Union Square Revitalization Plan — File 193585

DRAFT August 2012 City of Somervilleville UNION SQUARE R e v i t a l i z a t i o n P l a n

UNION SQUARE R e v i t a l i z a t i o n P l a n Submitted to: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development under M.G.L. Chapter 121B as an “Urban Renewal Plan” “1920’s in Union Square” Cover photo courtesy of SNEA The City of Somerville, MA Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor

Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 7 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 9 HISTORY OF UNION SQUARE .................................................................................................................................. 9 UNION SQUARE TODAY ........................................................................................................................................ 10 THREE DECADES OF STUDY ................................................................................................................................. 11 IMPLEMENTING THE UNION SQUARE OF TOMORROW ...................................................................................... 12 12.02(1) MAPS ................................................................................................................................................... 15 12.02(2) ELIGIBILITY ...................................................................................................................................... 31 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................. 32 PRIOR URBAN RENEWAL PLANS .......................................................................................................................... 36 DECADENT AREA .................................................................................................................................................. 37 FAULTY PARCELIZATION ...................................................................................................................................... 37 OBSOLETE STREET PATTERNS ............................................................................................................................. 38 FLOODING AND UNSUITABLE AND/OR CONTAMINATED SOILS ........................................................................ 39 INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES .................................................................................................................................. 40 DETERIORATED BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES ..................................................................................................... 40 PRIVATE ENTERPRISE NOT SUFFICIENT .............................................................................................................. 41 FINDING OF DECADENCE ..................................................................................................................................... 42 12.02(3) OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................... 43 THE VISION ............................................................................................................................................................ 43 THE GOALS ............................................................................................................................................................ 44 THE STRATEGIES ................................................................................................................................................... 44 SPECIFIC PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................. 45 TRANSFORMATION AREA #1: PROSPECT/WEBSTER CORRIDOR ....................................................................... 47 TRANSFORMATION AREA #2: BOYNTON YARDS ................................................................................................. 47 TRANSFORMATION AREA #3: MCGRATH/MEDFORD CORRIDOR ..................................................................... 49 AFFORDABLE HOUSING ........................................................................................................................................ 49 ZONING .................................................................................................................................................................. 49 THE CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ........................................................................................................... 51 TRANSIT ORIENTED DISTRICTS ........................................................................................................................... 51

LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 53 12.02(4) FINANCIAL PLAN............................................................................................................................. 55 STATEMENT OF DIRECT/INDIRECT INTEREST ..................................................................................................... 55 ACQUISITION COSTS ............................................................................................................................................. 55 RELOCATION COSTS ............................................................................................................................................. 56 SITE PREPARATION COSTS ................................................................................................................................... 56 REMEDIATION COSTS ........................................................................................................................................... 56 COST OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 56 FINANCING MECHANISMS .................................................................................................................................... 57 FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE OF THE REVITALIZATION PLAN .............................................................................. 58 DESIGNATION OF ACQUISITION PROPERTIES ..................................................................................................... 59 ACQUISITION PARCELS AND DISPOSITION PARCELS .......................................................................................... 61 TABLE 4-1: CIVIC CENTER BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-1 AND/OR D-1) ........................................ 61 TABLE 4-2: NORTH PROSPECT BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-2 AND/OR D-2) ................................. 62 TABLE 4-3: SOUTH PROSPECT BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-3 AND/OR D-3) .................................. 65 TABLE 4-4: WEST PROSPECT BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-4 AND/OR D-4) .................................... 66 TABLE 4-5: WASHINGTON STREET NORTH BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-5 AND/OR D-5) ............ 67 TABLE 4-6: SOMERVILLE AVENUE SOUTH BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-6 AND/OR D-6)............... 68 TABLE 4-7: WARREN AVENUE BLOCK (COMPRISING BLOCKS A-7 AND/OR D-7) .................................. 69 ANTICIPATED BUDGET FOR PHASE ONE (GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND) ...................................................... 70 12.02(5) LOCAL APPROVALS ........................................................................................................................ 71 12.02(6) SITE PREPARATION ........................................................................................................................ 73 12.02(7) PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS .............................................................................................................. 75 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................................ 75 UNION SQUARE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS BY BRUCE CAMPBELL AND ASSOCIATES, INC. (1995) ............................ 75 UNION SQUARE TRANSPORTATION PLAN BY EDWARDS KELCEY (2002) .......................................................... 75 PUBLIC REALM ...................................................................................................................................................... 76 TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................................................................. 76 ROADWAYS AND TRAFFIC CIRCULATION ............................................................................................................ 78 PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCOMMODATIONS ............................................................................................... 80 TRAFFIC CONTROLS .............................................................................................................................................. 80 PARKING ................................................................................................................................................................. 80 WAYFINDING ......................................................................................................................................................... 80 UTILITIES ............................................................................................................................................................... 80 12.02(8) RELOCATION ................................................................................................................................... 83 12.02(9) REDEVELOPER OBLIGATIONS.................................................................................................... 85 12.02(10) PROPERTY DISPOSITION ............................................................................................................ 87 PARCEL DISPOSITION ............................................................................................................................................ 88 D1: CIVIC CENTER BLOCK ............................................................................................................................ 89 D2: NORTH PROSPECT BLOCK ...................................................................................................................... 90 D3: SOUTH PROSPECT BLOCK ....................................................................................................................... 91 D4: PROSPECT WEST ..................................................................................................................................... 92 D5: WASHINGTON STREET NORTH.............................................................................................................. 93

D6: SOMERVILLE AVENUE SOUTH ................................................................................................................ 94 D7: WARREN BLOCK ..................................................................................................................................... 95 12.02(11) CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................................... 97 APPENDIX I: SOMERVILLE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY VOTE ............................................. 101 APPENDIX II: BOARD OF ALDERMEN VOTE ....................................................................................... 103 APPENDIX III: PLANNING BOARD VOTE .............................................................................................. 105 APPENDIX IV: CERTIFICATION OF SRA COUNSEL ............................................................................ 107 APPENDIX V: MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT ................................................................................ 109 APPENDIX VI: PREVIOUS STUDIES AND PLANS .................................................................................. 113 APPENDIX VII: OUTCOMES, BUILD OUT, & BENEFITS ..................................................................... 115 BUILDABLE AREA ................................................................................................................................................ 116 LAND USE SCENARIOS ........................................................................................................................................ 117 PRIMARY USE ALLOCATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 117 PARKING CONSIDERATION ................................................................................................................................. 117 USE ALLOCATIONS – WITH PARKING CONSIDERED ......................................................................................... 118 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN METRICS ...................................................................................................................... 118 APPENDIX VIII: SOMERVISION EXCERPTS .......................................................................................... 121 NEIGHBORHOODS ............................................................................................................................................... 123 COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, SQUARES AND GROWTH DISTRICTS ................................................................... 124 RESOURCES .......................................................................................................................................................... 126 TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE ....................................................................................................... 127 HOUSING .............................................................................................................................................................. 131

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 7 Executive Summary The 2012 Union Square Revitalization Plan is a 20-year plan commencing on the date of approval by the Somerville Board of Aldermen, subject only to the further review and approval of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The authorizing statute for the Revitalization Plan is Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 121B, which empowers the Somerville Redevelopment Authority to characterize the Revitalization Area as a “decadent area” and prepare an “Urban Renewal Plan” for its rehabilitation. A revitalization plan under Chapter 121B provides certain benefits to local communities, including the ability to acquire and dispose of designated property. This planning tool, which has been successful in spurring the transformation of Assembly Square, is a necessary first step to providing both the transit and the transit-oriented development (TOD) that will revitalize the Union Square neighborhood. It also serves as an action plan for implementing specific planning goals, thereby encouraging the investment of state and federal funds towards reaching those goals. The chapters in this Plan are organized to follow the sections in the Housing and Urban Renewal regulations set forth in 760 CMR 12.02(1) through 12.02(11). The actions proposed in the Union Square Revitalization Plan have been informed by a shared consensus to bring rail transit to Union Square and two significant community processes undertaken in recent years. The first, in 2009, involved intensive community planning sessions with City staff and Somerville residents and resulted in the adoption of a comprehensive rezoning of Union Square. A second, from 2009-2012, involved a diverse group of Somerville stakeholders led by a 60 member steering committee who met on over 50 occasions to develop and codify a vision as well as goals, policies, and actions for Somerville’s first comprehensive plan, known as the ”SomerVision Comprehensive Plan”. Like the Revitalization Plan, SomerVision is a 20-year plan, and the two are intended to run concurrently. Union Square has also been the subject of countless studies over a period of many years, and the actions proposed in this Revitalization Plan have their foundation in a consistent set of recommendations provided by a series of qualified professional in the fields of planning, community, and economic development.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 8 SomerVision outlines steps for an economic renaissance in the Union Square Area and identifies the reintroduction of light-rail transit as the single most important contributing factor to Union Square’s revival as Somerville’s “downtown”. On July 26, 2012, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and the City of Somerville executed a Memorandum of Agreement in which the City promised to acquire parcels in Union Square needed by the MBTA for the transit station and, in return, the Commonwealth made a firm commitment to fund and build Phases 1, 2 and 2A of the Green Line Extension, with the goal of having an operational station in Union Square by the end of 2016/ beginning of 2017. Union Square has, at its core, an edgy and interesting retail presence, but the Square and surrounding areas are missing the jobs and the larger commercial base that can only be developed with new transit and TOD. The development of both transit and TOD will not only provide economic benefits to the residents of Somerville but will also provide new commercial growth opportunities that will benefit the Commonwealth. Somerville is confident that the Union Square Revitalization Area will follow in the successful footsteps of the Assembly Square Revitalization Area, where there is now an Orange Line Station under construction, four development blocks coming out of the ground, brand new public infrastructure, and additional redevelopment in the pipeline. The first phase of the 2012 Union Square Revitalization Plan will produce new Green Line transit stations at Union Square and at Washington Street by McGrath Highway -- an enormous inducement for private sector investment. As subsequent phases of this “action plan” move forward, its benefits will further enhance and transform this beloved and historic square.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 9 Introduction HISTORY OF UNION SQUARE Union Square is Somerville’s oldest commercial district. Originally a small rest stop situated on marshland, it exploded with growth when the marsh was filled and quick routes to Boston became possible. New development included a two-story wooden engine house erected in 1838 at the corner of Washington and Prospect Streets. In 1853, when firefighters erected a flagpole across the street from the engine house, the Square became known as “Liberty Pole Square”, but the name was soon changed to “Union Square” when it became a recruiting center for Union soldiers during the Civil War. The first horse-drawn streetcar system in the Boston area - between Union Square and Harvard Square - was established in 1852. The development of row houses and apartment hotels along the streetcar line made Union Square an attractive area for Boston commuters to live. In the early 1900’s, electric streetcars made 88 stops a day in Union Square to bring Somerville commuters to their jobs in Boston, and to bring Boston and Cambridge commuters to the burgeoning industries in Union Square, including grist mills, and ink, glass, and copper tubing factories. The mid-20th century brought with it changes in transportation modes. In particular, the widespread use of the automobile gave consumers greater mobility. As was true for many historic commercial areas throughout the country, Union Square began to experience the negative effects of a new preference for living and shopping in the suburbs. At the same time, the Northeast began to lose ground as the country’s manufacturing center. To exacerbate matters in Union Square, the Commonwealth adopted a new transportation model, replacing streetcars with commuter trains and highways to serve communities north of the Charles River. Union Square was first by-passed by McGrath Highway and subsequently Interstate I-93. Although rail service does traverse Somerville (i.e. the Lowell and Fitchburg Commuter Rail Lines), it too was

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 10 intended to serve suburbs beyond the City, as the routes were designed without stops in Somerville. After the light rail system servicing Union Square was removed, the local economy collapsed. Union Square lost density and urban character as property owners with vacant commercial spaces removed the top stories of their buildings to lower their commercial property tax. When the Ford Motor Assembly Plant in Assembly Square closed in 1958, portions of its workforce turned to nearby Union Square to open automotive niche businesses, including salvage and auto repair and resale. Disconnected from Boston and Cambridge, Union Square was left to degrade throughout the remainder of the century. UNION SQUARE TODAY Union Square has failed to re-establish a commercial identity in the regional marketplace despite its highly desirable location - two miles from downtown Boston’s financial district and one mile from Kendall Square - and its proximity to Tufts University, Harvard University, and MIT. Nevertheless, despite the absence of office and other commercial development in Union Square, a lively local arts, food, and nightlife cluster has sprung up, which is actively nurtured by the Somerville Arts Council and Union Square Main Streets. Between them, these two entities are responsible for the artist-designed street furniture and banners in the Square and popular events like the “Fluff Festival”, “Swish and Swirl” and the Farmer’s Market. In the past few years, incubator spaces for small businesses that are part of the creative economy have opened, including the Design Annex, Fringe, and the nearby Artisan’s Asylum. The majority of businesses currently located in Union Square are service-oriented. Given its history, it is not surprising that a larger than average number of automotive and industrial uses are haphazardly scattered throughout the area. The commercial center is surrounded by neighborhoods of single and multi-family residences housing young professionals, families, and retirees, with a high concentration of artists and a diverse immigrant population. The housing stock ranges from Prospect Hill’s ornate Victorians with their breathtaking views of Boston’s skyline to quaint historic workmen’s cottages at the foot of the Hill and south of the Square. In addition to the noteworthy housing stock, architecturally significant buildings at the core of the Square include a Post Office on the National Register of Historic Places, the old engine house reconstructed in 1856 as a brick fire station and now used by the local cable access television station, and several other prominent structures. Somerville’s Public Safety Building and local district Fire Station are located in the eastern portion of Union Square, and its City Hall, Central Library, and High School are a ten minute walk up Prospect Hill. Union Square is currently served by several arterial roads - including Somerville Avenue, Prospect Street, Webster Avenue and Washington Street - and five bus routes. By the end of 2016/beginning of 2017, it will also be served by a new MBTA Green Line transit station located next to the Prospect Street Bridge. This station will connect Union Square to Lechmere

