Welcome everyone.

I call this meeting of the land use committee to order.

It is Thursday, June 18th, the 631.

Pursuant to chapter two of the Acts of 2025, this meeting of the land use committee will be conducted via remote participation, and we will post an audio video recording and comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

This is roll call, Counselor Davis.

Here.

Councillor Klingon.

Present.

Counselor Say.

Councilor McLaughlin.

Yeah.

Counselor Ewan Campman.

Here.

With four counselors present, we have four.

Excellent.

This is a joint meeting with the planning board.

So in just a moment, we're going to recess so that they can start their meeting.

Before we do that, um, I want to mention uh agenda item number two.

Um, clerk, will you please read this into the record?

Yes.

Agenda item two.

From commercial core five to mid-rise six.

All right.

This item has been withdrawn at the request of the applicant.

Um, so clerk, do we place this item on file?

So what is the or is it just withdrawn?

And that's we can just mark it as withdrawn.

Okay.

That item has been withdrawn.

And with that, we will go into recess so the planning board can convene their meeting.

Just show it camp in uh for the record day I'm here.

Excellent.

Welcome.

Good evening, everybody.

It's 6 33 p.m.

The planning board has joined the land use committee for this joint hearing.

I'm Mike Capuano.

I am chairman of the planning board.

With me tonight are our vice chair Emilia Abolf, our clerk John Habib, our members Lynn Richards, Coralie Cooper, Luke Schuster, and Michael McNeely.

The planning board has a quorum.

What I'd like to do is please have our clerk read into the record the notice of public hearing for this agenda item for the land use committee uh joint hearing.

Absolutely, Mr.

Chair.14 zoning ordinance ID 26-0835 by Councillor Davis proposing an amendment to section 2.1.1 of the zoning ordinance regarding homeless shelters.

Thank you so much, John.

What I would love to do is invite uh Chairman Ewan Campan and the rest of the land use committee to reconvene and join uh join us.

Excellent.

Can we please call the role to establish quorum?

This is roll call.

Counselor Davis.

Here.

Counselor Klingon.

Present.

Counselor Saint.

Here.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yeah.

Counselor Ewan Campan.

Here.

With all five counselors present, we have quorum.

Excellent.

So tonight is public hearings.

We have two items before us.

And just as a note of procedure, we're going to take up each item in turn.

We're going to have a brief presentation about what it is that the amendment actually would do, what the reasoning for it is.

Then if there are clarifying questions from the committee from the planning board, we'll take those briefly.

And then we're going to have our public hearings.

There will be no votes tonight for members of the public.

This is the first step once a proposed zoning amendment has been made, is a public hearing.

So we are here to hear feedback from the public tonight, not to deliberate, not to go back and forth, not to vote.

We're here to take public feedback.

And we will also leave the public comment period for these open for some amount of time that we'll discuss for each hearing.

So with that, could we take up the first item, please?

Agenda item 1.1, 26-0746 requesting approval of the urban center housing tax increment financing octave zone plan and form of agreement for assembly square and east in bill.

Excellent.

So who is here from the administration to present this?

Good evening, Mr.

Chairman.

This is Tom Galligani.

I serve as the uh executive director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Development.

I'm here along with Katie Weese, who's an economic development planner for OSPCD.

And uh just like to open it up and good evening.

This uh our office is focused on one very important thing, and that's implementing summer vision.

That means driving growth in transformational areas like Assembly Square, strengthening enhancement corridors like East Somerville, expanding affordable housing, and taking an equity-based approach to development.

One that keeps the people who make Somerville here in Somerville.

We're always looking for tools that can help us deliver on that vision.

And right now, with high interest rates and high costs, slowing development across the board, we need those tools more than ever.

And tonight we're bringing you one of them.

And to walk you through it, I'd like to introduce Katie Weiss, our economic development planner.

She'll walk you through urban center housing tax increment financing, a tool that lets us negotiate property tax relief with developers to spur housing production.

It's flexible by design, which means we can apply it in a way that pushes for more affordability, not less.

It's the same tool that helped launch 299 Broadway.

And we're proposing something new, an UCTIF district along East Broadway and Assembly Row designed to turn vacant lots into infill development, strengthen two very different business districts, and build more affordable housing, all with a summary twist.

