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AUGUST 4TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE PLANNING BOARD.MY NAME IS TOM VIC, AND I AM THE CHAIR PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE PLANNING BOARD.
ALL MEMBERS, APPLICANTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL STATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING, AND ALL VOTES WILL BE TAKEN BY ROLL CALL.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL BE KEPT ON MUTE UNTIL IT IS TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WILL GIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THAT TIME, AND YOU CAN ALSO FIND INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE FOR REMOTE PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS.
THIS MEETING IS BEING VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDED AND IS BEING STREAMED LIVE ON THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE ONLINE MEETING PORTAL AND ON CABLE TELEVISION CHANNEL 22 WITHIN CAMBRIDGE.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A TRANSCRIPT MADE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS.
I'LL START BY ASKING STAFF TO TAKE BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE AND VERIFY THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE AUDIBLE.
THIS IS JEFF ROBERTS FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT H THEODORE COHEN.
ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
MARY FLYNN, ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
MARY ECKER, ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
MARY DIEGO MACIAS, ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
ASHLEY TAN, ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT AND VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
CAROLYN, ZERN, ARE YOU PRESENT? AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
UH, DAN ANDERSON, ARE YOU PRESENT AND IS THE MEETING VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? UH, IT'S ASSOCIATE MEMBER DAN ANDERSON, WHO IS, IS NOT PRESENT.
AND THOMPSON VIC, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT THE MEETING IS VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE TO YOU? PRESENT, VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE A FULL, UH, SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT.
THE FIRST ITEM IS AN UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO PLEASE ALSO INTRODUCE STAFF PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND WITH ME ON THE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS SWATHI JOSEPH.
UM, I'LL LET THE OTHER CITY STAFF, UH, WHO ARE PRESENT, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES WHEN WE GET INTO THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I'LL, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH SOME QUICK UPDATES FIRST.
UM, WE, WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED.
THAT'S THE ONLY BUSINESS WE HAVE SCHEDULED TONIGHT AT THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND, UH, AS WE DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST.
AND, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST IS THE PRIMARY, UM, ELECTION DAY.
WE, UH, AND THE NEXT, UH, WEEK IS THE WEEK OF LABOR DAY.
WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY MORE PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15TH, SO THAT'S A LONG BREAK.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'LL ALL DO WITH THAT TIME.
UM, I'LL BE HERE WORKING, UH, BUT, AND YOU CAN DROP BY IF YOU WANNA DO ANYTHING.
UM, BUT, UH, IT WILL BE A LONG BREAK, SO STAY TOO.
YEAH, WE DO EXPECT WE'LL HAVE, UM, PLENTY OF BUSINESS IN SEPTEMBER, SO STAY TUNED AND, AND WE'LL BE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WE'LL BE UPDATING THE WEBSITE AND, AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT'S SCHEDULED AND WHEN AND WHERE.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S THE PLANNING BOARD, UH, OVER, UH, ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
JUST ONE UPCOMING, UM, MEETING TO NOTE ON AUGUST 19TH, THERE'LL BE AN ORDINANCE COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ZONING PETITION.
THAT'S THE PETITION THAT THE, UM, PLANNING BOARD WILL BE HEARING SHORTLY TONIGHT.
AND I JUST THOUGHT I'D GIVE A QUICK RECAP FROM LAST NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING 'CAUSE THERE WERE A FEW ZONING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, THE, UH, ACTIVE USE ZONING PETITIONS FOR MASS AVID CAMBRIDGE STREET, WHICH THE, UH, PLANNING BOARD HEARD AND, AND GAVE FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WERE BOTH PASSED TO A SECOND READING.
UM, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL INCORPORATED, UM, THE CHANGES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD ON THE MASS AB ZONING PETITION, THE CAMBRIDGE STREET ZONING PETITION WAS, WAS PASSED TO A SECOND READING AS IS WITH, WITH NO CHANGES FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN THE PETITION.
SO THOSE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD AND, AND WILL COME UP, UH, AGAIN AT CITY COUNCIL, WHICH, UH, ALSO INCIDENTALLY WILL, WILL NOT BE MEETING AGAIN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 14TH.
UM, SO, UH, SO THAT MOVES FORWARD.
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UH, THE, UH, DOUG BROWN AT ALL ZONING PETITION, WHICH WAS HEARD, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO BY THE PLANNING BOARD AND DID NOT GET A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO CITY COUNCIL TO PASS TO A SECOND READING AND IT FAILED TO PASS.SO THAT ZONING PETITION IS NO LONGER, UH, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION.
AND WE ALSO, FROM LAST NIGHT, HAVE A NEW PETITION, UH, FROM ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE, WHICH IS RELATED TO, UH, A PROPOSED TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS IN EXCHANGE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT'LL BE AN INTERESTING, UM, PROPOSAL THAT WILL BE, UH, AND THAT JUST CAME UP LAST NIGHT, SO WE'LL BE SCHEDULING A PLANNING BOARD HEARING ON THAT.
UM, I HOPE, I HOPE YOU CAN THINK OF SOMETHING TO DO, UH, WITH ALL THE TIME IN BETWEEN THIS AND THE NEXT, UH, PLANNING BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER.
JEFF, ARE THERE QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS FOR JEFF? I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION, JEFF, WHICH IS RELATES TO, UH, AN OPEN SEAT AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER HERE ON THE BOARD.
UH, HAS THE, UH, POSITION BEEN ADVERTISED? WHERE ARE WE IN THAT PROCESS? WE'RE ANXIOUS, OF COURSE, TO GET A NEW COLLEAGUE.
YES, THAT IS, THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WE, AS, AS PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS WERE CALLED, UM, ASSOCIATE MEMBER JOY JACKSON, UM, MOVED FROM CAMBRIDGE AND, AND THEREFORE IS NO LONGER ON THE PLANNING BOARD.
WE, UH, BELIEVE WE HAVE A TENTATIVE, UM, PLAN TO GET THAT POSTING, UM, SOON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY MORE DETAIL THAN THAT, BUT WE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE POSTING DRAFTED AND GOING THROUGH THE KIND OF INTERNAL, UM, CITY BOARD AND COMMISSION PROCESS AS, AS THE BOARD KNOWS, IT'S, IT'S A, WE HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESS, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A ULTIMATELY A CITY MANAGER OFFICE APPOINTMENT THAT NEEDS TO GET MADE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE MANAGER'S OFFICE TO, UH, TO GET THAT SCHEDULED AND SET UP AND, AND WE HOPE TO GET THAT SOON.
I'LL DEFINITELY, UH, LET THE PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS KNOW I'LL, I'M SURE WE'LL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN, UH, WHEN THAT POSTING IS AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT AND APPLY.
UH, JUST FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT MAY BE DIALED IN AT THIS POINT, I ALSO WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT, UH, THAT IS PENDING.
SO THANK YOU, JEFF, FOR THAT UPDATE.
UM, THE NEXT, UM, AGENDA, NEXT ITEM OF TONIGHT IS, UM, THAT THE BOARD HAS RECEIVED TRANSCRIPTS FOR MEETINGS, WHICH WERE HELD ON JUNE 30TH AND JULY 14TH, 2026.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THESE TRANSCRIPTS? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE TRANSCRIPTS AS THE MEETING AMENDMENTS MINUTES AND, UH, PLEASE REMEMBER TO SAY YOUR NAME.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MRS. DIEGO? SO MOVED.
VOTE ON ACCEPTING THE MEETING MINUTES ON THAT MOTION.
THAT'S ALL BOARD MEMBERS VOTING IN FAVOR.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON A ZONING PETITION BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO AMEND SECTION 4.60 TO ADD DEFINITIONS, ADD AND REVISE CONDITIONS.
ADD REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS WITH REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, LIMIT SHORT TERM RENTALS TO 90 DAYS PER CALENDAR YEAR, REQUIRE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL BUILDING ZONING, SANITARY OR FIRE CODES OR RELATED REGULATION, ADD ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS FOR VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, AUTHORIZE ISD TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR IMPLEMENT ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE AND ITS AMENDMENTS, AND REVISE OTHER PARTS OF THE ORDINANCE FOR INTERNAL CONSISTENCY.
FIRST, UH, I'LL ASK CDD STAFF TO BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE PETITION, UM, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE COMMENT AND THEN THE PLANNING BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE PETITION TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TRANSMIT A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I BELIEVE THE LAW DEPARTMENT, UH, TONIGHT WILL BE MAKING THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND CDD ACTUALLY HAS, HAS HAD NOT MUCH INVOLVEMENT IN THIS PETITION, SO I'LL JUST IMMEDIATELY TURN IT OVER.
I, UM, I'LL, I'LL START BY TURNING OVER TO ELLIOT VELOSO, UM, WHO IS THE, UH, UH, THE DEPUTY CITY SOLICITOR AND, UH, HE CAN INTRODUCE THE, THE REST OF THE TEAM HERE AND START THE PRESENTATION.
UH, JUST TO, UH, INTRODUCE, UH, ALSO, UH, ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR, CINDY WRIGHT,
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UH, WHO WILL BE DOING, UH, THE PRESENTATION FOR ON LAW SIDE AND, UH, ALSO, UH, FLAGGING JAMES D'ANGELO FROM ISD, WHO WILL ALSO BE DOING, UH, THE PRESENTATION FROM ISD SIDE.AND I BELIEVE THAT IS, UH, OH, UH, SORRY,
UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE OUT, UH, PETER, PETER MCLAUGHLIN.
