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UH, I'M GOING TO CALL TODAY'S NEIGHBORHOOD AND LONG-TERM PLANNING PUBLIC FACILITIES ARTS AND CELEBRATION COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
THE CALL OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE CHANGES RELATING TO STEP BACKS, SETBACKS, OPEN SPACE, AND WET LABS TO THE RECENTLY ADOPTED CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.
AND I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNCILOR MARK MCGOVERN IS HERE.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UH, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING THIS MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE ALSO SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES SIGN UP AS AVAILABLE UNTIL THREE 30.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER CD'S PRESENTATION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY'S SEC COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK OR POSTED THERE.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SIGNUP, THE SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMASS.GOV.
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, IF ANY, WILL BE BY ROLL CALL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED IN NEW CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING ON JANUARY 26TH, 2026, AND A CAMBRIDGE STREET ACTIVE USE ZONING PETITION ON APRIL 27TH, 2026.
THIS BUILT ON CDD, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET STUDY OF 21, 20 21 IN 2022.
SO YOU MIGHT ASK, WHY ARE WE MEETING ABOUT CAMBRIDGE STREET AGAIN? WHY IS BECAUSE MANY EAST CAMBRIDGE NEIGHBORS STILL FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO CONSIDER SOME ADDITIONAL ZONING TWEAKS, ESPECIALLY RELATING TO SETBACKS, IMPACTING SIDEWALKS AND TREES, STEP BACKS AT THE FOURTH FLOOR FOR BUILDINGS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET, WET LABS.
NOW AS OF RIGHT, INCENTIVIZING THE CREATION OF POCKET PARKS, ESPECIALLY BESIDE THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITIES, MILLER RIVER, MILLER'S RIVER REAR SETBACKS AT 10 FEET OR SO.
SO THERE'S NO DEAD ZONE DESIGN REVIEW FOR BUILDINGS.
OVER FOUR STORIES THAT CDD WILL PRODUCE AN ANNUAL REPORT, UH, ON THE IMPACTS OF THE NEW ZONING, DETAILING, HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS, AFFORDABLE, INCLUSIONARY AND MARKET RATE HAVE BEEN BUILT, HOW MANY RESIDENTS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, AND THE IMPACTS ON GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'D HEARD EARLIER FROM THE, THE EAST CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY, UH, TODAY.
CDD IS BACK TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS AND FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THEM.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR CONVENING ABOUT THIS, ONCE AGAIN, TO CAMBRIDGE, TO MAKE CAMBRIDGE STREET ONE OF THE SWEETEST AND MOST VITAL RETAIL STREETS IN THE CITY.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ASSISTANT, UM, UM, MELISSA PETERS.
WANNA QUICKLY INTRODUCE STAFF? UH, TO MY IMMEDIATE LEFT, DREW CAIN, ACTING DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DESIGN.
UH, DREW WAS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR OUR, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET PLANNING STUDY, WHICH SPANNED 18 MONTHS, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF 2022 AND 23.
AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, CULMINATED IN ZONING ADOPTION, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
BUT LOTS OF THE NON ZONING RECOMMENDATION ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT.
UM, AND WE'RE SEEING THE, THE BENEFITS OF THAT SHARED VISION.
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JEFF ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT AND JEN KYRA, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF OF PLANNING.UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO BE BACK HERE TODAY TO, UH, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE, UH, ISSUES, UH, THAT COUNCILOR ZUI, UM, IDENTIFIED.
UM, THESE WERE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH DURING THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND THE PLANNING BOARD AND COUNCIL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE HEARINGS.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH HOW THAT DISCUSSION UNFOLDED AND WHY DECISIONS WERE MADE THAT WERE MADE, AND THEN CERTAINLY IF THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR A MAJORITY OF COUNSELORS TO, UH, RECONSIDER ANY, UH, DECISIONS.
HAPPY TO CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DREW CAIN, WHO WILL LEAD US THROUGH, UH, A BRIEF PRESENTATION POINT OF, UM, PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
I JUST HAD DIFFICULTY JOINING ON EARLIER, SO JUST WANTED TO BE MARKED AS PRESENT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE, UM, FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY AND GOING OVER SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT WERE, UM, THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT CAMBRIDGE STREET THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO ADDRESS TODAY.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, WE DID RECEIVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS, ISSUES THAT WE WANTED, THAT WE WERE ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AND FOR THE SAKE OF BREVITY.
UM, AND JUST AS A WAY TO SORT OF ORGANIZE THESE, WE PUT 'EM INTO SORT OF FOUR DISTINCT DISCUSSION TOPICS.
UM, ONE IS URBAN FORM, LOOKING AT ISSUES AROUND UPPER STORY SETBACKS AND GROUND FLOOR SETBACKS, AS WELL AS BUILDING MASSING.
UM, WE LOOKED AT OPEN SPACE FOR ISSUES.
THERE WERE QUESTIONS AROUND POCKET PARK CREATIONS.
UM, DESIGN REVIEW WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT DESIGN THRESHOLDS, UM, AND NON-RESIDENTIAL USES.
SO THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT LAB USE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND INCENTIVIZING SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO JUST AS A MATTER OF BEING SORT OF MORE EXPEDITIOUS, WE CATEGORIZE THESE TOGETHER.
SO THE, THE CURRENT, THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT YOU HAD ABOUT SORT OF BUILDING SETBACKS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT CURRENTLY ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, THE SIDEWALKS ARE ONLY ABOUT EIGHT FEET ON AVERAGE.
SO FAIRLY NARROW FOR A PRIMARY MAIN STREET, UM, AND OFTEN DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS THOSE WITH MOBILITY DEVICES OR STROLLERS.
UM, SO IN THE, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET PLAN, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, AS IT WAS ADOPTED IN THE ZONING, THERE IS A SLIGHT FRONT BUILDING SETBACK, UH, WHICH ALLOWS FOR A WIDER SIDEWALK PROVIDING ROOM FOR PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT, NEW STREET TREE PLANNINGS, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SITE FURNISHINGS, SUCH AS OUTDOOR SEATING.
AND THIS ALSO REFLECTED WHAT WAS IN OUR CITYWIDE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A WAY THAT WE COULD PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE PEDESTRIAN SPACE, A LITTLE BIT MORE BREATHING ROOM, UM, ON THE SIDEWALKS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THERE WAS A REQUEST TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT A BUILDING CURRENTLY WE'RE ALLOWING UP TO SIX STORIES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY IN CAM 10 AND CAM 12, YOU CAN GO HIGHER THAN THAT.
UM, THERE IS A REQUEST TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE DID A BUILDING UPPER STORY SET BACK AFTER THE FOURTH FLOOR.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS.
WE'RE BUILDING UPPER STORY BUILDING SETBACKS UNTIL YOU, YOU KNOW, ABOVE OR BELOW SIX STORIES.
SO WE JUST DID THIS VISUALIZATION, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, IT KIND OF INTRODUCES A SORT OF A WEIRD PROPORTION ON THE BUILDING, BUT I THINK MORE CRITICALLY HERE, UM, IT DOES REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BUILDABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UM, AND THEN IN THAT SENSE, YOUR BUILDING ENVELOPE BECOMES EVEN MORE RESTRICTIVE.
UM, AND SO YOU ALSO THEN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BUILDABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, AFFORDABLE UNITS.
SO WE WANTED TO DO THIS AS A GESTURE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATIONS OF WHAT THIS MEANS AS FAR AS REDUCING YOUR BUILDABLE AREA WITHIN THE BUILDING ENVELOPE ITSELF.
UM, AND TO POINT OUT THAT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE, THERE ARE CURRENT ZONING STANDARDS FOR UPPER STORY SETBACKS, BUT THEY REALLY ONLY APPLY TO THOSE AREAS IN THE CAM, CAM 10 AND CAM 12 DISTRICTS.
SO THEY ONLY APPLY TO BUILDINGS THAT ARE ABOVE SIX STORIES.
UM, SO WE JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT.
THOSE DO EXIST IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, HOWEVER, THEY'RE ONLY IN THE SUBDISTRICTS THAT ALLOW ADDITIONAL HEIGHT.
THERE WAS A REQUEST TO SEE IF WE HAD DONE SHADOW STUDIES FOR THE CAMBRIDGE STREET.
WHEN WE DID THE R CAMBRIDGE STREET PLAN, WE DID DO KIND OF A HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO OF SHADOW STUDIES.
THIS IS, AS YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE, INMAN SQUARE.
UM, IN THE BA ZONING, THE BUILDINGS WERE ALLOWED TO GO UP TO FOUR STORIES IN THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE WERE SUGGESTING SIX STORIES.
SO WE DID THIS QUICK VISUALIZATION OF THE DIFFERENCES AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE AS FAR AS HOW SHADOWS WERE CAST, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT'S FAIRLY NOMINAL.
THERE ISN'T REALLY A HUGE IMPACT OF SHADOWS WHEN YOU'RE DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN TWO STORIES.
UM, BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REQUESTED IN THE MEMO, AND WE WERE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THIS EXAMPLE.
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NEXT SLIDE.WE ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS EXISTING CONTEXT HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, WHICH WAS JUST SAY, KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, FACSIMILE OF CAMBRIDGE STREET AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF YOU ADDED A SIX STORY BUILDING AND SORT OF THE IMPACT THAT MIGHT HAVE ON SHADE OR SHADOWS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE DOUBLING THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING HERE, YOU WOULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL SHADOWS, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AN EXTREME SCENARIO.
AND I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, ALSO WANNA KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS STREET WILL EVOLVE OVER DECADES AND DECADES AND DECADES.
SO, UM, WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT A SIX STORY BUILDING NECESSARILY HAD MUCH OF A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CAMBRIDGE STREET ITSELF.
AND I WOULD EVEN GATHER, UM, THAT IN SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH EXTREME HEAT, A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SHADOW CAN PROVIDE SHADE AND COOLING.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW TO CREATE OR INCENTIVIZE POCKET PARKS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UM, RIGHT NOW THERE IS A REQUIREMENT OF 15% OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT, BUT ONLY FOR BUILDINGS THAT ARE ABOVE SIX STORIES.
SO THERE IS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ONSITE OPEN SPACE, UM, BUT THAT'S LIMITED TO THE CAM 10 AND CAM 12 SUBDISTRICTS.