I'd like to turn it over to Katie.

Thank you so much.

And through you, Mr.

Chair, uh, I'm looking forward to talking more about this urban center housing tax increment financing.

Next slide, please.

I'm sorry, I'm just there we go.

Apologies.

Thank you so much.

No, I appreciate it.

Um, so tonight I will be talking first about what is an octave, and secondly, I would be talking more about what is the proposed octave that we're looking at for East Somerville and Assembly Square.

Next, please.

And next again.

Thank you.

All right.

So the Urban Center Housing Tax Increment Financing is a statewide program which allows for property tax relief, which is used to incentivize the development of new housing.

We're looking at this tool to target specifically vacant lots and long vacant commercial spaces in order to create this housing specifically in a time where development has slowed due to the cost of development, due to other cart market conditions, and we are not seeing housing being delivered at the rate that we need to address our housing needs.

Next slide.

So as I mentioned, this is a common wealth level program, which is administered by the Massachusetts office, executive office of housing and livable communities, or HLC, which allows municipalities the ability to approve these real estate tax exemptions on all or part of the increased value of improved real estate for a maximum of 20 years.

So if you're looking at this diagram, um you will see the baseline property value and you'll see the tax increment.

So if you have a vacant property, that vacant lot is being assessed at value, and that property owner pays a low level of taxes on, or maybe not a low level, but they do pay a baseline level of taxes on that vacant lot.

Whatever is built on that property is the improved value.

Um the new building will be the improved value, which is the tax increment.

So this program specifically allows for some or all of that tax increment to be not paid for a maximum of 20 years.

Um next slide, please.

The as a state administered program, there are some requirements that an octave zone must meet.

One of which is they're looking at primarily commercial districts, and we're looking to primarily build residential housing.

That commercial district must have a um meet a set of criteria, one of which is a high commercial vacancy rate.

Next, please.

This program also must this uh the active zone must also reach a minimum level of affordability thresholds.

And as a state program, some of these options are lower than what Somerville already expects under its inclusionary zoning requirement.

So Somerville already requires large developments to create 20% of those new units as affordable.

However, um, this is just baseline criteria set by the state.

Somerville is looking to use this tool in creative ways to go above and beyond.

So next slide, please.

As mentioned, we use this tool at 1099 Broadway in Winter Hill to achieve a much greater level of affordability than otherwise would have happened with its financing.

We're also looking at this program as a way to create housing units at even deeper levels of affordability than our inclusionary zoning ordinance requires.

So as a tiered ordinance, it creates housing units for households that make 50, 80, and 110% of the area median income.

And we think that there's opportunity to produce units at even lower levels of those income tiers, which is really important because the housing needs assessment or housing department has identified a particular need for serving those households at lower incomes.

Next slide, please.

And again, thank you.

So some of the documents that we're looking at tonight, and this is a public hearing.

So for any members of the public who are joining us today, you can find the full document in our online system.

But the requirements by the state has us define the zone.

Where in the city can we utilize this program?

Um it'll be a set of maps showing the boundaries of the program.

The bulk of that document is describing what is a city do we want to see within that zone?

What are our goals to achieve with this program?

And then finally, a template agreement that is a starting point that could be used for any future property up in the zone.

So just as a reminder, um this tonight we are defining a zone and passing this UCTIF program, but then any future property negotiation would need to happen on a per property basis.

So we're not looking at any financials of any specific projects tonight.

Next slide.

So this is the zone that we are looking at.

It crosses the boundaries of Interstate 93.

It encompasses portions of assembly square and portions of East Somerville, specifically along McGrath Highway and Broadway.

We're looking at these properties that are to date pretty um unitalized.

If you look at this image, you can kind of see that over half of the zone is paved surfaces such as paved parking lots and even vacant lots.

Please to the next slide.

One of the criteria for qualifying for the zone is that it's a primarily commercial area.

That's why it's this unique donut shape.

Um, and 85% is commercial of that commercial leasable square footage, 60%, 59% of it is vacant.

So when you're looking at classically vacant commercial spaces, such as the long vacant circuit city, um, those alone make up 15%, which is the minimum requirement for this program.