PETER, UH, UH, PETER FROM IS, UH, PETER MCLAUGHLIN, UH, COMMISSIONER OF IS D IS ALSO, UH, ON THE VIDEO AS WELL.
UH, IF YOU COULD LET IT UNFOLD.
LET'S SEE WHAT, WHAT'S BEFORE US TONIGHT.
UM, DO WE NEED TO SHARE OUR SCREEN? I'M NOT SURE HOW THE PLANNING BOARD GENERALLY PROCEEDS.
WE HAVE IT IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY TECHNICAL ISSUES WE CAN, UH, RUN FOR YOU.
UM, PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE SCREEN AND WE'LL GET STARTED.
UM, SO YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM MYSELF AND, UM, JIMMY DEANGELO TODAY AS ELLIOT STATED.
AND PLEASE FEEL FREE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO STOP.
BUT, UH, WE WANTED JUST TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IN TERMS OF AMENDING, UH, THE ORDINANCE HERE BY WAY OF SOME BACKGROUND.
UM, LAST YEAR, MANY OF YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER THAT WE PUT FORTH A PETITION RECOMMENDING, UM, AMENDMENTS THAT, UH, MANY OF WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT IS BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD TODAY, UM, AT THAT TIME, AND WE'LL REITERATE THAT THIS ORDINANCE WAS OR ORIGINALLY ADOPTED IN AUGUST OF 2017, AND IT TOOK EFFECT IN, UM, APRIL OF 2018.
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY AMENDMENTS MADE SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, AS WE SAID, WE DID PUT FORTH SOME AMENDMENTS LAST YEAR, AND, UM, THE BOARD DID VOTE FOR A STRONG RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, TO ADOPT THOSE AMENDMENTS.
UM, ONCE WE REACHED THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, UM, THE COUNCIL DID WANT TO ENGAGE IN SOME, UM, FURTHER CONVERSATION, BOTH, UM, AMIDST THE COUNCIL AND WITH THE PUBLIC SURROUNDING SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES.
AND THOSE CHANGES AT THAT TIME INCLUDED, UM, ADDING A CATEGORY FOR OPERATOR OCCUPIED.
UM, OWNER OCCUPIED SHORT-TERM RENTALS, ADDING A THIRD CATEGORY FOR THAT, AS WELL AS ADDING A DAY LIMIT FOR WHOLE UNIT RENTALS.
THEY ALSO WANTED FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR OWNERS WHO LIVE IN A CONDO AND THEY WANTED CLARIFICATIONS ON, UM, SOME FURTHER DEFINITIONS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT FEEDBACK, THE PETITION DID LAPSE IN ISD WITH, UM, THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT ENGAGED, UM, IN SOME PUBLIC OUTREACH, WHICH JIMMY CAN GO OVER.
UM, THE METHODS THAT WE SOUGHT FEEDBACK ON AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE SOUGHT FEEDBACK ON BASED ON, UM, THAT FEEDBACK WE NOW HAVE PRESENTED, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO WHAT WE BROUGHT FORTH LAST YEAR.
AND I'LL TURN IT TO JIMMY TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, NUMBERS AS OF LAST MONTH.
YEAH, SO AS OF JUNE, UM, WE USE A THIRD PARTY CALLED HOST COMPLIANCE TO HELP US MONITOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN THE CITY.
UH, SO AS OF JUNE, THERE'S ABOUT 716 SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN CAMBRIDGE, OF WHICH ONLY 216 WERE REGISTERED.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 500 UNREGISTERED UNITS.
UM, FOR COMPARISON IN THE, AS A BREAKDOWN, TWO THIRDS OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED OPERATOR OCCUPIED UNITS, AND ANOTHER ONE THIRD ARE OWNER ADJACENT UNITS.
UM, SO AS SYDNEY HIGHLIGHTED, WE UH, CONDUCTED A SURVEY AT THE REQUEST OF SOME CITY COUNSELORS TO KIND OF GET SOME FEEDBACK.
SO THAT SURVEY LASTED A LITTLE BIT OVER A MONTH, UM, THIS PAST WINTER.
UM, AS PART OF THE SURVEY WE SENT OUT THE, UH, WE SENT IT OUT TO ALL SHORT-TERM RENTAL OPERATORS THAT ARE REGISTERED WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL AS THE CAMBRIDGE CONDO ALLIANCE LEADERS.
UM, WE ALSO CREATED FLYERS THAT WAS POSTED AT MULTIPLE, UM, DIFFERENT CITY BUILDINGS TO KIND OF GET THE WORD OUT.
AND WE ALSO PUBLISHED IT ON THE CITY WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, INSPECTION SERVICES HAD DEDICATED COUNTER HOURS IN CASE
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ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WANTED TO COME IN AND ASK US QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE FEEDBACK.AND, UH, THE SURVEY ITSELF HAD UP TO 23 QUESTIONS.
SOME OF THEM WERE CONDITIONAL, DEPENDING ON, UM, PRIOR ANSWERS, AND THAT INCLUDED THREE WRITE-IN QUESTIONS FOR THE SURVEY.
UH, A BREAKDOWN OF THAT WOULD BE 74% OF PEOPLE THAT COMPLETED THE SURVEY IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHILE 11% SAID THEY WERE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OPERATORS, AND 15% SAID THEY WERE NEIGHBORS OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
ADDITIONALLY, 84% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE PROPERTY OWNERS IN CAMBRIDGE, AND 55% WERE CONDO UNIT OWNERS IN CAMBRIDGE.
UH, SO SOME OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS, 59%, UH, OF, OF TOTAL RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE SOME TYPE OF LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS.
AN ENTIRE SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT COULD BE RENTED AS A WHOLE.
OF THOSE 59%, 64% OF THOSE WERE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
68% WERE NEIGHBORS OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, AND 11% WERE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OPERATORS.
UH, ADDITIONALLY OF THE PEOPLE THAT COMPLETED THE SURVEY, 77% OF CONDO ASSOCIATION RESIDENTS WANTED TO REQUIRE A LETTER, A LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM THE CONDO ASSOCIATION BEFORE AN STR IS APPROVED.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT THAT CONTINUES TO REQUIRE THE CONDO ASSOCIATION, CONDO ASSOCIATION CONSENT FOR BOTH OWNERS AND TENANTS.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, MANY RESPONDENTS REQUESTED STRONGER ENFORCEMENT, AGAIN, UNAUTHORIZED SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ADDED A NEW ENFORCEMENT SECTION AND INCLUDED A REQUIREMENT, UM, FOR BOOKING AGENT AND PLATFORMS TO BECOME REGISTERED AND PENALTIES IF THEY, UM, DID NOT COMPLY.
UM, WE ALSO UPDATED THE DEFINITION OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND INCLUDED A NEW THIRD CATEGORY IN AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT.
WE ALSO ADDED NEW DEFINITIONS FOR BOOKING AGENT PLATFORM, PRIMARY RESIDENCE, REGISTRATION NUMBER, AND REGISTRATION DATABASE.
WE'VE UPDATED OUR OPERATOR REQUIREMENTS AND INCLUDED COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS WITH THE STATE AND LOCAL LAW.
WE UPDATED REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATORS AND BOOKING AGENTS AND PROPOSED A 90 DAY CALENDAR, UM, A 90 DAY PER CALENDAR YEAR LIMIT TO ST.
THIS SLIDE JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE, UM, THE NEW TERMS THAT WE'VE PUT INTO, UH, THE ORDINANCE.
WE, AT THE, AT A PRIOR HEARING, WE DID HAVE, UM, SOME CONFUSION REGARDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS CONSIDERED A PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
UM, AND NOW AS JIMMY INDICATED, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED AUTONOMOUS UNIT SDR.
SO WE HAVE ADDED SOME, UM, DEFINITIONS TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, UH, FOR CLARITY AND TO PREVENT ANY A AMBIGUITY FOR, UM, WHAT APPLIES TO WHOM.
UM, NOTABLY WITH RESPECT TO THE, UM, AUTONOMOUS UNIT, SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, ADDING THIS NEW DEFINITION IS GOING TO CREATE A THIRD TYPE OF SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UM, PREVIOUSLY OWNER OCCUPIED.
UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS WOULD INCLUDE BOTH WHEN AN OWNER WAS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE UNIT FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THIS DAY, AND IF THAT, UM, OPERATOR WAS AWAY.
SO, UM, FOR PURPOSES OF CLEARING UP ANY AMBIGUITY, WE'VE NOW, UM, SPLIT THAT UP.
SO AN OWNER OCCUPIED SHORT-TERM RENTAL NOW IS GOING TO BE, UM, WHEN THE OPERATOR REMAINS ON SITE, AND AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT IS GOING TO BE WHEN AN ENTIRE PRIMARY RESIDENCE IS RENTED, WHILE THE OPERATOR, UM, IS TEMPORARILY ABSENT.
UM, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GO OVER ANY OTHER OF THE NEW DEFINITIONS IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED A DEFINITION FOR, UM, BOOKING AGENT AND PLATFORM, WHICH I DID WANNA CALL OUT AS WELL AS BOOKING SERVICE.
UM, AND WE'VE ADDED SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE, UM, DEFINITIONS.
UM, AND THEN JIMMY, DO YOU WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES THAT WE ALSO MADE TO, UM, OPERATOR OCCUPIED AND OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM RENTALS? YEAH, SO OWNER ADJACENT WILL, UH, PRETTY MUCH STAY THE SAME.