UM, SO JUST TO SORT OF CALL THAT OUT, THAT THERE IS A PROVISION FOR SMALL, UM, PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TOO THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC OPEN SPACE.
AND SO THAT MIGHT BE THROUGH STEWARDING MANY PLAZAS OR MANY PARKS.
UM, IT MIGHT BE SUCH EASY THINGS AS SORT OF FLEXIBLE OPEN SPACE ON PARKING LOTS, WHICH JUST OFTEN HAPPENS IN A MEN SQUARE LIKE INMAN EATS AND CRAFTS.
UM, SO I THINK THERE ARE MANY WAYS THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN HELP CONTRIBUTE TO AN ACTIVE OF PUBLIC REALM.
UM, AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THESE AS A FEW DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
AND ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CITY'S ACTUALLY DONE THAT, THIS IS, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, THAT BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND OF ST.
ANTHONY'S PADUA ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE GRAND JUNCTION LINE.
UM, THIS WAS A LOT THAT WAS OWNED BY ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE THAT WAS, UM, TAKEN OVER BY THE CITY A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
UM, THERE WERE PLANS IN THE VERY LONG TERM FOR THAT TO BECOME A PERMANENT OPEN SPACE.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, WE THOUGHT IT COULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SORT OF AN ACLO ACTIVE TEMPORARY PUBLIC SPACE.
AND SO THIS IS THE CAMBRIDGE STREET COURTYARD RIGHT ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, UH, WHICH PROVIDES FLEXIBLE SEATING TABLES AND SHADE.
UM, SO THIS IS SORT OF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE EXAMPLE OF A CITY CREATING A POCKET PARK ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION AROUND DESIGN REVIEW FOR BUILDINGS, OVER FOUR STORIES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
BECAUSE CAMBRIDGE STREET'S AN AREA OF SPECIAL PLANNING CONCERN.
UM, REALLY ANY BUILDING THAT'S GONNA BE ANY SIZE, UM, IS GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME SORT OF AT LEAST ADVISORY CONSULTATION, UM, BY STAFF.
AND SO I THINK THAT, AND JEFF, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN HERE, BUT, UM, REALLY ANY DEVELOPMENT IN CAMBRIDGE STREET IS GONNA HAVE SOME DEGREE, I THINK, OF DESIGN REVIEW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ADVISORY OR SOMETHING THAT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO THEN TRIGGER BEING REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING BOARD, BUT THAT REALLY WOULD ONLY KICK IN AT 75,000 FEET OR SQUARE FEET RATHER.
THERE WAS A QUESTION AROUND LAB USE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THIS ISN'T ALLOWED USE IN MOST DISTRICTS EXCEPT RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, AND THERE'S REALLY NO SQUARE DISTINCTION BETWEEN WET AND DRY LABS IN THE ZONING.
WE ARE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE.
UM, I THINK ONE THING TO CONSIDER, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AROUND THE IDEA OF LABS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, ANY NEW LAB BUILDING IS GONNA REQUIRE A BUILDING FOOTPRINT THAT IS TOO LARGE FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PARCELS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
A TYPICAL LAB FOOTPRINT IS GONNA BE AT VERY MINIMUM, 120 FEET DEEP, MORE LIKELY 130 FEET.
UM, MOST OF THE PARCELS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET ARE ALREADY ONLY A HUNDRED FEET DEEP, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR A CONTEMPORARY LAB BUILDING THE WAY WE THINK OF THOSE IN KENDALL SQUARE TO FIND A PLACE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
WE DO HAVE A FEW EXAMPLES OF LAB USES THAT EXIST ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THEY'RE LARGELY IN PREEXISTING BUILDINGS.
THIS IS ONE HERE, UM, NEAR MY HOUSE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THAT WAS AN OLD THREE STORY OFFICE BUILDING THAT'S BEEN CONVERTED TO A LAB USE.
UM, AND ALSO JUST TO NOTE THAT IN THE CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING COMMERCIAL USES ARE LIMITED TO A HEIGHT OF THREE STORIES OR 35 FEET.
SO A LAB BUILDING COULD BE NO MORE THAN THAT.
AND WE MAINTAIN THE, UM, PREEXISTING FAR OF ONE FOR THOSE COMMERCIAL USES.
THERE HAVE BEEN SORT OF, UM, A QUESTION AROUND HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE LOCAL RETAIL, WHICH, UM, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN NECESSARILY DO THROUGH ZONING.
HOWEVER, WE DID WANNA CALL OUT A NUMBER OF THE PROGRAMS THAT OUR OFFICE, OR I'M SORRY, ECONOMIC AND OPPORTUNITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION PROVIDE, UM, WHICH IS BOTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, OUR SMALL BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, UH, RETAIL INTERIOR ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS, AND E-COMMERCE PROGRAMS. SO THOSE BOTH PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SOMETIMES IN THE FORM OF REIMBURSEMENTS, UH, BUT NONETHELESS HELP SMALL BUSINESSES WITH SORT OF THINGS LIKE INTERIOR
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FITOUTS AND, AND STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENTS.THAT DIVISION ALSO OFFERS A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS.
SO AG EDUCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
UM, THINGS SUCH AS SMALL BUSINESS COACHING DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, UM, LOOKING AT SUCCESSION PLANNING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF OLDER BUSINESSES, A LOT OF FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
SO LOOKING AT LEGACY BUSINESSES, THIS SORT OF SUCCESSION PLANNING PROGRAM COULD BE RELEVANT.
UM, BUT THE ONLY POINT IS THAT WE DO OFFER A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS WITHIN THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION TO HELP ADDRESS THE PRESERVATION AND RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I THINK THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR TODAY.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, DEAN.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SWITCH NEXT TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS RICHARD KNICK.
KNICK, IS THIS WORKING? YOU JUST HAVE TO PUSH.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE EARLIER PROCEEDINGS WHEN THE CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING WAS PASSED IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY MELISSA CHARACTERIZED IT.
UH, IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT RESIDENTS ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET, THINK ABOUT THE ISSUES AT THIS, UH, UP FOR DISCUSSION TODAY, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE TESTIMONIES AND THE WRITTEN COMMENTS MADE AT THAT TIME.
BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY NUMEROUS, AND A LOT OF THEM WERE QUITE DETAILED, AND A A LOT OF THEM ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES.
BUT MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT OTHER THAN SOME ATTENTION FROM KATHIE, AS I RECALL IT, THERE WAS ZERO DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, ALL OF THE COMMENTS AND, UH, IN PERSON AND IN WRITING WERE TOTALLY IGNORED.
UH, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT HAPPENED OTHER THAN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HEIGHTS.
UH, UH, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET KNEW ABOUT THIS HEARING TODAY.
I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT TWO DAYS AGO AND ADVISED ABOUT 30 PEOPLE ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET OF IT LAST NIGHT.
UH, BUT, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE SOME MORE COMMENTS COME INTO THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, BUT, UH, I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POINT OF THIS MEETING IS.
UH, I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY ISN'T TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO EFFORT TO INFORM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET ABOUT IT.
UH, I MEAN, IS THE EXPECTATION THAT ANYONE WHO WHO CARES ABOUT ISSUES IS SUPPOSED TO JUST HOUND DOG THE WHAT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE EVERY DAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON? UH, UH, YOU ALL HAVE MY COMMENTS.
UH, UH, I'M, YOU KNOW, I, I, I TELL YOU THE TRUTH PERSONALLY, I KNOW KATHY WAS TRYING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, UH, IN HER EFFORT, WHICH HAS RESULTED FOR THE MOMENT IN THIS HEARING.
BUT IN MY VIEW, THAT SIMPLY RES, UH, MADE IT EASIER FOR THOSE ON THE COUNCIL WHO DIDN'T WANNA ADDRESS ANY OF THESE ISSUES TO AVOID ADDRESSING THEM AT THE TIME AND KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD IN THE HOPES THAT THERE WOULD BE A HEARING JUST LIKE THIS, THAT NOBODY CAME TO VERY SUCCESSFUL OPERATION SO FAR.
UH, SO, UH, ANYWAY, MY, ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS IF YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET THINK ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS, A GO BACK AND LOOK ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO BECAUSE THEY SAID A HELL OF A LOT.
AND B, IF YOU ACTUALLY WANNA HAVE THEM HAVE A CHANCE TO COME COMMENT, UH, IN PERSON, UH, YOU BETTER DO THIS AGAIN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS O ROBERT SEMA.
UM, DEAR MEMBERS OF THE, UH, COUNCIL, UH, I'M, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE EAST CAMBRIDGE OPEN SPACE TRUST, A NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION
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THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE CREATION, ENHANCEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF GREEN OPEN SPACE TO SERVE THE GROWING POPULATION OF EAST CAMBRIDGE.I'VE REVIEWED THE REPORT BEFORE YOU AND, UM, THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED BY THE CDD AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TWO PLEAS.
FIRST, TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL FOR USING EXISTING PUBLIC PROPERTY ON CAMBRIDGE STREET THAT IS NOT YET IN PERMANENT OPEN SPACE TO A CATEGORY IN WHICH THE, UM, THAT WILL ENSURE THAT ITS GREEN USE IS PERMANENT.
UH, SECOND, TO REQUIRE THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE SUBJECT, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED, UH, PRIOR TO THIS, TO OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE, THE GREEN SPACE ASSOCIATED WITH MILLERS RIVER HOUSING PRO PROJECT FACING CAMBRIDGE STREET AS ONE OF THE TEAM AT MIT THAT BUILT THE RIVERS PROJECT IN THE 1970S.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND ALL THAT THAT OPEN SPACE I'VE IDENTIFIED WAS REQUIRED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE COMMITMENTS WE MADE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
THAT THAT SPACE WOULD SERVE AS OPEN SPACE FOR NOT ONLY THE RESIDENTS OF THE MILLERS RIVER, BUT THE ADJACENT NE IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE REQUIRE THAT THE COUNCIL ENSURE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HONOR THE LEGAL COMMITMENTS TO RETAIN FOR PUBLIC, USE THAT GREEN SPACE, SO ESSENTIAL TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND PLEASANT AMENITY FOR BOTH THE RESIDENTS OF MILLERS RIVER AND THEIR NEIGHBORS.
