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PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL'S SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE.INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP AND SPEAK ARE POSTED THERE.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
TO WATCH THE MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
WITH THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES WILL BE BY ROLL CALL.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MEMBERS, UH, WHO ARE HERE TODAY WHO ARE NOT ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE ALSO HAD COUNCILOR MARK MCGOVERN HERE.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COUNSELORS ONLINE? UH, YOU DO NOT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT JUST, UH, TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE AGENDA FOR TODAY, UH, WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM CDD ON THE PROCESS SO FAR.
UM, I THEN, UM, HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAD ORGANIZED ALTERNATIVE COMMITTEE HERE, A, UH, ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY HEARINGS OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND GIVE A SENSE OF, UM, WHAT WITH THEY FELT, HOW THE PROCESS WAS GOING.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO BROADER PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH WILL BE TWO MINUTES.
AND WITH THAT, UM, LET'S GET STARTED.
AND I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE A LITTLE BIT, UH, LONG, BUT WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT FIVE O'CLOCK, SO I ANTICIPATE THAT WE PROBABLY WILL NOT GET TO AN ACTION ITEM TODAY.
UM, BUT LET'S JUST SEE HOW THE MEETING GOES IN GENERAL.
JUST A VERY QUESTION PROCEDURALLY, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THE DECK, THERE'S 45 I SLIDES AND I DIDN'T KNOW WAS CDD GONNA GO THROUGH ALL 45? IT SEEMS THAT WOULD TAKE UP A MAJOR PART OF THE MEETING, AND SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GONNA LEAVE MUCH TIME FOR, FOR DISCUSSION AMONGST THE MEMBERS.
SO I WAS CURIOUS, ARE YOU GOING TO JUST, INSTEAD OF, UM, A MAYBE RECESS IT SO THAT WE COULD PICK UP, PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF? IT JUST SEEMS A LOT.
SO I'M JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, ARE WE GONNA GO THROUGH 45 SLIDES, WHICH I THINK IS WILD, SIMON.
UM, AND ARE WE GOING, IF WE ARE NOT GONNA GET TO ACTION ITEMS, ARE WE GONNA JUST RECESS SO WE CAN PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF RATHER THAN ADJOURN AND RESET THE CLOCK? YES.
UM, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, THE GOAL IS TO RECESS THE MEETING AT THE END OF THIS MEETING TODAY.
MELISSA PETERS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
EXCITED TO BE BACK DISCUSSING CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE TOOK UP, UH, CENTRAL SQUARE PLANNING AND ZONING IN 2024.
UM, AND WHEN WE CAME BACK TO THE COUNCIL TO, UH, PRESENT, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, IT WAS, UH, DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD PIVOT TO BOTH MASS AVENUE AND CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE, UM, WERE EXCITED TO HAVE, UH, ADOPTED ZONING FOR BOTH THOSE CORRIDORS AND ARE EXCITED NOW TO BRING BACK CENTRAL SQUARE AND HAVE, HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE WE'VE LAST, UM, DISCUSSED THIS PUBLICLY.
SO EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE PURPOSE FOR TODAY IS JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE WERE, UM, AND, AND ALSO HOW WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN ORDER TO, UM, GET CONSENSUS ON SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO THERE YOU WILL SEE IN THIS SLIDE DECK, WE'RE KIND OF FOCUSING ON AREAS WHERE WE GOT A LOT OF CONSENSUS FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN CERTAINLY AREAS WHERE THERE IS, UH, UM, SOME DISAGREEMENTS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A PROPOSED ENGAGEMENT PLAN TO HELP, UM, FILL THOSE GAPS.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, UM, COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UM, NOT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S A PACKED AGENDA.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT A LOT OF THE SLIDES ARE IN THE APPENDIX, SO I THINK THERE'S ONLY 30 SLIDES THAT BRIAN WILL WALK THROUGH AS SUCCINCTLY AS POSSIBLE, AND CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING PUBLIC COMMENT AND GETTING COUNCIL FEEDBACK.
UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO BRIAN GREGORY, UH, THANK YOU.
UM, SO BRING THE PRESENTATION UP.
AND IF, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL GO FULL SCREEN, PERHAPS.
AND IF WE COULD JUST ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AND THROUGH YOU CHAIRS, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE BACK SPEAKING ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, TODAY JUST TO GO OVER AGENDA QUICKLY, WE'LL BE REFRESHING, UH, EVERYONE ON THE PROCESS TO DATE.
UH, WE'LL REVIEW THE INITIAL ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'LL TOUCH ON WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE.
'CAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE CHANGES THAT HAVE ELAPSED SINCE WE LAST CONNECTED ON THIS TOPIC.
AND THEN OUTLINE A POTENTIAL APPROACH TO THIS ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'D REALLY LOVE TO HEAR A LOT OF THE, THE FEEDBACK FROM YOU AND THE COMMUNITY ON AS WE SORT OF CRAFT THAT GOING FORWARD.
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UH, NEXT, AGAIN.SO AS, UH, AS MELISSA MENTIONED, THIS ALL BEGAN IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF 2024 WITH A POLICY ORDER.
UM, FROM THERE WE MET AGAIN WITH COUNCIL IN MAY TO CONFIRM THE PROJECT GOALS, THE SCHEDULE, THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN, AND THE DESIRED OUTCOMES.
UH, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS WAS SORT OF PURPOSEFULLY NOT MEANT TO BE A PLANNING EFFORT, BUT RATHER WAS MEANT TO LEVERAGE, UH, PRIOR PLANNING EFFORTS TO MOVE US TOWARDS, UM, AN EVENTUAL ZONING PETITION.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BEFOREHAND.
SO WE START, WE'RE LUCKY TO BE STARTING FROM A REALLY STRONG BASIS WITH A, A LOT OF GOOD PLANNING WORK THAT HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ALREADY IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING THE C TWO STUDY IN 2013, AND THEN THE CENTRAL SQUARE LOT STUDY IN, UH, 2023.
UH, THIS WORK IDENTIFIED, CONFIRMED AND REFINED THE COMMUNITY'S GOALS, UM, FOREMOST AROUND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AS WELL AS AROUND COMMUNITY RESOURCES, OPEN SPACE AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WE UNDERTOOK IN 2024 AND CONTINUE TO ADVANCE TODAY WAS REALLY MEANT TO BE A BRIDGE AND LEVERAGE THIS, THIS PLANNING WORK TOWARDS, UH, AN ULTIMATE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PETITION NEXT PLEASE.
AND SO IN THE BEGINNING, WHAT WE SET OUT, UH, TO ACHIEVE AND HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT, SINCE THIS WASN'T FUNDAMENTALLY A, A LONGER PLANNING EFFORT, LIKE SOME OF THE RECENT ONES WE'VE UNDERTAKEN, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LITTLE NIMBLER AND QUICKER AND FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THE ASPECTS THAT WERE IMMEDIATELY GERMANE TO ZONING.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR OUTCOMES SPECIFICALLY THAT ADVANCE THOSE COMMUNITY GOALS THAT YOU SAW ON THE PRIOR SLIDE AROUND HOUSING AND OTHER IDENTITIES THAT, UH, CENTRAL SQUARE HAS AS OUR CULTURAL AND RETAIL SORT OF CENTER.
SO INITIALLY THIS WAS A, UH, FIVE MONTH PROCESS.
IT LASTED FROM APPROXIMATELY LATE SPRING OF 2024 THROUGH EARLY FALL.
UH, WE BROUGHT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD AND PRESENTED THEM TO COUNCIL IN THAT OCTOBER, UH, JUST SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE ACTUALLY HAD A SORT OF A WRAP UP BLOCK PARTY THAT ENDED THE, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PORTION OF THAT.
UM, AND THOUGH, AS MELISSA MENTIONED, UH, THIS WAS NOT ADVANCED TO A ZONING PETITION BECAUSE WE PIVOTED TO THE QUARTER REZONING, AND THERE WAS ALSO A WANT FOR POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WE'RE SORT OF BACK HERE, UH, TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT TODAY.
AND SO DURING THOSE FIVE MONTHS, UH, I THINK WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT TO UNDERTAKE IS, IS BUILDING FROM A REALLY STRONG FOUNDATION.
WE DID THREE LARGE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WERE VIRTUAL, UH, 11 FOCUS GROUPS WITH DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES THROUGHOUT THE SQUARE THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED, UH, BOTH BY OURSELVES AND BY OTHER PARTICIPANTS.
UH, WE ATTENDED A TOTAL OF EIGHT POP-UPS TO TRY TO CAPTURE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE PROCESS, SORT OF OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY WERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS AWARENESS.
UM, WE DID TWO IN-PERSON EVENTS, ONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE, UH, CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE OTHER AS A LARGE SCALE BLOCK PARTY, UH, WITH PARTNERS, UM, DANCE COMPLEX BID, AND OTHERS WHO SORT OF HAD A PRESENCE THERE AS WELL.
AND ACTUALLY COVERED A BROAD RANGE OF PROJECTS THAT WERE, WERE, UH, HAPPENING IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
UH, AND THEN A LOT OF INFORMATION AND OUTREACH.
AND ALL OF THIS WAS, UM, VETTED AND ASSISTED BY CET AT CDD, WHICH IS A TEAM OF OUTREACH WORK WORKERS WHO WORK WITH THE AMERICAN BORN BLACK COMMUNITY AND LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, WE GATHERED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HEARD AND THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AND WE SORT OF PUT THEM INTO THESE THREE BUCKETS THAT WERE THE, UH, THE HIGH LEVEL TAKEAWAYS THAT WE'D PRESENTED, UM, BACK IN 2024 IN OCTOBER.
UH, THE FIRST WAS AROUND URBAN FORM.
UH, THIS WAS PERHAPS THE MOST MIXED IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS ACCURATE THAT THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT ON ALLOWING ADDITIONAL HEIGHT SPECIFICALLY FOR HOUSING, UH, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ON HOW MUCH HEIGHT TO ALLOW.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT ON A NEED FOR TRANSITIONAL ZONES BETWEEN, UH, THE TALLEST AREAS THAT WE WERE SUGGESTING AND THE SURROUNDING, UH, RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
AROUND USES, UM, LIKE BOTH THE, UH, THE C TWO STUDY AND THE CITY LOT STUDY HOUSING, AGAIN, ROSE TO THE TOP AS THE MOST PRESSING CONCERN FOR THOSE THAT WE SPOKE TO AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, SECOND, RIGHT AFTER THAT THOUGH, WAS AN EMPHASIS ON FOSTERING ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES AND SUPPORTING SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RETAIL.
AND THIS MARRIES REALLY WELL WITH CENTRAL SQUARE'S IDENTITY AS BOTH THE CULTURAL DISTRICT AND AS OUR SORT OF HISTORIC DOWNTOWN.
AND LASTLY, UH, WHAT WE HEARD SORT OF AROUND THE TOPIC OF COMMUNITY.
AND THIS WAS PRIMARILY PERHAPS MORE ABOUT, UH, CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT PRESERVING WHAT MAKES CENTRAL SQUARE REALLY SPECIAL AND WHAT MAKES THE SQUARE UNIQUE.
UM, KEEPING IT A PLACE THAT'S HETEROGENEOUS DIVERSE.
UH, A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELCOME AND A PLACE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY.
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OF ALSO AVOIDING KIND CREEP WE HEARD, RIGHT? A WANT TO BE DISTINCT ABOUT ITS IDENTITY VERSUS SOME OF OUR OTHER GREAT SPACES IN THE CITY.AND SO, TO SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING WE HAD HEARD AND AND DOCUMENTED IN THOSE PRIOR THREE SLIDES, UM, THERE WAS AGREEMENT AND CONSENSUS AROUND, UM, THE TALLEST HEIGHTS BEING CONCENTRATED AROUND THE LARGEST STREETS, MASS AVE AND MAIN STREET TRANSITIONAL, UH, ZONES TO BUFFERED NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, ALIGNING INCENTIVES WITH CENTRAL'S IDENTITY, AND, UH, ALSO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO PAIR ZONING WITH OTHER IMPLEMENTATION, UH, STRATEGIES AND OTHER TOOLS THAT THE CITY HAS THAT ZONING DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SOLVE EVERYTHING.
AND, AND OFTENTIMES IT'S PART OF A, A LARGER TOOLKIT.
HOWEVER, OF COURSE, THERE WERE STILL SOME AREAS OF, UH, DIFFERENCES AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
UM, EVERYONE AGREED WE NEED ADDITIONAL HEIGHT FOR HOUSING, BUT HOW MUCH THAT THAT SHOULD BE, UM, HOW BEST TO PERHAPS MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF, OF THAT ADDITIONAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT.
UM, HOW BEST TO ADVANCE, UH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND WHAT THOSE SPECIFIC INCENTIVES SHOULD BE FOR THOSE USES THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE SQUARE.
AND SO NOW I'LL JUST TRANSITION INTO WHAT THE INITIAL ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS WERE.
THESE WERE THE ONES THAT WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2024.
SO THERE WERE THREE PRIMARY AREAS OF FOCUS.
UM, IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THE DISTRICT BOUNDARY OR WHERE IT SHOULD BE, UH, URBAN FORM, WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND THE INCENTIVIZED USES WHAT SHOULD BE IN IT.
AND SO WE SORT OF INVESTIGATED EACH OF THESE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND CAME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND EACH OF THESE THREE.
AND I'LL JUST WALK THROUGH THOSE NOW BRIEFLY.
SO JUST TO REFRESH PEOPLE ON SORT OF WHERE WE'RE STARTING FROM, THIS IS THE OVERLAY AS IT IS TODAY, AS WELL AS THE UNDERLYING BASE ZONING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY VARIED ZONING WITHIN THAT AREA TOO.
SO THERE'S A WANT TO BRING SOME LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY SIMILAR TO THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN, UH, MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE AND CAMBRIDGE STREET TO SORT OF GIVE IT A CLEAR IDENTITY AND A CLEAR ZONING REGIMEN.
UM, AND LUCKILY WE HEARD LOTS OF GREAT FEEDBACK AROUND THIS, AND SO HERE'S SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS THERE, BUT A LOT OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID INFORMED HOW WE APPROACHED, UH, THE BOUNDARY ITSELF.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED, PARDON ME.
UH, SO WE, WE WE'RE BUILDING OFF THAT PRIOR WORK, AS I'VE MENTIONED.
AND SO ONE OF THE, THE STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE C TWO STUDY WAS THAT WE APPROACHED THE DISTRICT IN SORT OF A TWO-PRONGED, UH, SUB-DISTRICT APPROACH.
UH, ONE, WHICH IS THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS DEPICTED IN THE DARKEST BLUE COLOR HERE.
AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD EDGE, WHICH IS, UM, IN THE LIGHTER BLUE THERE, UM, BOTH OF WHICH TOGETHER REPRESENT THE FULL, UH, PROPOSED CENTRAL SQUARE DISTRICT.
UM, THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE TALLEST HEIGHTS, UH, THE MOST ACTIVE AND POTENTIALLY THE MOST IMPACTFUL USES, UH, CLUSTERED AGAIN AROUND MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE AND MAIN STREET.
UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDGE SORT OF LINES THAT BOTH TO SORT OF PAGE NORTH AND PAGE SOUTH HERE, AND IS MEANT TO AGAIN, ACT AS TRANSITIONAL BUFFER SPACES TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN, UH, IN TERMS OF THE EXTENTS WHERE WE SORT OF CHOSE TO GROW, THE DISTRICT WAS REALLY ALONG SOME OF THESE PRIMARY CORRIDORS, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAIN STREETS AND THE MAJOR URBAN BOULEVARDS ARE THE PLACES THAT ARE ABLE BEST TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL GROWTH AND DENSITY.
