Somerville City Council’s Land-Use Committee Discusses Somernova Zoning
Union Square Neighborhood Council and Rafi Properties Announce Agreement in Principle on Community Benefits Agreement
Recap of May 1, 2025 Somerville Land Use Committee Meeting
On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Somerville City Council’s Land Use Committee held a meeting where they publicly discussed the four proposed zoning amendments affecting Somernova’s future that came out of the City’s Central Somerville Ave. planning. This was the City Council’s first public discussion on four proposed zoning amendments related to Somernova’s expansion following the earlier public hearing held in March. This meeting marked an important step in the process, allowing committee members to publicly discuss and ask questions about the amendments to city staff and developers.
An exciting milestone also took place at the Land Use Meeting - The Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) announced that USNC and Rafi Properties had come to an agreement in principle on the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for Somernova! Following approval by the USNC Board, the Council will host a public meeting informational session to review the CBA on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 at 6:30pm, followed by a public vote on Wednesday, June 4th. Both will be held at St. Anthony’s Church School located at 438 Somerville Avenue. More details to follow.
In Fall 2024, the City of Somerville, led by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development, launched a review of zoning in the Central Somerville Ave. corridor. Building on the 2019 Fabrication District zoning, which aimed to preserve older industrial spaces for creative and climate-focused uses, the City worked with Somernova, community members, and neighborhood stakeholders to find a balance between development and preservation. The process culminated in a Five-Point Plan and ultimately led to four zoning amendments, which were filed with the City Council in February 2025. These changes will inform the future of the Somernova project and support the local climate tech and artists clusters that live and thrive in Somerville.
Four Key Zoning Amendments Under Review:
Arts and Creative Enterprise (ACE) Space Revisions: This amendment restructures the Arts and Creative Enterprise categories by reclassifying specific uses and providing more precise definitions. It moves bakeries into the Artisanal Production category, relocates co-working spaces from ACE to the Office category, recategorizes specific arts uses, and updates the definitions to better protect artist studios and incubation spaces. This change preserves and strengthens Somerville's creative economy while providing more appropriate classifications.
Research and Development Uses Restructuring: Rather than maintaining a single general R&D category, this amendment creates specific subcategories that better distinguish between different types of research activities. The changes separate biomedical technology from general scientific research and development, allowing for more tailored regulations based on different research activities' specific impacts and needs. This change provides greater clarity for permitting and allows the city to control where certain types of labs can be located more precisely.
New Research & Development District Creation: This amendment establishes a dedicated zoning district designed to support climate technology innovation and other research-focused enterprises. The new R&D district provides appropriate building and development standards for companies like Greentown Labs and MIT's The Engine, ensuring they have space to grow in Somerville. This district allows for mid-scale commercial development (up to 4 stories) with specific provisions for research uses while ensuring compatibility with surrounding areas.
Arts & Innovation Subarea Establishment: This amendment creates a specialized subarea within the Master Plan Development Overlay District that combines innovation economy growth with substantial arts spaces. It requires at least 8% of non-residential space to be dedicated to arts uses (with specific minimums for arts exhibition and artist studio spaces), 10% for civic spaces, and includes stringent sustainability requirements. The amendment allows for taller buildings while mandating significant benefits for arts organizations, establishing a first-of-its-kind model for leveraging commercial development to support the creative sector.
During the Land Use Committee meeting, the board discussed amendments to the relevant zoning amendments. These changes/amendments are reflective of a consensus the USNC and Rafi reached. After a presentation by Dan Bartman, Interim Director of the Department of Planning, Preservation and Zoning for Somerville, on the relevant amendments to the zoning amendments and discussion amongst the Committee, the Committee voted unanimously to pass all amendments to the zoning amendments. The amendments to the zoning amendments that were approved are related to:
Building setbacks
Additional upper story stepbacks
Limitations in number of stories
Limitations on rooftop mechanical screens to allow sunlight/views unless needed for weather or sound attenuation
Mobility
Height reduction to 60’ in the R&D zoning district
Of these amendments, Rafi is not in support of the height reduction in the base R&D zoning because it prohibits Rafi’s ability to deliver the dimensional requirements needed for research and development tenants.
A video recording of this meeting can be found here.
Next Steps
The Land-Use Committee will continue to review these amendments before making recommendations to the full City Council. The proposed zoning changes represent an important step in Somerville's ongoing efforts to balance innovation, arts, and community needs in its development plans.