IF THIS STREET IS TO BE DEVELOPED FOR MORE AND MORE HOUSING WITH THE FEWEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPEN SPACE THAT EXISTS ALMOST ON ANY STREET IN THE CITY, I URGE YOU TO ENSURE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HONOR THE COMMITMENTS WE MADE IN THE 1970S AND THAT HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY ENJOYED BY THE CURRENT RESIDENTS OF THE BUILDING AND THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
RIGHT NOW, THAT SPACE IS FENCED OFF.
IT IS AN INSULT TO THE CITY THAT IT'S FENCED OFF AND NOT USED, NOT AVAILABLE TO THE ELDERLY OF THE CITY AND THE NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE ADJACENT TO IT.
PLEASE INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR DECISIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSAN MARKOWITZ.
UH, REGARDING, UM, WELL, I, I AGREE WITH THE, THE REQUIREMENT OF FIRST FLOOR ACTIVE USE FOR BUILDINGS ABOVE THREE STORIES.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT'S BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE FORMULA BUSINESSES, BUT I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WET LABS ON THE STREET, AND I WOULD SAY NO, NO WET LABS.
THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY, WAY TOO MANY RISKS, UH, RESEARCH SPACES THAT ARE HANDLING CHEMICALS, DRUGS, BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS.
I, I WOULD SAY, THEREFORE, IT, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED, UM, WITH RESIDENT PARTICIPATION BEFORE ANY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF THE RISKS.
ONE, IF THERE'S A LOCAL OUTBREAK OR SPILL, THAT COULD CREATE EXPOSURE TO MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE THE AREA IS SO DENSELY POPULATED.
ACCIDENTAL RELEASES COULD RESULT TOXIC FUMES, VAPORS DRIFTING DIRECTLY INTO ALL THE NEARBY APARTMENTS.
UH, TWO, THE VENTILATION LIMITATIONS.
UM, WILL THEY HAVE INDUSTRIAL GRADE EXHAUST SO THAT HAZARDOUS GASES WILL NOT BE DRAWN INTO NEARBY RESIDENT.
WE WINDOWS THREE CONTAMINATED WASTE AND PLUMBING.
HOW IS THIS GONNA BE REGULATED IF THERE'S A LEAK OR IMPROPER PROPER DISPOSAL? HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT? FOUR EXPLOSIONS, FIRE HAZARDS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S A FIRE OR AN EXPLOSION IN SUCH A DENSELY POPULATED AREA? FIVE FIRST RESPONDER DELAYS.
CAMBRIDGE STREET, AS WE KNOW, IS OFTEN CONGESTED AND HAS VERY HIGH TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. THIS COULD EASILY POTENTIALLY DELAY EMERGENCY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TEAMS FROM REACHING A SITE QUICKLY, SIX RODENTS.
THIS IS, UH, A VERY FAMILIAR TOPIC FOR US SINCE WE DEAL WITH THEM EVERY DAY LIVING BEHIND OLAY RESTAURANT AND MANY OTHER RESTAURANTS.
THE RATS ARE ALL OVER CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THEY COULD EASILY BE IN CONTACT WITH INFECTED SAMPLES AND SPREAD DISEASE OUTSIDE THE LAB.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S, UH, OUT OF THE QUESTION.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CURB
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THE RAT INFESTATION THAT WE'VE HAD HISTORICALLY, AND WE STILL HAVE NOW.SO THERE'S NO INDICATION THE RATS WILL NOT BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN THE LET, WHEN AND IF WET LABS ARE REDUCED? I WOULD SAY BECAUSE OF THE RISKS, NO, NO, NO WET LABS.
UH, THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED ARE THE, THE 10 FOOT STEP BACK ABOVE THE FOURTH FLOOR ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CAMBRIDGE STREET.
I, I DO THINK THAT IT WOULD AVOID SOME SHADOWS, ALTHOUGH I'M, I JUST HEARD THAT MAYBE NOT THAT MUCH.
I, I THINK THAT THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE OPEN SPACE FOR PEOPLE, UH, AND TREES.
THEY ARE SO NEEDED ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET.
IT'S NOT A FRI FRIVOLOUS REQUEST.
I THINK THAT, UH, THE TREE STANDARD SHOULD APPLY TO ALL RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ON THE STREET IN EXCESS OF THREE BUILDINGS.
THE THREE IN EXCESS OF THREE STORIES HIGH.
UM, AND THE LAST ONE IS THE INDEPENDENT SMALL BUSINESSES.
I DO HOPE THAT SOMETHING WILL BE, UH, IN PLACE TO, TO HELP THEM OUT, TO POSSIBLY MOVE BACK IN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARK TRUANT, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN.
UH, SO I WOULD SAY, UM, THE THREE SPEAKERS, I, BEFORE ME, I'D LIKE TO SECOND EVERYTHING THEY SAID, ALTHOUGH IT'S INTERESTING.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, UH, SUSAN WITH THE, WITH THE LABS, DREW, YOU KEPT SAYING THAT THE, THE, THE SITES AREN'T, UM, DEEP ENOUGH, THE THEY'RE NOT, UH, HIGH ENOUGH FOR LABS, UH, LAB COMPANIES TO PROBABLY WANNA BE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
WELL, THEN WHY CAN'T WE JUST SAY NO AND ELIMINATE HIM? BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MUCH DOWNSIDE, AS SUSAN POINTED OUT.
UM, AND WHEN SHE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE SHADOWS AND SHE HEARD THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT SO BAD.
UH, THIS IS, UM, THE UNPROFESSIONALISM OF THIS, UH, SHADE BUSINESS I HAVE TO BRING TO, UH, EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
THIS IS A PERSPECTIVE DRAWING.
SO IT'S CONVENIENT THAT THE SIX STORY STRUCTURE IS FURTHER ALONG THE STREET.
SO IT'S SHADOW LOOKS MINIMAL WITH THIS CODE.
THE STREET COULD BE ENTIRELY SIX STORIES.
DID YOU SHOW THAT VERSION? DID YOU SHOW THE SUN AT FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR? JUST STANDARD, BASIC PROFESSIONALISM IS LACKING IN ALL OF THIS.
IT'S, IT'S WAR, JUST DONE ALL IN SUPPORT OF SIX STORIES.
YOU, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE, THE STEP BACK, HAVING SOME SORT OF, UH, LIKE AN ODD CONFIGURATION, UH, VISUALLY.
WELL, UH, NO ONE THAT HAS TALKED AT ALL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH ALL THESE BLANK TWO STORY SIDEWALLS, WINDOWLESS SIDEWALLS THAT ARE GONNA BE CREATED AND PERHAPS THAT STEP BACK WITH A BALCONY WOULD ALLOW SOME DEVELOPER TO RENT THE APARTMENTS ON THAT FLOOR FOR MORE MONEY.
AND MAYBE THAT'LL HELP FUND SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THERE'S JUST A COMPLETE LACK OF CREATIVITY OR STUDY OF OPTIONS HERE.
IT'S JUST A ONE TRACK THINKING AND IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S ASTOUNDING, FRANKLY, THAT THERE'S, UH, SUCH A LACK OF, OF, OF LOOKING AT THIS THING, THIS PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND, UM, I, I WAS, UH, I LIVE ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS FROM MILLERS RIVER.
I SAW MANY MATURE TREES CUT DOWN WHEN THEY DID THE ADDITION TO MILLERS RIVER.
AND THE LEAST THE CITY AND CHA CAN DO IS TO MAKE THAT SOUTH FACING OPEN SPACE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET OPEN FOREVER, PLANT MANY TREES THERE AND DO THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, TO RICHARD'S POINT, HE STARTED OFF, PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE NOT LISTENING.
LISTEN, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS THAT CITIZENS OF THE CITY HAVE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEATHER HOFFMAN, FOLLOWED BY JUSTIN SAFE.
HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET.
I WANTED TO THANK C FOR THE, AND, UM, AND I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME, UH, FOR ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THEY SAID.
AND I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WHOLE NOTION OF MEETING DENSITY OF POPULATION IN ORDER TO SUPPORT RETAIL.
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AND YET WE HAVE HAD HOSTILITY TOWARDS REQUIRING RETAIL SO THAT THIS, UM, WONDERFUL DENSE POPULATION WILL HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO.PERHAPS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHETHER THESE TWO THINGS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER, AND WHETHER YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A WAY FOR BOTH OF THEM TO HAPPEN SO THAT ALL OF THE MARVELOUSLY WONDERFUL THINGS YOU CLAIM WILL HAPPEN, MIGHT POSSIBLY HAPPEN.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE NOTICED IN THE DISCUSSION OF THIS WHOLE IDEA OF REZONING CAMBRIDGE STREET WAS HOW MUCH OF IT WAS JUST POLITICAL POSTURING AND NUMBERS JUST DRAWN OUT OF THE AIR WITH NO PLANNING WHATSOEVER BEHIND THEM, COMPLETELY IGNORING EVERYTHING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET STUDY HAD CONTRIBUTED ALL OF THE WORK THAT CDD DID AT THAT TIME TO PRODUCE SONY PROPOSALS IN LINE WITH THAT, AND IN LINE WITH GOOD PRINCIPLES OF URBAN PLANNING.
AND ALL OF THAT WAS THROWN AWAY FOR POLITICAL POSTURING.
AND IN THE IDEA THAT IF YOU JUST BUILD ENOUGH MILLION DOLLAR APARTMENTS, SUDDENLY RENTS WILL BECOME TOO CHEAP TO METER.
AND I WISH WE WOULD GET OVER THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE SPEAKER AFTER ME IS NONETHELESS GOING TO SPOUT THAT.
BUT I'VE COME TO EXPECT, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TREES.
I WAS ONE OF THE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO SHOWED UP FOR THE, UM, URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN REPORT THAT WAS HELD AT THE MILLERS RIVER APARTMENTS RECENTLY.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY'S TREE PROFESSIONALS SUGGESTED THAT WE DO TO ENCOURAGE THE CANOPY.
EAST CAMBRIDGE HAS THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF TREE CANOPY IN THE CITY, HALF OF WHAT WE SAY WE WANNA HAVE.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT TREES CAN GROW, SHADING ALL OF THEM OUT WITH BUILDINGS IS NOT GOING TO HELP.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JUSTIN SAFE, FOLLOWED BY JASON ALICE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, GO AHEAD.
