerning the high-rise district that now allows for 7-story buildings in the affordable-housing overlay. This is intended to “maximize the buildout potential of those buildings to maximize the amount of affordable housing that they produce.” Other revisions were addressed but the bulk of the meeting focused on proposed building developments.

The architect of the medical marijuana facility on 67 Broadway, Revolutionary Clinics, discussed proposed changes to the building. The building has functioned as a medical marijuana dispensary for three years, but the new changes are intended to convert the garage in the back of the building, which is essentially unused at the moment, into an area for adult recreational use.

The goal is for Revolutionary Clinics to function as both a medical facility in the front, and a recreational facility in the back. The Commission supports the general direction of the plan but offered some recommendations, one of which is that the new revisions need to incorporate some screening in the back for discretion, considering that the building borders on a residential area.

As Revolutionary Clinics is one of the leading medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, it is an exciting prospect for the city that its Somerville location may soon start to incorporate a responsible recreational option for adults. The Commission and architect spoke about other revisions to the site plan, which are to be revisited at the next meeting.

Another presentation at the meeting showcased the proposed project for 73 Summer Street, which is currently host to an out-of-business gas station. While almost anything would be an improvement to the lot’s current condition, the proposed building should turn out to be quite an addition to the Spring Hill neighborhood.

The plan is to construct a 3-story residential building with a mixture of studio, 1-person, 2-person and 3-person units. As mentioned in the presentation, a work-from-home station is part of the design plan as well, which reflects the reality that we can expect to start seeing the manifestation of “new-normalcy.”

The design plan also incorporates plants and vegetation, a bike-station, and there is even potential for solar panels, all of which lends credence to the Commission’s remark that the proposed building “isn’t really like any other residential buildings in Somerville.” The Commission seemed quite excited about the prospects of this project, and another presentation with further developments is expected to be part of the next meeting.