Somerville may change zoning to oppose Yard 8 plan

Northpoint, the area of the proposed new zoning changes. By Tom Nash A battle between Somerville and the state over a proposed Green Line maintenance facility now has the city of Cambridge asking that the fight stay out of its backyard. Zoning changes proposed by Somerville's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) would effectively block the state's controversial proposal to place a Green Line rail yard in the Brickbottom area while opening a section on the city's border with Cambridge to an alternative plan. The new proposal sent by Mayor Joseph Curtatone to Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi in May, referred to as the Mirror-H scheme, would place the maintenance facility in the Northpoint area - the target of a major development initiative by Cambridge. The new zoning regulations would add uses to the "Industrial B" area along the city's border with East Cambridge - including a waste energy plants, trash transfer facilities, city owned buildings and rail yards. Uses such as retail and manufacturing would be blocked. In the "Industrial A" section, rail yards would be removed as a use, which would make the state's "Yard 8" plan not allowable. When Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston asked at an August 20 Planning Board meeting if the city was proposing to remove the state's proposed rail yard from the list of allowed uses in Brickbottom, Director of Economic Development Rob May said the changes reflected what residents have requested. "The state has its own prerogative," May said. "But we feel this sends a very clear measure that this is something the citizens of Somerville support." In a July letter to the Board of Aldermen, Curtatone pointed out that the state could trump any Somerville zoning laws and that the changes were meant to "ensure that private property owners are aware of the City's intent." Alderman-at-Large Bill White and two residents expressed concerns about the city opening the Northpoint area for waste uses. "A lot of people have concerns about waste energy plants," White said. "Those usually are not sited without a tremendous amount of public involvement and participation and opposition." May said the area is the only place where "Industrial B" is mapped in the city of Somerville, adding later that such a facility would most likely be a "traditional solid waste combustion facility." "We're not proposing to add a waste energy facility, we're just proposing that it should be within the city's ability to site," May added. During the public comment period at the August 20 meeting, two residents expressed skepticism about the potential for a waste energy plant being placed near Northpoint. "I really think we walk a very dangerous line by opening up a neighborhood to potential uses like this," East Somerville resident Ellin Reisner said. "We have enough pollution and transportation issues in Somerville." Heuston said Cambridge City Manager Robert Healy expressed doubts about the zoning changes in a July 31 letter to Curtatone, noting that the plan could hurt the Northpoint development. "I don't think we're the topic of discussion in the city of Cambridge city council meetings very often," Heuston said. "Certainly back when this Northpoint was being developed, those six acres belonging to the city of Somerville were simply annexed." White said that while he agreed with the sentiment, the proposed changes would also affect Somerville residents. "If you really want to have some fun with the city of Cambridge, tell them we're putting a waste energy plant right on the corner of Northpoint," he said, "but it may have some affect on our own neighborhoods as well." Residents have until Sept. 3 to submit comments on the proposed zoning changes to the Planning Board.