THE, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS ACTUALLY THAT WELLINGTON, HARRINGTON AND THE PORT HAVE LOWERED TREE CANOPY THAN EAST CAMBRIDGE FOR THE RECORD.
UM, WE DESPERATELY NEED NEW HOUSING TO ALLOW CAMBRIDGE KIDS TO FIND APARTMENTS AFTER COLLEGE TO ALLOW NEW HOUSEHOLDS TO FORM AND TO ALLOW NEW RESIDENTS TO MOVE TO CAMBRIDGE WITHOUT DRIVING UP HOUSING COSTS AND CAUSING DISPLACEMENT.
OUR ENVISION CAMBRIDGE GOAL SET IN 2018 WAS TO BUILD 12,500 NEW HOUSING UNITS BY 2030, AN ANNUAL AMOUNT THAT WOULD INCREASE THE VACANCY RATE AND HELP TO LOWER RENTS.
SADLY, WE'VE FALLEN SO FAR SHORT.
WE'VE THROWN IN THE TOWEL AND GIVEN UP ON ACHIEVING OUR 2030 GOAL, AND WE'VE BUILT LESS THAN 10% OF OUR ANNUAL GOAL OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS EVERY SINGLE YEAR BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE TO CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
AND WE ARE FAILING, ADDING SETBACKS, STEP BACKS, AND OTHER EXPENSIVE MANDATES TO THE UNFUNDED FIRST FLOOR RETAIL MANDATE MEANS WE WILL GET THE WORST OF ALL WORLDS HERE.
WE HAVE NOW HEARD FROM TWO INCLUSIONARY BUILDINGS THAT THE UNFUNDED FIRST FLOOR RETAIL MANDATE WILL KILL INCLUSIONARY HOUSING, INCLUDING FROM THE ONLY INCLUSIONARY BUILDING CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION OF CAMBRIDGE, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WHICH IS THAT THIRD AND THE O'BRIEN OR MCGRATH, AS WELL AS FROM THE EXPERTS AT THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WHO HAD TO COME TO PUBLIC COMMON OF CITY COUNCIL.
BECAUSE APPARENTLY NO ONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS THOUGHT TO ASK THEM IF AN UNFUNDED RETAIL MANDATE WAS ECONOMICALLY VIABLE.
IF YOU CONTINUE TO MANDATE FIRST FLOOR RETAIL, YOU MUST PROVIDE HEIGHT OR TAX ABATEMENT OR OTHER INCENTIVES TO OFFSET THE COST TO CREATE A WIN-WIN SITUATION HERE.
OTHERWISE, THERE'S SIMPLY NO FREE LUNCH.
AS IT STANDS, WE'LL HAVE A LOSE LOSE SITUATION WHERE WE'LL GET NO ADDITIONAL HOUSING WITH THE POTENTIAL PROPOSALS WITH INCLUSIONARY UNITS.
THE FIRST TO GO NO NEW ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR USES NO ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS FOR LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESSES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
AND NO ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY THAT THE COUNCIL COULD CHOOSE TO USE TO SAY LIMIT TAX INCREASES OR TO HELP FUND IMPORTANT PRIORITIES FOR LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME RESIDENTS.
CAMBRIDGE STREET IS A GREAT PLACE.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO ENCOURAGE HOUSING OVER RETAIL.
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TALLER BUILDINGS, NEARBY TEE STOPS AND FREQUENT BUS SERVICE.I HOPE THAT WE ALL CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAXIMIZE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS JASON ELVES.
HI, THIS IS JASON ELVES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EAST CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, 5 44 CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UM, I SIGNED, REALLY JASON, YOU'RE COMING IN BROKEN UP.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TRY MOVING TO A BETTER SPACE.
JASON, IT LOOKS LIKE WE LOST YOU.
OH, WHAT THE HELL? I I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FOLKS CAN HEAR ME NOW.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, LEMME COLLECT MY THOUGHTS NOW.
UM, THANKS TO CDD FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I, I THINK OUR MAIN SORT OF HOPE WITH THE C STREET REZONING REMAINS WITH THE, UM, GROUND FLOOR ACTIVE USE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AS LONG AS WE ARE SETTING RECORDS STRAIGHT, I WOULD SAY THAT THE MCGRATH PROJECT THAT WAS CITED IS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS PERMITTED AND THEN HAD TO START OVER WHILE IT WAS, UM, ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND ALSO THE CRA HAS KIND OF STATED THAT CAMBRIDGE STREET IS CERTAINLY A DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN THEIR PROJECT ON MASS AVE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET, AGAIN, IS TO, TO DO THIS, UH, ACTIVE USE GROUND FLOOR.
JASON, YOU'RE BREAKING UP AGAIN.
LAST, JASON, IT LOOKS LIKE WE LOST YOU.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA SIGN OFF.
THANK YOU ALL OF YOU SPEAKERS.
UM, NEXT IS COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UH, ANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK, PATTY? THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I DO, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO JUST HAVE A RESPONSE FROM THE STAFF.
'CAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME DISCONNECT.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR, WELL, THIS COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN WE ALSO, I SEE THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THIS IS CAME OUT OF AN 18 MONTH PLANNING PROCESS WITH LOTS OF INPUT.
SO I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE ISSUES, BUT I JUST THINK I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE STAFF AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO SOME OF WHAT WE HEARD.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.
WE MAY NOT AGREE ON, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD, BUT, BUT I HEARD SOME, SOME DISCONNECTS.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST SAY IS I'M COMFORTABLE WHERE WE'RE AT, SO I DON'T SEE ANY NEED FOR CHANGES.
'CAUSE I THINK WHAT WE PASSED WAS A BIG COMPROMISE FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VIEWS.
SO I, UM, AT LEAST FOR ME, UNLESS FROM EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO PEOPLE WHO DO WANT SOME CHANGES, GIVEN WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS AND GIVEN WHAT I KNOW ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE'VE HEARD, INCLUDING JASON ALS JUST SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM FOR, TO KEEP THE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
AND THEN WE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE THAT'S KILLING PROJECTS.
SO AT LEAST FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE THAT IT, AND IF A YEAR FROM NOW WE DON'T SEE WHAT WE WANT, I THINK WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE SEE TOO MUCH OF ONE THING, THEN WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SAY THAT'S NOT WHAT WE INTENDED.
AND WE'VE, IF WE DON'T SEE ENOUGH, THEN WE SHOULD COME BACK AND SAY, WE NEED TO AMEND IT SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THERE IS HOUSING AND A THRIVING COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE AS A STATEMENT.
SO I THINK I STARTED WITH A QUESTION THEN WENT ON TO SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILOR NOLAN THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
UM, WHEN WE DO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AN INCLUSIVE PROCESS THAT WE HEAR FROM A DIVERSE RANGE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND, AND PARTICULARLY HAVE A FOCUS ON REACHING FOLKS WHO ARE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED OR UNHEARD IN PLANNING PROCESSES.
UM, LIKE A LOT OF OUR ZONING AND PLANNING DISCUSSIONS, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONFLICTING OPINIONS AND DIVERSE IDEAS OF HOW CITIES SHOULD DEVELOP.
UM, AND PART OF THAT ROLE IS, UM, OF OUR ROLE IS TO GATHER THAT FEEDBACK, UM, COME UP.
UH, I ILLUMINATE THE TRADE-OFFS AND MAKE,
[00:40:01]
UH, UH, DECISIONS BASED ON THE POLICY DIRECTION OF CITY COUNCIL.UM, I, I DO WANNA NOTE, UM, AND DREW CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT THAT WENT INTO THE 18 MONTH PROCESS.
BUT, UM, THE SLIDES THAT WE SHOWED TODAY WERE FROM THAT PROCESS.
SO THESE WERE PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS AND DECISIONS WERE MADE THAT, UM, AND THEN GOT FUNNELED INTO FURTHER DECISIONS AND THEN PRESENTED.
UM, AND SO AS WE WENT THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS AND THEN INTO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, HEARING LESS OF THE FULL VIEW OF THE RANGE OF, OF CONVERSATION MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, KNOWN BY PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PART OF IT SINCE 2022.
BUT I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO STAFF TO, UM, AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THAT PROCESS TO SAY THAT THAT WASN'T DISCUSSED.
UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT IS VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES DECISIONS GET MADE THAT SOME PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY WITH.
AND, AND THAT IS PART OF THE JOB COUNCIL HAS TO PLAY IN MAKING DECISIONS.
SO I I I DO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY IN THE OUTCOME OF THE PLAN.
UM, I DO THINK THE PLAN WAS DONE VERY WELL WITH UTMOST PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY AND ANALYSIS.
AND CONSIDERING ALL PLANNING GOALS AND DISCIPLINES, UH, WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS THIS COUNCIL TO, TO BALANCE DIFFERENT, UM, PRIORITIES.
AND I, I THINK HOUSING HAS BECOME A PRIORITY, UM, FOR THE CITY.
AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE ZONING.
AND AS WE'VE HEARD, AND AS COUNCILLOR NOLAN INDICATED, UM, WE HAD A, A FIRST ITERATION OF HOW TO BALANCE THAT WITH THE, UH, GOAL FOR ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
THAT WAS THEN, UH, DISCUSSED FURTHER.
UH, THERE'S CURRENTS ZONING PETITION BEING DISCUSSED ON THAT EFFORT.
AND IF COUNCIL, UM, DOES FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A MISSTEP OR WE NEED TO FOCUS ON A PARTICULAR AREA IN MORE DETAIL, UM, I DON'T, I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO CONTINUE AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WEREN'T HAD, IF IT DIDN'T RESULT IN THE DECISION THAT EVERYBODY, UM, THAT SOME PEOPLE WANTED, UH, THANK YOU, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER PETERS, I, I THINK THE, FOR ME, THE REASON THAT I HAD WANTED TO FACILITATE THIS MEETING WAS MORE SO THAT YOU COULD ANSWER BACK.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU HAVE A RATIONALE FOR WHY YOU DECIDE TO DO WHAT YOU DO, BUT I DON'T THINK IT, UH, THAT YOU ALL ALWAYS COMMUNICATED OR THE, THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOUR RATIONALE WAS.
SO I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS A FORUM WHERE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHY, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THE REAR SETBACK IS.