UH, SO THIS IS SORT OF A CRUDE REPRESENTATION, BUT WHAT WE HAD LOOKED AT WAS, UM, THE HEIGHTS.
AND SO THIS IS BASICALLY A SECTION CUTTING THROUGH THE DISTRICT THAT I JUST SHOWED.
UM, THE TALLEST HEIGHTS WOULD BE CONCENTRATED IN SORT OF THE TWO BLOCKS THAT FLANK MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HERE, SORT OF AT THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN IN THE DARKER BLUE.
UM, THESE HEIGHTS, UH, WE HAD SORT OF PUT OUT A, A THREE-TIERED HEIGHT SYSTEM AND GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THERE WAS THE ORIGINAL 12 STORIES THAT WAS OFFERED IN C TWO, UNDERSTANDING THE WANT TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL HOUSING.
WE HAD CHOSEN 18 STORIES AND SORT OF LANDED ON IT HERE, WHICH IS COMMENSURATE WITH THE HEIGHT OF, UM, MANNING APARTMENTS, UM, MARKET CENTRAL AND 6 75 MASS AVE.
IF YOU'RE SORT OF LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT SORT OF MEANS IN, IN REAL, IN REAL LIFE, UH, TO EITHER SIDE OF THAT AND THE LIGHTER BLUE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UM, THERE'S THESE SORT OF STEP DOWNS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WHAT I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO CLARIFY IS THAT THESE ARE THE TALLEST ALLOWABLE HEIGHTS IN THE DISTRICT, NOT NECESSARILY THE HEIGHT THAT ALL BUILDINGS WOULD ACHIEVE.
SO THESE ARE SORT OF AN UPPER LIMIT.
THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT NOT EVERY BUILDING WILL BUILD TO THIS, THIS SCALE.
JUST THAT'S, IT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY ALLOWED TO.
UM, BUT WHAT I WANNA DRIVE HOME ALSO IS THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE NUANCE TO URBAN FORM THAN JUST HEIGHT.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
THESE WERE SOME OF THE MORE, UH, FINE GRAIN, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, THESE UTILIZED TOOLS, UH, SUCH AS SETBACKS, STEP BACKS, AND FLOOR PLATE CONTROLS TO SORT OF CRAFT WHAT THE URBAN FORM WOULD WANT TO BE BEYOND JUST SORT OF THE RUDIMENTARY HEIGHT.
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EDGE, WE'RE ENCOURAGING A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE, UH, EXEMPLIFIED IN OUR MULTI-FAMILY DESIGN GUIDELINES.UH, SORT OF A PARTITION OF A BASE MIDDLE TOP TO THE BUILDINGS, UM, ENCOURAGING STEP DOWNS TOWARDS NEIGHBORHOODS TO SORT OF, UH, DOVETAIL INTO THE CONTEXT AND EMPLOYING THINGS LIKE STEP BACKS, UH, TO REDUCE THE APPARENT HEIGHT OF THE STREET WALL AND SORT OF LOCK THAT INTO THE, THE WIDTH OF THE STREET WHILE STILL ALLOWING FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS TO BE PRODUCED.
WE SUGGESTED A STRATEGY THAT WAS, WE SORT OF WERE CALLING BASE PLUS TOWER.
UH, THE BASE HEIGHT ACTUALLY CORRESPONDS TO THAT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDGES AT AROUND EIGHT FLOORS.
AND ON SELECT PORTIONS UNDER CERTAIN, UH, RAMIFICATIONS, YOU'D BE ALLOWED TO, UH, GO UP TO THE 18 FLOORS AS DEPICTED HERE, UH, WITH SOME SETBACKS AND STEPBACK BACKS TO SORT OF MODULATE THE, UH, RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT AND THE HISTORIC CONTEXT.
AND LASTLY, UH, TALKING ABOUT USES.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS PERMITTED HERE ALREADY.
SO, UH, WE WERE REALLY FOCUSING ON HOW DO WE, UH, INCENTIVIZE AND THINK ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES.
UM, THERE'S REALLY TWO PRIMARY STRATEGIES OF ALLOWING THINGS AND INCENTIVIZING THINGS.
AND SO THE FIRST IS JUST BROAD.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA SEE ARE ACTUALLY PERMITTED IN THE AREAS WE WANT TO SEE THEM.
UH, AND THEN THE SECOND IS WITHIN THOSE AREAS INCENTIVIZING WHERE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DELIVERING ON THOSE AND THAT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS DELIVERING THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE WANT.
AND SO THESE TYPES OF INCENTIVES CAN RANGE FROM DIFFERENT TOOLS, WHICH WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH.
ADDITIONAL HEIGHT, EXCLUDING GROUND FLOOR, UH, EXCLUDING GROUND AREAS FROM, UH, FROM THE GFA OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER SORT OF TACTICS TO SORT OF MAKE THESE MORE, UH, ATTRACTIVE FOR DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE.
AND SO THERE ALSO WANT IT TO BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE USES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SOME OF THEM MAY BE MORE IMPACTFUL IN CULTURAL USES.
THINK OF LIKE THE GREAT VENUES WE HAVE AND OTHER THINGS.
THERE ARE IS DEFINITELY SORT OF A, SOMETIMES A TENSION BETWEEN THOSE USES TOO IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT IT SEEMED LOGICAL TO SORT OF CONCENTRATE THE MOST IMPACTFUL USES, RESTRICTED TO, UH, THE HEART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALLOWING MORE BROADLY ACROSS THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD, THOSE LESS IMPACTFUL CULTURAL USES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO INCENTIVIZE.
AND SO WE HAD OFFERED THIS 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETIMES REALLY HARD TO GROUND THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ABSTRACT THINKING INTO ANYTHING THAT SORT OF ASSEMBLES WHAT WE, WHAT WE SEE OUR DAY TO DAY AND SOMETHING THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN ACTUAL DEPICTION OF CENTRAL SQUARE SO MUCH AS SORT OF AN HOMAGE TO WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE TO SUGGEST WHAT ITS EVOLUTION COULD BE.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE IS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPONSIBLY GROW THE DISTRICT TO ACHIEVE THE COMMUNITY'S GOALS.
NOT ALL BUILDINGS WOULD BE REDEVELOPED.
IN FACT, MANY SIGNIFICANT PROPERTIES WOULD LIKELY REMAIN.
UM, OF THOSE THAT DO DEVELOP, UH, A LARGE PORTION OF THOSE MAY ACHIEVE SORT OF THAT BASE HEIGHT AND A SMALLER NUMBER OF THOSE LIKELY ON LARGER SITES WOULD BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE, UH, THE 18 STORIES.
SO WE'D HAVE THESE LIMITED MOMENTS WHERE IT CAN REALLY ADVANCE, UH, OUR HOUSING GOALS.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN, UM, OCTOBER OF 2024.
WE DID FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, COUNCIL IN APRIL OF 2025 WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ZONING PRIORITIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT TERM.
UH, AND, UH, HAD BEEN ASKED BY COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY, UH, TO LOOK INTO THE AMOUNT OF UNITS THAT MIGHT BE PRODUCED BOTH UNDER AN 18 STORY OPTION AS WE HAD PROPOSED, AS WELL AS A 12 STORY OPTION.
I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THAT'S THE MAIN THING WE'RE SORT OF DRIVING FOR IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY GOALS.
UM, THE, THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCE HERE I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SORT OF A 12 STORY BUILDING, THE SORT OF BASE PLUS TOWER APPROACH ISN'T QUITE AS USEFUL OF A WAY TO APPROACH DEVELOPMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA THROW OUT THE CAVEAT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BUILDING FORM.
THIS ALIGNS MUCH CLOSER TO WHAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT FOR NORTH MASS AVE.
AND IT'S MUCH MORE REALISTICALLY WHAT YOU MIGHT PRODUCE AT 12 FLOORS.
AND SO THE, THE END RESULT OF THIS IS THAT FROM TWO DIFFERENT FORMS THAT YIELDED ROUGHLY THE SAME NUMBER OF UNITS AS YOU CAN SORT OF SEE IN THE BOTTOM THERE.
AND SO IT, IT REALLY BECOMES LESS A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH HOUSING WE'RE PRODUCING AND MORE ABOUT WHAT APPROACH TO PRODUCING HOUSING IS BEST FOR CENTRAL SQUARE.
UH, JUST BRIEFLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SORT OF AN, UH, THE FIRST OPTION WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO, TO MAP IT TO SOMETHING IS MORE LIKE A MARKET CENTRAL, UM, SORT OF AN EIGHT STORY STREET WALL, A COUPLE TALLER BUILDINGS VERSUS SOMETHING THAT'S MORE OF A, UM, A NORTH MASS AVE, WHICH IS MORE OF A, A CONTINUOUS MAYBE EIGHT TO 12 STORY, UH, STREET WALL.
AND I HAVE IN THE, THE LOWER RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF AROUND THE PARK PLAZA HOTEL IN BOSTON, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THESE INTERMEDIATE SIZED BUILDINGS IS A GOOD APPROXIMATION OF THAT.
AND WE HAD ADDITIONALLY SUGGESTED THE, THE BASIN TOWER 'CAUSE WE THOUGHT IT PERHAPS WOULD ACHIEVE SOME, UH, OF THE COMMUNITY GOALS A LITTLE BETTER IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO LIGHT AND, AND SORT OF THE, THE HEIGHT OF THE STREET WALL THAT IT WOULD BE GENERALLY LOWER AND ALLOW FOR MOMENTS AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUITY.
I'M GONNA TAKE ALL THIS TOP DOWN, OTHER WORDS.
[00:20:01]
UM, SO JUST VERY BRIEFLY, I'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE, JUST 'CAUSE THE LANDSCAPE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT SINCE WE LAST MET.UH, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL BIG, UH, ZONING RELATED CHANGES, SO I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON THE ONES THAT ARE PERHAPS MOST GERMANE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO THE, THE EXISTING OVERLAY AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED IS, IS BY AND LARGE SURROUNDED BY THE C ONE DISTRICT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
AND SO WITH THE PASSING OF MULTIFAMILY ZONING THAT DISTRICT'S BASE HEIGHT WAS RAISED FROM 35 AND A FEW INSTANCES IN THIS LOCATION, 45 TO, UM, 45 TO 75 FEET.
SO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, WHILE THEIR PHYSICAL HEIGHT HASN'T CHANGED NOW, UH, THEIR SORT OF REGULATORY HEIGHT HAS CHANGED.
AND ALSO, OBVIOUSLY VERY RECENTLY ON EVERYONE'S MIND, UM, MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, UH, NORTH OF HARVARD SQUARE AND CAMBRIDGE STREET HAVE ALSO BEEN REZONED.
AND SO BOTH OF THESE PROCESSES AND THEIR OUTCOMES, UH, OFFER POTENTIAL INSIGHTS INTO THE APPROACH TO CENTRAL SQUARE.
JUST SORT OF MORE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND MORE SORT OF INFORMATION TO FOLD IN SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD WORK.
I THINK THAT, THAT WE COULD BENEFIT FROM.
AND SO THE, UH, LAST THING I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IS JUST THE SHAPE OF THIS ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH YOU.
UH, JUST TO TRANSITION INTO THE DISCUSSION, UM, SORT OF TAKING ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT, WHAT MIGHT THE BEST PATH FORWARD LOOK LIKE? UH, WE'VE TAKEN A PASS AT THIS, IT'S SORT OF HIGH LEVEL BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR YOUR INPUT AS WE CRAFT THIS GOING FORWARD.
SO FIRST, TO SORT OF ESTABLISH WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL INPUT.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO THINK WE HAD A PRETTY BROAD OUTREACH.
OBVIOUSLY I THINK THERE ARE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS WE'VE HEARD, UM, I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD FROM, WE'VE HEARD FROM THAT WISH TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO THIS IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO OF COURSE, FOLD THOSE IN.
UH, WE'D BE LOOKING TO COURSE COUNSELORS.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY GOT SOME PEOPLE LINED UP, SO THIS IS PERFECT, UM, AS TO WHO WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, SAN NETTI AND EVERYBODY OUR WAY, UH, THE SECOND COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND USES, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LITTLE MORE EXPLICIT ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE AND ALSO THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO TRADE TO GET THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND LASTLY, UH, FOCUSING ON RESOLVING THE URBAN FORM.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE AREA OF MOST DISAGREEMENT THAT WE HEARD EARLIER WAS AROUND HEIGHTS.
AND SO IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TO FOCUS SOLELY ON HEIGHT.
I THINK IT NEEDS, WE WANNA SORT OF GROUND THIS IN A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT COMMUNITY GOALS AND OUTCOMES BECAUSE THE NUMBER CAN FEEL ARBITRARY, BUT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THROUGH THAT NUMBER IS, IS REALLY THE IMPORTANT, UH, THING TO FOCUS ON.
AND SO, THINKING ABOUT THE SORT OF TOOLKIT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL, AND KNOWING THIS WANTS TO BE A BIT TACTICAL BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF WORK AND WE DON'T WANNA DUPLICATE THAT.
WE'RE THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, THE SORT OF WORK HORSE STALWART IS STILL A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY FOR SORT OF GETTING INFORMATION OUT THERE AND HAVING, UH, AN ABILITY TO SHARE WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND BUILD LARGER CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY, UM, ALLOWING FOR VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY ATTEND THINGS.
UM, I JUST DO WANNA NOTE, UH, SORRY THAT TO CRAFT THIS, WE ALSO DID COLLABORATE AND WORK WITH, UM, CET AT CDD AND REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR TO GET THEIR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THIS AS WELL.
ALTHOUGH, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S IT'S RELATIVELY HIGH LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF THIS PROCESS REALLY IS TO CHECK IN WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH MEMBERS WHO MAYBE FELT LIKE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD IN THE PAST.
UM, AND SO THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THE LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH LIKE FOCUS GROUPS ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE SORT OF IN NEUTRAL SPACES AND HAVE, UH, CONVERSATIONS THAT CAN BE A LITTLE MORE OF A DISCUSSION THAN SORT OF THE, THE FORUMS THAT COMMUNITY MEETINGS OFFER US.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS ARE SOMETIMES HAVE A HIGH BAR OF ENTRY FOR PEOPLE ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MIGHT WANNA BE INVOLVED.
AND SO WE'RE THINKING SORT OF THE THIRD LEG OF THE STOOL COULD BE A COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT GIVES COMMUNITY MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR INPUT AT TIMES THAT WORK BEST FOR THEM, OR MAYBE USING TRANSLATION TOOLS THAT ALLOW THEM TO SORT OF, UM, DO SO IN A, IN A MORE COMFORTABLE WAY.
AND, UH, TALKING WITH CET, THEY, THEY'RE GONNA HELP SUPPORT AND, UH, SHARE OUT THAT SURVEY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REACH REACHES A WIDE AUDIENCE.
PLEASE BE REMISS IF I DON'T JUST MENTION SOME OF THE CAUTIONS THAT ARE ON OUR MIND, UH, THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE SORT OF AVOIDING THESE PITFALLS IS, UM, DUPLICATING PRIOR WORK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE GAVE SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THEIR TIME AND INPUT ON THE PRIOR ENGAGEMENT.
AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO REDO THAT AND, AND FORCE ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO SORT OF SAY EVERYTHING AGAIN TO US.
IT'S REALLY MEANT TO BROADEN, UH, THE VOICES IN THIS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WORK IS SORT OF, UH, TREATED AS SACROSANCT AND, AND BUILT UPON.
UM, THE SECOND, WE DON'T WANNA REVISIT AREAS OF AGREEMENT.
WE WANNA BE STRATEGIC AND FOCUS PRIMARILY ON AREAS WHERE WE HEARD DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS TO TRY TO BRING RESOLUTION TO THOSE.
AND WE ALSO JUST WANNA BE REALLY HONEST, THAT ZONING
[00:25:01]
CAN'T SOLVE EVERYTHING.IT'S, IT'S ONE TOOL IN A LARGER TOOLKIT WE HAVE AS A CITY, AND WE NEED TO PAIR THIS POTENTIALLY WITH OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE SOME OF WHICH ALREADY EXIST AND JUST MAYBE PEOPLE NEED BETTER AWARENESS AROUND, UH, SHOULD THE ZONING MOVE FORWARD, UM, GROUPS THAT MAY BE VULNERABLE TO SOME OF THE, THE IMPACTS OF, OF INCREASED DENSITY.
AND SO THIS IS JUST OUR FIRST TAKE AT A, A POTENTIAL ROADMAP.
UM, WE REALLY WANT YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.
UM, WE'RE IMAGINING MUCH LIKE WE DID BEFORE, WE JUMP RIGHT INTO SORT OF OUTREACH AND AWARENESS BUILDING JUST TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE THE PROCESS IS COMING, THAT THEY CAN SORT OF GET READY FOR THIS AND, AND, UM, START GATHERING THEIR THOUGHTS, ORGANIZING THEIR COMMUNITY GROUPS OR WHOMEVER THEY MIGHT HAVE, UM, AND SORT OF DIG BACK INTO WHERE WE WERE, UH, THAT WE WOULD KICK OFF IN PERHAPS MAYBE A LITTLE OVER A MONTH WITH A A, A PUBLIC MEETING TO SET THE STAGE, DO VERY MUCH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE A LITTLE BIT, REMIND PEOPLE, EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, SOLICIT FEEDBACK, UH, FOCUS THE BULK OF THE ENGAGEMENT OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, PERHAPS BEFORE SORT OF SUMMER GETS INTO FULL SWING.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK WITH THE LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE IT'S MORE, UM, SMALLER GROUPS THAT WE CAN MANAGE TO SORT OF AVOID VACATIONS AND OTHER THINGS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN AFTER EVERYONE'S SORT OF COME BACK AND THE DUST IS SETTLED IN SEPTEMBER, UM, PERHAPS EVEN HAVE A PUBLIC EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN SHARE OUT THE RESULTS AND FINDINGS OF THAT, UM, POSTED ONLINE AS WELL AS IN OTHER DIGITAL FORUMS THERE.
AND THEN BE ABLE TO PIVOT, UM, TO, UM, SORT OF RESOLVING AND DRAFTING THE ZONING, UH, TO FILE THE PETITION MAYBE SOMETIME AROUND MID-NOVEMBER THANKSGIVING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR FIRST BLUSH.
AND THEN VERY LAST SLIDE, I PROMISE.
UM, JUST TO SORT OF PRIME THE PUMP OF THE, UH, THE DISCUSSION, UH, THAT WE PLAN TO HAVE WITH YOU TODAY.
YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND ANY AND ALL THINGS, OF COURSE, BUT PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE RIGHT APPROACH? UH, YOU KNOW, DOES THE TIMING SEEM REASONABLE TOO LONG, TOO SHORT? YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ADDITIONAL THINGS, THINGS YOU'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE'S ANYTHING MISSING, OF COURSE WE'RE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SORT OF CHANGE, ADAPT, EVOLVE THIS, UM, BOTH NOW AND AS THE PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I PASS IT BACK TO YOU CHAIR.
I THINK THAT'S THE FASTEST WE'VE EVER GONE THROUGH.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I JUST HAD FOUR PEOPLE I WANTED TO, UM, GIVE TIME TO IN PARTICULAR, AND THEN WE WILL OPEN UP TO A BROADER PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW FORMER MAYOR KEN REEVES IS CALLING IN FROM THE HOSPITAL, UM, AND MIGHT BE ON THE ZOOM.
UM, IF I MAY, IT'S, UH, UH, HONOR TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ON THE IMPORTANT SUBJECT OF THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, I CAN SAY THAT I, UH, HAVE HAD A LONG TIME LOVE AFFAIR WITH CENTRAL SQUARE, NOT JUST AS A PERSONAL THING, BUT WHEN I WAS ELECTED, I DECIDED TO DEVOTE MY POLICYMAKING EFFORTS TO SEE IF WE COULD REALLY, UH, ENHANCE AND, UH, ENRICH, UH, THE WONDERFUL VIBRANCY THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
I THINK WHAT IS MISSING FROM THE PRESENTATION YOU JUST HEARD IS THE OVERALL NOTION OF VISION.
WHOSE VISION ARE WE TRYING TO REALIZE? AND THIS IS A TRICKY QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE COUNCIL.
AND LET ME PREFACE EVERYTHING HERE BY SAYING I LOVE EVERYBODY IN OUR CIRCLE HERE.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW ALL OF THESE INTERESTS AREN'T THE SAME.
SO TO PLACATE THE CONCERNS OF SEVERAL DISPARATE, UH, THINKING GROUPS IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING I WOULD CALL A PLAN.
AND THE VISION THING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
HOW CAN YOU HAVE HOWEVER MANY MINUTES OF A DISCUSSION THAT YOU JUST HAD FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ON WHERE WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT THERE? AND WE NEVER MENTIONED THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE BUILDINGS.
THIS IS PROFOUND BECAUSE YOU COULD SIT AND TALK ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE TILL THE COWS COME HOME.
YOU NEED TO GATHER THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE BUILDINGS TO SEE IF YOU WITH THEM CAN COME UP WITH A COLLECTIVE VISION FOR SOMETHING THAT IN THE EYES OF SOME SEVERAL OF US
[00:30:01]
DOESN'T NEED CHANGE.UH, THE STUDY, UH, I WAS A PART OF, UH, ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF CENTRAL SQUARE, TRIED TO INDICATE IN ITS CONCLUSION, BUT THE CENTRAL SQUARE DOESN'T NEED TO CHANGE.
IT JUST NEEDS TO BE CURATED IN TERMS OF ALL THE VARIOUS KINDS OF FOOD AND ARTS AND CIVIC AND, AND OTHER CENTERS THAT ARE IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
AND BE SURE THAT THE STREETSCAPE IS NAVIGABLE BY EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THERE.
UH, THIS NOTION THAT WE NEED A MANHATTAN ASIAN PROJECT IS, I'M SORRY TO SAY AN UNFORTUNATE ONE.
AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT IT IS VERY CLEAR, AT LEAST TO ME, THAT THE GREATEST MISTAKE THAT WE HAVE MADE IN CENTRAL SQUARE IS THE MASS AND MAIN PROJECT.
AND THAT OUGHT TO STAND AS A MAJOR MONUMENT OF WHAT NOT TO DO AND CERTAINLY WHAT NOT TO ENCOURAGE.
BECAUSE BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE OF OUR, UH, FORMER ASSOCIATE, UH, COUNSELOR AND, AND REPRESENTATIVE, UH, LUCHO, WHO WAS JUST BEGINNING OUT AS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, A NUMBER OF US TRIED TO HELP HIM ALONG WITH HIS CLIENT.
BUT THIS WAS A MISTAKE AND A BAD MISTAKE BECAUSE WHAT YOU HAVE THERE IS A MONOLITHIC PROJECT THAT HAS VIRTUALLY NO CONNECTION WITH YOU OR ME.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO LIVES THERE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A PART OF THE PORT, IT'S NOT A PART OF THE COAST, IT'S NOT A PART OF ANYWHERE.
IT MIGHT BE MIT BUT IT CERTAINLY ISN'T THERE FOR THE CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE AS WE KNOW THEM.
SO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE WOULD WISH WOULD COME TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS WHY WOULD WE BE DEVELOPING CENTRAL SQUARE OR ANYWHERE ELSE AS A CENTER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE THERE AND, AND, AND TO JUST TRY OUT THAT NOTION, WHY IS THERE NO MOVE TO REDEVELOP HARVARD SQUARE WITH LOTS OF HOUSING AND LOTS OF OTHER AMENITIES THAT DON'T EXIST THERE.
NOW I DO KNOW THERE'S SOME HOUSING PROPOSALS IN HARVARD SQUARE ON THE TRUE PERIPHERY, BUT MY POINT IS IT'S NOT AIMED ON HARVARD SQUARE BECAUSE THERE ARE FOLKS IN HARVARD SQUARE WITH THE AGENCY TO SAY, YOU MUST BE KIDDING.
AND WE NEED TO WAKE UP OUR FOLKS IN CENTRAL SQUARE WHO ARE PRESERVATIONISTS, WHO SAY, BY THE WAY, I LOVE THIS QUITE AS IT IS.
NOW, TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WE NEED MORE HEIGHT BECAUSE WE NEED MORE HOUSING.
WELL, I HAVE JUST GOTTEN OFF OF THE BOAT OF WE NEED MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MEANING 80% UNAFFORDABLE AND 20% AFFORDABLE.
I HAVE A NEW TICKET TO REALITY.
IF IT'S 80 20 UNAFFORDABLE, IT IS NOT AFFORDABLE AND IT IS.
SO LET'S NOT DO THAT TO OURSELVES UNDER THE GUISE OF MAKING SENSE.
AND SOME OF YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LUCKY TO GET 80 20.
I'M NOT SURE OF THAT, BUT I AM SURE OF THIS.
I KNOW THAT IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, PRIOR COUNCILS HAVE MADE BIG MISTAKES ON ZONING.
I POINT YOU TO THE INTERSECTION OF HARVARD STREET AND LEASE, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR REEVES.
UM, PLEASE CONTINUE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO START GETTING TO THE NEXT SPEAKER AS WELL.
THIS IS A LESSON WELL LEARNED.
I THINK THE CITY NEEDED MORE TAX MONEY IN THE FIFTIES, AND THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD FIGURE OUT TO GET IT WAS TO GET MORE TAXABLE LAND.
SO IT CHANGED THE ZONING IN THE MID CAMBRIDGE AREA TO PROMOTE THE TEARING DOWN OF LARGE HISTORIC HOMES AND PROMOTE THE BUILDING OF LARGE APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
MIDWAY THROUGH THIS CRAZE, THEY REALIZED THAT THEY WERE DESTROYING THE BEAUTY OF THE MID CAMBRIDGE AREA WITH THESE MONOLITHIC BUILDINGS THAT HAD NO, UH, SENSE OF,
[00:35:01]
UH, NO, NO RELATION TO THE CHARACTER OF THE PLACE.AFTER ENOUGH OF THEM GOT BUILT, THE COUNCIL CAME BACK TO HIS CENSUS AND CHANGED THE ZONING ZONING.
MY LAST THING, THESE ZONING CHANGES, THE LESS ZONING CHANGE FOR HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
WE IN CENTRAL SQUARE ARE HAVING THE MOST AWFUL REALITY WITH THE CHANGE OF ZONING ALONG WESTERN AVENUE, WHERE THE SPEARS FUNERAL HOME HAS NOW BEEN SOLD FOR DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO A HUNDRED ODD UNITS, A CULTURAL INSTITUTION THAT IS THE VERY BEDROCK OF OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE THERE NO MORE AS OF NEXT MONTH.
SO I SAY TO YOU, COUNSEL, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE RAMIFICATIONS TO THESE NOTIONS AND WHY YOU WOULD BE UPZONING WITHOUT ANY STATED VISION IS A MYSTERY TO ME.
BUT UNLESS YOU HIRE SOME PROFESSIONAL PLANNERS WHO ARE VISIONARIES WHO CAN HELP TO GUIDE THE CURATION OF CENTRAL SQUARE, YOU WILL HAVE DONE IT NO FAVORS.
UM, I WANTED TO INVITE, UM, ED FROM THE MANNINGTON, UH, TO COME UP AND SPEAK FOR A FEW MINUTES.
IF YOU CAN TURN ON THE MIC, IS THAT IT? YES.
I WILL TRY TO SPEAK MORE SUCCINCTLY AND CLEARLY, ALBEIT NOT AS ELOQUENT AS, UH, MR. REEVES.
I AM REPRESENTING THE MANNING APARTMENT SENIOR HOUSING HOUSING COMMITTEE.
MANNING IS HAD, UH, HOUSING MANNING APARTMENTS, BY THE WAY, IS APPROACHING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
IT WAS BUILT IN NINE, OPENED IN 1976.
UM, MANNING HAS HAD A HOUSING COMMITTEE SINCE THE CENTRAL SQUARE LOT STUDY WAS PRESENTED.
WE, WE FORMED FROM CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO PROMOTE THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF OUR SENIORS WITH RESPECT TO OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH INVITED CITY COUNCILORS, CDD, CHEMISTRY, DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND WHATEVER COME AND LISTENED TO US.
OUR CONCERNS CENTER AROUND CONGESTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR LIBRARY, IN FACT, IS THAT MIGHT CHALLENGE LIVABILITY HERE.
WE VERY MUCH WANT TO KEEP OUR LIBRARY WITH IMP WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES IF POSSIBLE.
WE NEED PARKING FOR VISITING RELATIVES FOR WHOM HEALTH AIDS, FOR HOME HEALTH AIDES, PCAS, AS WELL AS OUR OWN VEHICLES.
WE NEED OR RECENTLY CREATED A PICKUP AND DROP OFF WE NEED, WHICH WAS RECENTLY CREATED A PICKUP AND DROP OFF AREA FOR ANY VEHICLES THAT SERVICE OUR TENANTS, WHETHER IT IS THE RIDE UBER, THE PACE VAN AMBULANCES THAT SERVICE MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ON A REGULAR BASIS, PACKAGE DELIVERY TRUCKS, HOSPICE WORKERS, ON AND ON.
THIS IS A, A CRUCIAL COMPONENT THAT, THAT WE HAVE A PEOPLE BUILDINGS HAVE A PICKUP AND DROP OFF AREA.
WE ARE A DESTINATION LOCATION FOR 200 PLUS TENANTS THAT ARE TOWARDS THE END OF THEIR LIVES, WHO HOPEFULLY WILL FINISH THEIR TIME HERE AND NOT IN A NURSING HOME.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE IN CHARGE OF THEIR LIFE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AS CLOSE TO THE END OF THE POSSIBLE.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY MORE CHALLENGING FOR SENIORS.
WE'VE WORKED HARD OVER A GENERATION AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ASSISTANCE AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME.
THERE ARE LOTS OF IMPORTANT FEATURES OF A HIGH RISE THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ARE IMPORTANT TO HAVE IN PLACE.
WE HAVE LEARNED THE COST OF THINGS NOT DESIGNED WELL AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS.
THESE LESSONS LEARNED TEACH THAT IT IS NOT ALWAYS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF APPRO OF APPROPRIATE DESIGN.
TO PUT THAT DESIGN INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE PRIME DIRECTIVE OF, IF YOU WILL, IS MONEY NOT LIVABILITY.
