By Katherine Davis

On Tuesday, November 12, the Central Somerville Avenue project met to discuss plans for Civic Space and Mobility in the area stretching between Conway Park and Market Basket.

When thinking about uses of civic space it’s important to remember that we “don’t need to accomplish everything,” because, as Alison Maurer, Senior planner in Ecological Restoration, pointed out, “Some things are being accomplished by adjacent civic spaces.” Therefore, a discussion over what features the community and planning boards do want and think will work the most is needed, the main questions being addressed are as follows:

1. What types of recreation should the civic space have?
2. Active or Passive
3. How should we organize civic space?
4. Disbursed or Centralized
5. How should civic spaces look and feel?
6. Unique destination or fits with existing spaces in Somerville
7. What do you imagine for the civic spaces after hours?
8. Night and weekend activities or Quiet after sundown
9. How public or private do you want the civic spaces to feel?
10. Tucked away or Public Facing
11. How do you imagine civic spaces being used?
12. Flexible uses or Fixed activities

Answers to these questions during the workshops followed similar patterns, those who attended felt relatively on the same wavelength regarding wanting more the new proposed space to have more active recreation opportunities, centralized pockets of space for certain types of activities, be a unique destination, be a place for night and weekend activity, and a public facing environment. What the space will look like size-wise will also be important to take note of when making these decisions, activity designated recreation areas such as a soccer field or a similar size to Lincoln Park will be too big for what the city is able to work with at the moment. Feedback from discussion earlier in the day at workshops found that there is a need for multi-purpose and flexible spaces in the city, ones that can transform for different uses from a performance stage to a picnic spot. The space needs to be for all ages, differing from parks with only age-restricted playground equipment, but still provide kid-friendly things to climb on like rocks and tree stumps. Another significant point that was brought up at the meeting was that the “spaces should be welcoming and inclusive, so not just for the direct neighbors … for the well-being of everyone that may not be able to afford living in this zone, but can benefit from the resources that this area provides.”

The Mobility portion of the meeting was designated to discuss transportation and parking access to the proposed area, covering transit connections, bike networks and bike lanes, shared streets with other businesses and spaces, truck access, and of course parking for those who will not be walking to the new development. Zoning regarding district-based zoning is the topic of discussion for the November 18 meeting, which will cover the use program, intensity of zoning, and the parking maximum. Parking in Somerville is already difficult, and the buildings and spaces being discussed to be built are not residential, but the surrounding lots and streets are, meaning that there will need to be a cap at some point so that the most people possible are able to access the spaces without creating difficulties for existing residents and businesses. More of this is meant to be covered in future meetings, since a lot of the work is done behind the scenes and some questions are still in the process of being answered.

The end of the meeting allowed space for public questions and commentary, some community members brought up good points such as the fact that there cannot be a good performance in a civic space if the surrounding area is creating a lot of noise, therefore the placement of wherever the highly requested performance area will be placed is extremely influential on how much it will actually be used. Another member noted that there should be signage that makes it clear that the civic spaces are public and feel public, so that everyone feels welcome. There are places in Somerville that many people are unaware they are allowed to access, such as the green space in the center of the Maxwell’s Green Housing Complex. A goal of the new development is to have clear signage for public spaces so people know that they are allowed to sit and be a part of the community.

As always, the city encourages community members to tell them what they want and don’t want, because they would like to have all voices heard, and as much information as possible to work with. Whether a “gut feeling” or a “passionate opinion”, the City of Somerville wants to work with its residents to provide the best possible solution when building on Central Somerville Avenue.