Somerville is eliminating all parking minimums for brand spanking new developments

Local News

Somerville will completely eliminate minimum parking requirements that force housing and other developers to construct with a certain variety of spaces – a zoning reform that prioritizes public transit users and will reduce the fee of housing construction.

In 2019, the town of Somerville previously approved zoning to remove minimum parking requirements “for most of the city.” said on the time.

The latest ordinance passed unanimously, with one councilman absent last Thursday. The ordinance affects “only the small portion of the city that is not already in a transit area,” At-Large City Councilman Jake Wilson said on the meeting.

Somerville joins its neighbor Cambridge in eliminating all parking minimums. Cambridge City Council was the primary to vote in 2022 to remove all off-street parking regulations for brand spanking new developments, although developers can still add parking spaces. reported.

Before approval, city councilors addressed the increased need for accessible parking spaces for individuals with disabilities. Councilman Jesse Clingan said only 200 of the town's 30,000 spaces are designated for handicapped parking, and Wilson said he would work with the Commission on People with Disabilities to extend parking options.

Accessible parking remains to be needed, while repeal could support housing construction

City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen explained that adding more parking spaces wouldn’t solve congestion or traffic. He said latest parking lots will proceed to be built, but the town won't mandate it.

“We should let the people who actually know how much parking they need — be it the homeowner or someone building a new lab building — figure out how much parking they actually need and build it,” he told the .

Somerville City Councilman Willie Burnley Jr. told NBC10 Boston that mandatory parking minimums impact real estate prices for developers and residents.

“Data shows that mandatory parking minimums increase development costs, particularly for affordable housing developers,” Burley said said the news channel. “We must ensure that our residents who love our community can afford to stay. We know this will pay dividends in very subtle ways in the future, making Somerville a better place to live for everyone.”

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu eliminated parking minimums for inexpensive housing developments in Boston in 2021 she said would “Remove barriers that stand in the way of creating new affordable housing throughout the city.”