So we have a significant number of vacant commercial spaces in the zone.

When you take into account the untened lab and office space that's been taking a long time to tenant, that number jumps way up to 59%.

So we're definitely looking at an area that could use some revitalization assistance in terms of creating um new opportunities for residents to move in to frequent our small businesses on Broadway and for other benefits.

And 10% of this area is vacant lots where we have not yet seen development.

Next slide, please.

So as I mentioned before, um, we're looking, we're looking specifically at these areas of the city, which we have identified in summer vision as areas to enhance and transform.

Um, these are zoned for uh midrise, especially in East Somerville, they're zoned between mid-rise three and six, and a lot of them remain low level developments and an assembly square, mid-rise and high rise buildings.

So there's a lot of capacity here that the community has envisioned higher density, mixed use development, um, a lot of residential units as a potential in this area that have yet to come to fruition.

Next slide, please.

So overall, just in a recap, um, the goal of this program is in a difficult development environment, what can we do to incentivize new development specifically to create housing and specifically to produce the types of housing that we sorely need in the city?

And where can we look at vacant lots underperforming commercial spaces that have sat vacant or not producing you know significant commercial tax revenue for the city?

How can we we look at those and incentivize the growth that we're looking to see?

And beyond that, how can we thoughtfully think through the redevelopment of these two neighborhoods so that they are improved connectivity and there's improved access to all of the different benefits and spaces that cross that highway?

we sorely need in the city and where can we look at vacant lots underperforming commercial spaces that have sat vacant or not perfect producing you know significant commercial tax revenue for the city how can we we look at those and incentivize um the growth that we're looking to see and beyond that how can we thoughtfully think through the redevelopment of these two neighborhoods so that they are improved connectivity and there's improved access to all the different benefits and spaces that cross that highway slide please so for the next steps um in this approval process we're having this public hearing tonight and I look forward to answering questions and hearing feedback um the city would initially the council would need to approve the zone plan form of agreement package of documents and then the um the state would need to come and do a final review and approval from there if we go to the next slide within the zone um in the future if there's any project any development um we've already identified specific lots and commercial spaces that might be great targets for redevelopment housing um that would go through an entirely separate or an additional process for uh negotiate the specific terms of that agreement allow third party review of those financials to make sure that we are only approving as much as needs to be approved to make that project work and then the city council and HLC would also have the opportunity um to review and the decision to approve as well.

And then if you go to the next slide you have my um contact information and I thank you for your time and welcome any questions.

Thank you very much colleagues before we do this public hearing before we answer questions I need to apologize for an administrative mistake.

I want to make sure this is the case.

I guess the planning board doesn't actually this is not before the planning board can someone on staff confirm this this is not a typical zoning amendment it was asked to come to land use because it is a map but it is not a zoning amendment and that means that the planning board does not have this on their agenda um and so as awkward as this is that they have a very full agenda I want to make sure that they're able to get back to their meeting.

What I'd like to do is lay this item on the table we're gonna open it up ask questions have our public hearing after but let's take up the item that is actually before the planning board um which is the next item so uh apologies uh for the mix up in the order of items and let's please lay that item on the table and take up our next item for a public hearing very very very much appreciated uh Mr.

Chairman and it's always nice to see some of the other work that you all do.

But thank you for we we we as you're right we we do have quite a full agenda on our books as well so um good luck with the rest of your agenda I look forward to hearing this next item.

Excellent thank you.

That brings us to agenda item 1.2 26-0835 proposing an amendment to section 2.1 point one of the zoning ordinance regarding home shelters excellent so counselor Davis is the lead sponsor of this would you like to introduce it briefly um yeah happy happy to Mr.