UM, BUT LIKE SYDNEY HAD MENTIONED, THE OPERATOR OCCUPIED IS NOW KIND OF GONNA BE BRANCHING INTO TWO SEPARATE AND DISTINCT CATEGORIES.
ONE WILL STILL REMAIN OPERATOR OCCUPIED, BUT THAT WILL BE LIMITED TO JUST WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL RENTS OUT THE INDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS WITHIN THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE WHILE THEY ARE STAYING FOR, UM, DURING THE DURATION OF
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THE RENTAL.AND THEN THE OTHER HALF IS NOW GONNA BECOME AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT, WHICH IS STILL THE OPERATOR'S PRIMARY RESIDENCE, BUT IT WHEN IT'S BEING RENTED AS A WHOLE IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO IF SOMEONE GOES AWAY ON VACATION AND THEY WANT TO RENT OUT THE WHOLE UNIT, THAT IS NOW GONNA BE BROKEN DOWN, UH, AND CONSIDERED AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT.
UM, SO AS WE SAID, THERE ARE GONNA BE THREE TYPES OF STR THAT ARE GONNA BE PERMITTED, AUTONOMOUS UNIT OPERATOR OCCUPIED AND OWNER ADJACENT.
ALL OPERATORS WILL HAVE TO REGISTER WITH INSPECTION SERVICES BEFORE OPERATING AND COMPLY WITH ANY BUILDING, FIRE, SANITARY, AND OTHER LOCAL CO CODES AS WELL.
OPERATORS MUST MAINTAIN LIABILITY INSURANCE.
THEY WILL BE GIVEN A, A REGISTRATION NUMBER THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO PUT ON ALL OF THEIR LISTINGS.
AND ISD WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY REVOKE A REGISTRATION IF A PROPERTY IS DEEMED A NUISANCE.
UM, AND COMMERCIAL MEETINGS AND HOURS RENTAL, UH, HOURLY RENTALS ARE PROHIBITED AND THAT WILL STAY.
UM, WE ARE ALSO GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE CONDO APPROVAL NECESSARY.
UM, THIS WILL BE FOR BOTH OWNERS AND TENANTS.
REGISTRATION WILL BE TIED TO BOTH THE UNIT AND OPERATOR AND DOES NOT TRANSFER UPON SALE.
UH, THERE IS A DUTY TO AMEND AN APPLICATION WITHIN 30 DAYS OF MATERIAL CHANGES FOR THE OPERATOR, AND THERE WILL BE NO TRANSFER OR ASSIGNMENT OF AN STR CER CERTIFICATION TO ANOTHER PERSON.
UH, AS AS ALWAYS, THEY WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF PRIMARY RESIDENCY UPON THEIR APPLICATION.
CONDO APPROVAL WILL BE REQUIRED WHEN IT'S APPLICABLE.
INSPECTION SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO DO, UM, MANDATORY INSPECTIONS BEFORE EACH RENTAL UNIT IS REGISTERED.
UM, THE REGISTRATION IS FOR, UH, TIED TO BOTH THE OPERATOR IN THE UNIT, AS I STATED.
AGAIN, THEY'LL HAVE 30 DAYS, UM, TO, TO LET US KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MATERIAL CHANGES AND REGISTRATION CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PERSON.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE NEW SECTION THAT WE'VE ADDED ADDED FOR, UM, BOOKING AGENTS AND PLATFORMS, UM, PREVIOUSLY WE HAVE ENGAGED, UM, SOME OF THE BOOKING PLATFORMS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO DISCUSSING, UM, UNREGISTERED SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND HOW THE CITY CAN EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE ITS ORDINANCE AGAINST THOSE.
UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD IS THAT, UM, THE PLATFORM WAS WILLING TO ABIDE BY CAMBRIDGE'S ORDINANCE.
UM, SO NOW WE'VE PUT FORTH THIS LANGUAGE HOPING THAT, UM, THE PLATFORMS ARE STILL GOING TO OPERATE IN THAT SPIRIT AND WILL, UM, CONFORM THEIR CONDUCT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR ORDINANCE.
UM, SO NOW WE GOING FORWARD ARE SUGGESTING THAT WE REQUIRE REGISTRATION WITH ISD.
BEFORE A PLATFORM COLLECTS A FEE FOR BOOKING SERVICES IN CAMBRIDGE, IT WOULD, UM, BE AGAINST THE ORDINANCE TO COLLECT A FEE FOR A BOOKING TRANSACTION UNLESS THAT UNIT IS LISTED ON THE CITY'S REGISTRY.
UM, WE'VE ADDED A SECTION TO, UM, MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS ANNUALLY.
AND, UH, A SECTION THAT REQUIRES THE BOOKING AGENTS TO VERIFY A REGISTRATION STATUS BEFORE CHARGING OUR COLLECTING F FEE.
AND THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATING, UM, THE ORDINANCE WOULD BE $300 PER VIOLATION PER DAY.
UM, AND THAT'S THE REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO BOOKING AGENTS.
IN TERMS OF PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS, WE DID ADD, UM, THAT, UH, OPERATORS POST WASTE RECYCLING INSTRUCTIONS, EMERGENCY EXIT DIAGRAMS, EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION, AND THE SUR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION POSTED WITHIN THE UNIT.
UM, WE DID ADD AN ENFORCEMENT AND VIOLATION SECTION, AND SOME OF THIS, UM, YOU ALL MAY RECALL FROM A PRIOR, UM, PETITION, BUT, UM, WE'RE NOW, YOU KNOW, VESTING WITH ISD, THE AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS AND ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT.
WE'RE HOPING TO STRENGTHEN THAT, THEIR ABILITY TO ENFORCE THOSE REQUIREMENT.
UM, WE'VE AGAIN ESTABLISHED, UM, WHAT THE FINE AND PENALTY WILL BE FOR ANY TYPE OF, UH, VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO WRITTEN IN, UM, THAT ISD IS, UM, GOING TO BE VESTED WITH THE ABILITY TO PROMULGATE ITS OWN, UM, REGULATIONS IN ORDER TO ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, THE CITY DOES COLLECT, UH, LOCAL ROOM OCCUPANCY AND EXCISE TAXES.
SO WE HAVE JUST, UM, REDUCED THAT TO WRITING IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT THAT IS NOT A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE FROM, FOR THE CURRENT PRACTICES FOR THE CITY.
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UM, ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT, THANK YOU.UM, SO YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION AT THIS POINT, UH, SYDNEY? WE ARE GREAT.
UM, SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, UH, THIS IS A ZONING PETITION, BY THE WAY, AND SO, UM, FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO THE BOARD'S ROLE HERE IS TO HOLD THIS HEARING AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THAT CITY COUNCIL, AS MOST BOARD MEMBERS HERE UNDERSTAND, UH, AT THIS POINT WHAT WE'LL DO, IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE'RE GONNA, UM, COLLECT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD.
SO ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SPEAK SHOULD NOW CLICK THE BUTTON THAT SAYS, RAISE HAND.
IF YOU'RE CALLING IN BY PHONE, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND BY PRESSING STAR NINE.
SO AS OF 5:00 PM YESTERDAY, THE BOARD HAD RECEIVED COMMENTS ON THIS PETITION, PETITION FROM, UH, COUNCILOR PATTY NOLAN FROM CINDY, AND DANIEL PALIN FROM JOSEPH ROSE, FROM MICHAEL HARRISON, FROM JODY WESTERMAN, FROM DANIELLE KIN, FROM A PERSON IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS SEAN.
AND, UH, NANETTE SANO WRITTEN, UH, COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER 5:00 PM YESTERDAY WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE RECORD.
SO I'LL NOW, I'LL ASK STAFF, UM, TO SEE IF WE'VE GOT A QUEUE AND UNMUTE SPEAKERS ONE AT A TIME.
LET'S JUST SEE IF WE'VE GOT A QUEUE BEFORE I GO INTO THE NEXT.
I BELIEVE THERE, THERE IS A EXCELLENT QUEUE Q FORMING, SO THAT'S GREAT.
YOU SHOULD BEGIN BY, UM, SAYING YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND THE STAFF WILL CONFIRM THAT WE CAN HEAR YOU.
AND AFTER THAT, YOU'LL HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, UH, BEFORE I'LL BE ASKING YOU TO WRAP UP.
AND I WILL, I'LL READ THE, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR MISPRONOUNCING ANYBODY'S NAME, BUT I'M GONNA READ THE NAME AS IT COMES UP HERE ON ZOOM, AND THEN I'LL READ THE FOLLOWING NAME JUST SO THAT THE NEXT SPEAKER CAN BE READY TO BEGIN.
SO THE FIRST SPEAKER IS DANIEL PALIN, FOLLOWED BY QUINN AU AND YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF SPEAKING WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
HI, MY NAME IS DANNY PALEN, AND I'M, I LIVE AT 52 CANNARD.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YES.
AND I, I GUESS I'M NOT ON VIDEO, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR WORK ON, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US WHO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, UH, WHERE I'M COMING FROM, UH, IS, UH, I LIVE HERE AND I HAVE A TWO FAMILY HOUSE.
I PAY THE MORTGAGE IN PART BY DOING A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
UH, IT'S BEEN A TERRIFIC EXPERIENCE ALL AROUND.
UH, WE HAVE STUDENTS VISITING PROFESSORS, BUSINESS PEOPLE.