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 11 Station and downtown Boston and will reopen the doors to economic opportunity. The importance of the Union Square MBTA Station cannot be overstated. Davis Square, where Somerville’s one and only transit station is located, has experienced substantial economic growth since the station was built and is now a destination venue for residents and tourists in the greater Boston Metropolitan Area, and Union Square has the benefit of a location closer to the economic engine of Kendall Square than Davis Square. THREE DECADES OF STUDY Union Square has been the subject of decades of plans and studies, including two earlier Urban Renewal Plans, one for the heart of Union Square and a second for Boynton Yards. These plans involved extensive public participation and many of them envisioned transportation, infrastructure, development and urban design goals that provided an expectation of future development in the Square, but without the transit investment, these goals were never realized. In 2009, the Board of Aldermen approved new zoning for much of Union Square. This new zoning was developed in anticipation of the coming MBTA station and was the product of more than 20 meetings in which the community established expectations for design of new development in and around the Square. The development standards and design guidelines of two new types of zoning districts – the Corridor Commercial Districts (CCDs) and the Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) Districts - reflect the community consensus for new multi-story mixed use commercial and residential development in portions of Union Square. Most recently, and most importantly, in April 2012, after an extensive three-year public process, the Somerville Board of Aldermen endorsed the City’s first comprehensive plan, known as the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. The SomerVision planning process could have said to have begun in 2008 with the preparation by City staff of a data driven series of “Trends Reports” followed by a six-month series of public meetings at which staff discussed the results of these Trend Reports with the community. A 60-member steering committee was then formed, and the committee held 26 meetings to develop the plan, with City staff coordinating an additional 9 community workshops and 15 presentations to community groups to discuss and finalize the Plan. Among the goals, policies, and actions of the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan, at least 68 speak to the need for improvement in Union Square, including: • To make Somerville a regional employment center with a mix of diverse and high-quality jobs; • To transform key opportunity areas into dynamic, mixed-use and transit-oriented districts that serve as economic engines to complement the neighborhoods of Somerville; • To facilitate thoughtfully-designed, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development and re- use opportunities in commercial corridors, squares and around transit stations that are

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 12 sensitive to neighborhood context, and serve existing and future residents and businesses; and • To link Somerville’s corridors, squares and growth districts to support future development and economic activity; • To support a business-friendly environment to attract and retain a diverse mix of businesses that can start here, grow here and stay here; • To invest in the talents, skills and education of people to support growth and provide opportunities to residents of all social and economic levels; • To promote municipal financial self-determination and reduce fiscal dependence on state aid and residential taxes and fees. SomerVision identifies the historic core of Union Square as an “Area to Enhance”, with selective new development and revitalization. The southern sections of the Square, including the Prospect/Webster Corridor and Boynton Yards, are identified in SomerVision as “Areas to Transform”, anticipating an entirely new development pattern. As the SomerVision plan anticipates the creation of 30,000 new jobs and 6,000 new housing units by 2030 in the City overall (with 85% of growth in transformational areas), the Union Square and Boynton Yards areas alone should generate over 4,300 net new jobs and over 850 net new housing units over the 20-year life of the 2012 Revitalization Plan. SomerVision also anticipates that fewer than 50% of new daily trips to and from Somerville should be by automobile, a goal that is clearly dependent upon the coming Green Line and other strategies for encouraging walking, biking and transit trips to, from, and through the neighborhood. IMPLEMENTING THE UNION SQUARE OF TOMORROW In furtherance of the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan and the 2009 Rezoning of Union Square, the stakeholders in the community are unified behind the vision of a mixed-use, transit-centered future in Union Square but without local action, the vision cannot be realized. In the short and medium term, that vision is centered on the actions described below. 1. On July 26, 2012 the City of Somerville entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the MBTA and MassDOT. Under the MOA, the City will acquire the parcels and deliver to the MBTA permanent and temporary easements needed for construction of the Union Square Station in exchange for an MBTA/MassDOT commitment to open Union Square Station by the end of 2016/beginning of 2017. 2. The “North Prospect Block”, identified in this Revitalization Plan, abuts the new station and will benefit from development as a gateway to Union Square, thereby linking the T and the Square, and providing new TOD jobs and fiscal benefits.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 13 3. The community vision for a civic core in the Square, anchored ideally by a new central library (which is currently in a queue for an $18 million Massachusetts Board of Library Trustees funding grant) and possibly a new City Hall, depends upon redevelopment of parcels in the block of properties where the City’s Public Safety Building is currently located, referred to herein as the “Civic Center Block”. 4. Five other key sites that surround the core of the station area and Square have significant potential for job creation and suffer from obsolete uses, poor site conditions, inefficient parcelization, and/or minimal investment over many years. 5. Significant infrastructure investment is required in the near term (drainage upgrades, improved public open space, street network improvements, etc.) necessitating a new development tax base to fund those improvements. In the longer term, the Boynton Yards area south of the Square can also be developed with more intense uses if street network and utility improvements are provided. The Union Square Revitalization Plan will allow the City to convey parcels to the MBTA in an expeditious manner, thereby ensuring that there will be light rail service operational by the winter of 2016/2017. At the same time, the Plan seeks to further other actions that are necessary to address planning challenges for Union Square, beginning with the assemblage of other properties on the east side of Prospect Street into a single development parcel and continuing with series of medium-term steps to address each of the issues listed above. With the implementation of the Revitalization Plan, Union Square will have new transit service, new job opportunities, upgraded infrastructure, new buildings, additional public open space, improved traffic circulation, and a cleaner environment, Somerville will once again be well on its way to achieving a competitive downtown that serves its workers and residents well and contributes to the local and regional economy.

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 31 12.02(2) Eligibility This Section contains data and other descriptive material which demonstrates that the Revitalization Area is a “decadent area” as defined in M.G.L. c.121B, §1. As such, it is eligible to be approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as an urban renewal area. The map below shows the regional context for Somerville, including the Interstate Highway I-93, the existing MBTA Red Line and Orange Line (the Assembly Square Station is currently under construction) and the proposed Green Line Extension, including the spur track to Union Square. Figure 2-1: Regional Context

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 32 OVERVIEW Somerville is a small city with a land area of 4.1 square miles. It is located in the Boston metropolitan core and shares boundaries with Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, and Medford. Somerville has approximately 76,000 residents and 2,100 businesses. It is a city with many “squares”, the oldest and most historic of which is Union Square. It is also a city where leftover industrial pockets and automotive uses are scattered in the midst of residential and retail districts, as is the case in the Union Square area. The Union Square Revitalization Area boundary and use mix within it are shown on the map below. Figure 2-2: Boundary and Existing Uses Although this graphic shows existing uses, it includes for orientation purposes the proposed Union Square Station, as well as the proposed Washington Street Station. Both stations are expected to be fully constructed and operational by the end of 2016/beginning of 2017. The map on the next page (Figure 2-3 Transformational Areas) illustrates the three distinct geographic areas within the boundary of the Revitalization District that are targeted in this Plan for transformational redevelopment: namely, (1) the Prospect/Webster Corridor; (2)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 33 Boynton Yards; and (3) the McGrath/Medford Corridor. These areas have a long history of industrial, automotive, and commercial uses that were once thriving but now contribute to decadence and blight. Figure 2-3: Transformational Areas The City of Somerville has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the MBTA and MassDOT committing the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) to acquire the parcels needed by the MBTA for Union Square Station and its adjacent drop-off/pickup area. The SRA will convey to the MBTA a permanent volumetric easement for the station structure and a temporary easement for the drop-off/pickup area, reserving development air rights over the easement areas. The City of Somerville and the MBTA have also agreed to negotiate a future air rights agreement over the Fitchburg Commuter Rail right-of-way at such time as the SRA has a developer with a feasible air rights development proposal. See figure 2-4.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 34 Figure 2-4: MBTA MOA Map The potential economic upside of these new transit stations cannot be overstated. In years past, Somerville thrived when it enjoyed convenient rail service, but its population and prosperity decreased dramatically when rail service was discontinued. In 1984, a new Red Line Station revitalized Davis Square and there is strong consensus in Somerville today that the proposed Green Line Extension is crucial to the City’s future. The City of Somerville, through the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), has put into place some key tools to incentivize development in the Union Square Revitalization Area, including adoption of a major rezoning in 2009 and Somerville’s first comprehensive plan in 2012. The new zoning allows greater density than the prior zoning and introduces Commercial Corridor Districts (CCDs) and Transit Oriented Development Districts (called TODs in the zoning) to achieve such density in the Revitalization Area. The comprehensive plan, known as “SomerVision” embodies the community’s expectation for change in various parts of the City by identifying certain areas of the city as ripe for transformation, while deeming others more appropriate for enhancement or conservation. The Union Square Revitalization Plan is consistent with the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. It includes residential neighborhoods where conservation is the goal and little to no substantive physical change is anticipated. It also includes areas to be enhanced through infill redevelopment and public realm and transportation improvements. Most

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 35 importantly, it includes the three areas in Figure 2-3 -- the Prospect/Webster Corridor, the McGrath/Medford Corridor, and Boynton Yards -- that are expected to be redeveloped to the point of complete transformation in use and scale. The next map illustrates the areas within the Revitalization Area that will be transformed, enhanced, or conserved. Figure 2-5: SomerVision Areas SomerVision identifies three types of areas: Areas to Conserve; Areas to Enhance; and Areas to Transform. Areas for conservation (shown in green) are primarily residential pockets where little or no change in land use or structures is expected. These areas are included within the district boundary to allow them to benefit from nearby public infrastructure improvements and to make the boundary cohesive. Areas for enhancement (shown in blue) include key parcels fronting Somerville Avenue and Washington Street in the historic core of Union Square. Although areas for enhancement include a few strategic sites that are appropriate for redevelopment, it is not intended that these areas undergo significant physical change. Areas for enhancement will also benefit from public realm, transportation, and other public infrastructure improvements. Finally, areas for transformation (shown in orange) are areas where large scale

