The Board of Alderman heard a report last week updating the city on efforts to finalize Union Sq. zoning, as well as formulate a definitive plan for use of open space.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, December 13, to hear and discuss the most recent report of the Committee on Land Use.

City Planning Director George Proakis picked up the discussion of the zoning for Union Square and open space and gave a brief description of what is contained in items 5 through 10 of the zoning outline and said that those items will be available online at www.somervillema.gov/unionsquarezoning.

Alderman-at-Large and Board President William A. White Jr. asked about ways that other communities have funded infrastructure improvements on large developments.

Ward 1 Alderman Matthew McLaughlin requested that information about eminent domain under the old vs. new zoning be provided in January.

Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang asked about green space requirements separate from open space. Director Proakis responded that one of the biggest challenges with open space is determining what to include and what not to include. Minimum green space was added to all civic spaces. Most developments include in their open space, landscape areas, walkways and public sidewalks, roof top gardens, green roofs, etc. Some even count open bodies of water.

Niedergang expressed his feeling that open space should not include as many things and he favors reducing development to create additional open space.

City Planning Director George Proakis walked attendees at last week’s special meeting of the Board of Aldermen through the current state of Union Sq. zoning issues.

Several aldermen agreed that the city’s open space should be increased. Ward 6 Alderman and Committee Chairman Lance Davis pointed out that great open spaces come at a cost. He suggested looking at open space outside of the context of developers’ percentages. He would like to lay out the open space in advance to create what is envisioned in the neighborhood.

Civic spaces and their uses were also discussed. Proakis spoke about the Pedestrian Circulation Space metric presented in the July draft and the changes made since then. He provided different scenarios showing ways that increasing the percentage of high quality civic space would reduce commercial and residential square footage development and how that loss could be recovered by altering some development.

Alderman Niedergang asked that Director Proakis look at moving the three floors of commercial space being recovered in one of the scenarios to other parcels.

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston inquired about a parcel, owned by the MBTA, that would be suitable as open space. Proakis said that the MBTA purchased it for the GLX project, but that once the station there is built, the MBTA would not need part of it, and possibly the city could negotiate for ownership of it.

Alderman White said that the BOA should have had community meetings first and then decided on what it wanted. That plan should have been presented to the developer(s) to be realized. He suggested that the current process is backwards, as the city is trying to work around the developer. White also said that the BOA needs to know if a DIF will be necessary for the Union Square development.

Alderman Heuston suggested that the entire team, working on the zoning proposal, be present at future committee meetings on the subject. Legislative Liaison Annie Connor assured Heuston that her suggestion would be addressed.

Chairman Davis asked that concrete answers and plans be provided at the next committee meeting so that things may move forward.