UH, JIMMY DIANGELO WAS IN MY PLACE, UH, A YEAR AGO FOR MY FIVE YEAR RENEWAL OF MY CERTIFICATION.
UH, IT'S JUST BEEN A, A, A DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE AND, AND A VERY, VERY POSITIVE PART OF OUR LIVES, MUCH MORE POSITIVE THAN WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD LONG-TERM RENTALS.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE HIGHER INCOME, WHICH, UH, MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO LIVE HERE.
UM, WITH THAT INTRODUCTION, I WANNA SAY THAT I'M REALLY GRATIFIED AT THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PUT FORTH BY SIDNEY WRIGHT IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND, AND JIMMY DEANGELO AND ISDI.
I WAS REALLY SHOCKED WHEN I FIRST LEARNED THAT IT'S MORE THAN A TWO TO ONE RATIO OF UNREGISTERED UNITS TO REGISTERED UNITS.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE IN CAMBRIDGE ARE REALLY UPSET ABOUT ROACH MOTELS THAT ARE OWNED BY PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY DON'T EVEN LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE.
SO I, I REALLY SUPPORT THIS, THIS EFFORT TO, TO IMPROVE THINGS.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PUBLICLY TO THE PLANNING BOARD, UH, AS AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE CITY COUNCIL, IS, UM, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH WHAT MAY SOUND LIKE A SMALL DETAIL.
THERE'S A LOT TO DISCUSS, BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I CAN CONTRIBUTE IS, UH, AN ITEM THAT RELATES TO MY EXPERTISE AS AN OPERATOR OF AN OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL, WHICH IS A 90 DAY LIMIT TO OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WILL EFFECTIVELY OUTLAW THEM.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO IT, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE.
THE, THE, THE POSITION THAT WAS ADVOCATED BY PATTY NOLAN AND HAS BEEN PUT FORTH AND DISCUSSED BY SIDNEY WRIGHT AND OTHERS WAS THAT, UM, THE, UH, AUTONOMOUS UNITS AND THE OWNER OCCUPIED UNITS WOULD HAVE A 90 DAY LIMIT.
AND THERE'S A, A ROBUST ARGUMENT FOR THAT.
THERE ARE, I THINK JIMMY SAID, 74 OF US WHO HAVE OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM UNITS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF MINORITY RIGHTS OF PEOPLE COMING FROM MIDDLE CLASS, WE LIVE HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
WE'RE NOT RICH PEOPLE WHO DON'T NEED THAT KIND OF INCOME.
WE'RE NOT RUNNING ROACH MOTELS.
AND THIS SMALL NUMBER OF US ARE, ARE GOING TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
AND I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERTISE THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE, 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT SORT OF IN THAT BUSINESS.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT IF YOU DO ENACT A UNIVERSAL 90 DAY LIMIT, YOU WILL BE OUTLYING IT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND IF, IF THAT'S NOT YOUR INTENTION, I WOULD PLEAD
[00:30:01]
WITH YOU, UH, NOT TO DO IT, UH, OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOUR TIGHT SCHEDULE.ALTHOUGH THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH TO DISCUSS.
AND I WOULD, UM, PLEAD WITH YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXTENSIVE WRITTEN MATERIALS I SUBMITTED, UH, BEFORE THE MEETING.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR LETTER.
UH, I'M SURE ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE READ IT, SO, UM, THANK YOU.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS QUINN AU, WHO'S FOLLOWED BY JODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME OUT.
I THINK, UH, AS A BOARD, I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE VERY MUCH ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
UM, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE LONGTIME RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE AND BOTH WORK IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR AS A RESEARCHER WHO FOCUSES ON SKIN CANCER AND A PODIATRIST WHO'S PRACTICE INCLUDES PROVIDING NURSING HOME CARE TO ELDERLY, IMPOVERISHED RESIDENTS.
THE WORK WE DO REPRESENT SOME OF THE LOWEST PAYING WORK IN MEDICINE.
WE ARE STRADDLED WITH STUDENT DEBT, THE COST OF CHILDCARE, AND THE RISING COST OF LIVING IN THE CITY.
WE ARE NOT INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY.
WE ARE A FAMILY WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN.
WE OPERATE LEGAL, REGISTERED TAX PAYING UNITS OUT OF OUR OWN HOME.
THIS PROPERTY IS OUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE WHERE WE LIVE YEAR ROUND, AND CAREFULLY OVERSEE ALL OPERATIONS RELATING TO OUR AIRBNBS.
WE PROVIDE CRITICAL EMPLOYMENT TO OUR CO-HOST AND CLEANING STAFF WHO ARE SINGLE MOTHERS WORKING LEGALLY AND DOING THEIR BEST TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN.
ANY CHANGES THAT COULD COMPROMISE THE INCOME OF THESE INCREDIBLE HARDWORKING WOMEN COULD HAVE DEVASTATING RIPPLE EFFECTS FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
OUR AIRBNBS INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL ROOMS, WHICH COULD NEVER FUNCTION AS LONG-TERM HOUSING.
WE HOSTED ESSENTIAL WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND THE UNITS WE OFFER CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS ISOLATION ROOMS FOR ANY GUESTS WHO REQUIRE MEDICAL ISOLATION FROM THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING OUR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS, GUESTS COMING FROM MEDICAL TRAVEL, FAMILIES OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS, PARENTS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AND INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC LEADERS BRING, BRINGING IDEAS TO OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE AMONG THE TYPICAL GUEST DEMOGRAPHIC WE SERVE.
WE ARE ADVOCATES FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO HOUSING AND WILL STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN HOUSING FOR OURSELVES WITHOUT THESE UNITS RESTRICTING.
LEGAL REGISTERED AIRBNBS WILL WORSEN HOUSING ACCESS BY PUSHING MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES LIKE US WHO ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE OUT OF CAMBRIDGE.
RESTRICTING AIRBNBS WILL DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT THE HONEST AIRBNB HOSTS WHO CHOOSE TO MAINTAIN LEGAL AIRBNBS AND FOLLOW THE LAW.
WHILE THE MULTITUDE OF ILLEGAL OPERATORS WILL CONTINUE TO BREAK THE LAW AND MAY EVEN RESORT TO UNDERGROUND CASH OPERATIONS, THESE ILLEGAL UNREGISTERED AIRBNBS REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF THE UNITS OPERATING IN CAMBRIDGE.
THESE ARE THE UNITS THAT NEED TO BE TARGETED.
IN FACT, LEGAL OPERATORS COULD SERVE TO HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT BY REPORTING ILLEGAL AIRBNBS TO THE CITY THROUGH A REPORTING SYSTEM.
BECAUSE WE ARE INCENTIVIZED TO LIVE, ELIMINATE ILLEGAL OPERATORS MORE THAN ANYONE.
ANY RESTRICTIONS THAT INCLUDE CAPPING THE NUMBER OF DAYS OR MONTHS PER YEAR ARE ALSO BOUND TO BE PROBLEMATIC.
FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, INCREASING ACCESS TO HOUSING IS NOT ACHIEVED BY GIVING A FAMILY SIX OR NINE MONTHS OF HOUSING AND THEN FORCING THEM OUT TO FIND ANOTHER SOLUTION.
RENTERS NEAR NEED YEAR ROUND HOUSING SO THEY CAN MAINTAIN JOBS AS WELL AS A HOME AND SCHOOL FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
A THREE MONTH CAP ON AIRBNB, THESE WOULD MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN LEGAL AND LEGAL OPERATORS.
WE LOVE THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND STRANDED STRONG SUPPORT OF ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, INCLUDING HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE REASONS, PLEASE CONSIDER AVOIDING ANY ANNUAL CAP ON RENTALS OR RESTRICTIONS THAT PREVENT HOMEOWNERS FROM RENTING ROOMS OUTTA THEIR HOMES OR OWNER ADJACENT UNITS.
INSTEAD, PLEASE TARGET THE HUGE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL ABSENTEE OPERATORS OF THE UNITS THAT ARE NOT IN AN OWNER OCCUPIED DWELLING.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JODY WESTERMAN, FOLLOWED BY RICK BERRY.
UH, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING JODY WESTERMAN, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
I AM A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE.
I LIVE AT FOUR TROBRIDGE PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND I AM COMING TO YOU, I BELIEVE YOU DID, UH, REFERENCE MY LETTER.
I'M COMING TO YOU ON A SPECIFIC CONCERN OF PHRASING THE WAY THAT THE POLICY IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
UM, I AM A TRAVEL COORDINATOR, SO I WORK WITH VISITING ACADEMICS TO THE AREA, SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO ARE VISITING HARVARD AND MIT.
THESE ARE OFTEN GRAD STUDENTS, PHD CANDIDATES, UM, AND FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING TO COLLABORATE WITH, UH, HARVARD AND MIT.
OFTENTIMES THEY'RE BEING SPONSORED BY THESE UNIVERSITIES.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS ARE ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET.
[00:35:01]
SO WHERE WE FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ARE ON THE PRIVATE ROOMS. THE PRIVATE ROOMS OFTEN GIVE THESE VISITING ACADEMICS AFFORDABLE OPTIONS TO LIVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO.
MY CONCERN WITH THE WAY THAT THE POLICY IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN IS IT'S PITTING, UH, WHOLE WHO WHOLE HOME RENTALS AGAINST PRIVATE ROOM RENTALS BY SAYING THAT WE HAVE, UM, A MAX OR A MAXIMUM OF 90 DAYS FOR BOTH WHOLE HOME RENTALS AND PRIVATE ROOM RENTALS.