IS IT FIVE FEET OR IS IT 10 FEET? BUT WHAT, LIKE, WHY YOU PICKED THAT NUMBER OR, UM, WHY YOU CHOSE TO LEAVE WET LABS IN, OR, UH, WHETHER THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY IF, UM, PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN MIT WAS THAT, THAT OPEN STATE SPACE REMAIN IN OPEN SPACE.
UH, CAN WE FOREST IT AND MAKE IT INTO A PARK FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET? THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVEN'T HEARD.
SO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES WERE AND TO, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEVER UNDERSTOOD, LIKE HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU DID.
AND I KNOW FOR ME AS A FORMER MUSEUM CURATOR, YOU KNOW, I NEVER LIKE PUT UP AN EXHIBIT.
I NEVER PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE, I NEVER GAVE A SPEECH UNLESS I HAD LIKE DOTTED ALL MY I'S AND CROSSED ALL MY T'S.
I NE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'D COVERED EVERYTHING.
AND I, AS A CITY COUNSELOR, LIKE I, I FIND ZONING IS, IS A VERY DIFFERENT BEAST.
IT'S POLITICAL FOR ONE THING, BUT ALSO, UM, OFTEN I, I FEEL LIKE EVERY NUANCE, MAYBE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T HEAR IT DISCUSSED ON THE COUNCIL FLOOR.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AS URBAN PLANNERS AND ZONING EXPERTS TO SHARE LIKE HOW YOU CAME TO THE CONCLUSIONS THAT YOU, THAT YOU DID.
I MEAN, FOR ME, ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION IS, UM, TO ME LOOKING AT THE SHADOW STUDY, THOSE ARE VERY LONG SHADOWS FOR SIX STORY BUILDINGS.
AND, UM, DID YOU EVER CONSIDER A SETBACK ON THE, I GUESS ON WHICH SIDE OF THE STREET IS IT THE, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET BECAUSE, SO THAT THERE, THAT CAMBRIDGE STREET WOULDN'T BE CAST INTO SHADE.
I KNOW WE HAVE TO BALANCE BUILDING HOUSING, BUT I THINK THAT MARK TRUANT HAD AN INTERESTING IDEA OF LIKE, IF THERE WAS A BALCONY THERE AND PEOPLE HAD A 10 FOOT BALCONY, IT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE IT A MORE ATTRACTIVE
[00:45:01]
RESIDENCE AND IT THAT MIGHT HELP TO FUND THE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THE PROPERTY.SO I GUESS THIS IS, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU.
I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL WORK VERY, VERY HARD AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK.
UH, CHAIR ZUI, HAPPY TO TALK IN MORE LENGTH ABOUT THE, UM, THE THOUGHT PROCESS.
UM, CERTAINLY WE COULD, WE CAN REFLECT ON OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE, BUT IT ALSO, I, I DO WANNA, UM, AND YOU STATE THAT IT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOALS AND PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH A MIX OF, YOU KNOW, PLANNING IS NOT JUST TECHNICAL EXERCISE THAT YOU DO WITH THE VACUUM, IT'S, IT'S WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I CAN START WITH KIND OF THE SETBACK QUESTION AND THEN MAYBE GO ON, AND I'M SURE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO, UH, THAT WOULD BE REMIND ME WHICH ORDER OF QUESTIONS TO GO IN.
BUT, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDING, UH, SIDE SETBACKS, UM, AND BIGGER FRONT SETBACKS.
UM, WHEN WE THINK OF OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, AND IF, IF YOU WALK THROUGH A A BUT THEY WEREN'T ASKING ABOUT SIDE AND FRONT, THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT A 10 FOOT SETBACK IN THE BACK SO THAT IT'S NOT A DEAD ZONE, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ZONING, WHAT IS THE ZONING NOW? IS IT FIVE FEET OR IS IT 10 FEET IN THE BACK OR? I, I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON SPOT.
UM, IT'S A, THERE'S A FIVE FOOT SETBACK REQUIREMENT WITHIN, UM, WITHIN 15 FEET OF, OF AN ABUTTING DISTRICT, IF I RECALL.
SO BASICALLY IN, THERE'S SORT OF A TRANSITION AREA AS YOU GET AWAY FROM THE CORRIDOR AND INTO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE SETBACK INCREASES TO, TO, TO MATCH THE SETBACK IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT OF FIVE FEET.
AND DID YOU EVER THINK ABOUT MAKING IT WIDER, UM, AS RESIDENTS ASKED? SO, SO IN, IN THE REAR, UM, YEAH, IF YOU, UM, THROUGH SHARE, IF YOU WOULD, THE CAMBRIDGE STREET PLANNING STUDY, WHEN WE DID SORT OF THE HYPOTHETICAL PROTOTYPICAL SECTIONS FOR THAT, I THINK AT THE TIME THERE WAS A, LIKE A 10 FOOT REAR SETBACK, IF I REMEMBER.
AND THAT HAD CHANGED OVER TIME.
AND TO JEFF'S POINT, TO MATCH THE ABUTTING DISTRICTS, I THINK IS THE PRIMARY LOGIC THERE.
UM, I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, AS THE PM FOR THAT PROJECT, THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION AROUND REAR SETBACKS, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU.
AND I CAN GO BACK AND EXAMINE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE IS A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF CHRONICLING ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO COURSE THROUGH THAT.
BUT SETBACKS WEREN'T A HUGE POINT OF DISCUSSION WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SECTION OF CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THE REAR SETBACKS THAT IS, YEAH.
WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT WET LABS.
DID YOU DISCUSS THAT INTERNALLY AND HOW DID YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU DID? SO AS DREW INDICATED, WE CAN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WET AND DRY LABS WHEN WE'RE, UM, LIMITING, UH, USES ON THE CORRIDORS.
UM, THE ZONING GREATLY INCENTIVIZES HOUSING OVER OFFICE LABS SPACE BY VIRTUE THAT THE FAR IS LIMITED TO 1.0 FOR OFFICE COMMERCIAL SPACE AND 35 FEET, WE DON'T FEEL THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO WRITE OUT PROHIBIT, UH, LABS IN OFFICE SPACES, UM, GIVEN THAT THE DENSITY CONTROLS MANAGED THAT.
UM, WE ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SMALLER INNOVATION SPACES IN THE CORRIDORS LIKE CAMBRIDGE STREET BECAUSE THEY'RE LESS EXPENSIVE AND HELP FOR MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL STARTUPS TO GET FOOT, UM, IN CAMBRIDGE, UM, THAT CANNOT AFFORD, UM, THE CLASS A, UH, OFFICE SPACE IN KENDALL SQUARE.
SO, UM, I THINK THE CONCERNS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, AROUND, UH, THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONCERNS AROUND HVAC SYSTEMS OR NOISE.
I THINK GIVEN THE SIZE LIMITATIONS, THOSE ARE UNFOUNDED, BUT THE BENEFITS TO THE INNOVATION ECONOMY AND WHAT REALLY MAKES CAMBRIDGE TICK IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR STARTUP COMMUNITY, UM, I, I THINK OUTWEIGH THAT, THOSE CONCERNS.
AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF OUR THINKING AND, AND WE AREN'T SEEING THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UH, WHAT WE ARE SEEING ARE SIX STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR SPACE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING.
SO I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING, UM, A ONE OR TWO STORY, UH, LAB BUILDING ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, BUT IF THERE ARE THERE EXISTING, I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT
[00:50:01]
MAKES US A ROBUST ECONOMY AND WE WANNA CONTINUE TO, UM, TO ALLOW FOR THAT.SO DID YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, AS SUSAN MARKOWITZ SAID, SHE WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY, AND I TALKED TO MARIA SCIO EARLIER, WHO ALSO IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY.
I GUESS WE ALLOW FOR LEVEL TWO LABS, I THINK, ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UM, IS THAT, IS THAT A CONCERN OR WAS THAT DISCUSSED? SO WE, WE CERTAINLY, WE, WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT'S KNOWN FOR OUR LIFE SCIENCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WE'RE THE MOST INNOVATIVE SQUARE MILE IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE'VE MADE OUR REGULATIONS IN A WAY TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITIES.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY ON CONCERNS AROUND THAT.
I RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERYONE AGREES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY CAN BRING, UH, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, DEPARTMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHERS WHO COULD, WHO ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE SORT OF RATIONALE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN EAGER TO HEAR, WHETHER THEY AGREE WITH YOU OR NOT.
I I FEEL LIKE THIS IS YOUR FORUM TO SHARE IDEAS, UM, THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE.
UM, WHAT ABOUT, UM, UH, PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, PARKING, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT TREES.
I, I, I KNOW I WANTED TO ASK DESIGN STANDARDS VERSUS GUIDELINES.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? UM, WE DO HAVE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO THE NEW ZONING THAT WAS PASSED FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET.
AND I REVIEWED ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL ONES, WHICH IS THE SETBACK, THE FOUR FOOT SETBACK FOR BUILDINGS ALONG C STREET TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR PEDESTRIAN SPACE AMENITIES, LANDSCAPING, TREE PLANTINGS.
UM, THE IDEA RECOGNIZING THAT CAMBRIDGE STREET IS NARROW STREET, VERY NARROW SIDEWALK.
SO WHATEVER WE COULD DO TO KIND OF EXPAND THAT PEDESTRIAN SPACE AND MAKE IT MORE INVITING.
SO THAT WAS BUILT INTO THE ZONING ITSELF.
UM, THERE WERE GUIDELINES THAT WERE IN THE CAMBRIDGE STREET PLAN.
THOSE ARE ALSO APPLICABLE THOUGH TO THE CITYWIDE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO ANYTHING WHEN WITHIN THE PLAN ITSELF WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHETHER IT HAD TO DO WITH GROUND FLOOR TRANSPARENCY, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKE FIRST FLOOR HEIGHTS, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT ULTIMATELY WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE OUR CITYWIDE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH WHAT WE'RE SAYING FOR OUR KIND OF MAIN STREETS AND SQUARES AND CORRIDORS.
UM, SO BASICALLY WE TRY TO ALIGN THE GUIDELINES WE HAVE AT THE CITYWIDE SCALE WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE DISTRICT.
AND UNLESS THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF EXCEPTIONAL ELEMENTS, AND THEN SOME THINGS DO GET BAKED INTO ZONING, UM, AND THOSE MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS OR BUILDING SETBACKS IN THIS CASE, WHICH IS KIND OF UNIQUE TO CAMBRIDGE STREET THAT, THAT ONE SORT OF PROVISION.
