These are just some of the municipal meetings and civic events for the coming week. More are on the City of Somerville website.
Lab and apartment developments
Planning Board, 6 p.m. Thursday. Greystar, a global real estate company, asks a special permit for a 1.3 million-square-foot lab, office, hospitality and park development at 20-23 Cummings St., Assembly Square. Greystar says this project would go on the site of the La Quinta hotel and 99 restaurant. The board also considers a recommendation to City Council on a request from three companies – Horace-Ward, Bealm Realty and Delhi Properties – for a zoning allowance for taller buildings on Horace, Ward and South streets, Ward 2, near the Cambridge line. Current zoning allows four stories; the developers seek up to six. Watchable via videoconferencing.
Winter and Brown school plans
School Construction Advisory Group, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The advisory group continues discussion on replacement or renovation for the Winter Hill and Brown schools, which have failing facilities. Members were angered when the Mayor’s Office released a survey Jan. 23 some considered slanted in favor of building one large new school. Though the project is moving through Massachusetts’ funding process, in December the working group learned a building likely wouldn’t be completed for another six years. Held at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave., Central Hill.
Snow removal and water issues
City Council Public Utilities and Public Works Committee, 6 p.m. Monday. This committee run by city councilor Jesse Clingan asks about city snow removal and how it might be improved, as well as whether there’s another in a series of issues with recently installed water meters: that they are falsely registering air pockets in residential cold water lines as leaks, leading to significantly inaccurate bills. There’s information requested on a plan to put a stormwater retention tank onto the Homan’s site in Gilman Square and on putting Portland Loos – free, 24-hour outdoor toilets – in Union Square, Davis Square and East Somerville. Watchable via videoconferencing.
Elm-Beacon connector meeting
City of Somerville, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday. Porter Square neighbors are invited to learn about a project to build out nearby streets for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Stretches of Elm Street and Somerville Avenue will be retrofitted with “quick-build” safety measures such as new bike lanes, signs and pavement markings. Held at the John F. Kennedy School, 5 Cherry St., near Porter Square in Spring Hill.
A stronger
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