WHAT I ANTICIPATE HAPPENING, AND THIS KIND OF OF ECHOES WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE SAID, PEOPLE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON THESE WHOLE HOME RENTALS.
THEY ARE COMPARATIVELY MORE LUCRATIVE.
AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE PRIVATE ROOM RENTALS.
UM, WHEN FOLKS START WEIGHING, OKAY, WELL, I ONLY HAVE 90 DAYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH, WITH THOSE DAYS, THEY'LL PROBABLY FOCUS ON THE MORE PROFITABLE OF THE TWO, THE WHOLE HOME RENTALS.
AND WE CAN'T REALLY AFFORD TO COMPLETELY DROP THE SUPPLY OF PRIVATE ROOM RENTALS FOR THESE ACADEMICS, AND THEY REALLY ADD TO THE CHARACTER OF CAMBRIDGE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING SPECIFICALLY TO COLLABORATE WITH RESEARCHERS AT OUR UNIVERSITIES, AND ARE REALLY ADDING TO THE FLAVOR AND THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD URGE, AND I PUT THIS IN MY LETTER AS WELL, IS TO JUST CONSIDER ADDING ONE SINGLE WORD TO SECTION 4.62 G, WHERE IT SAYS THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS MAY BE OFFERED UP TO 90 DAYS PER CALENDAR YEAR.
IF WE ADD THE WORD EACH TO THE END OF THAT, IT WILL NO LONGER BE A COMPETITION BETWEEN THE TWO AND FOLKS WHO LEAVE FOR THE SUMMER OR LEAVE FOR THE WINTER.
UM, AND THOSE FOLKS WHO, UH, OPT TO USE THEIR WHOLE HOME RENTAL DAYS WILL NO LONGER TAKE THEIR PRIVATE ROOMS OFF THE MARKET, UM, FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
THEY WOULD AT LEAST HAVE 90 DAYS TO OFFER A PRIVATE ROOM.
UM, I HOPE THAT WASN'T TOO CONFUSING.
I THINK I SAID IT A LITTLE BETTER IN MY LETTER.
UM, BUT PLEASE FEEL WELCOME TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
GREAT, THANK YOU, MS. WESTERMAN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS RICK BERRY, WHO'S FOLLOWED BY SHELLY EVANS.
HEAR ME? WE, WE CAN JUST HEAR YOU.
WE JUST HEARD THE, THE LAST BIT OF THAT.
UM, I JUST BECAME AWARE OF THE, ARE YOU HEARING AN ECHO THERE? IT'S, IT'S A BIT CHOPPY.
AND CAN YOU, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO TURN, TURN YOUR AUDIO DOWN IF YOU'RE OKAY, LISTENING THROUGH A SPEAKER AND, AND START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
UM, MY NAME IS RICK BARRY, 45 COTTAGE STREET.
AND, AND WE HAVE AN, UH, OWNER ADJACENT STRI DID NOT SEND A LETTER BECAUSE I JUST BECAME AWARE OF THIS MEETING TODAY.
SO I, I SUPPORT ALL OF THESE, UM, MORE CAREFUL REGULATIONS AND SO FORTH THAT ARE IN YOUR, UH, IN THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, WE HAVE HAD, UH, LEGAL, UH, SDR SINCE THE BEGINNING.
UH, AND I SUPPORT NOT HAVING ANY ILLEGAL ONES.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASED REGULATION IS FINE WITH ME.
THE CHALLENGE FOR ME IS THIS 90 DAY LIMIT, AS THE FIRST SPEAKER SAID, THAT MAKES IT EFFECTIVELY VERY DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO CONTINUE TO DO AN STR BECAUSE OF THE INCOME LIMITATIONS.
AND, UH, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON, I, SO I LOOKED AT YOUR, YOUR SURVEYS.
25% OF PEOPLE SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY, WHICH MEANS 75% OF PEOPLE DON'T SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY.
THERE'S, UH, 216 SDRS OUT OF 57,000 APARTMENTS OR RENTAL UNITS IN CA, 57,000.
IF THEY'RE PROBLEMATIC, I SUPPORT STRICT REGULATION OF, OF PROBLEMS, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY NEIGHBORS WOULD FEEL THAT WAY.
20% IN YOUR SURVEY, 928 PEOPLE OUT OF 57,000 UNITS SAY THEY CAUSE HARDSHIP.
AND 20% SAY THEY ARE A BENEFIT ON MY STREET.
WE HAVE LOTS OF FAMILIES WHO COME AND STAY PEOPLE, UH, BRINGING THEIR KIDS TO, TO UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE ALL AROUND BC, HARVARD, MIT, THEY WOULD BE PAYING THREE TON AS MUCH PER NIGHT.
BUT IN A TWO BEDROOM, UH, STR LIKE WE HAVE, THEY SAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
WE OFFER DISCOUNTED RATES TO OUR NEIGHBORS WHEN THEIR FAMILIES COME TO VISIT.
[00:40:01]
SO THAT, SO THERE ARE BENEFITS THAT THIS PROVIDES THAT I DON'T SEE ACKNOWLEDGED IN YOUR SURVEY.AND I'M JUST GONNA, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THE ALL OF IT IS DOES NOT BOTHER ME EXCEPT THE 90 DAY LIMIT.
ALSO, THE INCOME IS IMPORTANT TO US.
WE'RE RETIRED, WE NEED THAT INCOME.
AND TAKING US DOWN TO 90 DAYS WHEN WE CAN'T REALLY EFFECTIVELY RENT IT OUT, JUST, UH, IS DEVASTATING.
AND WE'D HAVE TO PRO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING ELSE TO DO OR MOVE.
SO IF YOU NEED A, A LIMIT, MAKE IT EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS A YEAR, NOT 90 DAYS.
IF, IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE, I, I'D LIKE YOU TO CON CONSIDER THAT, OR PERHAPS THERE MAY BE EXCEPTIONS, UH, THAT THAT CAN ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE TO TAKE, MAKE USE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SHELLY EVANS, WHO'S FOLLOWED BY SID MISRA.
I LIVE AT 180 1 FAIRWEATHER STREET.
AND LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS, I'M SORRY, I, I FEEL HASTILY PREPARED BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING OR THIS ISSUE UNTIL TODAY.
UM, I WANNA JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE LIVED IN OUR TWO-FAMILY HOME FOR 32 YEARS, AND FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAVE OPERATED A LEGAL REGISTERED OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
UM, FOR US, THIS IS NOT THE ABSENTEE INVESTOR MODEL THAT PEOPLE OFTEN PICTURE.
FOR 20 YEARS IN CAMBRIDGE, WE RENTED OUR DOWNSTAIRS APARTMENT TO THE SAME TENANT.
UM, BUT TODAY OUR GROWN CHILDREN NO LONGER LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, AND THEY REGULARLY USE THE DOWNSTAIRS APARTMENT STAY THERE.
UM, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INCOME ALLOWS US TO KEEP THE APARTMENT AVAILABLE FOR THEM WHILE ALSO HELPING US MEET THE COST OF STAYING IN CAMBRIDGE.
AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO MANAGE THAT, UM, GIVEN OUR CAREERS.
UM, UH, IT, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT INCOME IN THE CITY SURVEY THAT I READ, 96% OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL OPERATORS WHO ANSWERED THE QUESTION, SAID THAT THEY DO RELY ON IT AS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INCOME, AND A 90 DAY CAP WOULD REDUCE THAT HOUSEHOLD INCOME, UM, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY TO ME CREATING, UM, HOUSING IN FOR A CAMBRIDGE TENANT.
IN OUR CASE, BECAUSE THE APARTMENT IS ACTUALLY BEING USED BY OUR FAMILY, IT WOULD NOT BECOME A LONG-TERM RENTAL.
I FULLY AGREE WITH THE LEGISLATION OR THE PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, UM, CONTROLS AROUND ST AND I ALSO AGREE THAT CAMBRIDGE URGENTLY AGREES MORE, NEEDS MORE, UM, MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING.
UM, BUT I, I WONDER IF THE GOAL OF THE CAP IS TO RETURN HOUSING TO THE LONG-TERM MARKET, WILL RESTRICTING THESE PARTICULAR 74 OR 200 RENTALS ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UM, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S 216 REGISTERED UNITS COMPARED WITH AN ESTIMATED 500 UNREGISTERED UNITS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY BEFORE IMPOSING A BLANKET 90 DAY CAP ON RESIDENTS WHO DEPEND ON THE INCOME AND ARE COMPLYING WITH THE LAW THAT THE CITY FOCUS ON ENFORCING EXISTING REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS AND SEE WHETHER THAT PRODUCES MORE AVAILABLE HOUSING.
UM, I, I WANT, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FULLY.
UM, YOU MORE IN THE QUEUE, JEFF? YEP.
THE, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SID MISRA, FOLLOWED BY JANICE YEE.
MY NAME IS SID MISRA AT 12 SYCAMORE STREET.
UH, MY WIFE SENT IN THE LETTER, HER NAME IS SHALIN YEN, SO SHE WILL SPEAK TODAY ON OUR BEHALF.
I LIVE ON, UH, 12 SMORE WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY, UH, 6-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT THE GREAT FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE AND UNDERSTAND THE GOODWILL BEHIND ALL THIS MOVE.
MY CONCERN, BASICALLY, UH, LIAISON.
