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Meeting Minutes of the Land Use Committee

Governing Body: City Council, Land Use Committee Meeting Type: Committee Meeting Meeting Date: September 18, 2025 Attendees: Councilor Sait, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Ewen-Campen, Councilor McLaughlin, Councilor Davis (joined late) Absent: None

Executive Summary

The Land Use Committee convened to discuss several key items, including the approval of previous meeting minutes, a presentation on Type IV heavy timber construction, an inquiry into regulating outdoor bike facilities, a zoning text amendment request, and an update on transit-oriented development in Gilman Square. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to understanding the implications of mass timber construction for Somerville's housing and sustainability goals, with a community member providing a detailed presentation. The committee also received updates on the feasibility analysis for Gilman Square development and decided to place a zoning text amendment request on file.

1. Approval of the Minutes of the Land Use Committee Meeting of September 4th, 2025 (25-1402)

• Discussion: No discussion occurred.
• Vote:
  • Motion: To approve the minutes.
  • Outcome: Approved.
  • Roll Call Vote:
    • Councilor Davis: Yes
    • Councilor Sait: Yes
    • Councilor Ewen-Campen: Yes
    • Councilor McLaughlin: Yes
  • Result: 4 in favor, 0 against, 1 absent (Councilor Wilson was not present for this vote).

3. Discussion on Type Four Heavy Timber Construction (25-0246)

• Agenda Item: That the Director of Inspectional Services and the Director of Planning, Preservation and Zoning discuss with this council type four heavy timber construction, now permitted in a 10th edition of Massachusetts State Building Code 780 and potential impacts on inspections, development and the zoning ordinance.
• Presentation: Gavin Rob, a community member, provided a presentation on mass timber construction (Type IV).
  • Key Points:
    • Type IV construction refers to mass timber, a method using large engineered wood panels, beams, and columns.
    • The International Building Code (2021) allows these structures to be 8 to 18 stories tall.
    • Mass timber is sustainable, fast to construct, and aesthetically pleasing.
    • It is ideal for urban infill sites and offers potential for new entry-level trade jobs.
    • It has a low embodied carbon footprint, significantly reducing global warming impact compared to steel or concrete.
    • Massachusetts adopted a new building code base in October of last year, allowing for taller mass timber buildings.
    • Mass timber can fill a "missing middle" in density, offering a viable option between low-rise stick-built and high-rise concrete/steel construction.
    • Somerville's form-based zoning code could incentivize mass timber through an overlay district, offering additional stories, accelerated permitting, and promoting carbon-neutral buildings.
• Discussion:
  • Councilor Ewen-Campen: Expressed interest in the technology and its potential for zoning, noting a building in Allston that appears to use similar construction.
  • Councilor Davis: Thanked the presenter, highlighting that mass timber could provide flexibility for "in-between" density where other materials are not financially viable. Questioned the ability to regulate building materials through zoning, requesting the Law Department and Planning Department to review the presentation and provide recommendations on how zoning might be tweaked to leverage these technologies, even if not directly regulating materials.
  • Gavin Rob: Clarified that the new aspect is the allowed density (12-18 stories) and suggested incentivizing outcomes like low embodied carbon rather than regulating specific construction types.
  • Councilor Sait: Inquired about fire codes for mass timber construction, given its all-timber nature.
  • Gavin Rob: Confirmed that mass timber is heavily regulated and meets stringent U.S. fire codes.
  • Yasmin Radassi (Legislative Liaison): Stated that Inspectional Services Department (ISD) would not recommend zoning based on construction materials due to state building code preemption issues.
  • Councilor Wilson: Clarified that his interest was in exploring additional zoning districts in light of the new possibilities unlocked by mass timber, not in specifying materials in zoning.
  • Samantha (City Staff): Agreed to discuss further with the planning team, acknowledging the state preemption concerns but open to exploring zoning districts for different typologies. Noted that current applications for this building typology would fall under the high-rise category.
  • Councilor Sait: Suggested that the new materials allow for cheaper construction, which could justify allowing taller buildings.
• Outcome: Item marked as "Work Complete." Councilor Wilson will follow up with planning staff offline.

2. Standards and Materials for Outdoor Bike Facilities (25-0338)

• Agenda Item: That the Director of Planning, Preservation and Zoning provide the Committee on Land Use with opinion as to whether the City Council may dictate standards and materials used for outdoor bike facilities.
• Update: Yasmin Radassi (Legislative Liaison) provided a verbal update on behalf of ISD.
  • Key Point: ISD found no state building code preemption that would prevent the City Council from dictating specific materials for outdoor bike racks (e.g., for grounding).
• Discussion: No discussion occurred.
• Outcome: Item marked as "Work Complete." Councilor Wilson will follow up with Director Rosson offline.

4. Zoning Text Amendment Request (25-0200)

• Agenda Item: 15 registered voters requesting a zoning text amendment to amend the zoning ordinances, sections 3.1.8C, 3.1.9C, 3.1.10C, 3.1.13 K, 3.1.13 L, 3.2.12 L, and 3.2.12 M.
• Discussion:
  • Yasmin Radassi: Suggested the item might be timed out and need to be discharged to be placed on file at a full council meeting.
  • Maddie (City Staff): Confirmed the previous procedure for handling such items was incorrect and recommended discharging without a recommendation to the full council.
• Vote (Initial):
  • Motion: To discharge without a recommendation.
  • Outcome: Approved.
  • Roll Call Vote:
    • Councilor Davis: Yes
    • Councilor Sait: Yes
    • Councilor Wilson: Yes
    • Councilor Ewen-Campen: Yes
    • Councilor McLaughlin: Yes
  • Result: 5 in favor, 0 against.
• Reconsideration: The Chair moved to reconsider the previous vote and place the item on file instead of discharging without a recommendation.
• Outcome (Reconsidered): Item placed on file.

5. Transit-Oriented Height and Density Bonuses for Affordable Housing (25-0085)

• Agenda Item: Councilor Davis and Councilor Wilson as the director of planning, preservation and zoning draft amendment to the zoning audiences for transit oriented height and density bonuses for additional affordable housing and other enumerated community benefit.
• Update: Samantha (City Staff) provided a progress update on the Gilman Square transit-oriented development.
  • Phase 1: Feasibility Analysis (Ongoing)
    • Reviewing building permit data since 2019 to determine average lot dimensions feasible for UR and MR construction types.
    • Awaiting a response from the Assessor's Office on tax implications of upzoning (expected at the next meeting).
    • Evaluating the need for a more in-depth fiscal impact analysis using an in-house model.
    • Goal: Bring back permitting data results as a summary table and the Assessor's Office memo in two weeks.
  • Phase 2: Draft Maps
    • Proposing two to three draft maps for committee review and comment.
    • Scenarios will respond to feedback from the Gilman Square Neighborhood Council's proposal and exploration of incremental upzoning within the quarter-mile walkshed of Gilman Square T-stop.
    • Includes consideration of properties on School Street (Councilor Ewen-Campen's comments) and zoning for the home and site as a civic use property.
    • Alignment Check: Will conduct an alignment check with Engineering to determine impacts on combined infrastructure (sewer/wastewater system).
• Discussion: No discussion occurred.
• Outcome: Item left in committee.

Adjournment

• Motion: Councilor Sait moved to adjourn.
• Outcome: Approved.
• Roll Call Vote:
  • Councilor Davis: Yes
  • Councilor Sait: Yes
  • Councilor Wilson: Yes
  • Councilor Ewen-Campen: Yes
  • Councilor McLaughlin: Yes
• Result: 5 in favor, 0 against.
• Time: The meeting was adjourned.