OF THE MANY HOUSING RELATED GROUPS THAT WE AT MANNING HAVE MET WITHIN IN RECENT YEARS, WE HOPE THAT THE LISTENING TO US THAT WENT WITH A, ALONG WITH THOSE GATHERINGS WAS NOT JUST LISTENING, BUT WAS TRANSLATED INTO ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL PLANNING PHASE, I PERSONALLY THINK SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE BEEN LISTENED TO AND I SEE THEM.
[00:40:01]
I HOPE, UH, OTHER, I'VE SEEN SOME DIFFERENCES IN DESIGN FROM CRA TO CDD.I HOPE THAT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL.
WITH REGARDS TO CENTRAL SQUARE AS A WHOLE, WE WOULD PREFER TO SEE THIS CHARACTERIZED NOT AS DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE, BUT AS THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CAPITAL NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE GREAT AND RENOWNED COMMUNITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
THE SPECIFIC FEATURES THAT AUGMENT THIS CHARACTERIZATION WOULD BE MUCH BETTER THAN AN ARRAY OF HIGH RISE, LIMITED INCOME LEVEL BUILDINGS.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE A VISITOR, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE A VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM STYLE LOCATION WITH PARKING FOR THOSE VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE OF CAMBRIDGE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEARN A BIT OF THE HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO SEE TO EXPERIENCE MORE OF.
CAMBRIDGE, UM, MIGHT BE VISITING PARENTS VISITING MIT OR HARVARD DRIVING DOWN MASS AVE THROUGH CENTRAL SQUARE, UM, AND LOOKING TO SEE WHAT CAMBRIDGE IS ALL ABOUT.
CENTRAL SQUARE SHOULD SHOULD SHOW WHAT THAT THAT EXISTENCE IS AND WHAT WHAT AND WHETHER WITH BRANCH OUT TO OTHER AREAS OF CAMBRIDGE WITH OTHER THINGS TO SEE.
OF COURSE, SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES IN SMALL FAMILY OWNED AND RUN BUSINESSES WOULD BE IDEAL TO FOCUS INTEREST IN VISITING US HERE.
LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, FIRST FLOOR BEING, UM, SMALLER BUSINESSES WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT A LARGER DEVELOPMENT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE RAISING PRICELESS.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM A SMALL BUILDING THAT'S FAMILY OWNED AND NOT SUBJECT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RISING PRICES.
WE HOPE THAT HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROCEEDS THE MOST MODERATE FASHION POSSIBLE AND ARE ALREADY CONGESTED NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT THE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LIV THAT AND THAT THAT CONSTRUCTION SERVES LIVABILITY IN A SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE FASHION.
SO, UM, WILLING TO, WE ARE WILLING TO HAVE ANYBODY OVER TO SEE US AGAIN.
UM, WE ENJOY, WE ARE VERY OUTSPOKEN TENANTS.
I THINK WE HAD ALMOST 10% OF OUR BUILDING AT THE RECENT CRA, UM, EVENT AT OUR BUILDING.
THANK YOU LARRY ATKINS, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M OVERWHELMED, BUT I AM CERTAINLY, UH, STILL SEEING THE SAME REDUNDANT ABSENCE THAT YOU'RE TRYING, THAT YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO REACH OUT, YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE SAME FOLK THAT YOU'RE USED TO WORKING WITH, AND THEN YOU WANNA SIT DOWN AND COMPILE INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THAT IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE.
UM, I'M CERTAINLY GONNA STAND HERE TODAY AND NOW LET YOU KNOW.
WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS SOMEHOW A, UH, VIGOROUS, UH, SENIOR CITIZEN THAT CAN RIDE A 10 SPEED BICYCLE TO AND FRO UP AND DOWN ALL THAT'S HERE BECAUSE, UH, I DON'T QUALIFY.
AND I KNOW SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE NOT GONNA QUALIFY.
AND EVEN HEARING ABOUT THE BUILDING THAT THIS GENTLEMAN HERE SPOKE OF THAT SITS BEHIND, UH, YOU BETTER START BUILDING A WHOLE LOT OF SPACES IF YOU'RE PLAN ON DOING THIS FOR WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AWAY FROM HERE AND GET RELIEF.
'CAUSE I CAN'T SEE THEM SITTING IN THEIR DWELLINGS AND DEALING WITH THIS.
I CANNOT SEE THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING CARE OF THESE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE VICINITY AND TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, LET ALONE THE FIRST ONES TO GET IN.
THEY MAY NOT GET OUT BECAUSE THE CONGESTION THAT YOU'RE GONNA CREATE IS MAGNITUDE ALONG WITH THAT.
YOUR INSPECTION SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I DON'T FIND ANYTHING IN THERE WHERE IT ALIGNS FOR ANY OF THE BUSINESS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT OUR OWN VERY COMPETENT DEPARTMENT CAN RESPOND TO ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, WHEREAS YOU ARE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING STOCK AND IT'S GONNA SIT STILL AND BE IN VIOLATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT'S THE WORDS? WE INVITED ALL THESE DEVELOPERS AND WORKERS HERE, SO WE DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING TO DISCOURAGE THEM.
WHEREAS THEY MIGHT TAKE THIS THING AND THROW IT IN OUR LAP.
THE, I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE REALITY OF THIS PROJECT IS NOT THERE.
AS MR. REEVES MADE GREAT POINT ABOUT THE VISION.
I, THE ONLY VISION I SEE IS THIS.
I SEE THE 12 STORY AND I DON'T KNOW ANY OWNER THAT I'VE OFFERED A BILLION DOLLARS FOR MY PROPERTY.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WHATEVER IS BUILT UP, I MEAN, AND WHATEVER WAY IT'S FILLED UP, YOU GUYS ARE NOT GONNA BE EVEN
[00:45:01]
AWARE ELK HERE.YOU'RE GOING TO CLEA CREATE A HARDSHIP.
YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE AN ABSOLUTE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE I DON'T SEE WHERE ANYBODY IS GIVING UP THEIR CAR AND IT DOESN'T LOOK INVITING TO ME.
I LOOKED AT THE SCHEMATICS AND EVERYTHING YOU GOT.
I DON'T SEE A SINGLE, EVEN ONE PARKING METER OR A SPACE FOR A HANDICAPPED PARKING SPACE.
AND I CERTAINLY WONDER FROM THE CORNER OF HANCOCK AND MASS EVE, IF I GET THERE, UH, HOW I'M GOING TO GET FROM THERE, CLEAN ON DOWN TO, UM, MAIN STREET.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF BREAK SPACES OR SPENCERS FOR ME TO SIT.
LET IT NOT BE A BAD DAY OF WEATHER.
THE REALITY OF THIS IS I THINK YOU'RE JAMMING IT DOWN A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE'S THROAT.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW MANY DARK MEMBERS YOU SIT HERE, MY NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SURE.
I'M LOOKING FOR THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE TIME THAT I WENT THE AT THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTER ALL WELL THERE I HAD ONE TO THE BEST OF MY, REMEMBER, I'M IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD NOW AT A CONSISTENCY.
ONE FOCUS GROUP AND A PLAN MEETING ARE THAT FAR APART.
THEY'RE NOT THE SAME GENERATION OF CONVERSATION.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE SAME QUANTITY OF SIMILAR QUESTIONS.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. AND I DON'T EVEN THINK PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME REALIZE THAT, BUT BEING IN THE ROOM AND HEARING THE, AS I HEAR IT, THE SAD CASE THAT THE SQUARE IS CHANGED, NOT THE POSSIBILITY IS CHANGED.
SO THEY COME IN DISCOURAGED BEFORE THEY EVEN GET THERE OR HUNKER IT DOWN BECAUSE POWERS TO BE ARE GOING TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.
I THINK YOU SHOULD SPEND SOME TIME TO REEMPHASIZE THAT.
IT'S REALLY AN ALL-INCLUSIVE POSITIVE SITUATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR BOTH FROM EIGHT TO 80 TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF US.
NOT THIS JET SET OF BILLIONAIRES TO COME IN, LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, OR I'M SORRY, LIVE IN CENTRAL SQUARE TWO MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR, THE OTHER 1210 TO GO WHATEVER HAPPENS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT.
AND AS LONG AS THEY CAN COME IN AND IT LOOKS PRISTINE, THEIR IMPACT ON WHAT YOU GUYS JUST GOING TO GO DOWN THE TUBE AND YOU ALL ARE GONNA GET WHAT CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIKE MR. REEVES HAS SAID.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I DON'T THINK YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT GROUP TOGETHER.
I DON'T THINK THE PYRAMID OF THIS GROUPING IS DONE EFFECTIVELY TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT HAVING A CHANGE IN THIS CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, JUST, UH, BONTI, GINETTI AND THEN MICHAEL MONAS AND WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THANK YOU CITY COUNSELORS FOR HAVING ME, AND, UH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY, UM, PREVIOUS, UM, UH, PARTICIPANTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I LIVED, UH, IN CENTRAL SQUARE OFF OF PLEASANT PLACE, UM, FOR FIVE YEARS.
UH, AND I'M ALSO AN ORGANIZER WITH THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUSTICE COALITION.
UH, WE'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP, A COALITION OF MANY GROUPS THAT IS CONCERNED WITH, UM, MAKING CAMBRIDGE AFFORDABLE FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME FOLKS AS WELL AS FIGHTING DISPLACEMENT, UH, DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, OF LOWER INCOME FOLKS, UM, WHO, UM, LIVE IN MUCH NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHO RESIDE IN MANY OF THESE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE PORT, IN CAMBRIDGE, PORT AND RIVERSIDE.
UM, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL PARTICULAR ANGLES WE, UH, THINK THE CITY SHOULD USE TO TANK TACKLE THESE ISSUES, INCLUDING SOCIAL HOUSING.
UH, WE'VE DONE WORK IN COLLABORATIONS WITH, WITH SOME OF Y'ALL ON VOUCHERS IN THE PAST.
UH, AND WE ALSO TAKE A KEEN INTEREST IN ZONING WHEN THE CITY BRINGS THAT UP.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, CAMBRIDGE JUST, UM, WENT ABOUT WITH A SERIES OF BIG ZONING CHANGES.
UH, THERE'S THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING, WHICH, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED ON LAST YEAR.
UM, THERE'S THE CAMBRIDGE, UH, STREET ZONING, WHICH WAS RECENTLY PASSED.
UM, SO THERE'S MASSIVE REDEVELOPMENT HAPPENING ALREADY OR ON THE BOOKS TO HAPPEN.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF THIS HOUSING, UM, SOME OF THE AFFORDABILITY GAINS IN THOSE CONTINGENT ON AFFORDABILITY, UH, CONTINGENT ON INCLUSIONARY, UM, ARE IN RISK, UH, ARE IN JEOPARDY WITH A LAWSUIT THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING AGAINST THE CITY.
UM, AND AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND, WE'RE NOW ENTERING AND CONSIDERING DO WE WANT EVEN MORE DENSITY WITH, UH, A LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT, UM, WHAT THAT'S GONNA BRING IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY.
UH, WHAT I SAW IN THE PRESENTATION THAT RESONATED WITH ME WAS A STRONG
[00:50:01]
CONSENSUS AROUND SUPPORTING, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, MAINTAINING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RETAIL.I ALSO HEAR THAT IN THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO'VE SPOKEN BEFORE ME.
UM, I HEAR THE NEED FOR OTHER TOOLS AND ALSO THAT THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE THAN JUST HEIGHT AND TO THESE POINTS, I, I STRONGLY AGREE WITH THEM AND THAT'S WHERE I WANNA COME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY'S GOALS.
UM, THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUST COALITION BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN A HUNDRED PEOPLE AT THE ELKS LODGE A YEAR OR TWO AGO, AND THERE WAS STRONG CONSENSUS THERE THAT WE DO NOT WANNA SEE THIS ZONING AS IT IS PLANNED MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THIS ZONING IS JUST ONE PIECE AND A LARGER TOOLKIT, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER PIECES TOO.
UM, THERE'S CONVERSATION ABOUT ALLOWING HEIGHT AND INCENTIVIZING CULTURAL, UM, SPACES AND INCENTIVIZING OTHER USES, BUT WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING THAT WE HAVE A SOCIAL HOUSING PROGRAM IN PLACE BEFOREHAND? WHAT ABOUT, UM, REQUIRING A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABILITY? UM, WE COULD START WITH THOSE TOOLS IN THE TOOLKIT AND THEN LET'S COME BACK AND SEE IF THE COMMUNITY STILL WANTS ZONING.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD BE THE CASE, BUT IF THAT ZONING IS GOING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND NEEDS, GREAT.
UM, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER GREAT THINGS HAPPENING THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S, UM, CONSTRUCTION STILL HAPPENING ON RIVER STREET, UM, THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HOW, HOW THAT GETS FINALIZED AND WE GET BIKE LANES THERE.
I I HOPE THAT, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE CARL BROWN PLAZA AND SOON SO THAT, UM, OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS CAN CONTINUE TO USE OUR PUBLIC SPACES AND HAVE FACILITIES THAT WORK FOR THEM.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE CITY'S HOUSING, UH, POLICY IS CONCERNED, WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CAN WE PRIORITIZE PUTTING OUR SOCIAL HOUSING PROGRAM FIRST? CAN WE PRIORITIZE, UM, GUARANTEEING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE INCLUSIONARY, UM, EXIST IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS AT 20% AND MORE? FIRST, LET'S, LET'S START WITH THOSE PRIORITIES THAT I REALLY CARE ABOUT AND THAT MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COALITION REALLY CARE ABOUT.
AND THEN MAYBE COME BACK TO THE ZONING DISCUSSION.
UH, MY NAME'S MICHAEL MONAS TEAM.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL SQUARE BID.
I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING IT LIKE ONE, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
REALLY GREAT IN DEPTH PRESENTATION, BUT ALSO JUST LIKE FEELING THE ENERGY AND THE CONCERN FROM, UH, RESIDENTS.
UM, I'VE REVIEWED THE MATERIALS CLOSELY AND UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S GOALS IN THERE THAT WE'VE HEARD THAT ARE CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS OF TALKING ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE, AND THAT'S ROOTED IN CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DOUBLING DOWN ON THE CULTURE OF THIS DISTRICT, ACTIVATING THE GROUND FLOORS AND CREATING COMMUNITY SPACE, UH, SPACES.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT VISION HAS BEEN CONSISTENT.
UH, AGREED WITH KEN THAT WE NEED A VISION.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, ACTIVE GROUND FLOORS, COMMUNITY SPACE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ONE STORY BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT AND THOSE COULD DEFINITELY BE HOUSING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COHORT OF KIDS GRADUATING FROM RIDGE THIS YEAR WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE A HOME TO LIVE IN, UH, WHEN THEY COME BACK FROM COLLEGE OR IF THEY DON'T GET A CHANCE TO GO OFF TO COLLEGE.
SO CREATING HOUSING IS MANDATORY FOR THE FUTURE OF CAMBRIDGE.
THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO, TO BUY, LET ALONE TO RENT.
UM, WHAT I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT, LIKE A REALITY CHECK FOR CENTRAL SQUARE.
NOT EVERY SITE CAN OR WILL BE REDEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE A HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH MANY BUILDINGS THAT WILL NEVER SEE REDEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, ZERO LOT LINE BUILDINGS, WEDGED CONDITIONS, CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, UH, IF WE SEE DEVELOPMENT, IT WILL BE INCREMENTAL WITH SELECTIVE CHANGE.
UM, ON THE QUESTION OF HEIGHT, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY AT THE ROOT OF THIS, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CONCERN AROUND HEIGHT.