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 36 redevelopment is expected to occur in phases over time. These areas present the most significant challenges with respect to public infrastructure improvements, which are also expected to occur in phases. Existing businesses operating in the areas for transformation are heavily weighted with automotive and industrial uses. While industrial uses were once a good fit for this area of Somerville because of its proximity to Boston and Cambridge, Today the industry mix reflects an outmoded economy that has stood still while the urban core has developed around it. This 2012 Revitalization Plan envisions the Union Square Revitalization Area as a new downtown for Somerville -- bustling with activity, with large numbers of residents and workers commuting on foot or by public transit or bicycle and enjoying aesthetically pleasing plazas, parks, and other publically accessible open spaces. It projects a mix of business types including office and research & development, with retail shops, service establishments, and restaurants anchoring the street at pedestrian level; and it calls for additional housing, including artists’ live/work space and affordable units. PRIOR URBAN RENEWAL PLANS In the early 1980’s, the City approved an urban revitalization plan for Union Square and a separate urban revitalization plan for Boynton Yards. The principal accomplishments of the Union Square plan were the creation of the Union Square Plaza as a pedestrian-oriented commercial center and the removal of existing fire and police facilities from the center of the Square to what was formerly an MBTA bus garage and is now known as the Public Safety Building. The principal accomplishments of the Boynton Yards plan were the demolition of decadent buildings; remediation of industrial wastes; construction of three “light industry” buildings; and construction of South Street to support truck traffic. The Boynton Yards Plan was terminated by the SRA prior to its expiration date because it was felt that the goals of the plan had, to the extent possible, been achieved. While it achieved some environmental benefits that will be helpful to the 2012 Revitalization Plan, the earlier Boynton Yards Plan left the final uses and street network in an inadequate state for current needs. There is currently no interest in continuing to develop Boynton Yards as a light industrial district, given the high tech development pressure extending into the area from Kendall Square, the impending Union Square Station, and the potential for air rights development over the Fitchburg right-of-way. Therefore, a new vision for Boynton Yards as a transit oriented mixed-use district has replaced the old vision, and a new plan is necessary to advance that vision.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 37 DECADENT AREA1 Certain conditions in the Revitalization Area have existed for decades. No significant private investment has occurred in most of the properties for over fifty years; the overwhelming majority of parcels lack the minimum lot size required to meet current zoning; and the ordinary operations of private enterprise, acting alone, are unlikely to reverse these conditions. Obstacles that prevent private redevelopment from achieving the goals of the community include: • faulty parcelization2 • obsolete street patterns; ; • flooding and unsuitable and/or contaminated soil; • incompatible land uses; and • deteriorated buildings and facilities. FAULTY PARCELIZATION Parcel sizes within the Union Square Revitalization Area range from 70 s.f. slivers of land to 7+ acre sites. Most of the residential properties in the area are situated on parcels of land averaging 3,000 square feet, which is typical and adequate for residential lots in Somerville. However, many of the commercial lots are similarly sized and are therefore too small for most commercial uses. Boynton Yards includes a mix of small, irregularly shaped parcels interspersed among large parcels. Of the 487 parcels in the project area, only 14 are larger than one acre. Figure 2-6 shows that over 40% of the parcels are under 15,000 s.f. in size. In the 2009 rezoning, minimum lot sizes for the various zones mapped over key “transformational” areas were deliberately set at 15,000 s.f., 25,000 s.f., and 50,000 s.f. to require parcel assemblage for larger scale development. 1 The term “decadent area” area under G.L. c. 121 B is defined at the end of this section. 2 “Faulty parcelization” is a term employed in the definition of “decadent area” in G.L. c. 121B, §. 1.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 38 Figure 2-6: Parcel Sizes in the Plan area. In addition to the problem of parcel size, a number of property owners have arranged by lease or other agreement to use one another’s properties in ways that may make sense for their businesses today but limit options for development. This peculiar arrangement is exacerbated by parcels that are oddly shaped and/or lack any relationship to the roadway network. Examples of these types of parcels can be found along the southeastern side of Prospect Street and throughout Boynton Yards, with particularly inaccessible and strangely shaped parcels to the north and south of the Fitchburg right-of-way. OBSOLETE STREET PATTERNS Another barrier to redevelopment is the street network in the Revitalization Area. Webster Avenue, Prospect Street, Somerville Avenue, and Washington Street need reconfiguration and upgrading to allow for better vehicular traffic flow and interface with pedestrian, bus, and bicycle modes. The elevated portion of McGrath Highway acts as a barrier between Union Square and Somerville’s Innerbelt/Brickbottom district and should be restored to a street level boulevard. In Boynton Yards, an urban street grid would allow for much higher density build out under the TOD zoning in effect for that area, as well as providing appropriate street frontage for ground floor restaurant, retail, and other business services.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 39 FLOODING AND UNSUITABLE AND/OR CONTAMINATED SOILS The Miller’s River, which formerly ran through the project area and was filled in many years ago, has left a legacy of flooding that is exacerbated by the aged storm water/sewer system in this area of Somerville. On July 10, 2010, municipal vehicles parked at the Public Safety Building in Union Square were damaged beyond repair during a flash rainstorm that flooded the area in a matter of minutes, at a cost to the City of over $1 million. Although as part of the recent MassDOT reconstruction of Somerville Avenue between Porter Square and Union Square, the storm water and sewer systems in this area were separated, the limits of this MassDOT work stopped just short of Union Square, with the result that the separated systems continue to flow into the combined system at the Square, causing flooding at Somerville Avenue and Medford Street during peak storms. Figure 2-7: Union Square Flooding on July 10, 2012. The filling in of the Miller’s River is at least partially responsible for the prevalence of soils composed of coal ash and other debris materials unsuitable to support even mid-rise construction. Past and present industrial uses in the project area, including but by no means limited to such activities as sandblasting of lead coated products and cleaning of barrels containing industrial waste, are responsible for the prevalence of contaminated soils in the area.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 40 While the former Boynton Yards Plan remediated much of the soil contamination in that area, and the City is actively involved in cleaning a brownfield site at Prospect Street and Somerville Avenue, extensive environmental contamination remains. INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES The Revitalization Area contains many one-story industrial buildings, warehouses and surface parking areas. Many of the businesses and land use types that exist in the Area today are a legacy of the industrial uses abutting the Fitchburg Rail Line and auto- related uses that developed following the closing of the Ford Assembly plant. These uses are a disincentive for private investment and redevelopment. A significant portion of the land area in the Revitalization Area consists of surface parking lots. Some of these are accessory parking for retail uses. Some reflect outdated zoning requirements that mandated higher parking ratios than those currently in effect. Others are contaminated sites that were capped with asphalt and never redeveloped. Two of the largest lots house an auto salvage business and a towing business. The proliferation of surface lots negatively impacts adjacent sites and over-serves the parking demand. DETERIORATED BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES In February and March of 2012, the OSPCD staff conducted a local survey of the external physical condition of all properties and structures within the Revitalization Plan boundary. The survey had five sections: (1) Roof, Exterior Finish, (2) Entrance, Doors, Porches, (3) Gutters, Downspout, (4) Parking, Yard, Fences, (5) Soffits and Eaves. The surveyors rated each property for all sections and then determined an overall evaluation of the property. The condition of each property was ranked along a spectrum of good>satisfactory>moderate disrepair>severe disrepair, defined as follows: • GOOD – The buildings in this category appeared to be in a structurally stable condition. In some cases, there were clear signs of building maintenance or recent rehabilitation such as new paint, new door and windows. • SATISFACTORY – Buildings in this category exhibited stable conditions and required minor rehabilitation such as new paint and window replacements. In some cases, exterior features (such as the entranceways) required improvements to make them code compliant. • MODERATE DISREPAIR – This category included buildings in need of minor structural repairs, porch or roof replacements or siding replacement. Certain building components appeared to be reaching the end of their useful lives. Some of the buildings required considerable maintenance on the overall structure.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 41 • SEVERE DISREPAIR – This category included buildings that were visually dilapidated and needed extensive repairs.. Most of these buildings required major investment in façade improvements, storefronts, walls and/or other architectural features. There are 487 parcels within the Revitalization Area. Five of these parcels are part of the railroad infrastructure and were not surveyed. Out of 482 parcels surveyed, 164 parcels received a general survey evaluation of either “moderate disrepair” or “severe disrepair”. This constitutes over 34% of the properties within the Revitalization District boundary. In addition, another 170 properties received a “satisfactory” evaluation, meaning that these properties had received a rating of “moderate disrepair” or “severe disrepair” on one of the survey sub-components. The inclusion of these parcels brings the ratio of properties with some evidence of disrepair to nearly 70%. In addition to decadent buildings, the project area also contains much open space that can be characterized as decadent. Many of the instances of such open space occur on the largest parcels. When added to the properties in a state of moderate or severe disrepair this raises the percentage of decadence to 44% of properties in the Revitalization Area. Recent property data reflects a weakness in the market for any type of commercial use. The average value for land in the project area with a commercial use (this does not include building value) is $86/sf as compared with $152/sf for residential land in the project area. The value of commercial land within the project area also compares unfavorably when measured against the value of $99/sf for commercial land elsewhere in the City. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE NOT SUFFICIENT As the table below indicates, a large majority (85%) of the structures in the Revitalization Area were built prior to 1940 and there has been little development in the area during the last 30 years. The average renovation year for properties in the project area is 1977, and only ten new structures have been built since 1981, meaning that most of the buildings in the project area would not be compliant with today’s building codes. Table 2-1: Age of Structures Approximate Year Built Number of Structures % of Total Pre-1900 40 15% 1901-1940 192 70% 1941-1980 31 11% 1981-present 10 4% The OSPCD survey results were compared with previous surveys of property conditions in the Revitalization Area over the past twenty years or more. Many of the most egregious cases

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 42 of decadence existed in similar condition two decades ago. This means that during various changes in ownership and a number of real estate cycles – including a boom market – there has been little private capital investment. The reasons for this are the lack of convenient transit; a plethora of small and oddly-shaped parcels that makes land assemblage unusually challenging and expensive; construction premiums for foundation work; soil and groundwater contamination; the risk that surrounding properties will remain decadent, and infrastructure upgrades of such a magnitude that public funding is required. This Revitalization Plan is a crucial tool needed for the land assemblage, utility upgrades, roadway reconfiguration and other improvements necessary to attract private investment. FINDING OF DECADENCE G.L. c. 121B §1 defines a “Decadent Area” as follows: “Decadent Area”, an area which is detrimental to safety, health, morals, welfare or sound growth of a community because of the existence of buildings which are out of repair, physically deteriorated, unfit for human habitation, or obsolete, or in need of major maintenance or repair, or because much of the real estate in recent years has been sold or taken for nonpayment of taxes or upon foreclosure of mortgages, or because buildings have been torn down and not replaced and under existing conditions it is improbable that the buildings will be replaced, or because of a substantial change in business or economic conditions, or because of inadequate light, air, or open space or because of excessive land coverage or because diversity of ownership, irregular lot sizes or obsolete street patterns make it improbable that the area will be redeveloped by the ordinary operations of private enterprise, or by reason of any combination of the foregoing conditions In accordance with G.L. c. 121B, §46, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority has determined that the Union Square Revitalization Area as described in this Revitalization Plan for urban renewal is a “Decadent Area” as defined in G.L. c. 121B, §1.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 43 12.02(3) Objectives THE VISION The Union Square Revitalization Plan envisions a 117-acre district, urban in character, with high-quality, multi-story office, R&D, and housing above retail, restaurant, and service establishments at street level, existing side-by-side with the historic commercial core and low- rise surrounding core neighborhoods of 1-3 family homes. The Revitalization Area will be graced with public open space in the form of parks and public plazas and there will also be additional publicly accessible open space on private land. To the extent possible, parking will be centralized, structured, and shared. New development will be designed to encourage walking, biking, car-sharing, and public transportation with the goal of reducing driving trips and parking demand. The Revitalization Plan is an action plan to achieve the community vision developed for Union Square during the 2009 Union Square rezoning and the extensive public outreach process that guided the development of the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. The actions in the Revitalization Plan are also supported by years of professional and technical studies. The near term vision consists of the Union Square Green Line Station, the redevelopment of properties adjacent to the Station, referred to as the “North Prospect Block” in this Revitalization Plan. In the mid-term, the build-out of the North Prospect Block is expected to be followed by redevelopment of other properties identified in this Plan as Disposition Blocks and public realm, roadway, and utility improvements in the heart of Union Square. Longer term, the Plan envisions significant public and private investment in infrastructure allowing for transformational change in Boynton Yards and the McGrath/Medford Corridor.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 44 THE GOALS The Union Square Revitalization Plan has eight goals: 1. To bring light rail transit to Union Square, through a new Green Line station at the Prospect Street Bridge; 2. To generate at least 4,300 new jobs and 850 new housing units in the Union Square Revitalization Area in order to provide employment and housing opportunities for Somerville residents of all socio-economic levels; 3. To create high quality open space that is inviting to users of Union Square and allows residents, workers and visitors to enjoy the parks, plazas, cafes, and community events created under this Revitalization Plan; 4. To design and build infrastructure that encourages pedestrians, bicyclists, and users of public transit; 5. To improve traffic circulation, manage the extensive flow of through traffic, reduce automobile congestion for destination trips to the Square, and provide centralized parking, all designed to spur economic activity; 6. To link the Medford/McGrath Corridor and Boynton Yards to the Webster/Prospect Corridor and the heart of Union Square in order give the Revitalization Area a cohesive identity and make it a regional destination; 7. To alleviate the problems of flooding, environmental contamination, and industrial blight in the Revitalization Area; and, 8. To increase the commercial tax base in the Revitalization Area to finance public improvements in the short term and secure fiscal self-sufficiency for the City in the long term. THE STRATEGIES To implement the plan, the following strategies are proposed: 1. Acquire key parcels needed for Union Square Station and convey easements to the MBTA by Spring of 2013 so the MBTA can commence construction by Spring 2014 and have an operational Union Square Station by the end of 2016/beginning of 2017; 2. Continue to work with the MBTA to realize a station design that maximizes ease of use for those making connections via bicycle or on foot; 3. Work with the MBTA to bring better bus access to Union Square Station and improve the interface between vehicles and other transit modes in the Revitalization Area; 4. Acquire remaining parcels in the North Prospect Block to facilitate the first new transit- oriented development adjacent to the Union Square Station; 5. Convert Prospect Street and Webster Avenue from one-way to two-way traffic;

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 45 6. Reconstruct roadways with wider sidewalks and bike lanes and install pedestrian friendly signalization; 7. Leverage funding to construct a new civic core in the heart of Union Square with a new central library and possibly a new City Hall. 8. Separate the storm water and sewer conduits under Somerville Avenue and provide increased capacity to accommodate desired levels of future growth; 9. Acquire additional parcels identified in the Revitalization Plan and assemble them for disposition primarily as mixed-use development with retail. restaurant, and service establishments at ground level; and, 10. Work with land owners to create a roadway network in Boynton Yards that will improve traffic circulation and create viable development blocks and redevelopment opportunities; SPECIFIC PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT Figure 3-1: SomerVision Areas and Transformational Districts

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 46 The SomerVision Comprehensive Plan identifies areas to be conserved, areas to be enhanced, and areas to be transformed. All three areas exist within the Union Square Revitalization Area, as shown on Figure 3-1. Conservation is the goal for the residential neighborhoods and little or no physical change is anticipated for these areas. Only three residences will be acquired and demolished, one of which is located in the center of the Square and the other two located on the North Prospect Block. Other areas, including the historic core of Union Square, will be enhanced with select infill development and will benefit from public realm and related transportation improvements, but they will essentially remain much as they are now. This leaves three substantial areas for transformation: the Prospect/Webster Corridor, the McGrath/Medford Corridor, and Boynton Yards, identified by name and shown in yellow, red, and brown respectively in Figure 3-1. On the following pages each of the three Transformational Areas are introduced and the accompanying reference maps illustrate the disposition parcels (Figure 3-2). Figure 3-2: Disposition Parcels