Chair thank you um I believe if correct me I am I correct that the uh folks in planning uh plan and zoning going to give a more uh professional uh explanation of everything after just to make sure make sure I don't want to I don't want to overlap is that is that the plan my understanding is they don't have a presentation they are here to answer questions okay that's I just want to make sure that I understand what's what's what's what's falling if anything so um yeah this is I mean it's it's pretty straightforward um you know no surprise this sort of the the conversation started you know in the sort of aftermath of um a little uh you know some some confusion and some misunderstanding and and some frankly you know really poor communication on the part of multiple parties um in in uh in and around the Summer Bohomas Coalition's proposal to move their existing shelter uh from one church uh on college ab up the street to a new church on college have um and the and was was come further complicated by the fact that when that request came to the city it it happened to be during the time that we the city council well that well that our our our zoning ordinance um contained uh uh an error the results of an error um an oversight um when when the council um uh and this is all my understanding so if if anyone in plan and zoning uh you know wants to correct me please by all means but my understanding is that when we implemented the changes for the um the MBTA communities act that you know that necessitated a number of changes throughout the zoning um and we uh inadvertently removed the definition of homeless shelter um just a literally a scriptner's error a mistake an oversight um it happens you know so we we have since fixed that and and put put that back in place um but um there as as I understand it there sort of would have been but for that error uh a couple of different ways that the proposed shelter in uh you know in the basement of the the new church um uh could have been deemed to be you know compliant with the zoning um but because that definition wasn't there it made it a little more complicated um at the end of the day the um there's uh uh an amendment called the donor

Um, but um there as as I understand it, there sort of would have been but for that error, uh, a couple of different ways that the proposed shelter in uh you know in the basement of the the new church um uh could have been deemed to be you know compliant with the zoning.

Um but because that definition wasn't there, it made it a little more complicated.

Um at the end of the day, the um there's uh uh an amendment called the Dover Amendment that says, you know, we can't we can't tell we we we can't zone uh out religious and educational uses.

So the you know the the decision was that the the religious use in this case uh is what I thought the courts ultimately confirmed um what was okay.

All by way of saying um, you know, there was a lot of confusion, and a lot of the public comments throughout that process says this really shouldn't be this complicated.

We should make it, we should make it more clear.

If this is, you know, if we want to allow this, we should just it should be crystal clear in the zone, and there shouldn't be that confusion.

And that's a really good point, um, I thought.

So um I I began um and having conversations with the folks in in planning and zoning.

Um, and we've had you know myriad other things that have sort of pushed us down the road a little bit, but here we are finally um getting this getting to the point.

Um, and the the idea here is just to you know to not rely on a state amendment um in in certain circumstances and to ultimately um expand where a homeless shelter uh could be located in the city.

Um because you know, I think it it almost goes without saying nowadays that we just you know we don't have the services that we'd like to have for folks who are experiencing homelessness and and um and other needs.

Um so this this would enable, you know, in the future um homeless shelters to uh to be put in place in various places around the city.

Um a couple of things I want to point out, well, one thing really I want to point out.

Um key difference is that um this would uh so the definition of a homeless shelter is where the the principal use is the homeless shelter.

So this would be a little different than than what is currently in uh well, I guess now currently operational in the church on College Abb, where that's a you know, it's it's sort of accessory use or secondary to the it's a church.

Um so that's you know that that's what the definition says it's a principal use, and so that's what would be allowed.

And then I did submit this with um inclusive of the neighborhood residence zone.

So as submitted, a a homeless shelter could go would be permitted under the zoning, effectively, you know, anywhere in the city, I believe, uh, but for um pedestrian streets, uh, you know, on the street level.

So of course, you know, upstairs or downstairs, no problem.

Um, and there might be a few other exceptions, but I I think there are reasonable arguments both for and against including the neighborhood residence zone.

I included it at the suggestion of the director of uh planning and zoning um because that gives us that enables us to have the conversation, and then if if we decide to to include the neighborhood residents, you know, we we are covered by this process.

If if it was submitted without that and we did and we decided we want to include it, we we probably would need to re-advertise as it was explained to me.

So I I say that because I I want to hear the conversation.

I I think there's as I said, I think there's there are reasonable arguments for and against including the neighborhood residence zone.

Um so you know, without that, it would be urban residence, which you know is there are urban residence parcels scattered sort of throughout the neighborhood residence zones.

Um, but and then you know, our our mixed use zones and et cetera.

So um I I want to flag that it's it was done intentionally.

It's not because I think that is absolutely the way to go, and I'm pushing for it.

It's uh it's quite the opposite, or at least um, you know, uh I'm not pushing for it.

