Affordable Purpose - LAND USE COMMITTEE APPROVED ordinance — File 198295

Affordable Housing Amendment LAND USE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION 12-1-14 - 1 - CITY OF SOMERVILLE ORDINANCE NO. _________ IN THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN: ______ THE ZONING ORDINANCES IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING: WHEREAS, it is crucial to protect and promote affordable housing in Somerville, THEREFORE, be it adopted by the Board of Aldermen, in session assembled, that the below listed sections of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance are hereby amended as identified. 1. Article 1. Purpose and Scope. Section 1.2, Purpose is hereby amended as follows (additions are underlined and deletions are crossed out): The purposes of the Ordinance are to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants of the City of Somerville; to provide for and maintain the uniquely integrated structure of uses in the City; to lessen congestion in the streets; to protect health; to secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements; to conserve the value of land and buildings; to preserve the historical and architectural resources of the City; to adequately protect the natural environment; to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the City; to encourage housing for persons of all income levels to protect and promote a housing stock that can accommodate the diverse household sizes and life stages of Somerville residents at all income levels, paying particular attention to providing housing affordable to individuals and families with low and moderate incomes; and to preserve and increase the amenities of the municipality. 2. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.1.2 Information Required for Special Permits, first sentence, is hereby amended as follows (additions are underlined and deletions are crossed out): The SPGA, or its designee, shall, in its discretion, require the following basic information (#1-4) for all applications for special permits and any additional applicable information including, but not limited to, items listed in #5-22 in #5 - 25. 3. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.1.2 Information Required for Special Permits is hereby amended by adding item #25 as follows: 25. In the case of applications involving a structure with four or more units of housing, measures taken to provide for, protect, or increase the affordability of housing units within the proposed structure; the degree of such affordability to households of low or moderate income, as defined by HUD; and the duration of legal assurances of such affordability. 4. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.1.4 Findings and Determinations for Special Permits is hereby amended by adding item (j) as follows:

Affordable Housing Amendment LAND USE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION 12-1-14 - 2 - (j). In conjunction with its decision to grant or deny a special permit for a structure of four or more units of housing, the SPGA shall make a finding and determination as to how implementation of the project would increase, decrease, or leave unchanged the number of units of rental and home ownership housing that are affordable to households with low or moderate incomes, as defined by HUD, for different sized households and units. 5. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, 5.2.3 Information Required for Special Permits with Site Plan Review, first sentence, is hereby amended as follows (additions are underlined and deletions are crossed out): The SPGA, or its designee, shall, in its discretion, require the following information for all applications for special permits with site plan review including, but not limited to, the items in #1-24 #1-25 below. 6. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.2.3 Information Required for Special Permits with Site Plan Review is hereby amended by adding item #25 as follows: 25. In the case of applications involving a structure with four or more units of housing, measures taken to provide for, protect, or increase the affordability of housing units within the proposed structure; the degree of such affordability to households of low or moderate income, as defined by HUD; and the duration of legal assurances of such affordability. 7. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.2.5 Findings and Determinations for Special Permits With Site Plan Review is hereby amended by adding item (x) as follows: (x). In conjunction with its decision to grant or deny a special permit for a structure of four or more units of housing, the SPGA shall make a finding and determination as to how implementation of the project would increase, decrease, or leave unchanged the number of units of rental and home ownership housing that are affordable to households with low or moderate incomes, as defined by HUD, for different sized households and units. 8. Article 5: Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Review, Site Plan Approval, and Variances, Section 5.2.5 Findings and Determinations for Special Permits With Site Plan Review, last sentence, is hereby amended as follows (additions are underlined and deletions are crossed out): In addition to the above criteria and objectives listed in (a)-(u) (a)-(x), the proposed development shall take into account, insofar as is practicable, any existing or proposed plan for the neighborhood which have been or may be adopted by the city of Somerville.