06/03/2025
WE VOTE YES TOMORROW FOR SOMERNOVA COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT. There’s been a lot of back and forth for the last two years on the Rafi/Somervnova development behind the studio—which would turn our arm pit alley way of Somerville that everyone drives by on their way to somewhere else into a place where people venture and can wander, linger and engage—for work, community, commerce, yoga!, etc.
Blanca and I have been waiting literally 12 years for Somerville to develop and or beautify our area. They haven’t. Rafi/Somernova has been trying to. And hopefully will have the chance to move forward on their project after tomorrow.
We have, like other businesses and residents, worked with Rafi/Somernova over this time to address our concerns and things that would be invaluable to our community. We have been met with nothing short of enthusiasm and creativity and have felt very much a part of their planning and how they are choosing to integrate and support local businesses. And we are very much excited to see construction get underway asap.
While this development would yes include traffic and taller buildings, Somerville is a city where development is happening whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not and we may as well benefit from it and beautify our neighborhood. Not to mention there will always be traffic—more and more of it...and if not directly behind b|e. in Union Yoga and down Properzi way and Tyler Street, then somewhere else—every street, one development or another, Eversource, paving, speed bumps, you name it. Growing pains that would actually benefit us.
We hope you vote how you feel, whatever that is. And, if you’re open to considering what would also benefit your local yoga community, we hope you simply consider that too.
Vote tomorrow, June 4, on the Somernova Community Benefits Agreement📍 St. Anthony’s School, 480 Somerville Ave🕘 Polls open 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