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE WILDES OF, UM, THE PUBLIC, DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO MORE DETAILED WORK? AND DO WE REALLY NEED TO SACRIFICE ONE GROUP'S BENEFIT AND INTEREST FOR
[00:45:01]
DIFFERENT PURPOSE? UM, SO MY FAMILY, BOTH ME, MY, AND MY HUSBAND, WE ARE, UH, FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANTS.WE, UM, OUR PARENTS, UH, THEY'RE OVER 70 YEARS OLD.
AND AS ASIAN, WE REALLY TAKE CARE OF OUR PARENTS.
SO EVERY YEAR THEY COME HERE TO STAY TO, TO FOUR MONTHS.
AND THAT'S WHY OUR FORMER COUNT, WHICH IS SEVEN, UH, 800 SQUARE FEET, IS NOT ENOUGH TO HOST OUR PARENTS, AND IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR US TO RENT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WE SAID, OKAY, WHAT TO DO? THEN WE DECIDE TO BUY A HOUSE.
SO, SO CLOSE TO THIS PUB PUBLIC, UH, ROAD.
IT'S NOT THE FANCY ONE, IT'S JUST A FUNCTIONAL ONE FOR OUR FAMILY'S USAGE IN ORDER TO, UM, COVER THIS VERY HIGH MORTGAGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILY IS A SINGLE INCOME FAMILY.
I DO NOT HAVE A DAY, DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO COVER THAT PART, WE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME SHORT TERM RENTAL BASED ON THE LAW THAT THE CITY, UM, RIGHT DOWN ON THE WEBSITE, WE FEEL LIKE THE TRUST IS THERE AND WE FEEL LIKE VERY CLEAR WE ARE GOING TO BE SO RESPECTFUL.
SO THAT'S WHY WE MOVED INTO THIS CURRENT HOUSE LAST, UM, OCTOBER.
AND WITH THE CURRENT, UH, CHANGE, WE SUPPORT TAKE DOWN THIS ILLEGAL RENTALS.
BUT THIS TH 90 DAYS IS VERY, VERY CONCERNING TO US.
EVEN THIS, IF THIS REALLY HAPPENS AS A SINGLE INCOME FAMILY, WE PROBABLY CANNOT REALLY AFFORD THE MORTGAGE.
WE PROBABLY HAVE TO MOVE OUT OUT OF THIS TOWN.
THE REASON WE STAY HERE IS MY DAUGHTER IS IN A MANDARIN IMMER PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHERE I'M FROM.
UM, SO WE WANT HER TO STAY HERE GROWING AS A GREAT CITIZEN AND LOVE CAMBRIDGE.
BUT THE MORTGAGE AND ALL THAT IS REALLY ADDING UP.
UM, DURING OUR SHORT TERM AS THE HOST, WE RECEIVE FULL SCORE FROM OUR GUEST.
THE ONE GUEST SAID THIS, FOR BOSTON PEOPLE ARE MEAN, BUT, BUT MEETING WITH US, BE HOSTED BY US.
THEY FEEL SO WARM AND WELCOMED, AND I THINK WE ARE DOING OUR BEST HERE TO REPRESENT THE CITY AND BRING THIS, UM, CUSTOMERS TO, UH, CONSUME.
I THINK THE 19 DAYS IS VERY, VERY, GOING TO BE VERY STRESSFUL FOR US.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER A MORE DETAILED POLICY, UH, 10 MONTHS OR EVEN NO, NO LIMITATION WOULD BE PROBABLY BETTER FOR, FOR OUR FAMILY.
AND, UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JANICE YEE.
THERE, THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
SO IF YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN YET AND YOU STILL WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE, PLEASE UH, PUSH THE RAISE HAND BUTTON NOW SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU BEFORE WE END.
SO, JANICE, STEVE, YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
UH, CAN YOU, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES.
UM, MY NAME IS JANICE Y AND MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE AT, UH, 16 SEW STREET IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE USED TO LIVE IN CITY OF BOSTON, AND THEN WHEN MY DAUGHTER, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTED MIT IN 2017, AND MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO, UH, MOVE TO CAMBRIDGE BECAUSE, UH, THAT TIME MY, I KNOW THAT MY SON, UH, WAS TRYING TO GET INTO, UH, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL, AND I THOUGHT THAT, OKAY, THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL BE IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND, BUT THIS HOUSE, UH, I, MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN A THREE FAMILY BUILDING, AND WE LIVE IN A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT, AND WE, UH, YOU KNOW, RUN LONG-TERM RENT, UM, UH, THE ONE UNIT.
AND THEN, UH, WE, UH, AIRBNB, UM, THE, UH, ONE ADJACENT UNIT AND THEN WE RENT A ROOM, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM OUR APARTMENT AS A OWNER OCCUPIED UNIT.
UM, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT THIS HOUSE, THIS BUILDING IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE IN MY, IN OUR WHOLE LIFE.
UM, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE IN OUR EARLY SIXTIES, SO, UM, THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE AND, BUT, UM, IT'S THE SMALLEST ONE.
UM, BUT, UM, BEFORE WE DECIDED TO BUY THIS BUILDING, WE RUN THE CALCULATION AND THE, UM, BECAUSE WE TOOK THE, THE VERY EXPENSIVE MORTGAGE, THEN THE, THE MAXIMUM, UH, AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE KNEW THAT, UM, IF WE RUN IT LONG TERM, UH, IT WON'T BE, UH, BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT, SUPPORT THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE.
AND, UH, WE FIGURE OUT ONLY BY DOING LB AIRBNB, WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT.
SO WE STARTED, UM, IN 2018 AND, UM, WE HAD A PERMIT, UM, AT THE FIRST PLACE.
AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE CITY'S GUIDELINES.
AND THIS SERVED OUR FAMILY VERY WELL.
AND MY TWO CHILDREN, MY SON AND MY DAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL CAME, YOU KNOW, STAY IN THIS HOUSE
[00:50:01]
WHEN THEY WENT TO MIT AND HARVARD FOR, UH, TWO YEARS, AND THEN COVID.AND THEN, UH, AFTER THEY GRADUATED, THEY LEFT.
AND THEN NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M AIRBNB.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE ROOMS WE, WE DON'T NEED.
AND I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS 90 DAY CAP.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BENEFIT FOR SUCH POLICY.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR FAMILY, IF YOU ARE GONNA PUT 90 DAYS CAP, THEN WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH ANOTHER NINE MONTHS, BECAUSE LONG-TERM RENTAL IS A ONE YEAR, RIGHT? SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M DOING LB AIRBNB, UH, C WILL BE ABLE TO COLLECT MORE TAX.
IF I CANNOT DO IT, THEN CITY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COLLECT TAX.
UM, I GUESS I'M NOT VERY PREPARED, BUT I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, WANNA SAY THAT I'VE COMPLETED A BRIEF FIRST SPEAKER DANIELS, SO HE'S, YOU KNOW, UM, I JUST SUPPORT ALL HIS POINTS AND THANK YOU.
SO, UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE FULL LIST OF SPEAKERS.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO THE CHAIR.
UH, AND THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR, UH, YOUR THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.
UH, AT THIS POINT, WE'LL NOW MOVE FROM PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, TO BOARD DISCUSSION, UM, UH, AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL BE SUBMITTED, UH, UH, TO THE RECORD OF THE HEARING.
SO FIRST OF ALL, SEE IF BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE LAW DEPARTMENT, UM, ON, ON THE, UH, PROPOSAL.
SO I GUESS I HAVE THE $64,000 QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE RATIONALE FOR ANY CAP ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS? AND WHAT IS THE RATIONALE FOR LIMITING IT TO 90 DAYS? BECAUSE I WAS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING THAT SAYS THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS THAT IT WAS A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM.
AND, UH, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS SOME PROBLEM THAT THIS 90 DAY CAP OR ANY CAP IS TRYING TO ADDRESS.
SO I GUESS IT'S FOR THE LAW COMMITTEE,
UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS MAYBE WASN'T ARTICULATED, UM, GREAT BY ME THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHILE THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND ISD HAVE MADE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE, UM, THAT ARE COMING BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS A NINE A, A CAP ON THE CALENDAR DAYS.
UM, IN ORDER TO, WE LOST THE AUDIO, WE'VE LOST, UH, AUDIO AND POOR SYDNEY IS FROZEN.
SWATHI, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THAT?
UH, JUST TO, UH, TO CARRY ON FROM WHAT SHE WAS DISCUSSING, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS, UH, UH, SORT OF OPENED UP FURTHER DISCUSSIONS RELATIVE TO, UH, THE CAP PROPOSALS THAT WERE, WERE, YOU KNOW, PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL PETITION.
UM, AS NOTED, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY, UH, COUNSELORS, INCLUDING COUNCILOR NOLAN, WHO IS PROPOSING AMENDMENTS, UH, TO THE CAP SUCH TO REMOVE THE CAP FROM THOSE CATEGORY CATEGORIES EXCEPT THE AUTONOMOUS UNIT, UM, UH, NEW CATEGORY THAT HAS BEEN CREATED, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE ISON POSITION, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THOSE AMENDMENTS AS, UM, AND WHICH WOULD NOT CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE ZONING PETITION BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEFAULT IS UNLIMITED, UH, TIME.
SO REMOVING THOSE CAPS WOULD JUST ESSENTIALLY RESTORE THE DEFAULT.
