Planning Board Approves Redesigned White Street Project
The Somerville Planning Board pressed city planning staff for data before weighing in on a proposed shift of extra Zoning Board of Appeals cases to its docket.
Planning Board · Meeting of September 3, 2026
SOMERVILLE — The Somerville Planning Board pressed city planning staff for data before weighing in on a proposed shift of extra Zoning Board of Appeals cases to its docket. Deputy Director of the Planning Division Fiona DeMartino told the board the change aims to streamline permitting, but members including Chair Michael Capuano and Lynn Richards said the city had not shown how much processing time would be saved. "Before you've proposed this, you must have done an analysis," Richards said.
The board continued that debate to a September 17 joint hearing with the City Council's Land Use Committee. Separately, the board unanimously approved three permits for a redesigned 29-unit building at 32-40 White Street with a new three-bedroom unit, approved a site plan for 120 Middlesex Avenue, and voted 6-1, with Michael McNeley dissenting, to relax storefront art-display conditions at a Union Square dental office at 365 and 369 Somerville Avenue.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,452 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of September 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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