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 47 TRANSFORMATION AREA #1: PROSPECT/WEBSTER CORRIDOR The first redevelopment action proposed in this 2012 Revitalization Plan will be the disposition, for full build out under the new TOD-100 zoning, of the North Prospect Block shown as D-2 in Figure 3-2. As mentioned, the City intends to expedite the construction of the Union Square Green Line Station by acquiring parcels adjacent to the Fitchburg Commuter Rail right-of-way and conveying easements to the MBTA over the portions needed for the station and its drop-off/pickup area. The North Prospect Block including air rights over the MBTA easement areas is a catalyst block because of its proximity to the station. This block has frontage on both Somerville Avenue and Prospect Street and, literally as well as figuratively, becomes a bridge to Boynton Yards at its southern end. The SRA and the City of Somerville already own 10 parcels on the North Prospect Block. The remaining parcels have decadent structures and/or decadent open space and are an impediment to the safe and active use of the transit station. The SRA will seek a single redeveloper for the entire North Prospect Block to incentivize a cohesive project. In addition to the North Prospect Block, the SRA will subsequently assemble and dispose of parcels in disposition areas D-1, D-3, D-4, and D-6 for redevelopment. TRANSFORMATION AREA #2: BOYNTON YARDS From one direction, redevelopment demand from Kendall Square is extending to the Cambridge line at the edge of Boynton Yards. From the other direction, the Union Square Green Line Station and the redevelopment of North Prospect Block will bring visibility and connectivity to Boynton Yards over the Prospect Street Bridge, as well as through potential air rights development over the Fitchburg Commuter Rail right-of-way. A consultant team hired by the City is developing alternatives for a new internal network of streets that will make Boynton Yards a more coherent and developable district. Figure 3-3 shows one conceptual design for that street network. Another potential roadway concept for Boynton Yards is shown in Section 12.02(7) “Public Improvements” and in Figure 7-1.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 48 Figure 3-3: Boynton Yards Preliminary Concept Plan Boynton Yards is challenged by large amounts of open space that can be characterized as decadent. By including Boynton Yards in the Revitalization Plan, the SRA and the City of Somerville can play an active role in creating public/private partnerships with owners and developers to ensure that maximum funding resources are brought to the development table. Boynton Yards could also benefit from more transit infrastructure. Although there is no commitment at this time from the MBTA for an additional Green Line Station for Boynton Yards, this option was mentioned in public outreach meetings as recently as mid-2011. A Boynton Yards station along the Green Line between Lechmere and Union Square is a goal identified in the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan and, as such, it becomes a long range goal of this Revitalization Plan. In a shorter timeframe, a transportation management agency (TMA) will be planned to provide shuttle service between Kendall Station, Boynton Yards, and the Union Square Green Line Station, thereby providing Red Line and Green Line connections to development in the Boynton Yards area. While no Acquisition Parcels have been designated in Boynton Yards at this time, this plan contemplates significant investment in public utility and public roadway infrastructure.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 49 TRANSFORMATION AREA #3: MCGRATH/MEDFORD CORRIDOR Phase 2A of the MBTA/MassDOT Green Line Extension, which will be completed by the end of 2016/beginning of 2017, includes a station at Washington Street and McGrath Highway, just outside the boundary of this plan. This new transit service is expected to transform the McGrath/Medford Corridor section of the Revitalization Area. In addition MassDOT has spearheaded a study to de-elevate the McGrath/Route 28 viaduct. While still in the early stages, the study has captured the imagination of a broad constituency and would further serve to transform this Corridor, much as the Big Dig transformed the Central Artery in Boston. While no Acquisition Parcels have been designated in this area at this time, the investment in infrastructure should work to encourage private investment and redevelopment of larger underutilized parcels in the McGrath/Medford Corridor. AFFORDABLE HOUSING All new residential development in the Revitalization Area will be required to comply with the Inclusionary Housing section of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance, which currently mandates that projects with eight or more units provide 12.5%, 15%, or 18% (depending on the zoning district) of the units as affordable. ZONING In 2009 the City of Somerville undertook an extensive public process to rezone Union Square. Although the outcome of the public rezoning process resulted in retaining the standard residential zoning for the neighborhood areas of Union Square, new types of mixed-use districts -- a Corridor Commercial District (CCD-55) and four Transit-Oriented Districts (TOD-55, TOD-70, TOD-100, and TOD-135) -- were mapped over parcels identified in this Plan as part of the Revitalization Area. With these newly applied districts, property owners and developers have access to “Use Clusters”, a regulatory mechanism that provides a greater level of categorical flexibility between uses that have similar impacts. Provided they are under the square footage limit that would require Special Permit for approval, individual uses categorized within the same cluster can come and go by right, while uses not expressly authorized in the clusters are prohibited. The new zoning applied to Union Square is designed to be responsive to changing market conditions while maintaining high standards for building design and construction, including an emphasis on sustainable development and green building standards. Although the City is currently undertaking an extensive rewrite of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance the CCD and TOD districts within the Revitalization Area are anticipated to remain essentially the same as they are in the current version of the Zoning Ordinance.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 50 Figure 3-4: Union Square Zoning In general, to achieve aesthetically, economically, environmentally, and socially beneficial redevelopment, projects in the new mixed-use districts will be required to be moderate to high- density in scale, and to include commercial, residential, and institutional functions at upper levels and pedestrian-oriented retail and business services at street level. Parking, where provided, will be in structured parking facilities. Open space may be aggregated to encourage small urban public parks. Summaries of the CCD-55 and TOD Districts are highlighted below, but both types may be explored more fully by consulting the Somerville Zoning Ordinance, available at http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd/planning-and-zoning.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 51 THE CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT The purpose of a Corridor Commercial District (CCD) is to promote appropriate infill development along heavily traveled transportation corridors, especially where corridors meet at named squares such as Union Square. Specifically, the CCD-55 District3 This district recognizes that commercial corridors present opportunities for an active mix of uses while also addressing development challenges posed by smaller lots, nearby existing residential development, and the need for accessibility to multiple modes of transportation. In Union Square, the CCD-55 District will: provides for mixed-use or commercial development at a mid-rise scale. • Encourage active mid-rise commercial and residential uses that contribute to a multi- modal-friendly street; • Increase commercial investment in high-profile, accessible areas including retail that is largely neighborhood-serving in multi-tenant, mixed use buildings; • Preserve and complement historic structures; • Discourage inappropriate auto-oriented, significant trip-generating uses along transit corridors; and, • Promote pedestrian and bicycle activities. Table 3-1: Use Clusters in the CCD District TRANSIT ORIENTED DISTRICTS The purpose of a Transit Oriented Districts (TOD) is to encourage mixed-use transit- oriented development with well-designed pedestrian access near transit connections and 3 The Zoning Ordinance also includes a CCD-45 District that provides for mixed-use or commercial development at a small to mid-rise scale, but the Revitalization Area does not include any CCD-45 Districts. 4 Consult the Somerville Zoning Ordinance for detail on these specific uses. A. Office/R&D/Institutional Uses F. Other Accommodations4 B. Small Retail and Service (less than 1,500 net square feet) G. Educational/Recreational Services C. Medium Retail and Service (1,500 to 10,000 net square feet) I. Other Use4 D. Eating and Drinking J. Protected Uses4 E. Residential (except on first floors facing corridor streets unless it already exists) K. Large Retail and Service (more than 10,000 net square feet)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 52 commercial squares, such as Union Square. In response to different neighborhood contexts, the TOD districts have various heights, densities, and compatible use mixes. In order to be aesthetically, economically, environmentally and socially beneficial, projects in TOD Districts are expected to have a mix of uses both within buildings and across the districts. Moderate to high density developments will include commercial, residential, and institutional cores with pedestrian-oriented retail and business services. Parking, where provided, is required to be in structured parking facilities. In anticipation of the fact that in dynamic commercial centers, changes in tenancy and use will occur, the TOD Districts are intended to be responsive to changing market conditions while maintaining high standards for building design and construction. As such, development review in these Districts is concerned primarily with the appropriateness of building design and broad categories of uses. The major objectives of a TOD District are: • To facilitate development of a mix of uses that contributes to a vibrant business environment and increases street-level activity; • To increase real estate investment and strengthen the local tax base through intensive commercial development in the higher density TOD Districts; • To create new jobs at a variety of income and skill levels; • To redevelop vacant or underutilized land with appropriately dense development; • To replace incompatible and environmentally unsound uses with compatible mixed-use development; • To increase the supply of affordable housing units within the City of Somerville; and, • To encourage sustainable development and the use of green building standards. The Zoning Ordinance divides TODs into the following sub-districts, which are distinguished by their respective height and density regulations. The Revitalization Area contains all four of the sub-districts. • TOD-55: a lower density sub-district allowing for mixed-use development near existing lower-density residential neighborhoods. In the heart of Union Square, a TOD-55 development is anticipated to be a mix of commercial and residential uses. A TOD-55 development on a residential street is expected to be predominantly residential in nature. • TOD-70: a moderate density sub-district designed to complement nearby existing developments and to serve as a gateway to higher density districts. Pedestrian-oriented uses along major public streets encourage activity at street level. • TOD-100: allows a taller, more commercial core, with opportunities for signature building tops as well as street-level facades that relate to nearby mid-rise development. Office, research and development, and life sciences are encouraged in this sub-district in order to bring good quality jobs to the area and to increase the City’s commercial tax

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 53 base. Residential development may be allowed, provided it is secondary and complementary to the commercial development. Pedestrian-oriented uses along major public streets encourage activity at the street level. • TOD-135: a higher-density, taller sub-district providing the largest economic development opportunities, while being strategically located to minimize impacts to existing neighborhoods. Office, research and development, and life sciences are encouraged in this sub-district in order to bring good quality jobs to the area and to increase the City’s commercial tax base. Residential development may be allowed, provided that it is secondary and complementary to commercial development. To offset higher density, increased provision of public open space is expected in this sub-district. Table 3-2: Use Clusters in the TOD Districts The Somerville Zoning Ordinance serves to inform the future development strategy for the Revitalization Area. In addition to the uses outlined above for the CCD and TOD Districts, the Zoning Ordinance sets out requirements for all of the various zoning districts included in the Revitalization Area included uses, densities, land coverage, setbacks, building height, floor area ratio (FAR), and parking and loading requirements. LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS As is required in the Housing and Urban Renewal regulations of 760 CMR 12.05, DHCD will approve a Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) for each Disposition Parcel. Each LDA will include covenants and safeguards to ensure that the particular Disposition Parcel is redeveloped in accordance with the representations of the redeveloper and the expectations of the City of Somerville and the SRA. 5 Consult the Somerville Zoning Ordinance for detail on these specific uses. A. Office/R&D/Institutional Uses F. Other Accommodations5 B. Small Retail and Service (less than 1,500 net square feet) G. Educational/Recreational Services C. Medium Retail and Service (1,500 to 10,000 net square feet) H. Light Industrial D. Eating and Drinking I. Other Uses5 E. Residential J. Protected Uses5 K. Large Retail and Service (more than 10,000 net square feet)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 54

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 55 12.02(4) Financial Plan STATEMENT OF DIRECT/INDIRECT INTEREST No member of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) nor the Somerville Planning Board and no employee or officer of the City of Somerville has, or is believed to have, any direct or indirect interest in any parcel to be acquired under this Union Square Revitalization Plan. ACQUISITION COSTS The Revitalization Plan names properties to be acquired (“Acquisition Properties”), some of which are made up of multiple parcels. There are no partial acquisitions designated in this Revitalization Plan.6 In addition to the acquisition price paid to property owners, acquisition costs will include appraisal, title, preliminary site assessments, and other closing-related expenditures. On behalf of the SRA, the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) has procured appraisal services in anticipation of the activities under this Plan. The actual costs for appraisals will vary depending on the type and size of the property being appraised and the method of appraisal. The total acquisition cost for these properties is estimated at $26 million. The budget estimate at the end of Section 12.02(4) focuses on Phase One of the 2012 Revitalization Plan: namely, redevelopment of the North Prospect Block and engineering design for specific items identified for Phase One’s new and upgraded public infrastructure. 6 This would not preclude a plan change in the future, designating a partial acquisition, subject to the approval of the Commonwealth.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 56 RELOCATION COSTS Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 79A and Regulations at 760 CMR 27.00 require that assistance and benefits be provided to residents and businesses who are displaced as a result of a real estate acquisition by a public entity, or a private entity using public funds, regardless of whether the real property is acquired by eminent domain or negotiated sale. An experienced relocation consultant has been procured by OSPCD to undertake a relocation plan and provide relocation services in connection with the businesses and residences that will be displaced if acquired under this Revitalization Plan. Relocation Benefits will include payment for actual moving expenses; at least 120 days advance written notice to vacate; and assistance in finding a suitable and/or comparable replacement home or business site. Total costs for relocation are estimated at $5.3 million. SITE PREPARATION COSTS Site preparation costs will include demolition (estimated at $500,000 for Phase One) as well as fencing and other measures to safeguard the community. REMEDIATION COSTS Analysis of existing soil conditions and costs for remediation are available to varying degrees for different properties in the Revitalization Area. For the North Prospect Block, OSPCD has been working closely with the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine needed actions. To date, the City has been awarded a total of just over $3 million for assessment and remediation of the Kiley Barrel Property on the North Prospect Block. The SRA will do all appropriate inquiry prior to acquiring a parcel. If an imminent hazard is identified during the SRA’s ownership of a site, the SRA and the City would be responsible for the immediate response action required under DEP regulations. Otherwise, it is expected that remediation costs in the Revitalization Area as a whole will be addressed through a combination of resources and approaches, including but not limited to the following: the MBTA will be responsible for assessment and cleanup costs for the Union Square Green Line Station and its drop-off/pickup area; designated redevelopers may undertake assessment and cleanup using private funding; or assessment and cleanup may be partially funded through a combination of federal and state assistance programs as available and awarded. COST OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS In addition to the construction of the Union Square Green Line Station within the Revitalization Area and the Washington Street Station at the edge of the Area - both of which will be funded with state and, potentially, federal funds - this Revitalization Plan proposes

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 57 additional roadway, water and sewer, and multi-modal transportation improvements. The project area will be enhanced with widened sidewalks and plazas, curb extensions, and raised crosswalks. In addition, bicycle lanes, bike corrals and other bicycle-related improvements will be installed at appropriate locations. Subject to final transportation planning analysis, traffic on Webster and Prospect will be converted from one-way to two-way. Buses will be rerouted appropriately in conjunction with the new Union Square Station design and the City’s plan for public improvements, and new and/or upgraded signalization and way-finding elements will be installed. Substantial roadway surface improvements and subsurface water and sewer upgrades will be made to help address the longstanding flooding problem at Somerville Avenue. These public improvements are discussed in greater detail at Section 12.02(7). The total cost of public improvements for Phase One is estimated at $60 million, including $40 million for roadway and utilities in the Square and easterly along Somerville Avenue; $15 million for open space; and $5 million for engineering services. FINANCING MECHANISMS Multiple state and federal programs are available for urban infrastructure, transit-oriented development, and economic development, and OSPCD has an outstanding record of attracting and leveraging a variety of federal and state funding sources, including the following: • $50 million (now increased to $58 million) from the Commonwealth under the Infrastructure/Investment Incentive (“I-Cubed”) Act for public infrastructure in Assembly Square -- the first award of its kind made in the Commonwealth; • Over $29 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act “ARRA” grant funding (also known as federal “stimulus” funds) for an arterial roadway in Assembly Square, and funding improvements at Washington Street, Magoun Square, and the Minuteman Connector, as well as various other infrastructure projects; • $23 million in federal and state funding for roadway reconstruction and utility improvements on Somerville Avenue; • $18 million approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) to be placed on a waiting list for a construction grant to partially fund a new public library in the historic core of Union Square, with Somerville receiving the highest grant award in the Commonwealth and placing first in the second round of review; • $7 million in federal and state funds for the East Broadway Streetscape project; • Over $4.5 million in EPA funding, $50,000 in MassDEP funding, and over $1.3 million in MassDevelopment funding for environmental assessment and cleanup costs in Union Square and other areas of the City; • Over $4 million received from multiple state and federal sources, since 2004 including Urban Park Recreation Recovery Programming (UPRRP) from the National Park

