Residents at an affordable-housing development in Massachusetts have called on local officials to reconsider a development proposal that would remove trees and reduce green space adjacent to their homes.
Here's what to know
The situation involves a city-owned parcel of land in Somerville, Massachusetts. The city initially acquired the vacant property through eminent domain in order to construct a public-safety building.
However, because the land cost far more than expected and the area increasingly needed housing, the city shifted its plans to build residential apartment homes, according to Cambridge Day.
Ultimately, the city selected a proposal from developer Wood Partners that would include seven-story rental buildings, with affordable homes making up 20% of the total. The development would also include neighborhood retail totaling 15,000 square feet and civic space totaling 6,000 square feet, a Wood Partners spokesperson said, per Cambridge Day.
However, many residents at the existing housing site, Cobble Hill Apartments, have objected to the proposal. In all, about 300 tenants — older adults, people with disabilities, and others who meet income requirements — live in the complex's four buildings, which provide project-based Section 8 housing.
Among residents' top concerns was a roadway to the new development that would pass through Cobble Hill Apartments. The roadway would provide ancillary emergency access to the new development's western side and would be used by trash collectors, Ben Demers, the senior city planner, explained, per Cambridge Day.
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However, the roadway's construction would require removing existing trees and a berm from an area that has provided much-coveted green space for residents. The proposal would also relocate 37 parking spaces.
For Charlotte Shepard, 72, who has lived at the complex for more than 20 years, the greenery has been essential to the property.
"If we lose that, we lose everything," she said, according to Cambridge Day. "We lose the actual beauty of this whole complex."
More background
After acquiring the new property through eminent domain, Somerville faced years of litigation over the land's value. The valuation dispute was finally resolved in 2024, leaving Somerville facing an additional acquisition bill of roughly $30 million, Cambridge Day reported.
Beyond concerns about losing greenspace, some residents have opposed the project on public-health grounds. For example, Anli Bokrot, 76, who has lived at the Cobble Hill Apartments for eight years, worried that construction dust could harm older residents' health.
Others have also raised concerns that the berm could contain hazardous substances. In a letter to the City Council, property manager Kevin Wiggins said investigations had identified potential "contaminated historic fill" beneath portions of the berm.
While the material was not considered an "imminent or substantial hazard," digging could require further testing, safeguards, and disposal procedures, the letter said, according to Cambridge Day.
Where can I learn more?
Debates over housing, transportation, and green space extend far beyond Somerville.
• In Massachusetts, 500 residents opposed an Eversource reliability project involving a 278-acre clear-cut.
• A Boston entrepreneur sought property on Blue Hill Avenue before a $164 million revamp.
• Arlington warned it will "choke in traffic" unless a decades-old Red Line extension ban ended.
• Boston's 200-unit public housing community received $16 million for cooling, access, and gardens.
• Cambridge neighbors said the city's housing overhaul brought boxy builds and parking fights.
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