UH, THE CDD PRESENTATION SHOWED THAT 12 AND 18 STORIES WILL NET SIMILAR UNIT COUNTS.
UM, I THINK IF ANYTHING WAS NORTH OF 12 STORIES, UM, THERE SHOULD BE GUARANTEES IN EXCHANGE FOR ANY BONUS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY IN MASSING STEP BACKS, ROOM FOR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS OR POTENTIALLY, UH, ROOFTOP USES.
UM, ZOO ZONING IS UNIFORM, BUT NOT EVERY BUILDING
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IN CENTRAL SQUARE WOULD BECOME TALLER.BUT ONE THING I WANT TO JUST DRIVE HOME, MY CASE IN POINT FOR TODAY IS THE PLAN CALLS FOR INCENTIVIZED USES CULTURAL SPACE, ACTIVE GROUND FLOORS.
I'VE HEARD THIS COMMUNITY STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT.
BUT WHAT'S MISSING IN THAT ELEMENT, AND IT SHOULD BE SAID OUT LOUD, IS THAT THOSE SPACES NEED OPERATORS.
STARLIGHT STREET THEORY, CENTRAL ON AIR, EVEN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CANTAB AND MAN RAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY LOSE THOSE LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF ZONING.
WE'RE GONNA LOSE THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NO NEXT GENERATION OF OPERATORS READY TO TAKE THEM ON.
SO THE QUESTION'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT SPACE DO WE BUILD, BUT WHO'S GONNA RUN IT AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM.
I THINK THAT COULD BE A MISSING ELEMENT HERE.
UM, WITHOUT IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS, WITHOUT OPERATION STRATEGY, WITHOUT FUNDING FOR ACTIVATION, WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PARKING, THOSE THINGS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THIS TOOL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IN THIS HOUSING COMMITTEE.
UM, CD'S, CD'S PRESENTATION ASKED WHAT'S MISSING? AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK IT'S STRONG IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND PARTNERS.
THE BID IS ONE OF THOSE, UH, THE CITY'S BEEN ONE OF THOSE.
WE HAVE AFFORDABLE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE THAT, UM, AND VARIOUS OPERATORS.
UM, STARLIGHT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THAT IMPLEMENTATION WORK IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE FROM CAMBRIDGE WHO ARE RADICALLY, UH, INVESTED IN IT.
SAME THING WITH STREET THEORY COLLECTIVE.
SAME THING WITH DAILY TABLE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOVED ABOUT THIS PLACE.
UM, SO LET'S START WITH CITY OWNED LAND.
LET'S SEE WHAT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOWER COULD LOOK LIKE ON CITY OWNED LAND.
AND JUST, UM, AS I CLOSE, SORT OF SUPPORTING THE DIRECTION OF THIS PRESENTATION, I, I SUPPORT THE EXPANDED BOUNDARY, THE PROPOSED URBAN FORM AND CDD CONTINUING COMMUNITY INPUT.
BUT I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE US NOT TO SPEND ANOTHER DECADE STUDYING WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW IN A DECADE.
SO MUCH CAN CHANGE AND WE CAN LOSE SO MUCH.
UM, WE'RE GETTING CLEARER ON THE VISION AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR, AND NOW WE NEED TO JUST BE CLEAR ON THE DELIVERY.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION FORWARD.
KEEP YOUR TIMELINE, BUT KEEP YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'VE BEEN EVOLVING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO MAKE SURE IT EVOLVES FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEARING WITH ME.
LET'S OPEN UP TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS KATHY HOFFMAN, FOLLOWED BY ETHAN FRANK, THEN DAVID HALPERIN.
KATHY, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, UH, 67 PLEASANT STREET, CAMBRIDGE PORT SINCE 1978 AND 30 YEARS BEFORE THAT IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S GET RID OF THIS TIMELINE PLEASE SO THAT WE REALLY CAN LOOK AT A FEW OTHER THINGS.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT MASS AND MAINE AND WHAT THAT CREATED.
AS KEN HAS ALREADY SUGGESTED, LET'S GIVE THE CAMBRIDGE STREET AND MASS AVE BUILDING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ZONED.
HOW MUCH IS GOING TO GET BUILT? HOW IS THAT GONNA AFFECT THINGS? I WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FEELING OF CENTRAL SQUARE, NOT JUST AS MARKET RENTERS, NOT JUST AS CULTURAL INSTITUTE, AS AN INSTITUTION SITE.
I REMEMBER ALSO THE CENTRAL SQUARE OF THE HARBOR DONUT DINER OF CORCORANS OF DRESS SHOPS AS A DOWNTOWN FOR WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.
THAT HAS ESSENTIALLY BEEN ELIMINATED WITH SOME OF THE BUILDING THAT'S GOING ON.
TO ME, THAT IS ALSO CENTRAL SQUARE THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIVED.
UM, I WANT US TO LOOK AT THE CITY LOTS AS THE PLACES TO BE INCLUDED TO THINK ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SOCIAL HOUSING ALSO WANT US TO LOOK AT THE NOTION OF WHAT CREATES DISPLACEMENT.
THE MORE WE BUILD AT LUXURY RATES AND OF LAND USE PRICES GOING UP, THE MORE WE WILL CREATE DISPLACEMENT.
WE ALREADY PASSED THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING.
I KNOW THERE'S A HEARING TOMORROW.
I WON'T BE THERE, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IF YOU CREATE THIS ZONING, AS OF RIGHT, YOU START TO SEE IT AND IT IS NOT A GOOD LOOK SO FAR, NOT JUST SPEARS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, A NINE UNIT BUILDING GOING UP ON FAIRMONT STREET, A FOUR UNIT AND A THREE UNIT ON HAMILTON, THREE TO FOUR UNITS NEXT DOOR TO ME ON PLEASANT STREET.
ALL OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE LUXURY UNITS.
THIS IS NOT HOUSING FOR PEOPLE IN CAMBRIDGE.
THESE ARE GONNA BE LUXURY UNITS, DISPLACING MORE AFFORDABLE PRICE PRICES.
NOW LET'S SLOW DOWN, CURATE WHAT WE LOVE AND DO THIS RIGHT? THANK YOU.
I DO NOT SEE ETHAN FRANK, DAVID HALPERIN OR PETER MADERO.
PETER MADERO, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
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UM, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE COMMITTEE AND TO EVERYONE WHO ALREADY SPOKE.I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, I'M A CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT AND AN EDUCATOR.
I'M STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED MOSTLY SO FAR.
UM, I'M REALLY IN FAVOR OF PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE INCLUSIONARY HOMES.
I DO SHARE OTHER PEOPLE'S CONCERNS THAT IT WOULD BE LUXURY HOUSING.
UM, AND I DO THINK WE NEED MORE STEPS, AS OTHER SPEAKERS ALREADY SAID, TO EXPLORE SOCIAL HOUSING AND THINGS TO MAKE THESE HOMES PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE.
UM, I DON'T WANNA REPEAT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ALREADY SAID.
UH, I TEACH RHETORIC AND I JUST SUSPECT THAT TODAY YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF ARGUMENTS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, FROM SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS, IN FACT, UH, AGAINST THESE THINGS.
AND I, WITH ALL RESPECT TO MR. REEVES, UM, WHO SAID, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE SURE YOU, YOU DON'T WANNA IGNORE ANYBODY.
I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THE COMMITTEE DOES IGNORE SOME PEOPLE.
UH, TO BE TOTALLY FRANK, I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS I'VE HEARD, ESPECIALLY THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE, ARE, UH, AT BEST BAD FAITH ARGUMENTS AND ARE AT WORST DOG WHISTLES.
UH, SOMETIMES I THINK WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY FEEL OR THINGS THAT MIGHT BE LOST IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, I SUSPECT OTHER THINGS ARE BEING DISCUSSED UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND REGARDING THE INVISIBILITY OF THESE THINGS, WE HAVE LOADS OF CITIES THAT HAVE NOT LOST THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL AND HAVE ADDED MULTI-FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IF YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN, IF YOU LOOK AT, SORRY, I HAVE A LIST.
UM, ROCHESTER, OMAHA, COLUMBUS, MILWAUKEE, SEATTLE, HARTFORD.
UH, NONE OF THESE CITIES WERE DESTROYED BY TAKING SIMILAR PATHS.
AND I THINK FOR CAMBRIDGE TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO BE MORE AFFORDABLE, WE, UH, CAN'T BLINK EVEN IN THE FACE OF SOME FRANKLY, BAD FAITH ARGUMENTS.
UM, I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NHI TI FOLLOWED BY YOUNG KIM NHI.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M A A 16 YEAR CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT, UH, LIVE IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE, BUT SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, I'LL BE THERE TODAY HAVING COFFEE AND TAKING A CLASS AT DANCE COMPLEX AND LIKELY HAVING DINNER THERE.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE ZONING PLANS AND, AND PARTICULAR OF, OF HEIGHT, UH, AS PROPOSED IN THE, UH, THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS, UM, UH, THAT THE CITY STAFF SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER TODAY.
UH, I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUILDING AT, UM, IN THE CORNER OF, OF MAIN STREET AND MASS AVE, UH, IS LARGE, BUT IS IS GREAT AND A GREAT ADDITION TO THE CITY AND THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE NEED.
UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING MASSACHUSETTS AND, UM, IT'S HARD TO STAY IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, JUST AS PETER BEFORE ME SPOKE ABOUT, I'VE ALSO SPENT TIME IN OTHER CITIES, UM, AROUND THE COUNTRY OVER THE PAST YEAR, SEATTLE AND DALLAS IN PARTICULAR, WHICH OF COURSE ARE LARGER.
BUT YOU SEE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THERE.
AND I WAS SPEAKING WITH A FRIEND, UM, JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHO MOVED HERE TO CAMBRIDGE.
UM, HER KIDS ARE IN SCHOOLS IN, IN CAMBRIDGE WITH MY KIDS, UM, AT KING OPEN.
AND SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE CONSIDERING MOVING TO DALLAS BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO STAY HERE.
THEY WORK IN RESEARCH AND SCIENCE, BUT, UM, BUT OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE BECKONING, GIVEN THE COST OF, OF LIVING AND THE COST TO STAY HERE.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THESE TYPES OF PLANS SUPPORTING HEIGHT IS, IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AND THE SQUARES ARE THE PERFECT PLACES TO HAVE THEM.
SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THE CITY IS DOING TO, TO REZONE AND, AND ENSURE WE HAVE SUFFICIENT HOUSING, UM, UH, HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM YOUNG, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
YOUNG KIM 17 NORRIS STREET, SPEAKING ON THE HOUSING COMMITTEE HEARING ON CENTRAL SCALE REZONING.
I WANT TO THANK CDD FOR RAISING THE CRUCIAL QUESTION.
WHAT IS MISSING? BECAUSE BEFORE ADVANCING FURTHER DELIBERATION, WE NEED TO ASK TWO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS.
WHAT GOAL ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? AND DO WE HAVE A CLEAR RECONCILED CITYWIDE BASELINE OF HOUSING PRODUCTION TO SUPPORT THESE DECISIONS? WITHOUT THAT BASELINE, EACH ZONING CHANGE IS EVALUATED, UH, IN ISOLATION RATHER THAN AS PART OF A CUMULATIVE CITYWIDE SYSTEM RISKING DECISIONS BASED ON AN INCOMPLETE OR INTERNALLY INCONSISTENT PICTURE.
THIS MATTERS BECAUSE THIS REZONING COMES ALONGSIDE SIGNIFICANT REASON ZONING CHANGES, MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, MASS A AND CAMBRIDGE TO THE CO ZONING, WHICH HAVE MATERIALLY ALTERED THE PLANNING LANDSCAPE.
WHEN HOUSING PROJECTION TO 2030 WERE REVIEWED IN AUGUST 24,
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A HU DEVELOPMENTS WERE NOT INCORPORATED INTO THAT FRAMEWORK.AS NOTED IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS.
SINCE THEN, NEW DATA HAS BEEN RELEASED, INCLUDING THE FIVE YEAR A HU REPORT AND ONE YEAR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REPORT SHOWING THIS, THIS REFERENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF CURRENT AND PIPELINE HOUSING, INCLUDING ON THE ORDER OF THOUSAND A HO UNIT.
SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, HAVE ALL THESE ELEMENTS BEEN FULLY RECONCILED INTO A SINGLE NON DUPLICATIVE CITYWIDE BASELINE? ALL OF THESE PIECES EXIST, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER INTO ONE CONSISTENT ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK.
THEY SHOULD NOT CHANGE ANY POLICY GOALS, BUT IT WOULD ENSURE DECISIONS ARE GROUNDED IN COMPLETE AND CONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING OF HOUSING PRODUCTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARYLEE MEYER, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN MAGID, THEN CAROLYN FULLER MARYLEE.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M MARYLEE MEYER 10 DANA STREET, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, UH, MR. RES FOR HIS ASTUTE COMMENTS.
I ATTENDED MANY CENTRAL, UM, SQUARE MEETINGS, UM, WHICH INITIALLY FELT INCLUSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE CITY OWNED.
LOTS AND U UM, UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES WERE IDENTIFIED FOR POTENTIAL 18 STORIES ALONG MASS A AND EIGHT STORIES AND NEIGHBORHOOD EDGES STILL TOO.
UM, TALL, DISSATISFIED, UM, CIVIC GROUPS IDENTIFY, UM, IDENTIFIED DEEPER CONCERNS, INCLUDING HEIGHT AND DISPLACEMENT.
THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT NIMBYS, BUT LONGTIME MODEST HOME OWNERS AND RENTERS LOOKING FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND FAIRNESS.
WHILE DEFINING PARAMETERS OF HORRORS, UH, OF CENTRAL SQUARE 18 STORIES WERE PROJECTED TO HANCOCK STREET, IT IS THIS ARBITRARY, UM, DESIGNATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF CENTRAL CENTRAL SQUARE ITSELF, ITS LENGTH AND HOW IT BLEEDS INTO ABUTTING NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS THE ISSUE.
THE, UM, NEW ZONING SEEMS TO IGNORE SCALE MAX, UM, MAXIMIZING SQUARE FOOT, ELIMINATING TREES AND DWARFING SIDE STREETS.
MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN, UH, LIVE BETWEEN LEE AND FRO BRIDGE DO NOT IDENTIFY WITH EITHER CENTRAL OR HARVARD SQUARES.
THESE TRANSITIONAL DOWNSIZE BLOCKS HAVE AUTONOMY ACCORDING TO THE 1980, UM, 98 ANDERSON, UH, PETITION.
THESE TOWERS ARE TOLERABLE BECAUSE THEY, UM, INCORPORATE DESIGN FEATURES SOLELY, UM, SORELY LACKING IN THE NEW ITERATION.
THE EXISTING TALL MASS, A BUILDINGS MOSTLY HAVE PLAZAS, FULL GREEN OPEN SPACE, SHELTERED OFF, UM, OFF STREET PARKING WIDE SIDEWALKS AND EXTENSIVE SETBACKS.
UM, SET, UM, STEPS DOWN, FOUR STORIES AND KEEPING WITH THE SCALE OF CENTRAL SQUARE.
NOT ALL SITE PACIFIC, UH, SPECIFIC LOCATIONS, POTENTIALLY LACKING INFRASTRUCTURE ARE VIABLE, IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE NEED, UM, PROJECT REVIEW.
I HOPE YOU DO LISTEN INSTEAD OF CEMENTING A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLYN MAGID, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN FULLER.
