Executive Summary
At its regular meeting on August 20, 2026, the Somerville Planning Board considered several development proposals and administrative matters. The Board approved continuances for 222 Broadway, 6 Wheatland Street, and 32-40 White Street to September 3, 2026. The Board reviewed a major amendment and site plan approval for 120 Middlesex Avenue, proposing a 19-story commercial lab and office building in Assembly Square, focusing extensive discussion on life science market vacancy and building adaptability before continuing the matter to September 3, 2026. The Board also opened a public hearing for a four-story, 18-unit mixed-use building at 8 Medford Street, discussing neighborhood traffic, loading, and parking permit eligibility before continuing the application to September 17, 2026. Under other business, the Board heard a presentation on a proposed zoning amendment to streamline permitting by consolidating site plan review and special permits under the Planning Board, prompting strong procedural concerns from Board members regarding docket capacity and historical precedent.
Meeting Opening and Attendance
- The Somerville Planning Board held its regular meeting on August 20, 2026, via remote participation pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025.
- Chair Michael Capuano called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. and confirmed a quorum was present with six members in attendance: Chair Michael Capuano, Vice-Chair Amelia Aboff, Clerk Jahan Habib, Lynn Richards, Luc Schuster, and Coralie Cooper.
Continuance Request for 222 Broadway
- The applicant requested a continuance to the September 3, 2026 Planning Board meeting.
- Vote: Passed 6-0.
Continuance Request for 6 Wheatland Street
- The applicant requested a continuance to the September 3, 2026 Planning Board meeting.
- Vote: Passed 6-0.
Continuance Request for 32-40 White Street
- Chair Capuano took the item out of agenda order.
- Clerk Jahan Habib and member Lynn Richards placed on the record that although they were absent from the August 6, 2026 meeting, they each reviewed the meeting video recording and executed the required Mullin Rule affidavit to participate.
- Applicant representatives David Swanson (Kipari Capital) and Ryan Wittig requested a continuance to September 3, 2026, to allow for ongoing discussions with city staff regarding project feasibility and the inclusion of three-bedroom units requested by the Board.
- Vote: Passed 6-0.
Major Amendment and Site Plan Approval for 120 Middlesex Avenue
- Proposal Overview:
- Presented by Nicole Labossiere (Senior Director of Development, DivCoWest), Anthony Gallucci (legal counsel), Jeff Kim (Perkins & Will), and Sean Sanger (Copley Wolff Design Group).
- The proposed project entails a 19-story (16 occupiable floors) commercial laboratory and office building measuring 259 feet 6 inches in height, with approximately 596,000 square feet of gross floor area (GFA), average floor plates of 35,000 square feet, and five and a half levels of below-grade parking accommodating approximately 520 spaces.
- The building is designed to be LEED Platinum certifiable and serves as a gateway to Assembly Square's life science corridor.
- Public realm and landscape improvements include pulling back the building corner, a 12-foot-wide multi-use path on Cummings Street, a raised protected bike lane and permeable paver buffer on Middlesex Avenue, native canopy shade trees with structural soil, precast concrete and wood benches, and a Bluebikes station.
- Board Discussion:
- Chair Capuano and Lynn Richards questioned the applicant regarding current market dynamics, noting a regional lab vacancy rate of 30% to 35% in the Greater Boston area, and asked about the feasibility and costs of converting the space from laboratory to standard office use.
- The applicant team clarified that the building has an interstitial mechanical floor and rooftop penthouse that allow it to function as 100% lab, 100% office, or a 60/40 split, and noted that full municipal entitlement is required before any lease commitments can be negotiated.
- Vice-Chair Aboff noted that the LEED questionnaire scorecard referenced as Section 9 was missing from the application packet; staff committed to distributing it to the Board.
- Public Testimony:
- No members of the public spoke in support or in opposition.
- Official Action:
- Written public comment was kept open until 9:00 a.m. on August 28, 2026, and the matter was continued to September 3, 2026.
- Vote: Passed 6-0.