AND I'M GONNA YIELD TO MY OTHER, I KNOW AZI HAS, UH, I'M SUPER, I'M SORRY, COUNCILOR
'CAUSE I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED WITH THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IS THAT WE HAD GUIDELINES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWED.
UM, BUT STANDARDS ARE, UH, OBLIGATORY.
SO THEY, ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A, CREATE A WIDER SIDEWALK IN PLANT TREES.
I'LL, I, I'M GOING TO YIELD TO COUNCILOR AZIM.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, JUST RAPID FIRE TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE FIRST FLOOR RETAIL PIECE, WE'RE HAVING A SEPARATE MEETING ON JUNE 16TH ABOUT, UM, AND THAT WAS NOT ON THE CALL FOR TODAY'S MEETING, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S A, A SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND PLANNING BOARD IS HOLDING, UH, THEIR HEARING TONIGHT.
SO LIKE, UH, THE FIRST FLOOR RETAIL, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A TOPIC FOR TODAY.
UM, SECOND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PASSED THE NEW CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING IN JANUARY.
UM, WHAT WAS THE HEIGHT BEFORE AND AFTER? UH, SIX STORIES AND SIX STORIES IN THE MAJORITY OF THE CORRIDOR.
AND SO I THINK WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE HEIGHT, WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE FAR, WE DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE SETBACKS OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF CONFUSED IN THAT VERY LITTLE CHANGED ABOUT CAMBRIDGE STREET PROPER BETWEEN LIKE THE LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR.
[00:55:01]
SEE LIKE WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE CONVERSATION, UM, REALLY LIKE, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF FUNDAMENTALLY WHERE I'M AT.UM, I KNOW THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT WET LAB.
I WILL JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE HAVE A TOTAL OF ONE WET LAB IN ALL OF CAMBRIDGE STREET, BOTH PROPOSE AND ACTIVE, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY DO, WHICH IS SERIES THERAPEUTICS.
WE ARE CREATING NEW TREATMENTS FOR MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PATIENT POPULATIONS TO PREVENT BACTERIAL BROADSTREAM AND ANTI-MICROBIAL RESISTANT INFECTIONS, AS WELL AS TO TREAT GI RELATED IMMUNE DISEASES.
UM, I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT SORTS OF FEELINGS IF YOU ASK ME WHAT IS THE VALUE OF AN OFFICE VERSUS A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE CURING, UM, GI RELATED IMMUNE DISEASES.
I, I PERSONALLY REALLY LIKE CURING GI UH, RELATED IMMUNE DISEASES.
AND SO I THINK THAT LIKE NOTHING REALLY AS MUCH HAS CHANGED IN CAMBRIDGE STREET.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE A WET LAB CONVERSATION, BUT JUST FOR SAYING THERE'S NONE PROPOSED, THE ONLY ONE THAT EXISTS IS TREATING GI RELATED IMMUNE DISEASE.
AND I THINK IN GENERAL, LIKE THERE WAS A VERY, VERY LONG COMMUNITY PROCESS ON CAMBRIDGE STREET AND AT THE END OF IT, LIKE WE'RE, I'M LIKE HAPPY TO HAVE THIS MEETING, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE WAS LIKE SEVEN PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS REALLY A SUBSTITUTE FOR A COMMUNITY MEETING.
UM, AND SO I GUESS THAT'S JUST ALL TO SAY LIKE, I THINK THIS IS FINE, BUT I DON'T FIND THIS TO BE THE PARTICULARLY HIGHEST RETURN, NOR DO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A NOVEL CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE NOT HAD, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY.
THANK YOU COUNCILLOR AZI, ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU.
I, I, ONE QUESTION THOUGH IS, SO DID THE SETBACKS CHANGE? DID YOU ADD FOUR FEET TO THE SETBACK? IS THAT PART OF THE NEW ZONING OR WAS IT ALWAYS THERE? THE FOREFOOT SETBACK IS PART OF THE NEW ZONING THAT WAS PASSED IN JANUARY, SO THAT DIDN'T EXIST WITHIN THE BA ZONING OR THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET.
SO IT, SO LITTLE, LITTLE THINGS DID CHANGE.
UM, ARE THERE OTHER BIGGER CHANGES THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? YEAH, SO, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE QUARTERS, UH, CAM SIX, BUT THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN GO UP TO 10 AND 12 AND THE LEACH MAYOR AND WEBSTER WINDSOR TRIANGLE RESPECTIVELY, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF HEIGHT AND RETAIL, WHICH IS SOMETHING BIG.
BUT JUST IN, JUST TO RESPOND TO COUNCILOR EM'S SUGGESTION THAT NOTHING REALLY HAS CHANGED.
SO WHAT ARE WE HERE TALKING? WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT? UM, SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
UM, COUNCILLOR AZIM, DO YOU YIELD OR DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I YIELD AND I HAVE TO GO AT FOUR O'CLOCK, SO I APOLOGIZE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UM, UH, COUNSELOR ZUBI, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, THANK YOU.
THROUGH YOU CHAIR, UM, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION THAT, UM, CDD GAVE AND JUST A FEW THINGS THAT I'M THINKING THROUGH AS I UNDERSTOOD THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CURIOUS TO HEAR A BIT MORE ABOUT THE LABS PIECE.
I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT GENERALLY IT WOULD BE HARD TO, LIKE, IT'D BE TOO BIG ANYWAYS, SO WHAT, LIKE, WHAT WERE, WHAT WOULD YOUR THOUGHTS BE ON A BUFFER FOR WET LABS IF AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY'RE HARDER TO ACHIEVE? I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR BECAUSE LIKE IF THE CASES THAT THEY'RE HARDER TO BUILD ANYWAYS, I GUESS WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE THINKING ON THE CDS? WHAT WOULD BE THE THINKING FROM CDS AND ON A BUFFER IN TERMS OF MAKING SOME LEVEL OF DURABILITY AROUND CONVERSATIONS AROUND LABS? UH, UH, IN ZONING WE OFTEN TRY TO NOT CREATE NON-CONFORMITY, SO WE DON'T WANT TO PROHIBIT USES THAT ARE EXISTING ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
SO, UM, THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE WANNA CONTINUE TO ALLOW IT, EVEN IF AT A LOWER HEIGHT.
AND AGAIN, UH, THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE AFFORDABLE STARTUP SPACE, UM, COULD BE FOUND ON, ON CAMBRIDGE STREET VERSUS IN KENDALL.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF OTHERS WANNA ADD TO THAT OR HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS.
I, I KIND OF HESITATED TO JUMP IN 'CAUSE I, WE, WE ACTUALLY DID SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS QUESTION.
I THINK MAYBE IT WAS TWO ITERATIONS OF CITY COUNCIL AGO WHEN WE HAD A REALLY LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT LAB USE WITHIN THE CITY AND R AND D USE AND JUST, IT, IT, IT'S A REALLY A KIND OF A BIGGER AND AND MORE COMPLEX ISSUE THAN, UM, THAN IT SEEMS WHEN YOU REALLY UNPACK IT.
ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, CAMBRIDGE DOES HAVE FAIRLY STRINGENT
[01:00:01]
AND, UH, AND RIGOROUS BIOSAFETY REGULATIONS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, CAMBRIDGE IS ACTUALLY A PIONEER IN ESTABLISHING, UM, A REGULATORY PROCESS THAT INVOLVES THE COMMUNITY AND INVOLVES COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS, AS PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS.SO OF ANY OF ANY SIZE, IF, IF THERE'S A, A USE OF AN R AND D USE THAT HAS TO ACHIEVE A CERTAIN BIOSAFETY LEVEL, IT'S, IT'S SUBJECT TO PRETTY RIGOROUS, UH, REVIEW STANDARDS.
UM, SO FROM THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WE TALKED WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT QUITE A BIT, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, FROM A, UM, FROM A SORT OF AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF THE IMPACTS OF THE LAB USE, THE, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT TEND TO BE MORE OF A CONCERN ARE THE, JUST THE SCALE OF THE BUILDING, THE, YOU KNOW, ROOFTOP MECHANICALS ISSUES AROUND NOISE, WHICH FRANKLY ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TEND TO BE MORE TYPICAL WHEN YOU HAVE LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH AS MELISSA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T ALLOW LARGER SCALE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
REALLY THE PRIORITY IS, IS RESIDENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL USES ARE, ARE AT ALL AT A LOWER SCALE.
ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU REALLY STEP BACK AND LOOK AT IT, ANY COMMERCIAL BUILDING OF A, OF A PARTICULAR SIZE IS GOING TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF AIR HANDLING REQUIREMENTS JUST UNDER CURRENT BUILDING CODES.
SO THE ISSUES AROUND NOISE ARE, I THINK LESS, LESS EFFECTIVELY DEALT WITH BY TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT SPECIFIC USE BY, BUT MORE BY HAVING REGULATIONS AROUND, UM, AROUND NOISE MITIGATION, WHICH WE DO BOTH IN OUR, OUR NOISE CITY NOISE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM ZONING, BUT, UM, BUT IS, IS RELEVANT.
IT'S, AND SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S REVIEWED AND ENFORCED PRETTY PRETTY VIGOROUSLY, UM, THROUGH THE LICENSE COMMISSION AS WELL AS, UH, THROUGH PROJECT REVIEW.
WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, FOR NOISE MITIGATION, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TO BASICALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE NOISE IMPACTS ARE GONNA BE AND PROVIDE, UM, MODELING AND, AND THERE CAN BE MITIGATION IMPOSED AS PART OF THAT AND, AND UNDER IN CAMBRIDGE STREET, WHILE THE RESIDENTIAL ZONING ALLOWS FOR, FOR LARGER DEVELOPMENT AND ALLOWS FOR, YOU KNOW, UP TO 75,000 SQUARE FEET WITHOUT REQUIRING A PROJECT REVIEW, SPECIAL PERMIT, A COMMERCIAL USE AT 20,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, UH, TRIGGERS A REQUIREMENT FOR A PROJECT REVIEW SPECIAL PERMIT.
SO THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THOSE, THOSE REVIEW STANDARDS AND, AND MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS.