CAROLYN, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
PLEASE WAIT TO ADDRESS CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING UNTIL SEVERAL OTHER IMPORTANT STEPS ARE TAKEN.
FIRST, LET A SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE DEVELOP PLANS SO THAT THE CITY CAN MEET THE DEADLINE FOR A STATE 2027 SOCIAL HOUSING PILOT PROCESS.
ON THE CURRENT CDD TIMELINE, CDD HAS NO TIME TO DO MORE THAN SCOPING OF SOCIAL HOUSING THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2026, AND THE STATE WILL CITY WILL MISS STATE AND BUDGET DEADLINES.
SOCIAL HOUSING WOULD PROVIDE 40% AFFORDABLE UNITS, PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OR CONTROL TENANT GOVERNANCE AND PROTECTIONS OF ALL TENANTS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT.
DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO ARE DEVELOPING THIS MODEL, A MODEL THAT ALLOWS CITIES TO PROVIDE STABLE HOUSING FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME TENANTS AND OTHERS, A MODEL THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO CHANGES IN THE MARKET OR PRIVATE DEVELOPER INTEREST IN BUILDING.
SECOND, COORDINATE THE DISCUSSION OF CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING WITH THE DISCUSSION OF CITY OWNED CENTRAL SQUARE LOTS.
THIRD, MEET WITH THE DIVERSE COMMUNITY COALITION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MEETING ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE.
YOU HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF THE MEMBERS TODAY.
THE CDD COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS MEETINGS ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE THAT I ATTENDED WERE WELL INTENTIONED, BUT WERE WEAK ON BROAD COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION AND ON REPORTING BACK ON THE MESSAGE FROM THOSE WHO DID ATTEND, CDD SHOULD MEET WITH THIS COALITION AND TAKE ITS MESSAGES INTO ACCOUNT.
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AND FOURTH, PLEASE EVALUATE THE EXTENSIVE ZONING CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE IN LIGHT OF HOW MANY AFFORDABLE UNITS THEY PRODUCE AND WHAT MAY HAPPEN TO INCLUSIONARY ZONING IN THE NEXT YEAR.IF THE RESULT OF THESE ZONING CHANGES IS MOSTLY HOUSING FOR THE WEALTHY AS OPPOSED TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS, AND IN FACT IT DISPLACES LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS, WE WILL NEED A MAJOR RETHINKING OF WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE CAROLYN FULLER, FOLLOWED BY BILL VINNEY.
MY NAME IS CAROLYN FULLER, 12 DOUGLAS STREET.
I'M A 78-YEAR-OLD HOMEOWNER IN THE HEART OF CENTRAL SQUARE IN THE VERY SHADOW OF MARKET CENTRAL AKA MASS IN MAINE.
MY HOME IS ACTUALLY SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY THIS DEVELOPMENT.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ONCE AGAIN EXPRESS STRONG SUPPORT FOR MORE HOUSING IN CENTRAL SQUARE, AND TO RE REASSURE THOSE WHO FEAR HEIGHTS, THAT THE JOY OF HAVING MORE NEIGHBORS FAR OUTWEIGHS THE SHADOWS CREATED BY THEIR HOMES.
IN FACT, THE TWO CITY TREES JUST OUTSIDE MY PROPERTY CAST FAR MORE SWEET COOLING SHADOWS THAN ANY OF THE BUILDINGS SURROUNDING MY HOME.
LIKE MANY CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, I HAVE FELT THE EFFECTS OF OUR SEVERE HOUSING SHORTAGE EVERY DAY SINCE 1995 WITH MY NEIGHBORS BEING FORCED TO LEAVE CAMBRIDGE BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
IN 2006, MY HUSBAND AND I, ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF OUR NEIGHBORS, GOT RID OF OUR CARS AND HAD BEEN BLISSFULLY CAR FREE EVER SINCE.
EVEN BEFORE 2006, I HAD THE LUXURY OF BEING ABLE TO WALK TO AND FROM WORK.
MORE HOUSING IN CENTRAL SQUARE WILL MEAN MORE PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF LIVING CAR FREE.
MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO WALK TO WORK, SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT.
AND I THINK MY TIME IS UP, BUT I JUST PLEASE FOCUS ON ENCOURAGING MORE HOUSING.
AND ONE OF THE LAST THING I WANNA ADDRESS, UH, COUNSELOR REEVES.
I HAVE LIVED IN CENTRAL SQUARE SINCE 1978, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE VERY CORE MEANING OF CENTRAL SQUARE IS CHANGE.
IT HAS RADICALLY CHANGED EVERY FIVE YEARS SINCE I'VE STARTED LIVING HERE.
CENTRAL SQUARE IS A LIVING, BREATHING HEART THAT CHANGES CONSTANTLY.
TO FREEZE IT WITH, TO WHAT IT IS.
TODAY WOULD BE A STAB IN ITS VERY HEART.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL NEY, FOLLOWED BY DAN TOTTEN.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
I LIVE HALF ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A BLOCK OFF MASS AVE IN THE SHADOW OF MASS AND MAINE.
AND I MOVED TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN 19, ROUGHLY.
WELL, I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS 20 YEARS OLD, AND A LOT OF THE REASON FOR MY MOVING HERE WAS THAT I WANTED TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT WAS QUITE DIVERSE.
IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BECOME A LOT LESS DIVERSE.
THEN MASS AND MAINE MOVED IN AND SOME DIVERSITY CAME BACK.
PEOPLE CONFUSE MASS IN MAINE AS BEING NOT A COMMUNITY BUILDING.
EVERY MORNING I SEE LOADS OF PEOPLE POUR OUT OF THAT BUILDING WITH THEIR DOGS OR, AND OTHER THING, OTHER ANIMALS.
UM, BUT ALSO THE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS COMING OUT.
THIS FEELS LIKE A REAL COMMUNITY, MORE SO THAN IT DID BEFORE WHEN IT WASN'T, UM, WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE AND WHEN IT WAS MUCH MORE MONOCHROMATIC.
SECOND, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DISPLACEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF MIS DIAGNOSING DISPLACEMENT.
WE DON'T BUILD A MASS IN MAINE.
PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE THIS BELIEF THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD'VE LIVED THERE JUST DISAPPEAR.
THEY DON'T, THEY DISPLACE OUR NEIGHBORS.
I HAVE HAD MANY, MANY FRIENDS, INCLUDING MY SON, DISPLACED FROM CAMBRIDGE, NOT BY A SPECIFIC ENTITY CHANGING THEIR LOCATION, BUT BY THE PRICE.
AND WE SEE THIS, IF YOU LOOK AROUND, IF YOU HAVE YOUR EYES OPEN, YOU SEE MANY, MANY BUILDINGS NOT BEING INCREASED IN SIZE, BUT BEING INCREASED IN
[01:15:01]
PRICE BY RENOVATIONS.AND JUST SAY HELLO TO MY TWO NEIGHBORS, DAN TOTEN AND NEIL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN TOTTEN, FOLLOWED BY NEIL MILLER, THEN HENRY H WARDIS.
I ALSO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF MASS AND MAINE.
UM, AND I'M A RENTER OF NEARLY 10 YEARS.
WHO STANDS TO BE DISPLACED BY THIS ZONING? UM, AND I WILL SAY IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL, BUT IT MUST BE EASY TO CALL MASSON, MAINE A JOY WHEN YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER WHO RECOGNIZES THAT THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY IS GOING TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE BECAUSE OF THESE UP ZONINGS.
BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH A JOY WHEN YOU ARE A RENTER WHO RECOGNIZES THAT YOU'LL BE KICKED OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LOVE BECAUSE OF THIS ZONING.
I HAVE THREE QUICK POINTS I WANNA MAKE.
ONE IS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE VICE MEZE MAKING SPACE FOR OUR MULTIRACIAL COALITION, ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE COALITIONS THAT THE CITY HAS SEEN ON ANY ISSUE IN A LONG TIME.
UM, WE HAD A HUNDRED PERSON EVENT AT THE ELKS LODGE IN LATE 2024, WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY THE NAACP, THE YWCA, THE THE BLACK RESPONSE, THE MANNING APARTMENTS TENANT COUNCIL.
UM, THAT WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED OR MENTIONED IN THE CITY PRESENTATION, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE LARGEST, UM, GATHERING OF PEOPLE, UH, DURING THAT ENTIRE PROCESS.
AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT A CM PETERS WAS IN THE ROOM SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM LISTENING, WHICH I REALLY RESPECT.
AND I WOULD LIKE HER TO REFLECT ON WHAT SHE LEARNED AND WHAT SHE HEARD IN THAT MEETING DURING THE DISCUSSION.
UM, 0.2 IS THAT, UM, MR. MONIM, WHO AGAIN, I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR, SAID THAT NOT EVERY SITE CAN OR WILL BE REDEVELOPED, BUT THERE ARE ONE STORE BUILDINGS WHERE WE CAN HAVE HOUSING.
BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT ALL OF THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WE CARE ABOUT, MAN, RAY CANTAB, MIDDLE EAST, ON AND ON, ARE IN THOSE ONE STORY BUILDINGS.
AND THERE IS NO PLAN OF HOW WE CAN KEEP THOSE INSTITUTIONS IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
AND IF WE LET THIS GO FORWARD WITHOUT A PLAN, IF WE SAY, OH, WE WANNA EXPLORE RESOURCES AND HIGHLIGHT STRATEGIES TO HELP RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS IMPACTED, THAT'S NOT A PLAN.
WE WILL LOSE THOSE, THOSE SPACES.
THEY WILL NOT COME BACK AND WE WILL NOT HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT.
THE THIRD POINT I WANNA SAY IS THAT IT'S CONFUSING THAT THE CRA HAS STARTED A NEW PROCESS ABOUT THE CITY LOTS THAT IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM WHATEVER'S GOING ON HERE.
IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR RESIDENTS TO KEEP UP WITH.
I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE COMBINED WITH THIS SO WE CAN HAVE ONE DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE CITY LOTS MIGHT ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED HERE IN THE ZONING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NEIL MILLER, FOLLOWED BY HENRY WARDIS.
HI, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU TO CDD FOR THE PRISON.
I ACTUALLY LIVE IN MASS AND MAINE NOW AT 4 25 MASS AVE AFTER LIVING IN CAMBRIDGEPORT FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT.
UM, THANK YOU TO CDD FOR THEIR PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO CONNECT ZONING AND PLANNING TO PEOPLE, SO I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UH, AND MY EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTSIDE AND INSIDE MASS IN MAINE.
UM, LET ME TALK ABOUT MY NEIGHBORS IN THE BUILDING.
THEY ARE SCIENTISTS, THEY'RE ENTREPRENEURS, THEY'RE TEACHERS IN CAMBRIDGE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS, FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE STORES NEARBY, AND SENIORS WHO SPENT THEIR LIVES LIVING IN CAMBRIDGE AND HELPING BUILD THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW TO CAMBRIDGE, PEOPLE THAT GREW UP IN CAMBRIDGE AND RAISE THEIR FAMILIES HERE.
AND ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE RAISING THEIR KIDS IN MASS AND MAINE.
IT'S GREAT TO GO TO THE COMMON AREA AND SEE PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND WITH THEIR SIBLINGS HAVING FUN.
UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF LIVING IN THIS BUILDING.
SOME OF THE REASONS THAT I MOVED THERE.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY FOR SENIORS.
I LOVED LIVING IN OUR OLD APARTMENT ON PEARL STREET, WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE 1890S.
I DIDN'T LOVE HOW WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER CAME TO CELEBRATE OUR WEDDING, SHE HAD TO SIT IN THE CAR OUTSIDE, UM, WITH MY MOM BECAUSE THERE'S NO ELEVATORS.
UH, NO WAY THAT SHE'S MAKING THAT UP.
UM, NEW BUILDINGS, SMALLER BUILDINGS HAVE ELEVATORS.
I ALSO DIDN'T LOVE HOW MY NEIGHBORS IN MY OLD BUILDING HAD TO MOVE OUT WHEN THEY GOT PREGNANT.
AND WERE PLANNING TO HAVE KIDS BECAUSE OF, UM, THE LEAD PAINT.
THERE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE GREAT SMALL BUSINESSES INCLUDING A, YOU KNOW, CAFE THAT'S OPEN EARLY AND LATE.
A TH THRIFT STORE, RADIO STATION.
SO MANY OTHER BUSINESSES JUST LIKE TO CONTRAST THAT WITH THE VACANT STOREFRONTS WE'RE SEEING IN A LOT OF THE REST OF CENTRAL SQUARE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HENRY H WARDIS, FOLLOWED BY LEE FERRIS.
HENRY, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
[01:20:01]
H WHERE DOES 1 0 6 BERTHA STREET OUR REVOLUTION? WE ALL AGREE THERE WILL BE MORE HOUSING IN THE NEW CENTRAL SQUARE.THE CRITICAL ISSUE IS NOT WEATHER HOUSING, BUT HOUSING FOR WHOM.
WHAT THE SUMMARY OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK DOES NOT CAPTURE IS THE STRONG DESIRE OF RESIDENTS TO PRESERVE THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE SQUARE.
A REZONE CENTRAL SQUARE WILL NOT BE A SUCCESS IF IT RESULTS IN PRICING OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED LOW TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS TO PROVIDE NEW HOUSING FOR A THOUSAND TECHNOCRATS.
THAT SCENARIO RECALLS THE PHRASE FROM THE VIETNAM WAR.
THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE CITY WAS TO DESTROY IT.
WHEN ROADS ARE BUILT, WE AUTOMATICALLY THINK OF THE GOVERNMENT AS THE DEVELOPER.
NEW SCHOOLS MOST WILL BE BUILT BY GOVERNMENT WITH A FEW, UH, BUILT PRIVATELY FOR HOUSING.
MOST OFTEN THE BUILDERS WILL BE FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPERS WITH A FEW PRIVATE NONPROFIT AGENCIES ALSO BUILDING.
BUT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD, PARTICULARLY IN EUROPE, MUCH OF THE NEW HOUSING IS GOVERNMENT BUILT SOCIAL HOUSING.
LAST FALL, THE COUNCIL INITIATED WORK ON A SOCIAL HOUSING PLAN FOR CAMBRIDGE AT A TIME WHEN PRIVATELY DEVELOPED HOUSING IS CHALLENGED TO BUILD UNITS FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
HOUSE SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE FOR CENTRAL SQUARE.
DON'T COMPROMISE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF CAMBRIDGE, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE SQUARE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK SOCIAL HOUSING.
WE HAVE ABOUT SIX SPEAKERS LEFT.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE FERRIS, FOLLOWED BY SUZANNE BLEIER.
THEN JUSTIN SAFE LEE, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M SPEAKING FOR THE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENCE ALLIANCE AND ALSO AS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF NORFOLK STREET NEAR CENTRAL SQUARE.
I'M PART OF THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUSTICE COALITION, WHICH HAS BEEN WORKING TO GET THE CITY TO START SOCIAL HOUSING.
WE THINK SOCIAL HOUSING WILL PROVIDE GREATER AFFORDABILITY THAN INCLUSIONARY HOUSING AND WILL ALSO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY CONTROL NOT FOUND IN MARKET HOUSING.
WE WANT THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO PAUSE ON UPZONING CENTRAL SQUARE UNTIL CDD GETS SOCIAL HOUSING MOVING C CD'S SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR SHOWED SOCIAL HOUSING LAST WITH WORK ON CENTRAL SQUARE STARTING NOW, THEY CAN'T WORK ON EVERYTHING, SO WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PRIORITIZE SOCIAL HOUSING, WHICH WILL ALSO LIKELY NEED NEW ZONING.
