Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and a new City Council and School Committee were sworn in on Jan. 4 as the city prepares to move forward with its rezoning project and build a new Medford High School.
Lungo-Koehn, who began her final two-year term before the newly-passed city charter extends the mayoral term to four years in 2027, also delivered her state of the city address following her swearing-in.
She framed the rezoning project as a process that is both crucial to the city’s future yet also one that moved too quickly for both residents and city officials. In December, Lungo-Koehn and the City Council reached an agreement to continue the project following months of gridlock by extending the contract of the project’s consultant, Innes Associates, through May.
“Zoning shapes not just what we build, but how we live, how our corridors grow and how our community adapts to opportunities and challenges,” Lungo-Koehn said. “That said, the journey has not been without its challenges. The speed and scope were outpacing the capacity of our residents and staff, and we needed to refocus our efforts on better communication and public trust.”
The city is also set to oversee the redevelopment of Medford Square, with the development company Transom Real Estate leading the project that will convert parcels around City Hall into a mixed-use housing development with parking, open space and both market-rate and affordable housing.
“This project will create a true village square atmosphere,” Lungo-Koehn said. “Transom’s proposal reflects the values we share as a city.”
The mayor highlighted additional development projects, including the opening of the Great American Beer Hall and the Clippership Connectors waterfront path. She also cited expanded funding mechanisms and updated zoning policies as keys to a comprehensive approach to creating affordable housing, including for veterans.
Lungo-Koehn also addressed the controversy surrounding the reduction in trash collection set to go into effect next year. Residents and city officials criticized the administration for announcing the change in a press release about the securing of a grant to purchase compost bins.
“Trash is a personal topic and I know everyone has an opinion on how we should move forward,” she said. “We will continue with our community listening sessions, review all of the data and adjust our plans accordingly.”
Liz Mullane, an assistant vice president for advancement at Northeastern University, was sworn into the City Council following the departure of former Council Vice President Kit Collins. On the School Committee, Michael Mastrobuoni and Jessica Parks — who were endorsed by the progressive group Our Revolution Medford — took the seats of Nicole Branley and John Intoppa, who they defeated in November.
Jenny Graham, the vice chair of the School Committee, provided an update on the Medford High School rebuilding project, which is set to either rebuild or renovate the school and received approval from the Massachusetts School Building Authority last year. The project is currently in the feasibility phase, where proposals for how to update the building are being evaluated.
Graham said the building committee — made up of city and school staff and officials, along with members of the broader community — expects to receive concepts from architects this month, with initial cost estimates in February and a chosen design moving forward by June.
“This is a transformative project that should have something for literally everyone in this city,” she said. “This includes enhancing education for our students, making our vocational student services more available to the community and our seniors at large, preserving the pool, increasing the amount of field space that’s available to our community sports teams and creating a theater space that properly houses the arts we’re so proud of.”
In his remarks prior to the swearing-in ceremony, City Council President Zac Bears outlined a desire for a more collaborative approach to governance. Last year, the rezoning project divided residents going into the November election and tensions between the council and the mayor’s office grew.
“These past few years, I’ve heard from too many people who say they’ve lost faith, who feel that we stand too far apart, who feel alienated from their neighbors, who aren’t sure that we can come together and be excellent and do great things if we can’t trust each other,” he said.
He also announced the introduction of regular neighborhood ward meetings throughout the city, which he said would allow the body to be more transparent.
“I will work my hardest to center compassion for our community at the heart of my work because we must be able to feel compassion for each other and, at the very least, hear each other out with an open heart, even across our biggest differences and disagreements,” Bears said.
The City Council held its first meeting of the new term on Jan. 6, with Bears re-elected as president and Emily Lazzaro, the top vote-getter in November, being elected as the body’s new vice president. Councilors discussed the city’s decision to change ambulance providers, a resolution to support professors of the practice at the Tufts School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the hiring of a new city clerk.
