Agenda Text
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Proposing an amendment to the Zoning Map, to rezone 31 Tufts Street to the Urban Residence District.
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Official Text
Per Article 15.6.2 of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance, I submit to the Honorable Council as the Ward 1 Councilor, the request to amend the Zoning Map to place 31 Tufts, (“Property” or “31 Tufts Street” or “0 Tufts” or “parcel”), into the Urban Residence (UR) zoning district.
The property is a vacant parking lot that was once part of the former American Legion East Somerville Post 388, Inc. The City acquired the 13,225 square foot parcel in 2014, through a right of reverter and formally declared the property available for disposition in accordance with G.L.c. 30B, sec. 16 with restrictions that required a competitive bidding process be undertaken to develop the property for affordable housing and special consideration be given to the provision of publicly accessible open space.
The current use of this site is a parking lot and is currently zoned Civic (CIV). The Civic district is characterized by public spaces, such as parks, plazas, and buildings dedicated to arts, culture, education, recreation, and local government that serve a public purpose for the community. However, the Permitted Use table for this district does not include housing or open space; creating a hardship to enforce development as declared by the City Council.
I request that the proposed zoning classification for 31 Tufts be amended to Urban Residence (UR) to implement the objectives of the comprehensive plan and to be consistent with the zoning classification of the properties surrounding the parcel.
References:
Surplus Decision <http://somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=9872&highlightTerms=163%20glen>