I THINK IN, FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE, GOING BACK TO WHAT, WHAT MELISSA WAS SAYING, IT, IT'S ALWAYS, WELL I THINK IT JUST, IN MY OPINION, IT IT IS PART OF THE, THE, THE STRENGTH OF CAMBRIDGE'S INNOVATION ECONOMY THAT WE, WE DO ALLOW, UM, A WIDE RANGE OF USES IN, IN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, BUT IN ALL OF OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS SUBJECT TO REGULATION.
UM, ONCE YOU START TO TRY TO SLICE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SHEETS, YOU KNOW, THE, I I THINK I ALWAYS THINK OF IT SORT OF A DELI SLICER OF LIKE, HOW, HOW THIN DO YOU WANNA SLICE IT IN TERMS OF WHAT, HOW WE DEFINE DIFFERENT USES AND REGULATE DIFFERENT USES IN, IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM, THAT, THAT THE, THE THINNER YOU SLICE IT, THE MORE KIND OF UNANTICIPATED IMPACTS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
YOU KNOW, A LOCAL STARTUP THAT IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S SORT OF INNOVATIVE OR OUTSIDE THE NORM, KIND OF TRIPS OVER THE LINE THAT MAKES IT YOU KNOW, HAVE TO GO TO THE BZA TO GET A USE VARIANCE, OR MAYBE IT, IT CAN'T BE THERE AT ALL.
SO THERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SORT OF LOOK AT WHAT THE ACTUAL IMPACTS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE MANAGED AND THE TRADE OFF BETWEEN THAT AND HAVING USE BASED ZONING REQUIREMENTS THAT COULD HAVE A LOT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, BOTH IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JUST OTHER, OTHER THINGS, THEN, UM, I THINK WE FELT LIKE ON BALANCE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, THE, BY TRYING TO REGULATE THE IMPACT, WE'RE, WE'RE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRYING TO, UM, GET TOO DETAILED ABOUT HOW WE REGULATE THE USE.
IT'S HELPFUL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR THINKING ON THAT AND SOME OF THE HISTORY THAT'S GONE INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, ANOTHER ONE I HAD A QUESTION ON WAS, UH, REGARDING THE SIDEWALKS, I THINK IT WAS LIKE ONE OF THE FIRST OR SECOND SLIDE, UM, IT, IT SAID THE LANGUAGE SHOWED WHERE APPROPRIATE YEAH.
THAT FOR ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN SPACE AND AMENITIES WHERE APPROPRIATE.
SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IS IT CORRECT TO SAY THAT THAT IS PLACING IT AS DISCRETIONARY OR IS SOMEONE FROM CDD ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT PIECE OF IT? YEAH, I AM HAPPY TO, AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MATTER OF THE WAY I WORDED IT IN THIS SLIDE, BUT AS APPROPRIATE BEING BASED ON SORT OF THE USE, THE DESIGN, ET CETERA, WHAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE AND WHETHER THAT'S A LANDSCAPING AMENITY OR PUBLIC SEATING OR ADDITIONAL SIDEWALK SPACE THERE ALLOWS FOR A CERTAIN DEGREE OF VARIETY IN THE ZONING AS FAR AS HOW THAT FOUR FEET IS TREATED.
AND SO AS APPROPRIATE, MORE LIKE CONTEXTUALLY SPEAKING, NOT NECESSARILY WHETHER OR NOT IT'S DISCRETIONARY OR NOT.
I, I DON'T THINK THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT
[01:05:01]
CAME UP IN THE SLIDES, BUT UH, SOMETHING THAT'S JUST LARGELY COME UP AROUND ZONING CONVERSATIONS IS THE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY HAVING A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A, A DEMOLITION HAPPEN AND THEN THE NUMBER OF UNITS GOES DOWN INSTEAD OF UP.SO I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET OR, UM, EVEN JUST IN GENERAL, ASHA THREW THE CHAIR.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE A SWING AT THAT.
UM, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE GOT INTO THE ANNUAL HOUSING REPORT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS A POTENTIAL CONCERN.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CASES THAT PEOPLE HAVE POINTED TO WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT IS PROPOSED WHERE THE UNITS ARE SORT OF LAR, YOU KNOW, REPLACING EXISTING UNITS WITH LARGER UNITS.
I THINK WHAT WE FIND WHEN WE LOOK ACROSS ALL OF THE DATA IS, IS BY AND LARGE, THAT'S NOT THE TREND.
THAT THE TREND TYPICALLY, ESPECIALLY FOR LARGER DEVELOPMENTS, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE BUILDER IS LOOKING TO MAXIMIZE, UM, THE NUMBER OF UNITS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, WITHIN SOME, YOU KNOW, AREA OF REASON WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A MIX OF, OF DIFFERENT UNIT SIZES AND TYPES.
SOMETIMES THE SITE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ACTUAL JUST GEOMETRY OF THE SITE DETERMINES HOW THEY, HOW THEY'RE GONNA DESIGN UNITS WITHIN THE BUILDING.
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE MAY TALK ABOUT THIS, WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
UM, I THINK, AGAIN, THIS WAS THE LAST COUNCIL, AND THIS IS, IT'S SOMETHING WE CERTAINLY COULD TALK ABOUT AGAIN, UM, THE IDEA OF PUTTING SOME PROVISIONS IN ZONING THAT WOULD SORT OF DISINCENTIVIZE THAT TYPE OF APPROACH.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN, IN SOME CASES WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS IF THE, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE UNIT SIZE OR THE AVERAGE FLOOR AREA PER UNIT IS, YOU KNOW, ABOVE A CERTAIN THRESHOLD THAT WE MIGHT DEEM AS SORT OF TOO LARGE, UM, WE WOULD STILL WANT TO KEEP FLEXIBILITY IN PLACE.
WE, WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA ENCOURAGE FAMILY SIZE HOUSING, SO, SO WE WOULDN'T WANNA BE TOO STRICT ON, ON UNIT SIZE, BUT WE, WE COULD THINK ABOUT WAYS TO, UM, JUST KIND OF MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE, TO THE, THE BALANCE OF INCENTIVES TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS ARE INCENTIVIZED TO DO MORE UNITS AND MORE REASONABLY SIZED UNITS RATHER THAN A SMALLER NUMBER OF, OF LARGER UNITS.
YEAH, IT DEFINITELY, IN PART OF SOME OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD IN, IN THE PRESENTATION AND FROM COMMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE VIEW THEM AS A GAP AND SHOULD CLOSE THEM OR, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S WORTHWHILE EXPLORING.
AGAIN, I, I THINK ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE GRAND JUNCTION PATH CONVERSATIONS, I THINK THAT'S ALSO RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT LONG-TERM, HOW WE CAN, UM, IMPROVE ACCESS TO, UM, OPEN SPACE AND GREEN SPACE.
UM, DEFINITELY CURIOUS A BIT MORE ABOUT THE SIDEWALK PIECE, JUST CONSIDERING JUST A DA COMPLIANCES, UM, THE IMPACTS OF HAVING A NARROWER SIDEWALK ON A STREET LIKE CAMBRIDGE STREET.
UM, BUT DO APPRECIATE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU GUYS POUR INTO OUR ZONING AND KNOW THESE CONVERSATIONS AREN'T EASY.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILLOR ZUBIE.
UM, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU.
UM, JUST TO SORT OF GET BACK TO, UM, COUNCILOR NOLAN HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS ON THIS.
I MEAN, WE DID, WE HAD A NUMBER OF, I CHAIRED THEM, UM, IN THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO WE DID HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, AND WE DID MAKE COMPROMISES, RIGHT? I BELIEVE WE LOWERED THE HEIGHTENED NIMAN SQUARE, IF I MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY.
THAT WAS BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE UNHAPPY WITH WHAT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS.
AND I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE ALSO FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE UNHAPPY THAT WE DID THAT, RIGHT? NOBODY SPEAKS FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DON'T CARE HOW LONG YOU'VE LIVED THERE.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
AND WE TRY TO BALANCE THOSE AS BEST WE CAN WHILE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR GOALS.
WE LOWERED THE HEIGHTS AND THE OTHER TWO PARCELS RIGHT AROUND THE LEACH MIRROR, RIGHT? AGAIN, BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS WHO ARE NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS, JUST BY COUNTING HEADS, I BELIEVE WE PROBABLY HAVE THE VOTES TO DO THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AND DIDN'T DO THAT BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE.
SO WHEN FOLKS COME FORWARD AND SAY, NO ONE'S LISTENING, WELL IF YOUR, I IF YOUR DEFINITION OF LISTENING IS THAT YOU GET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT YOU WANT, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA INTERNALLY BE DISAPPOINTED.
[01:10:01]
LISTENED AND WE MADE COMPROMISES AND THE ZONING THAT CAME OUT LOOKED REALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHERE IT STARTED.SO THIS IDEA THAT NO ONE LISTENS, I JUST LISTENING AND AGREEING ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
AND SO WE MADE CHANGES AND THAT'S GOOD, AND WE SHOULD BASED ON FEEDBACK.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT.
'CAUSE IF YOU ASKED FOR COMPROMISE AND YOU GET COMPROMISE AND THEN YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE STILL UNHAPPY.
IT DOESN'T INCENTIVIZE FOLKS TO ACTUALLY COMPROMISE.
IT ACTUALLY DRIVES PEOPLE MORE INTO THEIR CORNERS.
WHY SHOULD I GIVE UP SOMETHING THAT I REALLY BELIEVE IN TO MAKE SOMEONE ELSE FEEL BETTER IF AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY'RE NEVER GONNA FEEL BETTER? UM, AND I, I JUST WISH PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, WOULD COME TO THE MIDDLE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, IN TERMS OF LABS, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THEY'RE ALLOWED IN ALL THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT A LOT OF OUR BUSINESS DISTRICTS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY EITHER ABUT RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS OR THEY'RE KIND OF A MIX, RIGHT? I MEAN, CENTRAL SQUARE IS A BUSINESS DISTRICT, BUT I LIVE A BLOCK AWAY FROM SEVEN 11, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, HARVARD SQUARE, PORTER SQUARE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HERE ON AVE HAS HAS BUSINESSES IN IT, BUT IT'S A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT WET LABS ARE DANGEROUS AND BAD TO HAVE FOR IN AND AROUND HOUSING, THEN THAT'S, WE SHOULD DISCUSS THAT ABOUT EV ACROSS THE CITY, RIGHT? WHY IS IT OKAY TO HAVE WET LABS IN CENTRAL SQUARE NEAR MY HOUSE, BUT WE SHOULD BAN 'EM ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, RIGHT? IF THEY'RE BAD, THEY'RE BAD.
