Here is one featured news segment from the recent Somerville Neighborhood Newscast, a community service production of SCATV: Board of Aldermen Confronts City Hall on Zoning. Over 1,000 comments from residents and push-back from the Board of Aldermen have led City Hall to slow down its campaign to get a new zoning ordinance passed this summer, and have encouraged the aldermen to take a more proactive role in what eventually does get passed, when, and how.

The 308-page proposed new code would replace the outdated and convoluted rules now on the books, but the new proposal has many aspects Somerville residents don’t want. And because it will impact the city’s density, the amount of open space and affordable housing, and many other features of the future Somerville, at the May 6 meeting of the Board, many aldermen made it clear that they want to do much more than rubber-stamp the proposal.

“At some point we’re voting on this and we’re making decisions and I feel like, as a Board, our concerns should be listened to,” Ward 1 Alderman Matt McLaughlin said.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, who unexpectedly came to the meeting to address the Board and to support Director of Planning George Proakis, said he was aware of the criticism and concerns.

“We got some really constructive feedback. In some cases people don’t like some things, okay,” the mayor said, but he added: “At some point we will land at what I hope will be a common place.”

In order to get to that “place,” Curtatone and Proakis suggested a new round of citywide public meetings and some studies by outside experts. Proakis’ schedule included meetings in May and throughout the summer. But several aldermen had issues with the plan, noting they were surprised that the Planning Department didn’t consult the Board before going public.

“This body is a separate branch of government,” Board President and Alderman At Large Bill White reminded the mayor.

White noted that the announcement of a new slate of hearings was similar to how City Hall had handled the proposed zoning ordinance process.

For the full news story, please visit www.somervilleneighborhoodnews.org.​