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 58 Service, Urban Self Help Program, Tree Challenge Grants and Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Program (PARC) from the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation Services, to expand and/or improve parks and open space; • $4.1 million in federal and state funds for the reconstruction of Beacon Street; • $2.1 million in federal and state funds for the extension of the Community Path from Cedar St. to Lowell St.; • $2 million in Growth District Initiative funding for Assembly Square Drive; • $490,000 in MassDOT Transportation Oriented Development (TOD) funding for public access improvements in connection with the Maxwell Green project; and • $390,000 in Federal Transit Administration Section 5309 funding for the Hubway Bikeshare program. In addition to public funding from federal and state sources, the City has the proven expertise and capacity to assemble public/private partnership approaches to funding infrastructure. In May of 2011, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development approved the City’s District Improvement Financing (DIF) proposal for the Assembly Row project in Assembly Square, allowing the Somerville Board of Aldermen to authorize $25.75 million in general obligation bonds to reimburse the developer for public infrastructure costs. Somerville’s Assembly Row DIF is considered to be the most successful application of this financial approach within the Commonwealth to date. The DIF contribution from the City leveraged a simultaneous $38 million contribution from the Commonwealth toward a new Orange Line Station in Assembly Square that commenced construction in the Spring of 2012. With the T-Station a reality as a result of the actions by the City and the Commonwealth, the developer of the Assembly Row project then followed through on a promised $15 million contribution to the Orange Line Station. The City has in the past and will continue in the future to aggressively seek out all future potential public and private funding options for infrastructure and redevelopment activities in the Union Square Revitalization District, including not only Phase One, but also future phases involving the transformation of Boynton Yards and the McGrath/Medford Corridor. FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE OF THE REVITALIZATION PLAN The City of Somerville intends to authorize $8 million in general obligation bonds to commence Phase One of the Union Square Revitalization Plan. These bonds will fund acquisition, relocation, and demolition of seven properties on the North Prospect Block (approximately $6 million), as well as pay for engineering services to achieve 25% design on the aforementioned public infrastructure (approximately $2 million). Subsequent acquisition, relocation, and demolition costs may be funded through City bonding or other funding sources, including potential funding from private redevelopers.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 59 DESIGNATION OF ACQUISITION PROPERTIES For discussion purposes Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2 groups properties into the following seven categories: 1. Civic Center Block 2. North Prospect Block 3. South Prospect Block 4. West Prospect Block 5. Washington Street North Block 6. Somerville Avenue South Block 7. Warren Avenue Block Figure 4-1: Parcels groups for Acquisition

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 60 Figure 4-2: Parcel groups for Disposition In Table 4-1 through 4-7, parcels within Acquisition Blocks and Disposition Blocks are assigned numbers. The same parcel could be designated as an Acquisition Parcel (“A”), a Disposition Parcel (“D”), or both.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 61 ACQUISITION PARCELS AND DISPOSITION PARCELS TABLE 4-1: CIVIC CENTER BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-1 and/or D-1) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-1-1-1 D-1-1-1 238 Washington St. Richard A. DiGiovanni 7,863 sf Store/Shop 81-D-1 $407,000 A-1-1-2 D-1-1-2 238 Washington St. Richard A. DiGiovanni MBL 81- D-2 (merged with 81-D-1) A-1-1-3 D-1-1-3 238 Washington St. Richard A. DiGiovanni MBL 81- D-3 (merged with 81-D-1) A-1-1-4 D-1-1-4 273 Somerville Ave. Richard A. DiGiovanni 2,056 sf Store/Shop 81-D-9 $199,300 A-1-2-1 D-1-2-1 269 Somerville Ave. William A. Panzino, Jr., Trustee 6,001 sf Auto Repair 81-D-7 $637,400 A-1-2-2 D-1-2-2 269 Rear Somerville Ave. William A. Panzino, Jr., Trustee 1,500 sf Parking Lot 81-D-8 $90.200 A-1-3-1 D-1-3-1 261 Somerville Ave. George and Evangelia Manjoros 2,500 sf 2-Family 81-D-6 $400,900 A-1-3-2 D-1-3-2 259 Somerville Ave. George and Evangelia Manjoros 2,665 sf Vacant Land 81-D-5 $32,100 A-1-4-1 D-1-4-1 228 Washington St. City of Somerville 81,465 sf Municipal Facility 81-D-4 $11,950, 200 A-1-4-2 D-1-4-2 228 Washington St. City of Somerville 1,500 sf Vacant Land 81-D-8 $90,200 A-1-4-3 D-1-4-3 228 Washington St. City of Somerville MBL 81-D-3 (merged with 81-D-1)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 62 TABLE 4-2: NORTH PROSPECT BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-2 and/or D-2) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-2-1 D-2-1 26 Prospect St. Francis Fahey 5,680 sf Comm Wrhse 82-I-1 $333,300 A-2-2 D-2-2 30 Prospect St. Francis Fahey 2,340 sf Mixed Use 82-I-2 $325,600 A-2-3-1 D-2-3-1 27 Bennett St. Pink MN, Inc. 30,472 sf Indus Office 82-I-6 $836,000 A-2-3-2 D-2-3-2 27 Bennett St. Yellow L, Inc. MBL 82-I-3 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-3 D-2-3-3 27 Bennett St. Blue P, Inc. MBL 82-I-4 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-4 D-2-3-4 27 Bennett St. M&S Bennett Services MBL 82-I-5 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-5 D-2-3-5 27 Bennett St. M&S Bennett Services MBL 82-I-7 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-6 D-2-3-6 27 Bennett St. M&S Bennett Services MBL 82-D-31 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-7 D-2-3-7 27 Bennett St. M&S Bennett Services MBL 82-D-32 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-3-8 D-2-3-8 27 Bennett St. M&S Bennett Services MBL 82-D-33 (merged with 82-I-6) A-2-4-1 D-2-4-1 50 Prospect St. Green BCD, Inc. 8,517 sf Indus Office 82-D-26 $649,600 A-2-4-2 D-2-4-2 50 Prospect St. Green BCD, Inc. MBL 82-D-27 (merged with 82-D-26) A-2-5-1 D-2-5-1 40 Bennett St. Prospect Iron & Steel 47,604 sf Ind Wrhse 82-D-23 $618,200 A-2-5-2 D-2-5-2 41 Bennett St. Green BCD, Inc. MBL 82-D-24 (merged with 82-D-23) A-2-5-3 D-2-5-3 42 Bennett St. Prospect Iron & Steel MBL 82-D-25 (merged with 82-D-23)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 63 A-2-5-4 D-2-5-4 43 Bennett St. Prospect Iron & Steel MBL 82-D-29 (merged with 82-D-23) A-2-5-5 D-2-5-5 44 Bennett St. Prospect Iron & Steel MBL 82-D-30 (merged with 82-D-23) A-2-6-1 D-2-6-1 49-51 Allen St. 49-51 Allen Street Realty Trust 31,761 sf Auto Repair 82-D-20 $196,900 A-2-6-2 D-2-6-2 49-51 Allen St. 49-51 Allen Street Realty Trust MBL 82-D-21 (merged with 82-D-20) A-2-6-3 D-2-6-3 49-51 Allen St. 49-51 Allen Street Realty Trust MBL 82-D-38 (merged with 82-D-20) A-2-7 D-2-7 4 Milk Place Antonia Shelzi 1,520 sf 1-Family 82-D-5 $246,600 D-2-8 258 Somerville Ave. Somerville Redevelopment Authority 1,499 sf Vacant Land 82-D-6 $25,800 D-2-9-1 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority 25,391 sf Vacant Land 82-D-37 $977,800 D-2-9-2 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-2 (merged with 82-D-37) D-2-9-3 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-3 (merged with 82-D-37) D-2-9-4 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-4 (merged with 82-D-37) D-2-9-5 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-34 (merged with 82-D-37) D-2-9-6 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-34A (merged with 82-D-37) D-2-9-7 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-D-36 (merged with 82-D-37)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 64 D-2-9-8 20-22 Prospect St. Somerville Redevelopment Authority MBL 82-I-1A (merged with 82-D-37) A-2-10 D-2-10 Prospect St. City of Somerville 7,475 sf Vacant Land 82-D-1 $250,600 A-2-11 D-2-11 42 Prospect St. City of Somerville 3,150 sf Vacant Land 82-D-28 $153,600

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 65 TABLE 4-3: SOUTH PROSPECT BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-3 and/or D-3) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-3-1 D-3-1 50 Webster Ave. Webster Avenue Realty Trust 67,042 sf Ind Wrhse 96-A-1 $1,892,400 A-3-2 D-3-2 520 Columbia ZPF, LLC 52,581 sf Ind Wrhse 96-A-31 $2,831,800 A-3-3-1 D-3-3-1 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC 60,002 sf Ind Wrhse 96-A-32 $1,735,300 A-3-3-2 D-3-3-2 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-33 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-3 D-3-3-3 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-34 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-4 D-3-3-4 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-35 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-5 D-3-3-5 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-2 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-6 D-3-3-6 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-38 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-7 D-3-3-7 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-41 (merged with 96-A-32) A-3-3-8 D-3-3-8 56 Webster Ave. Columbia Street Realty, LLC MBL 96-A-42 (merged with 96-A-32)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 66 TABLE 4-4: WEST PROSPECT BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-4 and/or D-4) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-4-1-1 D-4-1-1 45 Webster Ave. Stephen R. Wyner et al., Trustees 15,667 sf Auto Repair 82-E-17 $717,000 A-4-1-2 D-4-1-2 45 Webster Ave. Stephen R. Wyner et al., Trustees MBL 82-E-19 (merged with 82-E-17) A-4-2 D-4-2 47 Webster Ave. Branko Pishev, Trustee 7,264 sf Auto Repair 82-E-18 $537,100 A-4-3 D-4-3 48 Webster Ave. Michael Raposa 5,976 sf Auto S&S 82-F-3 $181,400 A-4-4 D-4-4 35 Prospect St. Charles & Frank Souza 8,350 sf Auto Repair 82-J-1 $512,800

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 67 TABLE 4-5: WASHINGTON STREET NORTH BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-5 and/or D-5) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-5-1-1 D-5-1-1 223 Washington Brazos Automo- tive Property, LP 13,484 sf Auto Repair 81-A- 31 $503,400 A-5-1-2 D-5-1-2 223 Washington Brazos Automo- tive Property, LP MBL 81-A-30 (merged with 81-A-21) A-5-2 D-5-2 231 Washington Davidian Wash- ington Street LLC 8,209 sf Auto Repair 81-E-7 $664,700 A-5-3 D-5-3 237 Washington United States 24,150 sf US Govt 81-E-8 $2,779,600

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 68 TABLE 4-6: SOMERVILLE AVENUE SOUTH BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-6 and/or D-6) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-6-1 D-6-1 15 Union Square Walter J. Golden, Trustee, Estate of. 3,250 sf Conv. Food 82-C-2 $366,100 A-6-2 D-6-2 11 Union Square Thomas M. and James F. Brennan, Jr., Trustees 3,436 sf Conv. Food 82-C-3 $421,900 A-6-3-1 D-6-3-1 9 Union Square Ellen S. DiFonzo 21,467 sf Rest/Club 82-C-4 $1,125,600 A-6-3-2 D-6-3-2 9 Union Square Ellen S. DiFonzo MBL 82-C-5 (merged with 82-C-4) A-6-4 D-6-4 2 Union Square Carlo Maugini- Hansen 15, 599 sf Store/Shop 82-C-6 $894,800 A-6-5-1 D-6-5-1 298 Somerville Av Union Square LLC 12,749 sf Auto Repair 82-C-7 $774,700 A-6-5-2 D-6-5-2 298 Somerville Av Union Square LLC MBL 82-C-11 (merged with 82-C-7) A-6-5-3 D-6-5-3 298 Somerville Av Union Square LLC MBL 82-C-12 (merged with 82-C-7) A-6-6 D-6-6 290 Somerville Av Fabrizio Realty Corp. 5,270 sf Rest/Club 82-C-8 $533,800 A-6-7 D-6-7 286 Somerville Av D’Alelio Family LLC 12,836 sf Rest/Club 82-C-10 $842,300

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 69 TABLE 4-7: WARREN AVENUE BLOCK (Comprising Blocks A-7 and/or D-7) Group and Parcel # Address Owner Land SF Use M/B/L Assessed Value A-7-1-1 D-7-1-1 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC 32,019 sf Bank 73-D-19 $1,391,000 A-7-1-2 D-7-1-2 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings MBL 73-D-16 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-1-3 D-7-1-3 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-17 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-1-4 D-7-1-4 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-20 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-1-5 D-7-1-5 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-21 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-1-6 D-7-1-6 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-22 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-1-7 D-7-1-7 41 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-23 (merged with 73-D-19) A-7-2 D-7-2 51 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings 7,842 sf Store/Shop 73-D- 19A $914,400 A-7-3-1 D-7-3-1 45 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC 7,016 sf Store/Shop 73-D- 19B $645,900 A-7-3-2 D-7-3-2 45 Union Square CRE JV Five Branch Holdings LLC MBL 73-D-19C (merged with 73-D-19B) A-7-4 D-7-4 1 Bow Street Angelina M. Ianelli 19,056 sf Auto S&S 73-C-10 $905,800

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 70 ANTICIPATED BUDGET FOR PHASE ONE (GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND) ACQUISITION COSTS (title, appraisals, preliminary site assessment, etc.) $ 3,700,000 RELOCATION COSTS (including consultant fee) $ 800,000 SITE PREPARATION (demolition, fencing, etc $ 500,000 SITE REMEDIATION (to be borne by redeveloper) $ 0 RESERVE FOR UNDER-ESTIMATED COSTS $ 1,000,000 SUBTOTAL $ 6,000,000 ENGINEERING COSTS (for 25% design) $ 2,000,000 TOTAL $ 8,000,000

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 71 12.02(5) Local Approvals The SRA determined that the Revitalization Area is “decadent” within the meaning of G.L. c. 121B at a meeting held on ____________, 2012. A public hearing on the Union Square Revitalization Plan was held on ____________, 2012 at Somerville City Hall. Notice of the public was provided as required by law. Notice of the public hearing and a map indicating the area to be renewed was sent to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The Somerville Planning Board met on ____________, 2012 and made a determination that the Union Square Revitalization Plan is based on a local survey and conforms to the comprehensive plan for the community (SomerVision). The Plan was submitted to the Somerville Board of Aldermen on August 16, 2012. The Board of Aldermen voted on ___ in favor, ___ opposed, to approve the Union Square Revitalization Plan on ____________, 2012, and the Plan was approved by the Mayor on ____________, 2012.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 72

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 73 12.02(6) Site Preparation Except for the parcels to be acquired by the SRA for the MBTA’s Union Square Green Line Station and drop-off/pickup area, at which, as agreed in the Memorandum of Agreement between the MBTA/MassDOT and the City, the City or the SRA will be responsible for demolition of existing structures, it is anticipated that the redeveloper will be responsible for demolition and other site preparation costs. Site preparation challenges in the Revitalization Area include unsuitable soils and contaminated soils. Of the 490 Brownfield sites in Somerville, approximately 25% are located within the boundary of the Revitalization Plan, an area which represents just 4% of the land in the City. Because the eastern portion of the Somerville was, and still is, home to many industrial businesses, there is a strong likelihood that the redevelopment area will necessitate environmental radiation measures. The Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development has an excellent track record of obtaining funding for site assessment and site cleanup costs from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and MassDevelopment. The City of Somerville will be engaging the services of a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to assist with all appropriate inquiries prior to site acquisition.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 74 Figure 6-1: Brownfield Sites

