The Somerville City Council Committee on Land Use, and the Somerville Planning Board, invite all interested community members to attend and speak at a joint Public Hearing on the adoption of a new Somerville Zoning Ordinance. The Hearing will take place on Thursday, September 19, at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. The Land Use Committee of the Whole and the Planning Board will hear testimony on the proposed new ordinance. Written public comment will also be accepted as noted below.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Somerville Road Runners presented the 7th annual Race to the Row, a series of events through Assembly Square and along the Mystic River, in Assembly Square in Somerville on Sunday, August 25.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers.)

Unlike other squares in the city, Davis Square is unique and has a distinct vibrant culture not replicated elsewhere. Most cities have a downtown, Somerville does not. Instead it has a number of multi-street intersections we call squares. But Davis Square comes close to being our ‘downtown’.

— Photo courtesy Google Map

Tree removals on private property now require permits (with some exceptions)

On June 27, 2019, the Somerville City Council passed a Tree Preservation Ordinance (Ord. #2019-15) with new requirements for the removal of trees on private property. The ordinance went into effect on August 1, 2019, and incorporates and updates the prior City of Somerville Tree Ordinance, which set requirements only for the removal of public trees.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers.)

By Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

77: Since 2014, 77 Somerville residents were lost to overdoses. Saturday, August 31, is International Overdose Awareness Day, which we will be marking with a ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, August 29, at 5:07 p.m. During the ceremony 77 small flags will be placed for the Somerville residents lost since 2014, and a larger flag will represent those lost prior to 2014. Seventy-seven deaths in five years is a tragedy, and sadly that tragedy is far reaching. Each of those people had family and friends who cared about them and who miss them. As a community, marking International Overdose Awareness Day is one way we can show our support to the countless people whose lives have been touched by overdose deaths. 

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the 711 Store on College Ave. last Sunday on reports of an assault.

Upon arrival the officers were flagged down by several people who informed me that someone had been stabbed. One person reportedly pointed directly at an individual leaving the scene and said that this was the suspect.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I can’t believe 1969 was 50 years ago. You could buy a house in Somerville for about $17,000. Gas cost 35 cents a gallon. All our favorite stores were still around. It was way before Assembly Square and the Davis Square Red Line. The anti-war, and hippie movements were ramping up.

The Massachusetts State Police continue to investigate a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian that occurred in Somerville early Sunday morning. The victim was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries and died a result of those injuries a day later.

The D2 block is phase one of several phases. The completed project will include eleven green open spaces on 3.6 acres of the total 15-acre development.

By Denise Keniston

On Thursday, August 22, the Somerville Planning Board approved phase one of the Union Square Revitalization Project, a $1.5 billion mixed-use transit-oriented development in Union Square known as USQ.

Former Somerville Mayor Eugene Brune received a commendation by the City Council last week commemorating his 90th birthday and thanking him for his many years of devoted service to the city.

By Jim Clark

At the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council, former Somerville Mayor Eugene Brune was honored with a citation from the Council on the occasion of his 90th birthday.