Committee Report - Land Use - 4-23-12 — File 192963

April 23, 2012 Land Use Committee Page 1 of 2 Printed 4/25/2012 REPORT OF THE LAND USE COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived William A. White Jr. Chair Present Tony Lafuente Vice Chair Present Sean T. O’Donovan Ward Five Alderman Present Dennis M. Sullivan Alderman At Large Present George Proakis OSPCD - Planning Present Adam Duchesneau OSPCD - Planning Present 192256 - Requesting an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance amending Zoning Districts for the areas consisting of Somerville Avenue from Wilson Square to the Somerville- Cambridge line at Porter Square, White Street, and Elm Street from White Street to Wilson Square, and amending the Floodplain Overlay District.: There were six separate items that were part of the zoning request. The first and fourth items related to the rezoning of the Porter Square area. Mr. Proakis explained why a zoning study was performed for the Porter Square area and said that Somerville could benefit from economic development along the Red Line, but in order to move forward along those lines, re-zoning would be necessary. There is a strong push for commercial development and there is a demand for housing, as well. Chairman White and Alderman Lafuente expressed concern regarding the plan, stating that it would entice residential development which would impact current residents. Alderman O’Donovan questioned aspects of commercial development and Mr. Proakis stated that the net benefit of commercial tax revenue is 3 times that of residential. Chairman White’s motion that the proposed zoning amendment not pass and that OSPCD revisit the 70D, 70 and CCD 55 portions where the car wash and gas station are located, was approved. Chairman White’s motion that the Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Community Development work with the MBTA towards a form of high-tech development over the train tracks in the Porter Square area, was approved. The second item was an amendment to the language of the existing zoning provision 6.1.18 relating to flood plan districts. Mr. Duchesneau spoke about the need for compliance with

Committee Meeting April 23, 2012 Land Use Committee Page 2 of 2 Printed 4/25/2012 FEMA requirements as they relate to this item. On Chairman White’s motion to approve, the item was approved. The third item was a technical amendment to the table of uses to add a use cluster “K”. This was inadvertently omitted when the initial changes were made for Transit Oriented Districts TOD 55, 60, 100 and 135. Mr. Proakis discussed the need to add the change so that a special permit would be required for certain large scale commercial uses over 10,000 square feet. Alderman Lafuente's motion to amend Table 6-5 to include cluster K, was approved. The fifth item was a proposed amendment to the dimensional requirements with regard to height limitation. The Committee believed that the language needed additional work, so the item remained in committee. The sixth item provides that the zoning amendments that were recommended to be approved go into effect upon the approval of the zoning amendments by the Board of Aldermen except for those applicants, if any, who had already submitted a building permit application or special permit application. This provision was approved by the Committee. RESULT: APPROVED AS AMENDED 192608 - Planning Board conveying its recommendation on a proposal to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Districts for Somerville Avenue from Wilson Square to the Cambridge line at Porter Square, White Street, and Elm Street from White Street to Wilson Square, and to amend the Floodplain Overlay District.: RESULT: WORK COMPLETED