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 75 12.02(7) Public Improvements This Revitalization Plan proposes public realm, transportation, and utility improvements for the Revitalization Area. BACKGROUND In 1980, the City of Somerville adopted an earlier Union Square Revitalization Plan (the “1980 Plan”). At that time, the City’s consultant, Vanasse/Hangen/Brustlin (VHB) recommended making Prospect Street one-way northbound and Webster Avenue one-way southbound. Although the 1980 Plan was successful in realizing other goals, it was shortsighted in its traffic flow recommendations. The underlying premise was that having more traffic circulate through Union Square would allow more people to stop and shop in the Square, especially if there were more parking. It is now clear that this assumption was incorrect and resulted in greater congestion. The vision for Union Square as a strong commercially viable “downtown district” has not significantly changed over time – only the ideas as to how to achieve the vision. Examples are as follows: UNION SQUARE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS BY BRUCE CAMPBELL AND ASSOCIATES, INC. (1995) • Make Prospect Street south of Somerville Avenue two-way; • Make Webster Avenue south of Somerville Avenue two-way; • Enact a Union Square truck exclusion; and • Upgrade signalization to include exclusive pedestrian crossing. UNION SQUARE TRANSPORTATION PLAN BY EDWARDS KELCEY (2002) • Implement Webster/ Prospect as two-way streets

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 76 • Implement pedestrian/bicycle safety enhancements; • Improve access and circulation; • Implement new Union Square Plaza design; • Implement additional landscape design along Somerville Avenue, Washington Street, and Webster Street; • Acquire Right-of-Way along Prospect Street expediting access improvements to future multi-modal site on Prospect Street; • Design and build multi-modal station along Prospect Street to facilitate public transportation; • Extend the Green Line to Union Square. PUBLIC REALM The Union Square zoning already in place strongly encourages active uses at street level, creating multiple opportunities to enhance the space in the public realm. It is a priority of the urban renewal plan to expand sidewalks to the maximum extent possible to include areas for outdoor cafes, markets, public seating, and street trees and other landscaped open areas. Throughout the Revitalization Area, the public realm should include: • Active uses that integrate the public realm outdoors and the private development indoors, so that shops and restaurants spill out onto the sidewalk in good weather, and people on the sidewalk have a sense of activity and items of interest behind the windows of the building facades; • Articulated gateways or thresholds letting people know when they arrive or leave; • Well-lit night spaces affording openness and visibility and a sense of safety and security; • Softer environments with areas of rain-, wind-, and sun-protection in coordination with street tree and other plantings; • Color, texture, and articulation in paving materials and street furnishings; and • Culturally expressive public art, wayfinding signage, and street furniture and furnishings. TRANSPORTATION Union Square Station may be the most anticipated of the pending public transportation improvements but, in keeping with the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan, the project area will also be enhanced with other, multi-modal transportation improvements designed to maintain an adequate traffic capacity for new development while creating comfortable and safe connections for pedestrians and bicyclists. Sidewalk widths will be maximized based on available space and, where possible, curb extensions will shorten crossing distances. Thoroughfares in the project area will have bicycle lanes, and bike corrals/boxes will be installed in appropriate locations. The new transportation network will be further enhanced through the establishment of a Transportation

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 77 Demand Management (TDM) program to encourage employers to provide alternatives to single occupant vehicles for daily commuting to jobs in the Plan area. Figure 7-1: Union Square T-Station Renderings

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 78 ROADWAYS AND TRAFFIC CIRCULATION Traffic flow is paramount in Union Square, but it must be balanced with the larger context of quality of life, future development, urban design goals, public open space opportunities, and transit access. The following specific roadway changes are proposed as part of this Revitalization Plan: • Webster Avenue and Prospect Street Both Webster Avenue and Prospect Street are to be made two-way between the Webster Avenue/Prospect Street intersection and Somerville Avenue. Bicycle lanes will be provided along both roadways in both directions. Traffic will be slowed by eliminating the multi-lane, one-way existing condition and slightly reduce the quantity of traffic that passes through the center of the Square under the existing configuration. • Bow Street at Summer Street and at Somerville Avenue A new bicycle lane will be introduced along Bow Street, and the Bow Street/Summer Street/Wesley Park intersection will be adjusted to improve the alignment of the intersection and slow down turning movements. The Somerville Avenue/Bow Street/Carlton Street intersection will also be realigned. • Washington Street/Union Square Core The City has engaged consultants to redesign the core roadway network in Union Square. There is a strong community consensus for a new plaza and event space with and for a reorganized traffic flow. The most recent planning efforts created a design that addresses many of these issues, but needs further coordination with the community and integration with the potential de-elevation of McGrath Highway into a multi-lane, multi-use urban boulevard. OSPCD staff will seek to complete planning and design for this portion of the road network with further public participation and input. • Somerville Avenue between Webster and Prospect Acquisition Parcels on the south side of Somerville Avenue, between Webster and Prospect Streets, will be redeveloped and the current choppy driveway access to and from Somerville Avenue eliminated to improve traffic circulation and the potential for on- street parking.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 79 • Bus Re-routing Buses will to be re-routed and stops relocated in connection with the construction of the new Union Square and Washington Street Green Line stations. • Boynton Yards A new roadway configuration will be developed for the Boynton Yards area carving the area into developable blocks with appropriate street frontage for ground floor retail restaurant, and services uses. One way to address this issue is shown in the conceptual vision of Figure 7-2. Another roadway concept for Boynton Yards (Figure 3-4) can be found in Section 12.02(3) “Objectives” of this Plan. Figure 7-2: Boynton Yards Preliminary Concept Plan • McGrath Highway De-Elevation MassDOT continues to investigate and hold public meetings on the replacement of the currently elevated McGrath overpass with a multi-lane, multi-use urban boulevard at street level. This de-elevation will promote further redevelopment opportunities for properties currently trapped against the elevated highway.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 80 PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCOMMODATIONS Pedestrians will benefit from wider and more traversable sidewalks, new public seating areas and shade trees, as well as safer crosswalks with curb extensions and signalization improvements at key intersections. Bicyclists will benefit from roadways with 5’ bike lanes and the provision of bike corrals/boxes installed at convenient locations. TRAFFIC CONTROLS New and/or upgraded traffic signals will be installed at the following locations: • Washington Street/Somerville Avenue/Webster Avenue; • Somerville Avenue/Prospect Street; • Washington Street/Prospect Street/Bonner Avenue; • Webster Avenue/Prospect Street; and, • Somerville Avenue/Warren Avenue. PARKING Many parking lots will be redeveloped to a greater density with mixed use, including retail, restaurant, and services at street level. New development will meet parking needs in public and private shared parking structures. WAYFINDING Art pieces, interpretive signs, and wayfinding elements reflecting Somerville’s rich history, geography, and culture will be incorporated into the public realm. UTILITIES Much of the infrastructure in the Revitalization Area dates back to the 19th and 20th century. In a recent MassDOT reconstruction of Somerville Avenue from Porter Square to Union Square, the sewer and storm water systems were separated. These separate systems terminate at an existing brick vault on the western edge of Union Square and then merge into a 36” combined sewer/storm water pipe which overflows and causes flooding during peak rainstorms. As an example, in 2010, a strong storm lasting only a few minutes flooded the parking lot at the Public Safety Building and damaged over $1 million in municipal vehicles beyond repair. Under this Revitalization Plan, it is proposed to design and construct an extension of the separated storm water pipe under Somerville Avenue into and beyond Union Square. The extended system will carry the flow in a proposed 96” diameter Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP)

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 81 down to a confluence with a separate 72” RCP proposed for the Beacon Street/Washington Street flow. All of these flows will then be conveyed into a newly proposed 108” pipe down Somerville Avenue to Prospect Street where the pipe will again increase to 120” diameter. In order to accommodate the installation of the new main storm drain pipes and maintain flow in the existing combined sewer, certain sections of existing sewer and combined sewer systems will be abandoned and replaced with the new pipe and structures, or rehabilitated with lining.

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 83 12.02(8) Relocation Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 79A and Regulations at 760 CMR 27.00 require that assistance and benefits be provided to residents and businesses who are displaced as a result of a real estate acquisition by a public entity, or a private entity using public funds, regardless of whether the real property is acquired by eminent domain or negotiated sale. An experienced relocation consultant has been procured by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development to undertake a relocation plan and provide relocation services to businesses and residents who will be displaced if acquired under this Revitalization Plan. Relocation benefits will include payment for actual moving expenses; 120 days advance written notice to vacate; and assistance in finding a suitable and/or comparable replacement home or business site. The relocation plan will be subject to the review and approval of the Commonwealth’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 85 12.02(9) Redeveloper Obligations There will be a Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) for each Disposition Parcel or Disposition Block, the parties to which will be the designated redeveloper and the Somerville Redevelopment Authority. The LDA will describe the development to be constructed in detail and will contain safeguards, such as rights of reverter, ensuring that the SRA’s and the City of Somerville’s expectations as to any proposed project are fully met and that the project is constructed substantially as proposed. The LDAs will be subject to the approval of the Commonwealth’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 87 12.02(10) Property Disposition Properties acquired by the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) for purposes of the Union Square Revitalization Plan will be assembled for development, and disposition will proceed in accordance with the Housing and Urban Renewal regulations of 760 CMR 12.05. The Revitalization Plan creates an initial seven Disposition Blocks. Disposition strategies for these blocks are based upon the overarching vision for the Union Square Revitalization Area: namely, capitalizing on the Union Square Station by creating mixed-use transit oriented development. The Disposition Blocks have been selected in an effort to achieve that goal by facilitating redevelopment of key sites. The City anticipates proceeding with the redevelopment of Block D-2 first, with additional redevelopment on the remaining blocks expected to follow within the next ten years. Subsequent to the opening of the Union Square Station and the launch of Phase One on Block D-2, the SRA will periodically review the property disposition plan to identify other strategic opportunities to encourage and support redevelopment within the Revitalization Plan consistent with the City’s goals for the Revitalization Area.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 88 PARCEL DISPOSITION Figure 10-1: Disposition Parcels

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 89 D1: CIVIC CENTER BLOCK Figure 10-2: Civic Center Block The Civic Center Block, shown as Block D-1 above, includes the existing Public Safety Building as well as properties east of Prospect Street between Washington Street and Somerville Avenue. This is anticipated to be an area in which a public/private partnership allows for the development of a new civic node in the historic core of the Square. A new central library is anticipated in this area. The preliminary plans for the library facility filed with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners show a free-standing library building using a portion of this block at the corner of Prospect Street, Washington Street and Somerville Avenue, with an entrance on Somerville Avenue. The City is also exploring options to consolidate city offices into a new City Hall on this Block, potentially as a part of a mixed-use project that also includes private commercial development. The City anticipates that there will be structured below-ground parking to serve public and private uses on the Civic Center Block and in the adjacent area.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 90 D2: NORTH PROSPECT BLOCK Figure 10-3: North Prospect Block The North Prospect Block, shown as Block D-2 above, includes the existing properties on the east side of Prospect Street between the Union Square Station and Somerville Avenue, including Bennett Street, but not including the residential properties on Allen Street or the multi-family residential property at the corner of Allen Street and Somerville Avenue. The southern portion of this block will be the site of the new Union Square Green Line Station , to be built on permanent and temporary easements granted by the SRA to the MBTA. The SRA will retain air rights to build over the MBTA’s drop-off/pickup area and station building and will seek a private developer to redevelop the entire North Prospect Block including the air rights area into a mixed-use project including first-floor retail, restaurant, and service establishments, with upper story commercial office, R&D and residential use. A series of structures, or a single structure articulated as though it were a series of structures, is anticipated for the North Prospect Block, with the maximum height and bulk as allowed under the new TOD-100 zoning.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 91 D3: SOUTH PROSPECT BLOCK Figure 10-4: South Prospect Block The South Prospect Block, shown as D-3 above, includes properties bordered by Prospect Street, Webster Avenue, Columbia Street, Windsor Place, and the Fitchburg commuter rail right-of-way. This parcel is the gateway to Boynton Yards, the area referred to as Transformation Area #2 earlier in this Revitalization Plan. Development on the South Prospect Block is anticipated to be mixed-use with first floor retail, restaurant, and service uses, and upper story office, R&D and/or residential uses. The MBTA and MassDOT agreed in the MOA dated July 26, 2012, to finalize the details of a conveyance to the City or the SRA of air rights over the railroad right-of-way that separates the North Prospect and South Prospect Blocks at such time as there is a developer with a feasible air rights development proposal. This would allow these two Disposition Blocks to be connected. The South Prospect Block will ideally be redeveloped to the maximum height and bulk allowed under the new TOD-100 zoning. The size of this Disposition Block and potential density under the TOD-100 district could add substantially to the City’s commercial tax base.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 92 D4: PROSPECT WEST Figure 10-5: Prospect West The West Prospect Block, shown as D-4 above, consists of a number of small parcels with auto-related uses at the intersection of Prospect and Webster streets. To complete the transit-oriented, mixed-use vision for the Revitalization Area, the 2012 Plan anticipates that these auto-related uses will be replaced with the mixed-use development allowed under the new CCD-55 zoning district. This will be accomplished through disposition of parcels on this Block to one or more redevelopers. Without the plan, these incompatible uses could deter the redevelopment of blocks D2 and D3. Some portions of these parcels may also be absorbed into the roadway realignment and other public infrastructure improvements needed to ensure effective traffic flow on Prospect and Webster Streets in and out of Union Square, and safer and more efficient access to the Union Square Station entrance.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 93 D5: WASHINGTON STREET NORTH Figure 10-6: Washington Street North The Washington Street North Block, shown as D5 above, includes the current Union Square Post Office and adjacent lots on the north side of Washington Street. The U.S. Postal Service has decided to sell its Union Square facility and move its sorting operations out of Somerville, although it intends to establish a retail post office elsewhere in Union Square. The Post Office is an historic structure, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building includes a lobby mural by Ross Moffett that is part of a New Deal era art collection, and will be protected by an easement held by the Post Office. The City is interested in pursuing opportunities to use the Post Office for arts-related uses including the performing or visual arts. The re-use of the Post Office will benefit from the redevelopment of the adjacent auto-related uses into mixed-use development that can potentially include retail, office, residential and/or commercial with on-site parking. The properties adjacent to the Post Office can be developed according to the CCD-55 zoning district.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 94 D6: SOMERVILLE AVENUE SOUTH Figure 10-7: Somerville Avenue South The Somerville Avenue South Block, shown as D-6 above, is in the heart of Union Square and includes a number of automobile-oriented uses and businesses in structures that are underdeveloped. This Block is anticipated to be redeveloped as mixed-use, including first-floor retail, restaurant, and service establishments, with office, other commercial, and/or residential uses above, designed to meet the requirements of the CCD-55 zoning that has been adopted on this Block.