I'm pushing for it.

Let's have a conversation and decide what we all think makes sense after hearing from the public after hearing all of our you know, all of the input.

Um and so uh beyond that, I think it it's relatively straightforward and speaks for itself.

Um I'm happy to answer questions if there are any, and uh and you know, it would defer to our actual zoning experts for any sort of more mechanical questions um on any of it.

So thank you for the opportunity, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Davis.

Um I see our land use analyst Samantha Clark has her hand up if you want to share uh comment and then we'll take questions from the planning board and the committee.

Thank you, Chair.

Um just wanted to add one point in terms of the zoning districts that are currently in the amendment.

So those will include neighborhood residential, urban residential, the mid-rise districts, three to six, the high-rise district, as well as two of the special districts, the powder house school district and assembly square mixed use district.

So the commercial districts have not been included for permitting homeless shelters as a primary use by right.

The Dover Amendment that Counselor Davis was just speaking to would still be in effect if there was an a religious or educational use in those zones.

And then within the mid-rise and high-rise districts, there's two columns you'll see in the zoning table for permitted uses.

The column two relates to pedestrian street designations.

So that will be indicated with an N for no, which basically means they wouldn't be allowed on the first floor of those pedestrian designated streets.

Just wanted to add that in case it's helpful for folks when thinking about this.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I see planning board member Amelia Aboff, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I have one question and one comment.

I guess I'm sorry to lead with these, but I think they might be salient to later points of conversation.

Is the city's position here that is the intention here to bring homeless shelters into alignment sort of as a Dover Amendment type use when they are not affiliated with the religious or institutional or other institutional use and to codify them as an institutional use on their own right?

Or would this only or is there a distinction between shelters that are affiliated with a religious or institutional use versus other shelters?

Councillor Davis.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I'll attempt to answer that, but I will as always defer to um to Ms.

Carr or anyone else to sort of correct me.

My intent was to um it was effectively sort of you know remove the necessity of the Dover amendment um and and also make this make shelters possible elsewhere.

So uh an anecdote years ago, a friend purchased a house somewhere in Somerville and wanted to donate it to be uh family shelter.

It was an end residence.

And and that just it wasn't wasn't permitted and it kind of went nowhere.

Um so for example, if we decide to keep neighborhood residents um or in an urban residence district, for example, that you know, is it a church as of the school wouldn't otherwise qualify under the Dover Amendment?

This would is my intent, is that this would allow a shelter to be um in those other areas.

Um I hope that answers your question.

Thank you.

Um and then second point, if I just may, I think I'm it's possible I'm the only person who's touched this who's worked on the development of a shelter space.

And so I will say actually the ground floor use is very important for homeless shelters a lot of the time.

The operators of homeless shelters experience a great deal of difficulty getting people who have been accustomed to being outside, first of all, to come inside at all.

And then the burden of going up or downstairs or using an elevator is often something that is very um emotionally troubling and challenging.

And so there is a strong orientation towards at least for sort of newcomers to shelters actually having space on the ground floor.

So I don't know whether that's something that has come up in discussion with anyone who might have been consulted in this, but um I can just share that perspective in case there's any nuance here uh regarding sort of ground floor use or not including it as available to the ground floor.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Chair Capoano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, so my my my question is not necessarily about this proposed amendment per se.

Uh, but as the planning board kind of assesses what this may uh entail, what I would ask prior to the planning board taking this up at our next meeting, which is sometime in July, please, the the 18th.

Um I would ask for staff to give us a little bit of an overview about what surrounding communities have done in regards to the zoning and and permitting of shelters in residential neighborhoods and others.

Are we going uh kind of standard to where other communities are?

Are we going beyond?

Are we lagging behind?

Um, it's just not something that I'm as familiar with clearly as as Amelia.

So before we kind of look at this, it's always kind of in the back of my mind is where are we as a community in Seoul relative to our peers and our neighbors?

So I would just um ask to see kind of where other communities have come out on some of the uh zoning mapping um aspects of proposals like this.

So that's uh not a question for anybody in uh in particular.

It's more of a um a little bit of a quick research project that I'm sure you can get to pretty quickly.

