Following a series of recent public meetings, the City of Somerville is in the process of finalizing plans to rezone Porter Square in order to allow for additional commercial land use.
The planned rezoning would scale back restrictions on commercial development on the Somerville side of Porter Square, which remains a primarily residential area, according to Adam Duchesneau, a planner with the City of Somerville.
"We think that it's going to kick-start more commercial uses in the area," Duchesneau told the Daily. "We'd like to see a lot more mixed-use development in the area."
Rezoning, unlike general development, changes the regulations around which properties can and cannot build. The rezoning plans will maintain respect for "grandfathering," so buildings constructed under previous zoning codes can stand as they did before the rezoning without needing to alter their operating procedure.
Buildings developed after rezoning will be held to new zoning regulation standards, accordingtoDuchesneau.
"We really view this as an opportunity for residents in the area," Duchesneau said. "If people don't want to do anything with their property, they don't have to, but there are some people looking to redevelop their property to bring in some kind of commercial use or other structure to provide a mixed use totheirproperty."
The planning process for the rezoning of the area began after the 2010 completion of the three-year reconstruction of Somerville Avenue, which is one of the main roads bordering Porter Square. At that time, several local property owners proposed to build a hotel in the area, according to David Guzman, economic development specialist for the City of Somerville.
"We considered that it'd be a great opportunity to have a discussion with the community about the zoning uses of the community," said Guzman.
The final plans were developed in keeping with a vision statement outlined after four public meetings between City of Somerville planners and Porter Square residents, according to Duchesneau. The vision statement calls for safe, pedestrian-oriented streets; an increase in mixed-use buildings; development of a bridge to allow pedestrian access over the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority train tracks; and placing of arched gateways around the entrances to the area, he added.
Mixed-use buildings, or properties that have both commercial and residential uses, can be used to maximize the economic development of the Somerville side of Porter Square, according to Guzman.
"We conducted retail assessment, we identified sales generation, and tried to predict what would happen if more economic activity is conducted on the Somerville side, in terms of new jobs and new income for Somerville," he said.
"The conclusion we found is that the Cambridge side is maximizing the space in the area, where the Somerville side is basically residential in its nature. We want to change that to develop a framework for more commercial uses of that area," Guzman said.
The gateways will give Porter Square a better sense of identity for residents, according to Duchesneau.
Plans for rezoning are currently being finalized in conjunction with the Somerville Mayor's Office and will be sent to the Board of Aldermen, who will vote on the plans within the next few months, Duchesneau said.
If approved, the plan will go to a joint committee of the Board of Aldermen Land Use Committee and the City of Somerville Planning Board, who will submit any changes for further approval by the Board of Aldermen.
Alderman at Large and Chair of the Land Use Committee William A. White explained that the proposal will come before his committee, and that he plans to evaluate the proposal, weighing its possible positive and negative impacts on the community.
