5 Year Zoning Review

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SomerVision 2030, Somerville’s first comprehensive master plan, was adopted in 2012 and established 584 objectives to guide future development. About one third of those objectives were related to overhauling the Somerville Zoning Ordinance. After almost eight years of dedicated efforts by City Staff, the Somerville City Council, and community members, an entirely new zoning ordinance was adopted on December 12, 2019.

It’s now been almost five years since the new zoning ordinance went into effect. During that time the City also adopted a 10-year update of the comprehensive plan, SomerVision 2040, that kept many of the same objectives while also establishing new or different goals. A lot has changed over the 15 years since the original SomerVision was adopted and the five years under the new zoning ordinance. It's time to review how it's gone.

  • How has the new zoning ordinance lived up to our expectations?
  • Is it achieving the goals it was originally designed to implement?
  • How should it be updated to reflect the objectives of SomerVision2040?
  • Where has it actively advanced equity and inclusion in housing, mobility, and economic opportunities, and where has it fallen short?
  • Is the new zoning ordinance resilient and flexible enough to respond to rapid change?
  • Does it provide the tools to be on track for the City’s sustainability goals?
  • Are the administrative processes clear, predictable, and efficient for both applicants and City staff?

The Planning, Preservation, & Zoning (PPZ) Division of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development is conducting a 5-year Zoning Review to evaluate and update the zoning code to ensure alignment with evolving community goals, planning priorities, and neighborhood change.

Zoning determines what types of buildings and activities are allowed in different parts of the City and can help determine factors such as where parks can go, how tall buildings may be, or how much parking is permitted. As Somerville grows and evolves, it is important that these rules reflect current priorities like affordable housing, sustainable development, walkability, and inclusive neighborhoods.

During the review process, the PPZ will assess whether the zoning has effectively implemented the original objectives of SomerVision2030 and supports the goals outlined in SomerVision2040. This includes responding to shifts in development trends, necessary infrastructure upgrades, and evolving community needs.

Somerville is a dynamic and diverse city, which means to keep up with its evolving life, frequent evaluation is key to community success.

Topics Under Review

NOTE: Zoning laws use terms that may be unfamiliar to many readers. Please refer to our Zoning Basics FAQ to learn more about any of the bolded terms used below.

Dormers
Dimensional standards for dormers should balance the traditional half-story look of a pitched roof house with an occupant’s desire for full-height ceilings in attic conversions.

Building Components
Most form-based codes allow buildings to occupy a permitted zoning envelope or have building types that are permitted within the zoning envelope but not allowed to occupy all of it. Somerville is one of the only municipalities in the U.S. that does both while also regulating building components. Building components like porches, dormers, bay windows, and rear additions all have their own dimensional standards that add another layer of complexity to a form-based code that most municipalities do not regulate. In comparison, most form-based codes regulate these elements only when they are in the frontage area or permit them to be any size or shape so long as they are within the zoning envelope.

Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood meetings provide an important venue for abutters to learn more about a proposed development project and to discuss potential impacts that should be mitigated. However, required timelines and logistical challenges for scheduling meetings have combined with a lack of direction on how to conduct a meaningful and productive event to make neighborhood meetings frequently inefficient and unproductive.

Hardship Variances
Somerville requires strict compliance with plans that are submitted for permit approval with little wiggle room for reasonable design changes or even measurement errors during construction.

…and more!


Information in other languages

Si necesita ayuda en su idioma, comuníquese con nosotros a través de www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) o llame al 311 (617-666-3311)      

Caso precise de assistência em seu idioma, entre em contato conosco por meio deste formulário online: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) ou ligue para 311 (617-666-3311)

Si ou bezwen asistans nan lang ou a, kontakte nou nan www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) oswa rele 311 (617-666-3311)    

यदि आफ्नो भाषामा सहायता चाहिन्छ भने कृपया सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) गर्नुहोस् वा यो ३११ (६१७-६६६-३३११) / 311 (617-666-3311)   

如果您需要語言方面的協助 請撥打 311 (617-666-3311) 或於www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) 聯絡 彩薩默: 移民事務辦公室。  

如果您需要语言方面的协助,请联系 (www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link))或者请拨打 311(617-666-3311)。

SomerVision 2030, Somerville’s first comprehensive master plan, was adopted in 2012 and established 584 objectives to guide future development. About one third of those objectives were related to overhauling the Somerville Zoning Ordinance. After almost eight years of dedicated efforts by City Staff, the Somerville City Council, and community members, an entirely new zoning ordinance was adopted on December 12, 2019.

