The Verge | 16-20 Medford Street | Somerville

Equilibria

Equilibria

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Housing on a soon-to-be prominent corner.


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Bonus- it took out another gas station, although it was a mom and pop independent.
 
dhawkins said:
Bonus- it took out another gas station, although it was a mom and pop independent.
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Could be a bonus, except when there are so few gas stations left that it gets inconvenient.
 
I think we’ll be fine on gas stations for a while. I know Good Gas is possibly going condos, but other than that…we’ve still got 10 on this side of Somerville. Also - geez, gas is expensive these days!!

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Every time you enter the lobby, you should hear: Slam da-da-dah, let the boys be boys
 
First, is there a section of somerville.gov where all these types of documents for projects city-wide can be found? I feel like I have looked before and never found a comprehensive repository.

Second, Khalsa is like the gd Elkus of Somerville. They get all these projects on prominent parcels in and around Union Square and we get some of the ghastliest-looking buildings imaginable.
 
resisttheist said:
First, is there a section of somerville.gov where all these types of documents for projects city-wide can be found? I feel like I have looked before and never found a comprehensive repository.

Second, Khalsa is like the gd Elkus of Somerville. They get all these projects on prominent parcels in and around Union Square and we get some of the ghastliest-looking buildings imaginable.
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Is this what you’re looking for? Somerville’s Urban Design Commission.

I also tend to agree with you about Khalsa. While I’m happy a local architect is getting good work, his final products are always disappointing. Particularly made worse by the execution of his GCs/builders. The finishes are often cheap and cheap looking.

I also don’t totally buy the ‘Somerville permitting is so complicated that only a couple architects have figured it out’ theory. I’d say it’s equally/more likely that some city official is buddy-buddy with them. I also imagine there’s only a small circle of property owners around town and they likely go with personal recommendations.
 
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Khalsa designs had a reputation, as of a few years ago, of needing a couple of revisions to get past the city planning folks. I’m not sure if it’s something about the city, the architect’s instincts, or the developers who select them.
 
Per capita gas consumption peaked in 2002 and has fallen by about 30% mostly that fuel efficiency rose greatly even as miles per capita rose.

Already we could probably close 30% of gas stationsand not feel a shortfall pump capacity.

But particularly in places like Somerville, with more work from home (eliminating a lot of commutes), more Green Line use (electrifying commutes where they remain) more walkable errands, and more electrification or hybridization, it is easy to imagine that citywide gasoline consumption will keep falling and there’s going to be even less justification devoting real estate to gasoline, and more need for housing.

Same thing is going to happen at Titan gas halfway between Ball Sq and Tufts

* in older urban areas where gas stations were sized before the first Gulf War, everything assumes a Mercury Marquis kinda fleet
 
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Cash for clunkers goosed the numbers early on. It will be interesting to watch the coming years when the halt to ICE development by some manufacturers starts to play out.
 
I want to know the secret behind not undergrounding the existing overhead wires. I guess I should attend these public meetings. This area has bad wire management. Also, I don't think it's traffic the public is concerned about, it's about the street parking. I can't believe the city can basically tell certain buildings their tenants are not eligible for street parking permits. I assume that is a backhanded slap from the old timers the currently park on the street in the neighborhood.
 
I’d say it’s a huge improvement in fact. This area needs many more rentals that would be more attractive to young and single and highly educated workers who simply can’t afford the exorbitant condo going-rate.
 
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