VOTE YES on the Somernova CBA
Union Square Neighborhood Council
Hello neighbors,
If you live, work, volunteer, own property, or own a business in the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) catchment area, please vote YES on the Somernova Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).
A team of dedicated community members have negotiated this agreement for nearly a year, taking into account the needs of neighborhood residents and independent small businesses including artists as well as the Somerville youth. The resulting CBA has earned support from the Boston Building Trades, Somerville Community Land Trust, Somerville Community Corporation, Union Square Main Streets, Boston Bouldering Project, Esh Circus Arts, The Dojo, #ArtStaysHere, and more.
Now it needs your support for ratification.
The details below outline why we are asking the community to vote YES and debunk the myths about what could be accomplished by voting no.
On June 4th, please vote YES on the Somernova CBA.
Thank you in advance for your participation and time,
The Union Square Neighborhood Council
Why you should vote YES on the CBA
Art & Creative Enterprise (ACE)
The CBA guarantees
a minimum of 8% of the overall commercial leasable space programmed for ACE uses
At least 100,000 sq. ft.
40,000 sq. ft. for Arts Exhibition
20,000 sq. ft. for Artist Studios and Creative Incubators
a minimum of 50% of the ACE space will be affordable, purpose-built, with long term lease options
at least 3 music venues
at least 9,500 sq.ft. of music rehearsal and recording studio spaces
ACE space is commercial space. The affordability made mandatory by this CBA not only supports the arts and creative economy but also brings the concept of commercial long-term affordability to the forefront! This could be a stepping stone to affordable commercial space policy that could help low income workers find new entrepreneurial opportunities otherwise out of reach.
Community Spaces
The CBA guarantees
12,500 sq. ft. for a Community Center
full funding for 10 years by the developer
program & operations led by a non-profit third party
An additional 7,500 sq. ft. for flexible indoor common space(s)
The USNC has been advocating for a large-scale, intergenerational community center since the board’s inception. While a developer-funded community center is not necessarily what we envisioned and does not completely solve the problem of the city’s lack of community space, this community center does create necessary and meaningful civic space. Voting YES guarantees community center funding and also sends a signal to the City about how important you think community space is.
Housing
The CBA guarantees
$50,000/year for the Somerville Community Land Trust for 10 years beginning with Phase 1 of the project
Rafi must hire Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) or another regional affordable housing organization as a consultant to assist Rafi in producing 50% affordable housing on the site.
30% of the already mandatory affordable units will have either 2 or 3 bedrooms (large enough for most families)
Rafi has signalled that they intend to build 150 residential units if the proposed zoning overlay is approved and they are granted a Master Plan Permit. Our CBA builds in commitments to do more than the bare minimum to provide for families and total affordable units.
Jobs and Job Training
The CBA guarantees
A Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for construction jobs, which provides
a prevailing wage, good benefits, and safe working conditions
wages 33% over the state minimum wage and family health benefits for all facility management jobs controlled by the developer
$375,000 over 10 years to the Somerville Community Corporation’s FIRST SOURCE program for job readiness, job training, and job placement programming
This PLA is the first of its kind in Somerville’s history. Vote YES on the CBA to tell developers that the community wants PLAs in future developments.
Mobility and Traffic
The CBA guarantees
Somerville’s most comprehensive and rigid Mobility Management Plan ever
to be developed in consultation with the community with Key Performance Indicators, monthly public reporting, transparent enforcement mechanisms and triggers connected to KPI violations resulting in delay of permit advancement
Vehicles traveling to and from Somernova will not increase traffic light queues by more than 18% at monitored intersections
Dynamic Parking Pricing will be established
The extra revenue will be reinvested back into a mobility management fund to make ongoing improvements.
Free community shuttles to transit hubs (and Mystic Learning Center), 750 bike parking spaces, car-sharing incentives
EV-ready infrastructure with 25% of parking spaces equipped for electric vehicles
When combined with the city’s requirements, the CBA’s additional Mobility Management Plan commitments create the most strict MMP in the region.
Small business
The CBA guarantees
$25,000/year for 10 years to Union Square Main Streets beginning with the time the developer obtains a permit for Phase 1
priority for businesses owned and operated by women, historically underrepresented or marginalized groups, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and persons with disabilities
commitment to promote ACE mixed-revenue stream businesses
commitment to cultivate a locally rooted retail ecosystem that reflects Somerville’s creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurs.
Again, small arts businesses will have affordable commercial space opportunities never before seen. Let’s set the precedent to help other areas of our local economy in need of affordable commercial space opportunities. There are too many empty storefronts.
Green & Open Space
The CBA guarantees
in the 2 civic spaces
at least 50% permeable surfaces
a combination of active & passive recreation that covers at least 10% of the land area of the development
Connections with nature
rooftop gardens
green walls and roofs
winter gardens
100% Native plants
tree swales
no-poison rat control
The base zoning does not require civic space. The CBA will bring the 10% required in the proposed overlay zoning up to an estimated 15% and will ensure a commitment to ACCESSIBLE green roofs that enhance, not replace, ground-level civic space—which enriches the spaces where we are able to come together. The USNC has always advocated for traditional greenspace, and this CBA allows us to expand the possibilities of what greenspace can be.
Monitoring & Compliance
The CBA guarantees
a 5-person USNC-appointed Oversight Committee that will meet 4x/year with Rafi Properties
a Curatorial Advisory Team to advise on ACE activities and tenancies
made up of musicians, artists, craftspeople, Somernova tenants, and advocates for the arts
arbitration for disputes
The CBA is legally binding. It also will transfer to a new owner if Rafi decides to sell. There are also multiple layers of oversight. For decades, artists and musicians have been displaced because they are not at the table. The Curatorial Advisory team keeps artists and their supporters at the table throughout. Also, the USNC Board will monitor the implementation of the CBA constantly via an Oversight Committee.
Voting NO on the Somernova CBA…
does NOT guarantee that the developer will re-enter negotiations to improve the CBA.
They may or may not. There’s no way to know for sure.
does NOT automatically stop any development from happening.
As property owners, Rafi has the ability to develop “by right” at any time. Clearly, they are signaling a preference to build under the proposed overlay zoning. This doesn’t mean that they are unwilling to build by right regardless of a pass or fail CBA vote.
does NOT guarantee that the City Council won’t pass some or all of the four proposed zoning amendments.
While many City Councilors have agreed to hold off on a vote at the city for these amendments until after a CBA process has occurred, it doesn’t mean that this city council zoning vote will be postponed indefinitely. A vote against the CBA is not a vote against the zoning.
Voting YES on the Somernova CBA…
is a way to ensure that the developer will provide community benefits to our neighborhood and city should a development move forward under the proposed Arts & Innovation overlay zoning.