THE CITY DID ITS STUDY OF CENTRAL SQUARE LOTS IN 2023.
THOSE LOTS SHOULD BE PART OF PLANNING CENTRAL SQUARE.
WE WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THE USES OF THOSE LOTS.
BEFORE REZONING CENTRAL SQUARE, WE'D LIKE TO SEE A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR SOCIAL HOUSING ON THOSE LOTS WITH AT LEAST 40%, UH, OF THE UNITS BEING AVAILABLE AS WELL AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE STARLIGHT.
WE'RE CONCERNED THAT REZONING CENTRAL SQUARE NOW WILL LEAD TO DISPLACEMENT OF MARKET TENANTS AND THE LOSS OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN ONE STORY BUILDINGS.
SO ANY DISCUSSION OF REZONING SHOULD INCLUDE MEASURES TO PREVENT THOSE HARMS. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY HAS USED MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REGARDING CENTRAL SQUARE GOING FORWARD.
ANY PLANNING NEEDS TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE LIKE WE'VE HEARD FROM TODAY, WHO HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN THIS MULTICULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHO ARE NOT ALWAYS HEARD.
I WILL SUBMIT FURTHER COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BIER, FOLLOWED BY JUSTIN SAFE.
SUZANNE, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
OH, SUZANNE IS NOT ON THE ZOOM ANYMORE.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO JUSTIN SAFE, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HATIS, THEN DAVID HALPERIN.
I, UH, AM IN STRONG SUPPORT OF MORE HOUSING IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, I THINK, UH, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO ACHIEVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN CAMBRIDGE THAN BUILDING MORE HOUSING, UH,
[01:25:01]
OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.THE, UH, ACADEMIC LITERATURE ON THIS IS OVERWHELMING.
THERE'S STUDIES SHOWING THAT ONE SINGLE TALL BUILDING REDUCES RENTS AROUND IT.
THERE ARE STUDIES SHOWING THAT CITYWIDE UP ZONINGS PRODUCE RENTS IN AUSTIN.
IN FACT, THE BENEFITS OF RENTS, UH, THAT DECREASE GO IN LARGEST PART TO THOSE WHOSE RENTS ARE ALREADY THE LOWEST.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST INCOME FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING IN, UH, APARTMENTS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE, BECOME MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS.
I MEAN, LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WHO LIVE AT MARKET CENTRAL.
THOSE FOLKS COULD AFFORD TO LIVE ELSEWHERE.
AND IF MARKET CENTRAL DIDN'T EXIST, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE PORT, THEY WOULD LIVE IN THE PORT, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD MAKE THE RENTS THERE GO UP AND THEY WOULD COMPETE WITH THE EXISTING.
AND THAT'S WHAT LEADS TO DISPLACEMENT.
WHAT FOLKS SEEM TO WANT IS THE STATUS QUO WE'VE HAD FOR 40 YEARS.
AND WHAT HAS THAT LED TO? MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT, MASSIVE INCREASE IN HOUSING COSTS, RENTS GOING UP AND UP AND UP.
ONLY BY ACTUALLY BUILDING HOUSING CAN WE MAKE RENTS COME DOWN.
IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO I HOPE WE CAN START THIS QUICKLY, UH, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH NEW ZONING FOR CENTRAL, UH, I WOULD SUPPORT TALLER BUILDINGS AND NO STEP BACKS OR SETBACKS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID HATIS, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HALPERIN.
I'M IN FAVOR OF CENTRAL SQUARE REZONING.
I THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR MORE HOUSING.
THERE'S A LOT OF ACCESS TO TRANSIT.
IF YOU LIVE IN CENTRAL SQUARE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RED LINE STOP RIGHT THERE.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
IT'S YOU, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO LOTS OF WORKPLACES.
THERE ARE JOBS NOT JUST IN KENDALL SQUARE, BUT UP AND DOWN THE RED LINE.
THERE'S ALREADY TALL BUILDINGS HERE.
I JUST THINK THERE ARE JUST SO MANY REASONS WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO ALLOW MORE, MORE DENSITY, UM, IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
I THINK MARKET CENTRAL, I THINK IS A SUCCESS.
I ENJOY GOING TO THE RESTAURANTS THERE.
I GO TO SHOW JO, I GO, I SEE CARA BEFORE MARKET CENTRAL WAS THERE, IT WAS, I BELIEVE A GARAGE AND A MEDICAL TESTING BUILDING.
AND NOW THERE'S 47 AFFORDABLE HOMES THERE AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER HOMES.
AND I THINK THAT SAME TRANSFORMATION COULD HAPPEN IN OTHER ONE STORY BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL SQUARE AND ANOTHER PARKING LOTS.
UM, SO, AND I THINK INCLUSIONARY HOUSING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, IT ALLOWS, IT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING THE CITY GETS FOR FREE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED, I MEAN THE, THE A HO IS IS WONDERFUL, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE LIMITED MONEY AVAILABLE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE LIMITED MONEY THAT WE CAN ACCESS THROUGH THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT.
AND SO WE NEED OTHER WAYS OF CREATING AFFORDABLE HOMES.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU ALLOW MORE HEIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID HALBURN, AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER WILL BE ROBERT WINTERS.
HI, DAVID HALPIN 14 VALENTINE STREET.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK TO ME.
UM, AS A CAMBRIDGE COURT RESIDENT, I'M REALLY, PERSONALLY VERY EXCITED TO, UH, SEE CENTRAL SQUARE UP ZONE FOR MORE HOUSING.
UM, I ATTENDED, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY OF THE MEETINGS FROM THE PREVIOUS COMMUNITY PROCESS.
AND YEAH, REALLY HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN AVOID TOO MUCH OF A REDO OF THAT.
UM, RESIDENTS HAVE SHOWN, YOU KNOW, OVER AND OVER THROUGH ELECTIONS, THROUGH OUR RESIDENT SURVEY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT MORE HOUSING AS THEIR TOP PRIORITY.
AND CENTRAL SQUARE IS A GREAT PLACE TO PUT IT.
THE MORE HOUSING WE CAN ZONE FOR HERE, THE MORE INCLUSIONARY UNITS, THE MORE, UH, LOCAL CUSTOMERS FOR BUSINESSES WHO HAVE PEOPLE LIVING NEAR TRANSIT.
IT JUST MAKES, UH, A TON OF SENSE.
UM, WE NEED TO HAVE A POSITIVE VISION FOR HOW WE, YOU KNOW, CAN HAVE
[01:30:01]
A VIBRANT SQUARE GOING FORWARD AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WORRY ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT LOSE.KEEPING THINGS THE SAME ISN'T NECESSARILY GONNA KEEP OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THERE.
WE'VE LOST, UM, GREEN STREET GRILL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE BEST WAY TO HAVE A VIBRANT SQUARE GOING FORWARD IS TO, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LOWER DEMAND FOR RETAIL FROM ONLINE SHOPPING AND ALL THIS, IS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE LIVE NEARBY AND MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO PLACES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, PEOPLE HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE, BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ABOUT THIS FOR A DECADE AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ONE MORE TIME, LIKE PROBABLY ISN'T GOING TO, UH, ISN'T GOING TO RESOLVE THIS.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT WE WANT THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL SQUARE TO BE.
UM, I HOPE WE CAN, UH, I HOPE WE CAN UPS ZONE CENTRAL SQUARE SOON.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS ROBERT WINTERS.
ROBERT, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
ROBERT WINTERS, I LIVE ON BROADWAY AND LIKE QUITE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE.
UH, I THINK LIKE MANY PEOPLE, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF GETTING MORE HOUSING INTO CENTRAL SQUARE, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
UH, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ANYBODY WHO GOES THROUGH CENTRAL SQUARE TODAY IS, SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THERE'S PROBABLY 15 TO 20 VACANT STOREFRONTS, UH, IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
NOW, I REMEMBER BACK WHEN WE WERE DOING THE K TWO C TWO PROCESS, I WAS PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT TRYING TO RETAIN RETAIL.
WELL, I CALLED RETAIL DIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY, YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE ONLY, UH, RETAIL ENTITIES THAT ARE SEEKING SPACES IN CENTRAL SQUARE ARE HIGH END OR HIGH RISK, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S SORT OF LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A, A DEATH CAGE MATCH TO SEE WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA SURVIVE YOUR FIRST YEAR IN BUSINESS.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF ANY LEGAL WAY YOU CAN SORT OF REQUIRE, UH, REASONABLE PRICE POINTS FOR BUSINESSES IN CENTRAL SQUARE, BUT I WOULD AT LEAST HOPE IT SOMEHOW THROUGH MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, WHATEVER, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN GAIN, UH, STRIVE FOR.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES WHEN I LISTEN TO SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE, THERE SEEMS TO BE, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BAD MATH PROBLEM WHERE PEOPLE SAY, WELL, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN, I HATE THAT PHRASE, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN EVERYTHING AND DRAWN EVERY CONCLUSION IMAGINABLE, BY THE WAY.
BUT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IF WE INCREASE THE DENSITY OF PEOPLE IN HERE, THEN THAT MAGICALLY WILL, UH, LEAD TO SUSTAINABLE RETAIL, ET CETERA.
THAT CERTAINLY THERE'S A CORRELATION TO BE SURE MORE PEOPLE, MORE POSSIBLE CUSTOMERS TO BE SURE.
BUT AS KEN RES AND MIKE MONY HAVE POINTED OUT, A LOT OF THIS IS ALL ABOUT CURATION.
YOU KNOW, I DREAD THE DAY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE LIKE MICHAEL SIMON AND OTHERS WHO CAN ACTUALLY BE THE HUMAN BEINGS THAT ACTUALLY KEEP SOME OF THE RETAIL AND, UH, STOREFRONTS THAT WE VALUE AROUND.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU, HOW YOU MAGICALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT IN ALL OF THIS TALK ABOUT HEIGHTS AND DENSITIES AND, AND FORM THAT WE CAN AT LEAST TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE SUSTAIN A REALLY, REALLY HEALTHY BUSINESS DISTRICT FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT IS ALL THAT WE'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE HAVE ABOUT 25 MINUTES LEFT.
I THINK WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT FIVE AND THEN WE WILL RECESS.
UM, I AM GOING TO GO TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FIRST, JUST WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAVE ONE TO START US OFF WITH.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CENTRAL SQUARE LOTS AND JUST WHERE THAT PROCESS IS SEPARATE FROM THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
UM, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD QUICKLY JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE FOR ANYONE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UM, SO WHEN WE LAST CONCLUDED, WE DID THE, THE CENTRAL SQUARE LOT STUDY, UM, AND IDENTIFIED SOME EARLY ACTION ITEMS. UM, TWO OF THOSE INCLUDED LOTS FOUR AND 5 84 96 BISHOP BALLEN DRIVE.
UM, THERE WAS A, A POTENTIAL IDEA OF DOING A, UH, JOINT DEVELOPMENT, UM, PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET MORE THAN 20% AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 30 OR 40 WITH, UH, SUBSIDIZED, UH, ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACE.
AND WE WERE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE WAS INTEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UH, TO REALIZE THAT VISION AND, AND, UM, GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, UM, WE CAME BACK WITH RESULTS FROM WHAT WE FOUND OUT DURING A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
[01:35:01]
AND FELT LIKE AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, IT WAS BEST TO KINDA WAIT AND SEE HOW THE MARKET, UH, ADJUST.AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO, UM, REEVALUATE AS AS TIME GOES ON.
UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT, UM, WHETHER IT'S A REDEVELOPMENT THAT WAS DISCUSSED ON THOSE LOTS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, OR SOCIAL HOUSING, THAT WE, WE NEED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ZONING IS.
AND SO THAT THE ZONING WAS REALLY THE FIRST STEP BEFORE WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DEVELOPED THERE.
'CAUSE SOCIAL HOUSING WILL NEED, UM, THE ZONING TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, IF IF IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE, THAT COULD GO UNDER THE A HO.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S A MIXED INCOME PROJECT OR ANY OTHER PROJECT WITH OTHER USES, THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO, UM, THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO I THINK OUR, OUR GUIDANCE WAS, UH, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH ZONING SO THAT THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, THE CITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE PARAMETER PARAMETERS ARE, AND THAT COULD HELP INFORM ANY, UH, DEVELOPMENT PLANS MOVING FORWARD.
AND COULD YOU JUST, UM, ONE THING I THOUGHT, UH, ONE THING I THOUGHT YOU WOULD TOUCH ON, BUT UM, WE CAN ALSO JUST REFER TO LATER IS JUST THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, WHAT THAT IS OR WHERE PEOPLE COULD GO TO LEARN MORE? YES.
SO, UH, THE CRA, UM, IS LOOKING AT WAYS THAT IT CAN HELP EXISTING, UM, CULTURAL SPACES, UM, IN THE DISTRICT, UH, STAY IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
SO THE IMPETUS FOR THAT WAS, UM, THE DANCE COMPLEX.
UM, AND SO PART OF WHAT I HEAR AND I AGREE WITH IS THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, SO WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE ARE THOSE ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES.
UM, THE CURATION THAT WE, THAT MICHAEL MONING TALKED ABOUT, THE ROBERT WINTERS TALKED ABOUT, UM, AND THE STATUS QUO.
UM, CURRENTLY THERE'S A LOT OF CAPITAL NEEDS THAT NONPROFITS CAN INVEST IN.
SO, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO THE CITY, TO OTHERS TO HELP THINK THROUGH WHAT IS THEIR MORE SUSTAINABLE FINANCING MODEL.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND IT'S REALLY AT THIS POINT, JUST A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX BOX TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S THIS THING WE CAN DO THAT COULD HELP THESE, UH, TYPES OF, UM, USES STAY IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THOSE THREE CONVERSATIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY RELATED, BUT ALSO KIND OF DIFFERENT IN SOME WAYS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERMINGLING AND ALSO CONFUSION AMONG MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING WITH ALL OF THESE.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF CLARIFY HOW THOSE, UH, WORK TOGETHER AND HOW THEY DON'T.
UM, BETWEEN NOW AND, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT COMMITTEE HEARING AND EVERYTHING, UM, FIRST TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK WITH COUNCILLOR SIMMONS ONLINE IF SHE HAD ANY, UM, NOTHING AT THIS TIME.
EM, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW THRILLED I AM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE.
'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR I FELT LIKE BEFORE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST PLACE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE IT IS OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THE FOCUS OF STUDIES FOR 40 YEARS BECAUSE IT'S A TRANSPORTATION CENTER WITH THE MBTA AND BUS LINES.
SO OF ALL PLACES IN THE CITY, UM, BEFORE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BEFORE CAMBRIDGE STREET, BEFORE NORTH MASS, THIS, THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, UH, IT'S THE MOST OBVIOUS PLACE FOR SMART GROWTH, UM, OF, OF, OF COURSE, UH, THE DETAILS WILL, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE.
I, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, THE TRANSITION ZONES THAT YOU WERE PROPOSING.
YOU WERE SUGGESTING THAT THEY BE EIGHT STORIES, BUT A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS, FRANKLIN STREET, UM, CORPORAL CORPORATE TERIN, OR NOT CORPORATE TERIN, I'M SORRY, UH, WHAT THE OTHER, THE OTHER STREET ON, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MASS AVE, BISHOP, BISHOP ALLEN, I'M SORRY, BISHOP ALLEN.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE LIKE, UH, THREE AND FOUR STORY BUILDINGS.