So I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh we have Fiona Di Martino from planning staff here.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, through you, just wanted to respond to Mr.

Capuano that yes, absolutely, staff can prepare um an analysis for uh the next hearing.

Uh that's no problem, and I will work closely with Samantha to get that information for you.

Thank you.

Very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Um, I have one question for staff.

Uh and if it can't be answered tonight, that's fine.

I'm curious.

Um, in addition to homeless shelters in Somerville, there are also domestic violence shelters.

I'm curious if those are in the same use category.

Um if anyone knows the answer here or can prepare that for our next meeting.

Ms.

DiMartino.

Uh yes, Mr.

Chair.

So there are different classifications.

Um, we can again study that uh further and make sure that we're in uh factoring in any uh use categories that should be uh looped into this uh amendment and present those for the next time.

But there are different um privacy concerns, is my understanding, um, as well as different ways to categorize.

So we will definitely um loop back on that.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Do I see any other hands?

Counselor Saeed.

Uh through you, uh Chairwin Campan.

Um my request to um to staff uh if possible, and also for the public.

Since Councillor Davis mentioned, you know, there's the the neighborhood residential is currently included in the proposed amendment.

Can we have a map that shows uh the two options?

One option if we decide to go with if we decide to include neighborhood residential, how would it look like in the city in all the wards?

And the other option, if we eliminate not even not include neighborhood residential, what would it look like?

And I'm really interested to see how it would look like per ward.

Are we going to if we don't include neighborhood residential?

Um, how is it gonna look like in every ward?

Thank you.

Thank you, counselor.

I'm sure that shouldn't be a problem to create those maps.

Ms.

Di Martino?

Uh yes, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Just yeah, reiterating that we absolutely can create those maps.

And I do apologize.

I'm realizing now that my video seems to not be working, but I am indeed here.

Um so uh apologies for that.

But yes, uh Councillor Said, that's that's no problem to provide.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Any other questions before we open up the public hearing.

All right, excellent.

So I'm gonna declare the public hearing open for members of the public.

We ask that you keep your comments to two minutes, just out of respect for how many people we have here.

Um and anyone who wishes to speak to to tell us more than they can say in two minutes.

We welcome any and all written feedback that can be sent to public comments at Somerville MA.gov.

And the clerk will have a two-minute timer.

And I just ask that you introduce yourself with your name and if possible, your address in Somerville.

And we'll ask that you use the raise hand function.

And I'll I'll call your name and then the clerk will unmute you on our end.

So if there's anyone here in the audience to speak on this item, please use the raise hand function.

Crystal Huff.

You're unmuted on our end.

Welcome, Crystal.

Hello, my name is Crystal Huff.

My pronouns are they them.

I live in Word Five, um, at least currently.

I'm also a grad student who's been doing some projects.

Sorry, that's my text messages.

Um, who's been doing some projects in ArcGIS.

Um, and I actually did uh non-professional estimate, but of zoning allocation in Somerville.

And I want to just point out that like Somerville has approximately 38% of my calculations are correct of our zoning is neighborhood residential.

So I do feel it is urgent that we include neighborhood residential when enabling shelters in Somerville.

I'm very strongly in favor of this amendment in general, and I just want to um hit that point of like we should be enabling uh homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters everywhere in Somerville because everyone needs this resource.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Are there other members of the public here to speak to this item?

I'll give it a moment.

Not seeing anyone else with their hand up right now.

Going once.

Going twice.

All right.

So we will leave the public hearing open for written comment.

We'll close the public hearing tonight and we'll leave it the public comment period open until Friday, July 10th at noon.

Mr.

Chair, does that align with your the planning board?

That is more than fine.

That is when we generally leave it open is the Friday prior to our next meeting, which uh would be the Thursday thereafter.

Okay, excellent.

And for members of the public who who would like to write in the email address again, you can reach out directly to your to city counselors.

Um, but the to get a public comment, it is public comments at summervillema.gov.

And uh the this public comment period will be open until July 10th.

So, Mr.

Capolano, I believe your work here is done.

Uh yes, uh Council Ewan Camp and it is.

Uh for anybody that would like to reconvene with the planning board, we have our own separate link and a number of items on our agenda that we'll be discussing.