SO, UM, UH, AGAIN, UH, JUST TO ADD ON TO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE LOST SIDNEY, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE IS PLANNING TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THESE, UH, PROPOSED CALFS.
AND AS ALREADY NOTED IN PUBLIC COMMENT, COUNCILS HAVE ALREADY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO, UH, THIS PETITION TO REMOVE THE CAP FOR CERTAIN OF THE, UH,
[00:55:01]
CATEGORIES, UH, FOR SDRS.WELL, CAN I FOLLOW UP? HAS THE CITY COUNCIL OR ORDINANCE COMMITTEE ARTICULATED ANY RATIONALE FOR THE CAP OR FOR THE 90 DAYS, UH, TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT, LET'S SAY? MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE INITIAL PETITIONS WAS THAT, UM, PUBLIC INPUT TO COUNSELORS WHEN THE PETITION WAS FIRST PRESENTED WAS, UM, CONCERN OVER WHAT ARE NOW BEING DESIGNATED AS AUTONOMOUS UNITS.
SO THOSE WERE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT WERE LISTED AS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE BY THE OWNERS, BUT IN FACT, THE RESIDENTS WEREN'T LIVING IN THE UNITS AND WERE IN FACT JUST SIMPLY RENTING THEM OUT AND USING, UH, SO INSTEAD OF THEM BEING DESIGNATED AS ACTUAL RENTAL PROPERTIES, THEY WERE REFERRING TO THEM AS SHORT TERM RENTALS AND, AND NOT LIVING ON THE PROPERTY.
SO THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT, UM, THAT BEING A POTENTIAL ABUSE OF WHAT WAS INTENDED IN, ORIGINALLY IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS OTHER CONCERNS THAT THAT ARRANGEMENTS SUCH AS THAT, UH, WERE REDUCING THE AVAILABLE HOUSING STOCK, UH, IN THE CITY FROM THOSE THAT ACTUALLY WANTED TO LONG-TERM RENT OR ACTUALLY OWN PROPERTIES.
SO I BELIEVE THOSE WERE THE, UH, MOTIVATIONS RELATIVE TO HOW, UH, THE INITIAL PROPOSAL, UH, WAS, WAS PRESENTED, UH, ADDING THESE CAPS.
UH, I, AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE, THE RATIONALE AT, AT THE TIME FOR THE INITIAL PROPOSED, WELL UN UNLESS I MISUNDERSTAND IT FOR THE AUTONOMOUS CATEGORY, DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE OWNER'S PRIMARY RESIDENCE WHO HAPPENS TO NOT BE THERE.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S FEAR THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO RENT THINGS OUT WHILE NOT LIVING THERE.
I MEAN, IT HAS TO BE THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
UM, AND C CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME NOW? YES, YES, YES.
UM, THAT IS CORRECT, BUT, UM, PRESENTLY AS THE ORDINANCE STANDS, PRIMARY RESIDENCE IS NOT DEFINED.
UM, AND SO IT HAS BEEN UP FOR DEBATE WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL'S PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
SO IF THE, UM, BOARD IS TO GIVE A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO THE DEFINITION THAT WE'VE PROVIDED AND THE COUNSEL IS TO ACCEPT IT, THEN THAT WOULD BE CORRECT THAT THERE WOULD ONLY BE A, A 30 DAY WINDOW WHERE AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT COULD BE RENTED.
I I, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND WHY THE 90 DAYS WAS SELECTED RATHER THAN 120 DAYS, 180 OR NONE WHATSOEVER.
AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE, UM, IF, UM, ELLIOT MENTIONED THIS, THE 90 DAYS WE'VE, WE'VE USED AS, UM, SORT OF A PLACE HOLDER HOLDER TO ALLOW FOR THE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT THEY INTEND TO PLACE IT A CAP AND WHAT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE.
UM, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL CANNOT, ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, WITHOUT HAVING GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS, CONSIDER A CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF DAYS OR A MORE RESTRICTIVE CAP WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THE PETITION.
WE'VE USED 90 DAYS AS A PLACE FOR THEM TO START.
UH, YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, NOT RIGHT NOW.
ASHLEY, YOU, MR. CHAIR? I HAVE, MY QUESTIONS ARE VERY HIGH LEVEL.
I THINK I BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME, BUT, UH, KIND OF THREE QUESTIONS ALL SIMILAR, BUT THE FIRST ONE IS CON I'M SURE THERE'S SOME HISTORY TO THIS, BUT I STILL AM HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY A LOT OF THE DETAILED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REGISTRATION, BOOKING DETAILS, PROCESS ENFORCEMENT, WHY THAT'S ALL IN THE ZONING OR PROPOSED TO BE IN A ZONING ORDINANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH OF THIS IS, I'M GONNA CALL IT RUNS WITH THE APPLICANT, WHEREAS ZONING REALLY SHOULD BE RUNNING WITH THE LAND.
AND I'M, I, I GET A LITTLE NERVOUS, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WANT AIRBNB TO TRY TO SUE US NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO I, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
SECOND QUESTION IS ON A SIMILAR VEIN, YOU KNOW, I, I DID MY OWN RESEARCH.
UM, I LIVED UP BOSTON, SOMERVILLE, SALEM NEW, AND, UM, SOME OF THE MAJOR CITIES AROUND HERE.
[01:00:01]
MOST OF 'EM EITHER, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE ELSEWHERE OR MAYBE JUST LIKE THE USE, UM, IN THE ZONING, BUT YOU KNOW, ALL THE DETAILED, THE FINES, THE, UM, HOW TO REGISTER, THAT'S IN A SEPARATE ORDINANCE.AND SO I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE SEEN OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE A SIMILAR SETUP AS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE? UM, 'CAUSE I DID NOT FIND ANY AND, UM, AND I, AND BRINGING IT BACK TO ZONING, SO IT, MY, AM I CORRECT THAT OTHER THAN WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE THINGS, SHORT-TERM RENTALS WOULD BE ALLOWED IN ALL DISTRICTS.
IS THAT RIGHT? AND, UM, YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHY
S UM, SO IN TERMS OF SIMILARITIES WITH OTHER, UM, SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES GENERALLY, UM, WE HAVE, AND PRIMARILY, UM, JIMMY HAS EXTENSIVELY REVIEWED, UM, HOW SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE BEING ENFORCED IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, INCLUDING OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, WITH, UM, SIMILAR ENFORCEMENT TOOLS.
UM, I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED IS VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTAL ENFORCEMENT.
I, I'LL ALSO SAY THAT, UM, WHEN I HAVE SPOKEN ON THE PHONE WITH OTHER, UM, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM CITIES WHO ARE TRYING TO ENFORCE SHORT-TERM RENTALS, A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES FIND THEMSELVES IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AS WE ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, WHERE THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF UNREGISTERED, SHORT RE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO, UM, EITHER GET INTO COMPLIANCE OR, UM, FIGURE OUT HOW TO GRAPPLE WITH, UM, FOR, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT PORTION OF IT.
UM, THE ENFORCEMENT BY ISD IS CONTEMPLATED BOTH BY THE STATUTE AND, UM, CASE LAW.
AND SPECIFICALLY, I THINK IT'S, UM, A STYLER, I THINK IT'S, I ALWAYS MESS UP THE NAME STYLER OR RYER.
UM, IT, IT SORT OF OUTLINES THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN, UM, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE AND THE, A CITY ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, FOR PURPOSES OF THE CITY'S ZONING, I THINK YOUR QUESTION IS IF WE WERE NOT, UM, DEFINING SHORT TERM RENTALS, UM, THROUGH EITHER OWNER OCCUPIED AS WE'VE DEFINED IT, OWNER ADJACENT, NOW AUTONOMOUS, IF WE DIDN'T RESTRICT IT TO THOSE THREE CATEGORIES, UM, IS IT SUCH THAT THE ZONING WOULD PERMIT, UM, ANY TYPE OF RESIDENCE TO THE, UM, A PERMISSIBLE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE? UM, AND SO I THINK THAT ANSWER, IF THAT, I, IF I HAVE THAT QUESTION CORRECT, I THINK THAT IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE LIMITED IT TO THOSE CATEGORIES.
WE HAVEN'T LIMITED IT TO, UM, LIKE SOME OTHER, UM, MUNICIPALITIES LIMITED BY ZONE, UM, DISTRICT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT IS ANOTHER MECHANISM.
OURS IS, UM, THROUGH THESE CATEGORIES OF SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT WE ARE DEEMING PERMISSIBLE.
ASHLEY, DO YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? YEAH, SO, BUT I STILL, I'M, I'M STILL CONFUSED.
LIKE ARE THERE ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, LIKE ALL THE ONES I'VE LOOKED AT SO FAR AT THE REGISTRATION, LET ME, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST WORD? YOU KNOW, LIKE ALL THE CONDO REQUIREMENTS, ALL OF THAT, THAT'S NOT IN ZONING, RIGHT? THAT THOSE AREN'T A SEPARATE GENERAL ORDINANCE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF UM, IF, UM, PETER OR ISD WANTS TO CHANGE SOMETHING IN TWO MONTHS, DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH US AGAIN? WHEREAS IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT IN THE ZONING, THEY CAN GO TO CITY COUNCIL DIRECTLY AND MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
IF WE WERE TO WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THIS ORDINANCE, AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH YOU.
AND IT IS BECAUSE THIS ORDINANCE IS SITUATED, UM, IN, IN THE, THE ZONING, UM, ORDINANCE, AND I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT.