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 95 D7: WARREN BLOCK Figure 10-8: Warren Block The Warren Block, shown as D-7 above, consists of existing underutilized properties and its redevelopment would allow new mixed-use projects with parking that could support existing and new businesses in Union Square. The parcels in the Warren Block are zoned CCD-55.

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Union Square Revitalization Plan | 97 12.02(11) Citizen Participation Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 121B, §48 (the “Statute”) requires that no urban renewal project be undertaken until: 1. A public hearing has been held after due notice before the city council of a city or the municipal officers of a town; and, 2. The urban renewal plan has been approved by the municipal officers and the Commonwealth’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD); and 3. The planning board for the city or town finds and DHCD concurs that the urban renewal plan is based on a local survey and conforms to a comprehensive plan for the locality as a whole. The Somerville Redevelopment Authority, acting by and through the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, submitted a draft 2012 Union Square Revitalization Plan to the Somerville Board of Alderman on August 16, 2012. The formal public hearing required under the Statute was held on __________, 2012. The Revitalization Plan is the product of a multitude of community planning initiatives that have engaged residents, property and business owners, local universities, numerous hired consultants, community groups, elected officials and public leaders during recent years. Citizen participation in the planning process has been extensive and includes the following: • 2012 SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. Adopted in April 2012, by the Somerville Planning Board and endorsed by the Somerville Board of Aldermen, SomerVision is the official Comprehensive Plan for the City of Somerville under M.G.L. 41, see 81D. The planning process for SomerVision began in 2008 with the preparation by City staff of a series of data-driven “Trends Reports”, followed by six months of community meetings at

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 98 which staff discussed the results of the Trends Reports. In 2009, a 60-member Steering Committee was formed, which held 26 meetings to develop the SomerVision Plan, after which City staff coordinated an additional 9 community workshops and 15 presentations to community groups to discuss and finalize the goals, policies and actions of the Plan. Union Square interests were well represented on the Steering Committee, with eight members of the committee living or working in Union Square, and at least 68 goals, policies, and actions from the SomerVision Plan informing the Union Square Revitalization Plan. • 2009 Union Square Zoning Amendment. A multi-year public process to rezone the Union Square area included more than 20 community meetings in addition to the formal hearings and deliberations by the Somerville Board of Aldermen and the Somerville Planning Board. Common themes throughout the public process included the importance of safe, walkable streets, well-designed public spaces, and redevelopment of the area as a much higher density, mixed-use district. • Ongoing MBTA Green Line Planning and Design. Starting in 2008 and continuing to the present day, this public process has featured five community meetings and several public workshops specific to Union Square, as well as another eight public meetings addressing issues common to the entire Green Line project. Public input throughout the planning and design process has emphasized the importance of a safe, accessible, attractive public realm around the Union Square Station, as well as the need for improvements to sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic signals and roadways near the Station. • 2008-2009 Union Square Transportation Plan. A working group of neighborhood residents, business owners, community organizations and elected officials held 4 meetings in 2008 and 2009 that were publicly advertised and held in accessible locations. Two larger public meetings were also held in 2009 to generate additional stakeholder feedback on conceptual plans prepared by the City’s consultant. This work will be revisited and refined as this process unfolds. • ResiStat. Created in 2007 and continuing to the present, ResiStat is a City initiative designed to encourage data-driven discussions and decision-making by citizens of Somerville. The City’s SomerStat Department promotes civic engagement through surveys, online discussions on the City’s website, and community meetings held twice yearly in each of the City’s seven wards. This results in a total of 4 meetings a year for the two wards that together comprise the Union Square Revitalization District, and planning efforts for the area have been frequent topics of discussion. ResiStat outreach is extensive, with some 1,400 people per year attending ResiStat meetings, 5,000 people

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 99 subscribing to the ResiStat e-newsletter, and 5,000 visitors per month checking the ResiStat blog. More than 30,000 individuals per month are also reached by ResiStat social media efforts. • Ongoing Boynton Yards Transportation and Utility Study. Since 2011, a focus group of business and property owners, neighborhood residents, and community activists has held 3 meetings to develop conceptual plans for an entirely new roadway and drainage network in Boynton Yards. One of the three Transformation Areas in the Union Square Revitalization Plan, the Boynton Yards planning efforts are being guided by the 2009 Rezoning of Union Square and the goals, actions, and policies of the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. • Ongoing MassDOT Public Process re Grounding McGrath Highway. This proposal has profound implications for the future of Union Square. The “Grounding McGrath” process has featured a working group of roughly 30 community stakeholders, as well as several large open community meetings. Currently, there is a consensus that the elevated McCarthy Overpass should be replaced with an urban boulevard creating true gateways to Union Square at Washington Street and Somerville Avenue. Just as the past few years have seen extensive citizen participation, so will the coming years as the Union Square Revitalization Plan is implemented. The City of Somerville strongly believes in engaging community stakeholders in public process and maintaining communication and public participation throughout a project. With this goal in mind, Somerville intends to ensure meaningful community involvement by doing the following: • Announcing Project Milestones: Using press releases on its City website, announcements on the City’s public access television “wheel”, articles in local newspapers like the Somerville Journal and Somerville News, flyers, newsletters of local community groups, and a wide variety of local listservs, the City will keep the public informed as to proposals for redevelopment of the various Disposition Blocks. City outreach efforts will also include materials available in the languages most common to Somerville residents, including: English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. • Holding Public Meetings: The City will actively engage in open-forum discussions regarding actions in the project area that have implications for public infrastructure and the public realm. • Consulting with Stakeholders: The Mayor and City staff will continue to consult with local stakeholders including but not limited to the Chamber of Commerce, Union Square

Union Square Revitalization Plan | 100 Main Streets, STEP, Somerville Local First, and Groundwork Somerville, as well as key community activists.

Appendix I: Somerville Redevelopment Authority Vote

The SRA will meet on August 15, 2012. This appendix will be attached after the SRA votes on determining decadence in the plan area.

Appendix II: Board of Aldermen Vote

The Revitalization Plan will be presented to the Board of Aldermen (BOA) at the August 16, 2012 BOA meeting. This appendix will be added after a vote is taken on the Plan.

Appendix III: Planning Board Vote

The Planning Board will meet on August 23, 2012 and review the Revitalization Plan for consistency of the City’s SomerVision Comprehensive Plan. A letter certifying the vote of the Planning Board will be attached after the Planning Board votes on this determination.

Appendix IV: Certification of SRA Counsel

To be provided after the completion of the hearing process for the Plan.

Appendix V: Memorandum of Agreement

Appendix VI: Previous Studies and Plans

DATE PLAN NAME <click name to view plan> (CONSULTANT, IF ANY) 2002 Union Square Revitalization Study, Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan 2002 Kiley Barrell Technical Assistance Panel Report (Urban Land Institute) 2002 Union Square Transportation Plan (Edwards Kelcey) 2003 Union Square Master Plan (Bluestone Group) 2004 Somerville Community Development Plan 2006 Union Square: Where do we go from here? ULI Technical Advisory Panel Report (Urban Land Institute) 2008 Union Square Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan 2008 Union Square Open Space Plan 2008 Toward a Route 28 Corridor Transportation Plan: An Emerging Vision (Central Transportation Planning Staff) 2010 Union Square Transportation Study (Howard Stein Hudson Associates)

Appendix VII: Outcomes, Build Out, & Benefits

This appendix establishes the estimated benefit of the redevelopment on the disposition parcels of the Revitalization Plan. The City anticipates that the arrival of the Green Line and subsequent development of these parcels will attract additional private development in the Revitalization Plan area including in Boynton Yards and the Medford/McGrath Corridor. But, that development is not included in these initial impact assumptions. There are seven Disposition Parcels or groups of Parcels identified in the plan (see section 12.02(10) Disposition). All of these are expected to be redeveloped into mixed-use TOD including a mix of residential, office and research space with first-floor retail uses. Using the zoning standards and industry assumptions about housing, employment and circulation, this section outlines potential development scenarios and their economic outcomes. BUILDABLE AREA To estimate the impact of potential build-out scenarios requires first estimating the potential buildable square footage on individual block groups. The net buildable square footage possible on each lot is calculated as the area of each lot multiplied by the permitted floor area ration (FAR) for the particular district zone. This assumes full build-out of each parcel under zoning. For the redevelopment of parcels D-5, this exercise assumes that the lot with the existing National Register listed historic Post Office is not developed with additional floor area. Table A7-1: Full Build Out Square Footage Lot Area Zoning FAR Building SF D-1 104,050 CCD 55 / TOD 70 3.0 386,990 D-2 169,427 TOD 55 / TOD 100 3.0 / 4.0 645,947 D-3 179,625 TOD 100 / TOD 135 4.0 / 5.5 764,775 D-4 43,986 CCD 55 3.0 131,958 D-5 45,843 CCD 55 3.0 66,093* D-6 76,271 CCD 55 3.0 228,813 D-7 51,075 CCD 55 3.0 153,225 Total 670,277 2,311,708

LAND USE SCENARIOS The Revitalization Plan will foster development of residential, office, retail, and research uses. For simplicity and illustration purposes the analysis uses a mix of residential, research and office square footage in addition to a small portion of retail and business services. Given the scale of redevelopment and the tendency for new real estate markets to incubate and mature, the degree of realizing the full build out is also considered here. With a potential redevelopment scope of 2.3M SF a number of scenarios can be approximated. Three potential scenarios are illustrated in Table A7-2. Table A7-2: Primary Land Use Allocations PRIMARY USE ALLOCATIONS Scenario #1 Mixed Scenario #2 Residential Scenario #3 Commercial Retail 115,000 5% Retail 115,000 5% Retail 115,000 5% Residential 805,000 35% Residential 1,725,000 75% Residential 345,000 15% Office 690,000 30% Office 230,000 10% Office 920,000 40% Research 690,000 30% Research 230,000 10% Research 920,000 40% Total 2,300,000 Total 2,300,000 Total 2,300,000 PARKING CONSIDERATION Recent trends in development have shown a decreasing demand for automobile travel for urban transit-oriented developments. The SomerVision plan seeks to achieve an aspirational but achievable goal that half of new daily trips in Somerville be made by walking, biking or public transit. Therefore, the intensity of required parking is based upon estimated parking needs for development meeting the SomerVision goals. Total parking needs are estimated as follows: Residential 0.8 parking spaces per 1,100 SF unit Office 1 parking space per employee, 3.0 employees per 1,000 SF of office space Research 1 parking space per employee, 2.2 employees per 1,000 SF of research space

Retail/Service – Given the expectation for retail to be at ground level as an accessory use, this analysis expects retail to share parking with other uses during non-peak hours The total area of each structure dedicated to parking would be as follows: Retail/Service 100% primary / 0% parking Residential 80% primary / 20% parking Office 66% primary / 34% parking Research 72% primary / 28% parking Scenarios modified to include parking are illustrated in Table A7-3: Table A7-3: Use Allocations – Parking Considered USE ALLOCATIONS – WITH PARKING CONSIDERED Scenario #1 Mix Scenario #2 Residential Scenario #3 Commercial Retail 115,000 5% Retail 115,000 5% Retail 115,000 5% Residential 641,000 28% Residential 1,375,000 60% Residential 275,000 12% Office 452,000 19.5% Office 151,000 7% Office 603,000 26% Research 498,000 21.5% Research 166,000 7% Research 664,000 29% Parking 594,000 26% Parking 493,000 21% Parking 643,000 28% Total 2,300,000 Total 2,300,000 Total 2,300,000 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN METRICS The transformation areas of the City: Assembly Square, Inner Belt, Brickbottom, Union Square and Boynton Yards, are expected to absorb 85% of new development anticipated under the SomerVision comprehensive plan. These city-wide goals (including goals for 30,000 new jobs and 6,000 new housing units) are intended to allow the city to grow while conserving existing neighborhoods. The Union Square plan area is expected to accommodate roughly 14% of the Citywide goals (6% for Union Square and 8% for Boynton Yards). This represents an expectation that the 20 year build-out in the plan area would accommodate 4,300 new jobs, 850 new housing units of which at least 170 will be affordable. Half of this development is likely to be in the area spurred by development in Boynton Yards, beyond the acquisition parcels currently

designated in the plan. But, the land use scenarios above show how the acquisition parcels themselves can work substantially towards meeting the other half of that goal. Table A7-4 identifies the number of jobs, housing units and affordable housing units created on the acquisition parcels under the three full build-out scenarios. Table A7-4: Jobs, Housing, and Affordable Housing Units under Full Build-Out Scenarios Jobs Created (# of jobs) Housing Created (# of units) Affordable Units (# of units) Scenario #1 2,682 Scenario #1 583 Scenario #1 117 Scenario #2 1,048 Scenario #2 1,250 Scenario #2 250 Scenario #3 3,500 Scenario #3 250 Scenario #3 50 Scenario 1 would come closest to achieving the key goals for jobs, housing and affordable units of the Comprehensive Plan that are expected for Union Square.