And so at this time, the planning board is going to adjourn from this joint hearing and reconvene in um two minutes at 7.10 at our other link at our normally uh scheduled meeting.

So thank you all very much for holding this, and we look forward to giving you a report soon.

Excellent.

Thank you all.

Enjoy that your meeting.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

So we will take item one dot one off the table.

This is the UCTIF, and hopefully you wrote down all your questions.

Um so before we have our public hearing, are there questions clarifying or other um for Miss Weis?

I'll say I think you know, members of the public are understandably this this process is new and potentially confusing.

Uh, so I'll just ask if we were to approve this map.

Does that oblige the city to any future agreements, any future commitments?

Does it commit us down a path of approving deals if they meet some criteria, anything like that, or does it uh just give us the future discretion should we choose to uh entertain uh an octaff agreement with a particular developer?

Thank you, Mr.

Chair to you.

Um that was very well said.

The I don't know if it was the former or the latter, but this does not um this does not allow any project to go through.

It has to go through um not any project is allowed just by being within the zone to go through.

It has to go through negotiation with the city and approval by um the city and HLC and can you describe to us what that process would look like?

Is it a property owner comes to the city and has some conversations with the planning department?

Is there a public element to that process?

How do these negotiations actually work?

Thank you.

That's a great question, Mr.

Cher to you.

Um the property owner would come to the Office of Strategic Planning Community Development, Strategy and Development to look at the financials of their of their proposed project, and then from there we would uh propose it to the city council, and that would be the forum to provide feedback.

And there would be a public hearing on those or no?

I mean required.

I don't believe a public hearing would be required for each project, but council approval would be required.

Okay.

Other questions from the council before we open the public hearing.

All right, seeing none, I declare this public hearing open.

For members of the public wishing to speak on this, we ask that you keep your comments to two minutes.

Please give your name and your address as you're comfortable.

Um if you wish to say more than you can in two minutes, please send a written comment to Somerville to plant public comments with an S at Somerville Ma.gov.

If there's anyone wishing to speak, please use the raise hand function.

Crystal Huff.

Sorry.

Crystal.

Just wanted to say I'm in favor, like strongly in favor.

Let's have more affordable housing.

Let's have more affordable housing tools.

Let's do everything we can.

This sounds like a thing we can do and we should do it.

Thanks.

Thank you very much.

Is there anyone else here to speak on this item?

We'll give it one moment.

Not seeing any hand.

Excuse me, hands raised currently.

Going once.

Going twice.

Oh, there's a hand.

Ben Rogan.

You're unmuted on our end.

Good evening all.

Thank you for the opportunity to uh discuss the UCH TIFF.

I did submit a written uh memo uh thanking everyone for considering it and asking that this is approved.

Uh did not know that I would have the opportunity to speak, but I would like to say that I've been a property owner in East Somerville for over 10 years.

I own one of the many vacant parcels.

We've been working closely with the city and the neighborhood for many years to try and uh get this development kick started.

It will provide much needed uh affordable housing and market rate housing.

It'll provide uh exciting and new innovative uh retail to activate the pedestrian experience along East Broadway.

Uh we feel that this will be one of the gateway buildings to Somerville and uh ask that uh the committee would consider approving this uh project.

We think that uh it would give us an opportunity to get you know one step closer to shovels in the ground.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else here tonight wishing to speak on this item?

Going once.

Going twice.

All right, so I will close the public hearing tonight and we will leave the public comment period open until Friday, July 10th at noon.

And I believe.

I'll just say the email address again is public comments at Somervillema.gov.

And I believe that brings us to the end of our agenda.

Thank you all very much.

Um I appreciate the questions on both these items.

And with that, can we call the roll on adjournment?

And counselor you and Kevin, uh apologies, but you are keeping 1.1 and 1.2 in committee, correct?

Yes, correct.

Thank you.

Great.

Thank you.

All right, and on adjournment, Councillor Davis.

Yes.

Councillor Klingon.

Yes.

Counselor Saint.

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

And counselor Young Campen.

Yes.

With that, we are adjourned.

Excellent.

Thank you all very much.

Have a good Juneteenth.