Somerville Planning Director and Harvard University Lecturer for Planning and Design George Proakis Named New Head of OSPCD

Somerville Senior Planner Sarah Lewis and Recent National Board Member of the Congress for the New Urbanism Named New Planning Director

After a decades-long distinguished career in community planning and economic development, including seven years at the helm of the City’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), Michael Glavin has announced his retirement. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has named the City’s current nationally respected Director of Planning George Proakis the new Executive Director of OSPCD. Mayor Curtatone also announced that current Somerville Senior Planner Sarah Lewis, who led numerous community-based urban planning and design projects nationally before joining the City staff in 2016, will be the new Director of Planning. The transition will take place in late November.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

My cousin, my son and myself were going through some of our parents, grandparents (and my son’s great grandparents’) belongings in the house that my Grandpa bought in 1918, off of Holland Street near Teele Square. My cousins’ mother (my aunt) and my dad were brother and sister and were both born in the house.

The ongoing process of codifying the future of recreational marijuana sales in the city took yet another small step forward at last week’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen Legislative Matters Committee.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen Legislative Matters Committee of the Whole met last Thursday, October 18, during which time the drafting of the adult use of marijuana licensing ordinance was a topic of discussion.

Committee Chair Mark Niedergang led off by summarizing the key issues he identified as being important as the discussion went forward:

Members and supporters of the workers advocacy group Somerville Stands Together held a rally in Union Square calling for the city to require developers to comply with an agreement to benefit local workers. — Photos by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

On Monday of this week, members of Somerville Stands Together (SST) held a rally in Union Square, openly calling for the City of Somerville to require developer US2 to agree to a Community Benefits Agreement that includes a Project Labor Agreement, to make sure that, as they put it, Somerville benefits from the planned projects.

Demonstrators carried signs and chanted slogans such as, “Somerville stands for affordable housing! Somerville stands for good, union jobs! Somerville stands together!”

Sen. Jehlen visited the Somerville Home in September.

(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  Senator Patricia D. Jehlen

The Massachusetts population – like all of us – is getting. Already there are more people over 60 than under 20.

At the same time, we’re losing institutions that care for people who need help, and we’re not developing the workforce to provide care.

After 120 years, the Somerville Home will close in December. It’s a rest home, which provides more care than assisted living but not skilled nursing like a nursing home.

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Located at Bow Market in Union Square, Perillas is a pop-up that serves up scratch made Korean Food. Perillas opened at this spot in early September and is slated to be at this location for about six months as one of the rotating pop-ups throughout the market. You can follow them on Instagram @Perilladining or on Facebook, Perillas to stay updated on other pop-up locations throughout the area where you can try one of their Bibimbap bowls.