I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF SAFETY PROCEDURES IN PLACE.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I DO, AND I AGREE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES.
YOU LOOK AT THE ENGINE UP HERE ON MASS AVE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO SOME OF THOSE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THAT BUILDING ARE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD, RIGHT? BUT A LOT OF THOSE BUSINESSES CAN'T, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BE IN KENDALL, PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BE AN OWL WIFE WHEN THAT GETS UP AND RUNNING.
AND SO THEY NEED THESE SECONDARY PLACES, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE GOOD TO HAVE, BUT I I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE CONVERSATIONS OF LIKE, WELL, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT IT'S NOT OKAY TO HAVE IT NEAR ME IF, YOU KNOW, EITHER WE NEED TO HAVE A BROAD CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS OR EVERYBODY IS A PIECE OF THE, YOU KNOW, IS A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK AGAIN, THAT'S IF, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMPROMISES ALREADY.
UM, I THINK ANY OF THESE IDEAS IN AND OF THEMSELVES ARE GREAT.
I'VE SAID THIS A LOT ABOUT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE PUT ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOME OF THE LARGER DEVELOPMENTS, LIKE IN KENDALL SQUARE AND WHATNOT, THEY'RE ALL GREAT AND THEY SOUND GOOD.
AND THEN YOU GET TO A DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY, I WANT THIS, I WANT THIS, I WANT THIS, I WANT THIS, I WANT THIS, I WANT THIS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER, YOU REALIZE THAT IF YOU DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS, YOU ACTUALLY GET NOTHING BECAUSE YOU'VE NOW MADE IT INFEASIBLE.
AND SO TRADE-OFFS HAVE TO BE MADE, AND THINGS HAVE TO, THERE HAS TO BE A GIVE AND TAKE.
SO, AND I THINK WE, I THINK FOR THE MOST PART WE DID THAT.
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE, ALL OF THE ZONING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE VERY LITTLE HOUSING BUILT ACTUALLY ON CAMBRIDGE STREET BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE CHANGES WE MADE.
UM, THANK, SO, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THIS WORK.
UM, I'M GLAD YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS MEETING TO EXPLAIN SOME THINGS.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, UNLESS SOMEONE BRINGS FORWARD AN ORDINANCE TO CHANGE WHAT WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON, I I THINK THE DECISION'S BEEN MADE.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN AGAIN.
I, I THINK, UM, THE REASON FOR THIS MEETING WAS, I, I WILL TELL YOU, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, YOU AND PATTY HAVE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL A LONG TIME.
SO THE, THE ISSUES THAT I HEARD EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS SAY WEREN'T DISCUSSED ON THE FLOOR, WERE NOT DISCUSSED WHILE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FROM THE, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET DAYS.
SO, UM, YOU WERE PRIVY TO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS THAN I WAS.
SO I, I DON'T THINK ANY, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S SAYING,
[01:15:01]
UM, YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.I THINK WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS YOU DIDN'T COMMUNICATE YOUR RATIONALE FOR WHY YOU CAME TO THE CONCLUSIONS THAT YOU DID.
THEY MAY DISAGREE WITH SOME THINGS, BUT I ALSO THINK THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WASN'T DISCUSSION ON THE FLOOR ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT THINGS, THINGS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND I, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THE HOUSING, ANNUAL HOUSING STUDY WILL KEEP TRACK OF HOUSING, UM, UH, LIKE NATURALLY AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT ARE GONE AND NEW UNITS THAT ARE CREATED.
WILL IT ALSO INCLUDE, UH, RETAIL, UH, UNITS, UH, SO WE KNOW HOW MANY STORES HAVE GONE, WHICH STORES HAVE COME BACK? SOMEBODY KEEPING, WILL SOMEBODY BE KEEPING TRACK OF THAT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ASK FOR SOMEWHERE? UH, THAT'S NOT EXPLICITLY, UH, PART OF THE ANNUAL HOUSING, UH, REPORT, BUT CERTAINLY OUR ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, UM, KEEPS TRACK OF, UH, THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
THEY DO ANNUAL SURVEYS OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AT DIFFERENT, UH, AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
THEY CERTAINLY KEEP TRACK OF VACANCIES, UM, ARE HELPING WITH SUCCESSION PLANNING AND TURNOVER.
AND SO THAT IS ABSOLUTELY A PRIORITY AREA FOR THEM.
UH, BUT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD POINT THAT, UM, ALONG WITH TRACKING HOUSING ON CAMBRIDGE STREET AND NORTH MASS AVE, WE SHOULD BE KEEPING TRACK OF HOW THE NEW ZONING IS IMPACTING RETAIL, COMMERCIAL LABS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND MAYBE SOMEHOW THAT COULD BE AN ANNUAL REPORT, JUST SO WE KNOW HOW IT'S WORKING.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND IS HOW IT'S WORKING OVERALL.
AND DO WE NEED TO MAKE TWEAKS, UM, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND, UH, UM, BUILDING ON ACTUALLY WHAT, UM, JUSTIN SAFE HAD TO SAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT WE'LL NEED TO CONSIDER TAX ABATEMENTS FOR, TO ENCOURAGE RETAIL OR INCLUSIONARY, LIKE, SO IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A REPORT BACK SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT OTHER THINGS MIGHT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET TO WHERE WE WANNA BE.
AND ANOTHER THING I THINK MANY ARE THINKING ABOUT IS THERE'S A WORRY ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT OF THE MOM AND POP BUSINESSES ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
SO, UM, AND I'M SURE PAREE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO RELO RELOCATE BUSINESSES, BUT IT, IT WOULD JUST BE, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE AN ANNUAL REVIEW ON, UM, THE IMPACT, UH, THE COMMERCIAL IMPACT OF THE ZONING ON, ON BOTH.
UM, ON THE TWO, ON THE TWO BIG UP ZONINGS THAT THE, THAT YOU JUST DRAFTED AND THE CITY COUNCIL JUST ADVANCED.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ASK, SO DID YOU THINK, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT TRADE OFFS ALL THE TIME.
DID YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, BACK TO THE IDEA OF HAVING STEPPED BACKS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF, OF, OF, OF BUILDINGS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AT ALL? AND THE IDEA OF HAVING BALCONIES THERE JUST TO REDUCE THE SHADOWS ON THE STREET? SURE.
UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? SO, UM, DURING THE, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET PROCESS, UM, WE HAD DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF HEIGHT THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN UPPER FLOOR STEP BACKS, UM, AFTER THE MULTI-FAMILY ZONING PASSED, UH, PRIOR TO THE CODIFICATION OF THE CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING.
UM, THAT KIND OF SET A NEW BASELINE OF, OF DISCUSSION.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION THAT, UM, HAPPENED, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS ABOUT, UM, NOT THAT THE CORRIDOR SHOULD BE AN AREA WHERE HOUSING IS MORE PERMISSIVE THAN THE REST OF THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO TO PUT ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON HOUSING PRODUCTION IN THE FORM OF, UH, UPPER FLOOR STEP BACKS, UH, DID NOT SEEM LIKE THE PRIORITY POLICY GOAL AT THAT TIME, UH, AS WE HAD IT WITH THE COUNCIL.
YEAH, I WAS HERE FOR THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I, I STILL THINK O OVERALL, I, I THINK YOU WIN WITH GOOD DESIGN.
AND I, I THINK IF WE HAVE A MORE ATTRACTIVE STREET AND IT WOULD BE MORE ATTRACTIVE WITH STEP BACKS, UM, YOU WOULD BUILD NICER HOUSING.
THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE STREET WOULD BE BETTER.
SO HOPEFULLY ONE OF THESE YEARS WITH, UM, MAYBE A DIFFERENT COUNCIL WILL WILL GET TO THAT, TO THAT, UH, ANY UPDATE ABOUT PARKING AND MASS TRANSIT? I KNOW I, I WAS WALKING CAMBRIDGE STREET AND A BUS, I WAS WALKING IT FOR LIKE AN HOUR AND A BUS NEVER WENT BY.
I THINK, UH, INCREASING MASS TRANSIT, IT WILL BE GREAT TO HAVE THE, THE GRAND JUNCTION PATH.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE, UM, THE RED LINE GOING THROUGH.
[01:20:01]
AM I ALL MIXED UP? IS IT GREEN LINE, WHICH GOING TO LEE MIRROR ANYWAY, WHICH I KNOW, BUT IT, BUT TRANSIT ACCESS WILL BE IMPORTANT TO CAMBRIDGE STREET.YEAH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
I ONLY JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE WE'RE HOLDING TO THE STAFF EXPERTISE IN WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO PRESENT.
AND THAT'S NOT PART OF THE CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING.
I'M CHEERING THE MEETING THOUGH, PATTY, BUT, AND, AND THAT WAS PART OF, I, I DID LOOK AT THE, I ACTUALLY REREAD THE, OUR CAMBRIDGE STREET STUDY AND WHEN IT TALKS, THERE'S A WHOLE BIG SECTION ABOUT PARKING IN TRANSIT AND HOW CRITICAL THAT IS TO THE STREET.
UM, ANYWAY, I THINK UNLESS THERE ARE FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I THINK WE CAN CLOSE, UH, THIS MEETING NOW.
I, UM, I THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING TO US TODAY.
I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THE ZONING.
UM, I THINK WE ALL JUST NEED TO COMMUNICATE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR MORE ABOUT, UH, THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY TELLS US THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN AS WELL AS HOUSING NUMBERS.
I THINK RENDERINGS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN SHADOW STUDIES AND VISUAL PRESENTATIONS WHEN YOU PRESENT THINGS TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU'RE URBAN DESIGNERS AND I, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE HERE TO HELP, UM, TO ENCOURAGE A BETTER CITY, A MORE LIVABLE CITY, UM, A A PLACE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ALL WANT TO LIVE.
SO I, I THINK IF, I THINK TALKING ABOUT THINGS OTHER THAN NUMBERS IS JUST CRITICAL.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR MEETING WITH US TODAY AND DOING THAT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, I THINK WE'LL CLOSE THIS MEETING.