One thousand new units planned for the city
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Over a dozen medium- to large-sized residential developments, totaling around 1,000 units, are slated to be constructed over the next few years in Somerville. Most will be selling or renting for market rates, which continue to rise.

But City Hall and residents don’t necessarily stand by and simply watch the construction. Boards like the Planning Board are involved, and residents can also take part in crafting what kind of developments go up in their neighborhoods.

“As individual projects come to Somerville, they typically go before our Design Review Committee, our Planning Board, or our Zoning Board and that board looks at it to try to make sure it’s consistent with our community’s goals, with where we want the community to be going, for how we want to grow,” Director of Planning George Proakis told Somerville Neighborhood News (SNN).

All of the commercial and housing development in the city is meant to fit in with the Somervision Comprehensive Plan, completed in 2012, he added.

Certain neighborhoods are currently zoned to stay more or less the way they are – single, double or triple-family residences. Others are slated for four- to five-story buildings. Some business districts are meant to be more supportive of local businesses while others – like Assembly Square – are slated for more radical change. The full story is found online: www.somervilleneighborhoodnews.org.