It’s now been almost five years since the new zoning ordinance went into effect. During that time the City also adopted a 10-year update of the comprehensive plan, SomerVision 2040, that kept many of the same objectives while also establishing new or different goals. A lot has changed over the 15 years since the original SomerVision was adopted and the five years under the new zoning ordinance. It's time to review how it's gone.

  • How has the new zoning ordinance lived up to our expectations?
  • Is it achieving the goals it was originally designed to implement?
  • How should it be updated to reflect the objectives of SomerVision2040?
  • Where has it actively advanced equity and inclusion in housing, mobility, and economic opportunities, and where has it fallen short?
  • Is the new zoning ordinance resilient and flexible enough to respond to rapid change?
  • Does it provide the tools to be on track for the City’s sustainability goals?
  • Are the administrative processes clear, predictable, and efficient for both applicants and City staff?

The Planning, Preservation, & Zoning (PPZ) Division of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development is conducting a 5-year Zoning Review to evaluate and update the zoning code to ensure alignment with evolving community goals, planning priorities, and neighborhood change.

Zoning determines what types of buildings and activities are allowed in different parts of the City and can help determine factors such as where parks can go, how tall buildings may be, or how much parking is permitted. As Somerville grows and evolves, it is important that these rules reflect current priorities like affordable housing, sustainable development, walkability, and inclusive neighborhoods.

During the review process, the PPZ will assess whether the zoning has effectively implemented the original objectives of SomerVision2030 and supports the goals outlined in SomerVision2040. This includes responding to shifts in development trends, necessary infrastructure upgrades, and evolving community needs.

Somerville is a dynamic and diverse city, which means to keep up with its evolving life, frequent evaluation is key to community success.

Topics Under Review

NOTE: Zoning laws use terms that may be unfamiliar to many readers. Please refer to our Zoning Basics FAQ to learn more about any of the bolded terms used below.

Dormers
Dimensional standards for dormers should balance the traditional half-story look of a pitched roof house with an occupant’s desire for full-height ceilings in attic conversions.

Building Components
Most form-based codes allow buildings to occupy a permitted zoning envelope or have building types that are permitted within the zoning envelope but not allowed to occupy all of it. Somerville is one of the only municipalities in the U.S. that does both while also regulating building components. Building components like porches, dormers, bay windows, and rear additions all have their own dimensional standards that add another layer of complexity to a form-based code that most municipalities do not regulate. In comparison, most form-based codes regulate these elements only when they are in the frontage area or permit them to be any size or shape so long as they are within the zoning envelope.

Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood meetings provide an important venue for abutters to learn more about a proposed development project and to discuss potential impacts that should be mitigated. However, required timelines and logistical challenges for scheduling meetings have combined with a lack of direction on how to conduct a meaningful and productive event to make neighborhood meetings frequently inefficient and unproductive.

Hardship Variances
Somerville requires strict compliance with plans that are submitted for permit approval with little wiggle room for reasonable design changes or even measurement errors during construction.

…and more!


Information in other languages

Si necesita ayuda en su idioma, comuníquese con nosotros a través de www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) o llame al 311 (617-666-3311)      

Caso precise de assistência em seu idioma, entre em contato conosco por meio deste formulário online: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) ou ligue para 311 (617-666-3311)

Si ou bezwen asistans nan lang ou a, kontakte nou nan www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) oswa rele 311 (617-666-3311)    

यदि आफ्नो भाषामा सहायता चाहिन्छ भने कृपया सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) गर्नुहोस् वा यो ३११ (६१७-६६६-३३११) / 311 (617-666-3311)   

如果您需要語言方面的協助 請撥打 311 (617-666-3311) 或於www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link) 聯絡 彩薩默: 移民事務辦公室。  

如果您需要语言方面的协助,请联系 (www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva(External link))或者请拨打 311(617-666-3311)。

Page last updated: 14 Oct 2025, 11:15 AM