SO WHY WOULDN'T THE TRANSITION ZONES BE LIKE SIX STORIES RATHER THAN EIGHT STORIES? HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH EIGHT? AND I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE CONSIDERING, UH, THROUGH YOUR CHAIR.
SO THE IDEA BEHIND THE TRANSITION ZONES WAS TO SORT OF FIND AN INTERMEDIARY HEIGHT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE C ONE IS ALLOWED TO GO UP TO, UH, SIX STORIES OR 74 FEET.
[01:40:01]
SO THE IDEA WAS TO SORT OF CREATE A GRADUAL TRANSITION.SO THE, THE PICKING OF EIGHT WAS SORT OF TO LAND BETWEEN THE TWO AND SORT OF CREATE, UM, A MORE, UH, GRACIOUS GRADIENT, LET'S SAY, TOWARDS THE HEIGHTS OF THE CENTER OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, SO THEY AREN'T OF EITHER, THEY'RE SORT OF A, A MIDDLE POINT.
UM, 'CAUSE I, I STILL THINK WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, SLOWLY GRADE UP MM-HMM
AND I, YOU KNOW, I STILL PREFER 12 STORIES ON OCCASION TO 18 STORIES.
AND ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS, IF WE HAVE TO GO THAT HIGH, IS, UH, WHETHER IF THERE WERE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO IF THERE WERE CULTURAL SPACES OR SUBSIDIZED RENTS TO PRESERVE OUR RETAIL, WOULD THEY BE HIGHER THAN THE PROPOSED 12 STORIES OR THE PROPOSED 18 STORIES? SURE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE, WE'VE THOUGHT AS DEEPLY ABOUT THE 12 STORIES.
'CAUSE THAT WAS, THAT WAS SORT OF AN EXERCISE AFTER.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE 18 THAT WE DID BRING FORWARD, YES, THE ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE 18 WOULD BE THE UPPER HEIGHT LIMIT.
AND THAT, UM, TO ACHIEVE THAT UPPER HEIGHT LIMIT, THE INCENTIVE, YOU'D HAVE AN INCENTIVE STRUCTURE WHERE YOU'D BE PRODUCING COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO UNLOCK THAT, THAT HEIGHT, UM, LIKELY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SORT OF THE BASE MIGHT BE SOMETHING MORE THAT PEOPLE START AT.
AND AS YOU TRY TO APPROACH THE 18, YOU'RE INCREASINGLY PRODUCING THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND I, THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLOSE WITH A COMMENT, WHICH IS, UM, 'CAUSE YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HOW TO PROCEED.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANTED US TO ADVISE ON.
I THINK THE SURVEY IDEAS AN EXCELLENT ONE.
I I DO FEEL LIKE YOU DID A LOT OF, THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS BEFORE.
THERE WASN'T CONSENSUS ON EVERYTHING.
I, I FEEL AS THOUGH, UM, OR I, ESPECIALLY ABOUT HEIGHT, BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH WE NEED RENDERINGS, WE NEED PROJECTIONS.
I KEEP HEARING FROM PEOPLE THAT IT'S EASY FOR YOU GUYS, IT'S JUST A DAY'S WORK.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S TRUE TO PRODUCE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WHAT 12 STORIES WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT SIX STORIES WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT DIFFERENT SETBACKS WOULD LOOK LIKE, STEP BACKS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THOSE VISUALS.
AND I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE TRADE-OFFS.
SO I, I WISH COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS WEREN'T, UH, CDD SHARING SORT OF YOUR FINAL IDEAS WITH US, THE PUBLIC, BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE CONCEPTUAL IDEAS FOR DIFFERENT HEIGHTS, DIFFERENT SETBACKS, DIFFERENT SETBACKS, OPEN SPACES, DIFFERENT PLACES, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN MULL OVER.
AND I THINK PART OF THE, THE TRADE-OFFS THAT WE ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER ARE, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS REALLY DRAMATICALLY IMPACTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I WANNA SEE DEVELOPMENT ON THE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
MASS AVE IS A HUNDRED FEET WIDE.
IT IS, IT IS OUR MAJOR CORRIDOR, WHICH IS WHY I FEEL LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE THERE.
SO I FEEL LIKE PART OF THE TRADE-OFF DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE, IF WE WANNA PRESERVE OUR SWEET LITTLE CAMBRIDGE STREET, WHICH IS ONLY 65 FEET WIDE AND LOCAL RETAIL THERE, IF WE WANNA PRESERVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEN, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE HEIGHT SOMEWHERE.
SO MAYBE HAVING IT, UH, IN A MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CROSSROADS IN A CENTRAL AREA MIGHT BE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT IT.
BUT, SO THAT IS A SORT OF, AGAIN, IN PRESENTATION TO THE COMMUNITY, SHARE VISUALS AND GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT THE TRADE-OFFS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, FROM THE COMMUNITY VOICES.
I, I KNOW MULTIPLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THE LATE 2024 COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WAS HOSTED BY, UM, CAMBRIDGE'S, UH, SECTION OF THE NAACP AND A COALITION OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT TURNED OVER A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT CDD STAFF ATTENDED.
AND BECAUSE IT WASN'T IN THE PRESENTATION, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FEEDBACK WAS FROM THAT MEETING AND HOW THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT MEETING INFORMED SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, IF ANY AT ALL? YEAH.
SO, UH, WELL ONE, WE DIDN'T LIST IT AS ONE OF OUR OWN ENGAGEMENTS BECAUSE WE WERE VISITING AND WE WERE EXCITED TO PARTICIPATE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONVERSATION WAS.
UM, CERTAINLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THOSE GROUPS ARE, UH, FEEL ENGAGED AND HEARD.
I KNOW SOME OF THEM PARTICIPATED IN THE BROADER CDD PROCESS, BUT CERTAINLY
[01:45:01]
IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS HEARD WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S CONSENSUS THAT ULTIMATELY CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO MAKE A DECISION.AND SO WE WANNA PRESENT WHAT WE HEARD ON ALL SIDES.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY THERE ARE GONNA PEOPLE WHO WERE HEARD, BUT MAY, MAY NOT FEEL LIKE THEY WERE LISTENED TO BECAUSE A DECISION WENT A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, THAT, UM, THAT MEANING WE CERTAINLY HEARD A, A LOT OF, UM, CONCERNS AROUND DISPLACEMENT AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL SQUARE CHANGING AND CHANGING IN A WAY WHERE THEY, UH, FELT LIKE IT WAS NO LONGER, UH, A HOME FOR THEM.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE, ARE, ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT, THAT WE WANNA ADDRESS.
WE WANNA MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE WE'RE PLANNING FOR EVERYONE AND NOT JUST A SUBSET.
UM, I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, UM, WHAT WE SHARED IN OUR PRESENTATION, WE KIND OF BALANCE A MIXTURE OF WHAT WE HEAR AND AROUND THESE ISSUES.
SO WE HEARD PEOPLE WHO WANTED NOTHING TO CHANGE DEVELOPMENT TO STAY AS IT IS.
WE HEARD FEEDBACK THAT WE WANNA GO TO 30 STORIES.
AND SO ULTIMATELY WHEN IT'S ABOUT A 50 50 MIX, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF A JUDGMENT CALL ON A RECOMMENDATION.
AND, AND I THINK AT THE 12 AND 18, WE'RE STARTING TO KIND OF TEASE OUT THAT SOME PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA, UM, YOU KNOW, FEEL LIKE THAT IS THEIR, THEIR VISION, BUT IT'S THE VISION OF, I THINK THE MAJORITY THAT WE CALLED THE INFORMATION AND HAD GAVE THE, THE VISION OF THE MAJORITY.
UM, AND, UM, ULTIMATELY THE CITY, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE ENGAGEMENT AND HEAR FROM FOLKS.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET CLEAR CONSENSUS ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR ROLE IS PARTLY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE DISPLAY LIKE DISPLAY CENTER, WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO BE DISPLACED.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE GOAL OF ANYBODY WHO'S EITHER FOR MORE HOUSING OR KEEPING HOUSING HEIGHTS THE SAME.
ALL OF OUR GOALS IS WE WANT HOUSING PRICING TO BE MORE AFFORDABLE AND MORE PEOPLE, MORE DIVERSE PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE.
SOME PEOPLE THINK IF YOU BUILD MORE HOUSING THAT RESULTS IN THAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK IF YOU DON'T, THAT RESULTS IN IT.
SO IT'S REALLY A STRATEGY QUESTION.
AND I THINK OUR ROLE IS KIND OF TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE THINK THE, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, TOOLS COULD BE USED AND HOW WE THINK THAT WILL, WHAT OUTCOMES WILL BE AFFECTED BY THAT.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT CENTRAL SQUARE AND I LOOK AT THE LOTS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE REDEVELOPED, IT IS GONNA BE INCREMENTAL.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE THIS MASSIVE CHANGE OVERNIGHT.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A FEW SITES.
NOT ALL OF THEM CAN ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY GO TO MAX HEIGHTS.
UM, AND THE MOST THAT ARE GONNA REDEVELOP AREN'T EXISTING HOUSING SITES, SO THOSE AREN'T GONNA DISPLACE EXISTING TENANTS.
UM, WE MIGHT SEE, UM, CERTAINLY THERE'S A CONVERSATION AROUND EXISTING FIRST THAT, THAT ONE STORY COMMERCIAL BU UH, BUILDING.
SO WE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT HOW THERE'S OTHER TOOLS WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF ZONING WHERE WE, INCLUDING THE CRA'S DEMONSTRATION TOOLBOX KIT, WHERE WE CAN HELP TO MAKE SURE THOSE, UM, UH, CHERISHED, UH, UH, ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES AND ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR USES STAY IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT IN THE LONG TERM TO SAY, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET THE ADDITIONAL HOUSING WE WANT? UM, THAT IN MY DETERMINATION IS GONNA BRING DOWN RENTS FOR PEOPLE.
UM, IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY CURRENT HOUSING.
UM, SO IT'S A NET NEW, UH, SUPPLY WHILE, UM, TRYING TO PRESERVE AND INCLUDE INCENTIVES SO THAT THE MARKET IS BUILDING THE SPACES THAT WE WANNA SEE SUBSIDIZING THE SPACE THAT WE WANNA SEE.
UM, AND HAVING, UM, THAT MIX OF USES.
UM, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL I'LL JUST SAY ONE MORE THING 'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE TAKEN UP A LOT OF TIME.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND JUST IN HEARING THE COMMENTS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE, UM, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO THIS PHILOSOPHICAL DISTINCTION IN THE COMMENTS BETWEEN HAVING, YOU KNOW, IT ALL BE, YOU KNOW, THE MARKETS HAVE NO ROLE IN ANY OF THIS.
AND SO I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY IS LIKE, SHOULD THE MARKET, CAN WE, CAN WE LEVERAGE THE MARKET TO GET THINGS THAT WE WANT? AND I THINK AS A PUBLIC PLANNER, THAT'S THE MISSION.
UM, I THINK WE, WE WANNA DO WHAT WE CAN ON THE CITY SIDE, BUT ULTIMATELY WE HAVE OUR LIMITS TOO, IN TERMS OF FINANCING AND RESOURCES.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE GOAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, UH, ACCOMPLISH
[01:50:01]
HERE.I, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR INTENTIONALITY WITH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE LIKE WE ARE APPROACHING THIS IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T WANNA DISPLACE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHERE THE STRATEGY CONVERSATIONS COME IN BECAUSE THE REALITIES ARE, THE MARKET HAS DONE A LOT OF HARM, ESPECIALLY FOR A LOT OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
UM, I HAVE A FEW, UH, COMMENTS TOO THAT I'LL TRY TO QUICKLY RUN THROUGH.
I, I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT MEETINGS LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS HELD IN THE, THE, IN 2024, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE ON WHAT COMMUNITY EVENTS WERE HELD, LIKE THAT WAS IN SOME WAYS WHAT SEEMS LIKE TO ME, A RESPONSE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD TO COME ON ITS OWN TO TRY TO CREATE A, A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN FEEL HEARD.
UM, AND IN THAT WAY, I THINK WE CAN EITHER CREATE ROOM FOR THAT AND, AND REALLY CENTER THAT.
UM, OR WE CAN JUST CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO AND, AND SAY THAT WE LISTEN, BUT NOT REALLY, UH, DIGEST IT.
UH, I THINK THAT WE'RE, I THINK THE REALITY IS WE'RE NOT TAKING THESE ZONING CONVERSATIONS AUTHENTICALLY, REALLY, TO THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, ESPECIALLY REGARDING HOW WE PROTECT AND GROW PUBLIC GOOD.
SO I, I THINK MY APPROACH RIGHT NOW IS TO ASK YOU ALL TO REALLY BE INTENTIONAL WITH WORKING THROUGH WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY NOW AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THEM.
ESPECIALLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, I'M SEEING THAT WE MIGHT HAVE CONSENSUS THAT THE TALLEST HEIGHTS SHOULD BE ON MASS AVE, BUT EVEN IN THAT RIGHT, THERE'S DIS DISCREPANCY AROUND WHAT THOSE HEIGHTS SHOULD BE OR UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, STANDING PREFERENCES AND THEN GIVING COMMUNITIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THROUGH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE PREFERENCES CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, THE TIMELINE IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT.
IF WE WANNA BE AUTHENTIC ABOUT THE TIMELINE.
IS THIS THE WAY TO DO IT? WILL WE HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR HOW TO PROTECT OUR CULTURAL SPACES, UM, ONES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE? I, RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE THE LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WALK THE FRAMEWORK OF INCENTIVIZING AND NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRING, UM, DISPLACEMENT IS REAL, YOU GUYS.
CENTRAL SQUARE IS HISTORICALLY AND CULTURALLY, OUR, UH, HISTORICALLY AND PRESENTLY OUR CULTURAL CENTER.
UM, IF YOU'RE TELLING US, YOU KNOW, TO SEND EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY YOUR WAY, I, I REALLY WANNA GROUND US WITH MAYBE STARTING WITH REALLY DIGESTING WHAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE SAID AND ARE CONTINUING TO SAY FROM, FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UM, AND WORKING THROUGH MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT GENTRIFICATION MEANS AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR COMMUNITY WHEN, WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
BOTH FROM, UM, BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE HERE AND FROM CULTURAL SPACES.
UH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CENTER THOSE VOICES.
UM, THEY SHOULD NOT ONLY BE HEARD, BUT, UH, REALLY ENGAGED WITH, IN, IN GOOD FAITH, UH, ESPECIALLY, UM, IN BRINGING IN BRINGING THEM IN IN THESE PRESENTATIONS.
I, I REALLY DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR HOUSING AND WE NEED TO BE SERIOUS, UM, ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.
LIKE WHAT DOES AFFORDABILITY MEAN FOR WHOM, UM, WHAT MODELS ARE MORE DIGNIFIED, LIKE SOCIAL HOUSING VERSUS ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK OFF THE MARKET THE WAY THAT WE DO? AND EVEN IF WE ARE GONNA ENGAGE WITH THE WAY THE MARKET WORKS, ARE WE REALLY GUARANTEEING PUBLIC GOOD WHEN WE REALLY HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS? UM, THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY FOR NOW, BUT I, I REALLY JUST HOPE PEOPLE SIT WITH THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THIS WILL HAVE ON THE LONG TERM YIELD.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY.
IF NOT, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
COUNCILOR? COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
AND I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO RECESS ON THE MOTION TO RECESS.