Appendix VIII: SomerVision Excerpts

In April 2012, Somerville’s first-ever Comprehensive Plan was formally endorsed by the Somerville Board of Aldermen, and formally adopted by the Somerville Planning Board as the official master plan for the City of Somerville under Massachusetts General Law. The SomerVision Comprehensive Plan is the product of three years of public process, more than fifty community meetings, and a broad-based Steering Committee of more than sixty residents, business owners and elected officials. The plan is an easy-to-use guide for future growth and development in the City. SomerVision articulates a shared vision to conserve Somerville’s great residential neighborhoods, enhance our funky squares and commercial corridors, and transform opportunity areas on the City’s eastern and southern edges. It recommends more than five hundred goals, policies and actions that the City and its partners should consider on topics including transportation, housing, economic development and neighborhood preservation. This appendix provides an introduction to the plan, showing the shared values that were developed in community meetings at the start of the planning process. The appendix also includes the vision established by the plan, including targets for jobs and housing growth, new open space and transportation options. The appendix also shows the SomerVision Map including all areas to conserve, enhance and transform as established through the planning process. Finally, the appendix includes the full text of the 79 out of 587 SomerVision goals, policies and actions that will be support the Union Square Revitalization Plan.

Somerville: an Exceptional Place to Live, Work, Play, and Raise a Family SomerVision City of Somerville, Massachusetts Comprehensive Plan | 2010-2030 Endorsed by the Somerville Board of Aldermen April 12th, 2012 Adopted by the Somerville Planning Board April 19th, 2012

Resources Policies and Goals 5. Somerville: an Exceptional Place to Live, Work, Play, and Raise a Family Somerville: an Exceptional Place to Live, Work, Play, and Raise a Family In Somerville, We: Celebrate the diversity of our people, cultures, housing and economy. Foster the unique character of our residents, neighborhoods, hills and squares, and the strength of our community spirit as expressed in our history, our cultural and social life, and our deep sense of civic engagement. Invest in the growth of a resilient economic base that is centered around transit, generates a wide variety of job opportunities, creates an active daytime population, supports independent local business- es, and secures fi scal self-suffi ciency. Promote a dynamic urban streetscape that embraces public transportation, reduces dependence on the automobile, and is accessible, inviting and safe for all pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. Build a sustainable future through strong environmental leadership, balanced transportation modes, engaging recreational and community spaces, exceptional schools and educational opportunities, improved community health, varied and affordable housing options, and effective stewardship of our natural resources. Commit to continued innovation and affi rm our responsibility to current and future generations in all of our endeavors: business, technology, education, arts and government. SomerVision It’s all about values. In 2009, a series of public workshops gave Somerville residents the opportunity to articulate what is most important to them. Even though our neighborhoods and backgrounds are unique, there is a remarkable con- sensus as to what matters most in our community. Foreword: Our Shared Values Page 4

Page 5 SomerVision - Somerville’s Comprehensive Plan SomerVision It’s all about identity. During the SomerVision work- shops, participants asked the City to bring their words to life using creative graphic de- sign. The SomerVision Word Cloud puts a unique stamp on the community’s statement of values. The largest words are the ones that were most frequently used by residents during the workshops. Foreword: Our Shared Values In 2011, local artist Meagan O’Brien created a series of banners based on our identifi ed shared values.

Somerville: an Exceptional Place to Live, Work, Play, and Raise a Family Our Vision: The SomerVision Numbers 3. SomerVision It’s all about aspiration. Successful communities set goals that are both ambi- tious and achievable. The SomerVision Steering Com- mittee worked to trans- late shared values into the SomerVision Numbers: a series of aspirational targets for economic development, open space improvement, housing growth, trans- portation and land use. The SomerVision Numbers were carefully tested to make sure that they are consistent with the community’s shared val- ues: balance, sustainability, affordability and vitality. Page 16 30,000 New Jobs as part of a responsible plan to create opportunity for all Somerville workers and entrepreneurs 125 New Acres of Publicly-Accessible Open Space as part of our realistic plan to provide high-quality and well-programmed community spaces 6,000 New Housing Units - 1,200 Permanently Affordable as part of a sensitive plan to attract and retain Somerville’s best asset: its people. 50% of New Trips via Transit, Bike, or Walking as part of an equitable plan for access and circulation to and through the City. 85% of New Development in Transformative Areas as part of a predictable land use plan that protects neighborhood character The SomerVision Numbers cannot be separated into parts and cannot be separated from the SomerVision Map in order to advocate for a specifi c action by the City. They must be viewed in the context of entire Comprehensive Plan including the backup information in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2.

Page 17 SomerVision - Somerville’s Comprehensive Plan The SomerVision Map illustrates our Vision for the community to: Conserve Conserve our great residential neighborhoods Enhance Enhance our funky squares and commercial corridors Transform Transform opportunity areas on the eastern and southern edges of Somerville. Photo: Juliette Melton Our Vision: The SomerVision Map

NEIGHBORHOODS Goal A.I: Engage community members in civic life and decision-making, seeking diverse representation and participation. Goal A.II: Strengthen and support neighborhood commercial centers that integrate residential uses, offer lively destinations and contribute to Somerville’s unique identity. Policy A.II.A: The City should establish policies and regulations that support neighborhood development with a strong relationship to transit. Policy A.II.B: The City should support neighborhood-center development consistent with existing and future area plans. Action A.II.B.1: Support development projects that are consistent with the community vision reflected in the recent zoning amendments adopted for Union Square and the Broadway corridor. Action A.II.B.3: Encourage construction of mixed-use buildings with an active first floor. Goal A.V: Facilitate transit-oriented, neighborhood infill development when it enhances the lively, human-scaled and walkable character of Somerville blocks and neighborhoods. Policy A.V.B: The City should adopt policies and regulations for infill development that support continued diversity in its population, income and housing stock. Action A.V.B.1: Develop station area plans to focus infill development around neighborhood Green Line stations. Policy A.V.C: Infill development should contribute to the fiscal health of the city. Action A.V.C.1: Encourage mixed-use infill development on busy streets and near transit.

COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, SQUARES AND GROWTH DISTRICTS Goal B.I: Promote municipal financial self-determination and reduce fiscal dependence on state aid and residential taxes and fees. Policy B.I.A: The City should use planning and zoning to increase the commercial tax base. Policy B.I.B: The City should leverage creative financing options to foster commercial development. Action B.I.B.1: Consider District Improvement Financing (DIF) (M.G.L. 40Q) to reinvest in public infrastructure and economic development projects consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and/or approved Area Plans. Policy B.I.C: City-owned property should, where appropriate, be used to stimulate economic development activities or serve as catalysts for such activities. Action B.I.C.2: Prepare surplus City-owned parcels for disposition and/or redevelopment. Goal B.II: Make Somerville a regional employment center with a mix of diverse and high-quality jobs. Goal B.V: Link Somerville’s commercial corridors, squares and growth districts to support future development activity. Policy B.V.A: Somerville should be connected to major research universities and to Kendall Square. Policy B.V.B: The City should provide great streetscapes and wayfinding to connect commercial corridors and squares. Action B.V.B.3: Create a great civic space in Union Square. Action B.V.B.5: Investigate opportunities to build municipal or private garage parking structures that will help address the parking needs of multiple users within a commercial area, thereby making more private land available for revenue- producing development.

Goal B.VI: Transform key opportunity areas, such as Assembly Square, Inner Belt, Brickbottom, Boynton Yards, and the southeastern portion of Union Square into dynamic, mixed-use and transit-oriented districts that serve as economic engines and complement the neighborhoods of Somerville. Policy B.VI.A: The City should establish a clear vision for the desired scale and type of redevelopment within transformative mixed-use districts that speak to the City’s economic goals; following upon an active public process to develop the vision, increase the flexibility and reduce the complexity of the permitting process. Action B.VI.A.2: Initiate Area Plans for Assembly Square, Boynton Yards, and the eastern portion of Union Square. Policy B.VI.C: The City should promote site assemblage and redevelopment in transformative districts. Action B.VI.C.1: Identify catalyst sites where redevelopment would have the most impact. Action B.VI.C.2: Work with property owners and developers to prepare assemblage and redevelopment plans that support the goals of the Comprehensive Plan and/or adopted Area Plans. Action B.VI.C.3: Identify sites where parcels are too small, too isolated or otherwise risky for transformative redevelopment and consider City-led assemblage activities. Goal B.VII: Facilitate thoughtfully designed, pedestrian-oriented mixed-use development and re-use opportunities in Commercial Corridors, Squares and around transit stations that are sensitive to neighborhood context, and serve existing and future residents and businesses.

RESOURCES Goal C.VI: Create and program a network of vibrant public open spaces and shared use paths throughout the city that are multi-purpose, promote healthy living, and reflect changing recreational interests and cultural opportunities. Goal C.IX. Ensure the infrastructure for all utilities is sufficient in capacity and quality, of the best available technology, redundant, and supportive of the desired level of future growth. Policy C.IX.A: The City should identify funding to upgrade utilities in key economic development areas. Action C.IX.A.1: Plan for utility infrastructure that can support the density anticipated under the zoning ordinance. Action C.IX.A.2: Consider District Improvement Financing programs to provide dedicated revenue streams to pay for subsurface utility work and streetscape design improvements. Policy C.IX.B: The City should strongly encourage utility companies to provide services in a away that improves the urban environment and aesthetics, while meeting future needs. Action C.IX.B.4: In Union Square, mitigate the presence of large utility transformers by screening, moving, or burying, if possible.

TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Goal D.I: Create a mass transit network accessible to all parts of the city and to all users, with innovative physical and informational improvements that allow for easy use and seamless intermodal connections. Policy D.I.A: The City should prioritize a regional transit network in decision-making around land use and development. Action D.I.A.1: Ensure that the Green Line Extension is completed as soon as possible. Policy D.I.B: The design of the Green Line Extension should reconnect the city by completing multi-modal connections and creating superb bus, bike and pedestrian access points. Action D.I.B.2: Advocate for 360 degrees of access at each station, through safe, bright and accessible pedestrian connections. Policy D.I.D: The City should advocate for improvements to the frequency of transit service, hours and user amenities along the MBTA bus and rail networks in Somerville. Action D.I.D.1: Work with the MBTA to improve the bus network, taking into account north-south and cross-Somerville connections, access to the Green Line Extension (including potential redundancies) and future development areas, while emphasizing service to current transit-dependent customers. Action D.I.D.4: Advocate for improvements to the comfort, access, safety and efficiency of the MBTA bus, subway and rail system. Policy D.I.C: The design of the Green Line Extension and other future transit projects should be leveraged to encourage sustainable, transit-oriented development (TOD) throughout the city. Goal D.II: Increase active and alternative transportation options; reduce congestion and promote workplace-based policies and incentives for mode choice, work hours, and employment location.

Policy D.II.A: The City should implement transportation policies and programs that reduce automobile use. Goal D.III: Expand bike and pedestrian modes by transforming existing infrastructure to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrian, resulting in safe, accessible and well-connected networks. Policy D.III.B: The City should ensure that every transportation project results in improved pedestrian access. Action D.III.B.1: Ensure all public streets have sidewalks and crosswalks that are well- maintained, safe, and accessible at all times of year. Action D.III.B.3: Implement the most appropriate forms of pedestrian signal timing (concurrent, exclusive, or leading pedestrian interval) as determined by site- specific vehicular conditions and pedestrian behavior. Action D.III.B.5: Continue to implement bump-outs and other traffic-calming measures to allow for greater pedestrian movement across major thoroughfares. Goal D.IV: Use technology and infrastructure improvements to balance the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicles and mass transit; reduce congestion and pollution; decrease road space dedicated to private automobiles, and unlock economic development potential while maintaining a fiscally sound road maintenance program. Policy D.IV.A: The City should efficiently manage traffic flow to reduce pollution and congestion. Goal D.V: Manage parking supply and demand in a flexible, rational and innovative manner to balance transportation, economic development and residential goals. Policy D.V.A: The City should preserve or create adequate parking to accommodate local needs, but not to the detriment of other modes of travel. Action D.V.A.4: Reduce surface parking and promote aesthetically pleasing parking structures to serve multiple users; ensure that parking structures are

architecturally compatible with their location and pedestrian friendly in design, including active uses on the ground floor where appropriate. Goal D.VI: Connect the city: retrofit, redesign and build, as necessary, roads, bridges, paths and rights-of-way to improve transportation networks and link neighborhoods and commercial centers within Somerville and beyond. Policy D.VI.A: The City should improve transportation infrastructure in areas identified for new development, and create inviting streets for all transportation modes. Action D.VI.A.3: Study options to eliminate the barrier created by McGrath Highway. Action D.VI.A.4: Plan and develop a transportation network in the Boynton Yards area that allows for greater connectivity to surrounding districts and within Boynton Yards. Action D.VI.A.5: Complete and implement the Union Square Transportation Plan. Policy D.VI.B: The City should advocate for infrastructure projects that mitigate the adverse impacts of highway infrastructure, with particular attention to providing greater access and connectivity to pedestrians and bicyclists and addressing health and quality of life impacts experienced by abutters. Action D.VI.B.1: Advocate for conversion of McGrath Highway into a surface-level, tree- lined urban boulevard, crossable by pedestrians at every intersection, with accommodations provided for bicyclists. Action D.VI.B.12: Urge MassDOT and USDOT to fully mitigate the impact of Interstate 93, including air and noise pollution. Goal D.VIII: Improve stormwater and wastewater management systems to increasingly separate storm water and sewerage systems and support desired levels of future growth. Policy D.VIII.A: The City should provide a stormwater and sewer system that is able to accommodate extreme events without flooding or causing combined sewer overflows (CSOs).

Action D.VIII.A.1: Continue to separate sewer and storm water drains by working with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and others to develop strategies and secure funding. Action D.VIII.A.2: Develop and adopt a comprehensive Action Plan that will produce a storm water system with the capacity to accommodate flooding, greater frequency and intensity of storms, and rising sea levels.

HOUSING Goal E.I: Preserve and expand an integrated, balanced mix of safe, affordable and environmentally sound rental and homeownership units for households of all sizes and types from diverse social and economic groups. Policy E.I.A: The City should adopt programs and regulations to increase affordable housing, in part through additional affordable housing creation. Policy E.I.C: The City should encourage the development and preservation of rental housing throughout Somerville to maintain a balance between rental and homeownership units tied to the Housing Needs Assessment. Action E.I.C.1: Consider incentives for rental housing along transit corridors. Action E.I.C.2: Prioritize funding for affordable rental units along transit corridors. Goal E.II: Promote mixed-use, mixed-income transit-oriented development to provide new housing and employment options. Policy E.II.A: The City should facilitate the development of additional housing in close proximity to transit stations. Policy E.II.B: The City should promote the provision of mixed-use development in commercial districts.