Special Permit and Site Plan Approval for 8 Medford Street (ZP24-000091 & ZP24-000092)
- Proposal Overview:
- Clerk Jahan Habib read the notice of public hearing into the record.
- Presented by Attorney Anne Vigorito on behalf of Medford Properties LLC, accompanied by project architect Nerius Bliss (Khalsa Design), landscape architect Katya Posadlo (Verdant Landscape Architecture), and traffic engineer Steven Siragusa.
- The applicant seeks a Special Permit (ZP24-000091) and Site Plan Approval (ZP24-000092) to construct a four-story, mixed-use general building in the Mid-Rise 4 (MR4) zoning district.
- The development includes 18 residential units (6 studios, 9 one-bedrooms, and 3 two-bedrooms), 3.6 required affordable housing units (3 provided on-site), ground-floor commercial space, 19 long-term interior bicycle spaces, 4 short-term exterior bicycle spaces, a shared roof deck amenity, a rear rain garden, and an on-street loading zone with zero on-site vehicular parking.
- Public Testimony:
- Mark Truant (32 Warren Street, Cambridge) raised concerns regarding traffic backing up along Warren Street onto Cambridge Street, noting the importance of retaining two exit lanes from Warren Street onto Medford Street for turning vehicles, and questioned the adequacy of traffic studies.
- Board Discussion:
- Planner Kit Lester confirmed that the property is situated outside the designated transit walkshed, meaning future residents would legally remain eligible for City of Somerville on-street residential parking permits under Traffic Commission regulations.
- The Board debated whether to seek a voluntary condition restricting on-street parking permits. Member Richards expressed opposition to imposing an artificial parking permit restriction on tenants, emphasizing resident choice and proposing a broader future policy discussion among the Planning Board, Mobility division, and administration regarding citywide district parking infrastructure.
- Vice-Chair Aboff inquired about architectural consistency across all building facades and raised the potential for off-site commercial parking leases in nearby master-planned districts.
- Official Action:
- Written public comment was kept open until 9:00 a.m. on September 11, 2026, and the application was continued to September 17, 2026.
- Vote: Passed 6-0.
Proposed Zoning Amendment on Permit Streamlining and Board Jurisdiction (Other Business)
- Staff Presentation:
- Senior Planner Kit Lester presented a proposed zoning amendment aligned with the Mayor’s FY 2027 permit streamlining budget initiative.
- The amendment proposes to consolidate the review and permit granting authority (PGA) for all site plan approvals and special permits across every zoning district under the Planning Board.
- The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) purview would be focused exclusively on its statutory duties under M.G.L. c. 40A, § 14 (variances, comprehensive permits under Chapter 40B, and administrative appeals), reflecting recent state statutory adjustments establishing a single "practical difficulty" test for variances and extending variance validity to two years.
- Board and Public Feedback:
- Chair Capuano voiced strong opposition, recounting the pre-2013 regulatory structure when the Planning Board served as an advisory vetting body for the ZBA; he noted that handling residential neighborhood special permits (such as dormers, porches, and windows) overwhelmed agendas, produced midnight meetings, and distracted the Board from major economic master plans.
- Chair Capuano stated the Planning Board's workload has already expanded significantly due to frequent joint Land Use Committee hearings and complex master-planned developments in Assembly Square, Union Square, and Boynton Yards.
- Attorney Anne Vigorito agreed with Chair Capuano's perspective based on past practice before both boards, cautioning against procedural changes that strain volunteer boards.
- Clerk Habib echoed concerns regarding Board capacity, meeting length, and docket dilution.
- Vice-Chair Aboff requested representative data on typical Neighborhood Residential (NR) site plan review cases heard by the ZBA to determine whether certain intermediate categories of review might appropriately remain with or transition between boards.
- Attendance Note:
- Board Member Luc Schuster departed the meeting early at 7:58 p.m. prior to the presentation of Other Business.
Adjournment
- Chair Capuano moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 p.m., seconded by Vice-Chair Aboff.
- Vote: Passed 5-0 (Absent: Luc Schuster).