I DIDN'T TAKE YOUR EARLIER QUESTION TO MEETING, BUT I NOW UNDERSTAND THIS IN ME.
UM, COULD THIS BE, COULD WE HAVE MUNICIPAL CODE AS OPPOSED TO THROUGH, UM, OUR ZONING CODE? UM, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
[01:05:01]
INTO THE REASON WHY WE INITIALLY SITUATED IT WITHIN THE ZONING POSITION.I KNOW THAT THAT IS ALLOWABLE AND THAT IS, UM, THAT'S A PERFECTLY PERMISSIBLE, UM, WAY TO ENFORCE, UM, OUR ORDINANCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WHAT THE HISTORY BEHIND WHY, UM, WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED PLACING IT IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND I, I THINK TO, TO, TO ADD TO WHAT, UH, CINDY HAS, HAS, UH, PRESENTED, NOT ONLY IS IT PERMISSIBLE THAT, UH, SUCH REGULATION BE DONE THROUGH A ZONING ORDINANCE AS COMPARED TO A REGULAR ORDINANCE.
I THINK WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT AMENDING AND PROVIDING CHANGES AND STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT, OFTEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE IN PLACE AT THE TIME OR WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
SO, BECAUSE OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE GOVERNED UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THIS IS REALLY AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS AT THIS POINT, THE PROPER MECHANISM IN WHICH TO, TO MAKE THESE REQUESTED AND REQUIRED CHANGES TO ENSURE ENFORCEMENT.
NOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY IN THE FUTURE, LOOK AT POTENTIALLY, UH, EITHER DOING FURTHER AMENDMENTS OR, OR MAYBE ADDING ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT OR POLICY MECHANISMS OUTSIDE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, EITHER THROUGH ORDINANCE OR THROUGH ISD POLICY.
BUT I THINK SORT OF AT THE STAGE WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW, IF WE WANT TO MAKE ADDITIONAL IN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, IT HAS TO BE DONE AT THIS STAGE THROUGH THE ZONING ORDINANCE AS IT IS CURRENTLY IN ARTICLE 4.60 OF OUR CODE.
I NOTICED THE COMMISSIONER OF BUILDINGS HAS TURNED ON HIS VIDEO.
UH, MR. MCLAUGHLIN, DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THE TOPIC AT HAND HERE? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE SIDNEY SAID, THIS WAS PLACED IN THE ZONING BYLAW AT THE BEGINNING, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS WHEN IT WAS PLACED THERE, BUT IF IT WAS, WASN'T A MUNICIPAL CODE, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A MUCH EASIER TASK AT HAND.
BUT LIKE ELLIOT SAID, WE, WE HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW, SO, YEAH.
AND, AND I THINK ONE OTHER THING I JUST REMEMBERED, AND I'D HAVE TO CHECK ALL OF THE, UM, UH, ALL OF THE EDITS, BUT I BELIEVE THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A PROPOSED, UH, AS AMONG THESE AMENDMENTS, THERE IS A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD ENABLE ISD TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OUTSIDE OF ZONING, YOU KNOW, FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HELP EFFECTUATE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS.
SO I THINK EVEN DURING OUR REVISION PROCESS, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED AN ABILITY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR ISD TO SET THEIR OWN POLICIES AS NECESSARY TO, UH, FURTHER ENFORCE WHATEVER CHANGES THAT ARE, ARE MADE OR RECOMMENDED RELATIVE TO, UH, THIS PROPOSAL.
SO, UH, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFIC AMENDMENT OFFHAND, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK THAT UP, UH, RIGHT.
UM, ASHLEY, YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR LINE OF QUESTIONING AT THIS POINT? YES.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UM, THE BOOKING PLATFORMS. UM, I ONLY REALLY KNOW OF TWO, UM, AIRBNB AND VRBO, BUT I'M ASSUMING THERE PROBABLY ARE MORE.
UM, AND SO MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY BOOKING SITES ARE OUT THERE AND PEOPLE ARE, ARE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF THESE UNREGISTERED SITES? AND, AND THEN AS PART OF THAT, DO THE BOOKING SITES, UH, REQUIRE PROOF OF CITY REGISTRATION FOR ANY OTHER CITY OR TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF? OR WOULD THIS BE BRAND NEW FOR THEM? I CAN INTO THE, I GET INTO THE FIRST PART.
UM, THERE ARE PROBABLY OVER 50 DIFFERENT, UM, BOOKING PLATFORMS. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A COUPLE THAT ARE THE MOST PROMINENT, SUCH AS AIRBNB, VRBO, BOOKING.COM, THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE TOP THREE.
AND EVEN WITHIN THAT, AIRBNB PROBABLY HAS 90% OF THE LISTINGS, AT LEAST THAT ARE IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND THEN I PROBABLY HAVE HEARD A LOT DEPARTMENT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS THAT DO, UM, REQUIRE THEM TO VERIFY THE, THE LISTING BEFORE IT'S PUT UP.
AND BOSTON IS ONE OF THE, UM, CITIES THAT REQUIRES THAT AIRBNB VERIFY THAT A, UM, A SHORT TERM RENTAL IS REGISTERED BEFORE
[01:10:01]
THE HOSTING PLATFORM, UM, COLLECTS A FEE FOR BOOKING.UM, AND I WOULD SAY THE TREND, UH, THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEING IS THAT, UM, MUNICIPALITIES WHO ARE LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN THEIR SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCES ARE INCREASINGLY BUILDING IN LANGUAGE THAT IS TRYING TO, UM, BRING IN THE HOSTING PLATFORMS INTO COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, THOSE ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF ACROSS, UM, THAT'S SPANNING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, NEW YORK CITY, NEW ORLEANS.
THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT, UM, WE'VE REVIEWED.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE EVEN IF WE DIDN'T GET EVERY PLATFORM, UH, TO COOPERATE, AS LONG AS WE GET THE, THE BIG THREE OR FOUR, WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE MOST OF THE ILLEGAL SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO THAT, THAT I THINK IS A GOOD THING.
I GUESS THAT WAS JUST A COMMENT.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, SO I GENERALLY, I'M KIND OF NOT SURE ABOUT DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN LIKE OWNER ADJACENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL AND AUTONOMOUS UNIT SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
I UNDERSTAND THE DEFINITIONS AND WHY THEY'RE DIFFERENT, UM, AS OPPOSED TO LIKE WHY ONE OF THEM WOULD REQUIRE 90 DAYS AS OPPOSED TO, OR AN ARBITRARY AMOUNT OF DAYS, AND ONE WOULDN'T, UM, I THINK IS LIKE A SECONDARY THING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT.
BUT THE PRIMARY THING I THINK ABOUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THESE DEFINITIONS IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF THIS PASSES, WE'LL HAVE, UH, A SORT A COLLECTION OR A DATA SET OF THESE STR THAT ARE REGISTERED, AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE OF THOSE THREE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE, HOW IT'S GOING IN A SENSE, IS THAT GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S POSSIBLE? AND THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, WE HEARD A COUPLE OF PUBLIC COMMENTERS ABOUT, UH, TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY HAD A MORTGAGE AND THEY WERE USING SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO HELP PAY FOR THAT FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF OTHER STORIES LIKE THAT.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS, UM, ANY WAY TO HAVE LIKE AN EXCEPTION FOR THAT, OR IS THERE LIKE A GRANDFATHER RULE FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT, THAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR.
UM, JIMMY, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE DATA THAT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT AND HOW THAT COULD BE USEFUL? YEAH, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE DATA, LIKE ONE, ONCE THEY ARE REGISTERED, WE CAN GET A GOOD IDEA OF, OF THE BREAKDOWN OF, OF EACH DIFFERENT TYPE.
OBVIOUSLY THE, THE MOST COMMON WAS OPERATOR OCCUPY, WHICH IS GONNA GET SPLIT INTO THOSE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED, THE AUTONOMOUS UNIT THAT IS GONNA BECOME ITS OWN.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVE LIKE A TWO FAMILY AND YOU HAVE AN OWNER ADJACENT, OR YOU LIVE IN THE FIRST UNIT, YOU WANNA RENT OUT THAT SECOND THAT WOULD BE OWNER ADJACENT.
IF YOU WANNA RENT OUT THAT FIRST UNIT THAT YOU DO LIVE IN WHEN YOU'RE ON VACATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IS GONNA BE THE AUTONOMOUS UNIT.
AND AGAIN, THE IDEA OF THE LIMIT ON THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT LIVING THERE FOR SIX MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR AND YOU'RE RENTING YOUR WHOLE UNIT, OR YOU CONSIDER A PRIMARY RESIDENT.
AND THAT'S WHY DURING THE SURVEY WE KIND OF PUT OUT THERE WHAT PEOPLE CONSIDERED TO BE A PRIMARY RESIDENT.
IS IT SIX MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR? IS IT NINE MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR OR IS IT THE FULL YEAR? UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE LIMIT CAME IN FOR THAT PIECE.
UM, BUT ONCE EVERYONE'S REGISTERED, WE'LL HAVE MORE KIND OF DATA ON, ON WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS.
AND THE QUESTION ABOUT GRANDFATHERING, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL POINT.
IS THERE A WAY TO DO THAT OR, UM, IN TERMS OF, IN GRANDFATHERING IN TERMS OF IF THERE IS A DAY, UH, UH, A LIMIT IMPOSED FOR THE, UH, CALENDARS? UM, SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE FULLY FLESHED, UM, OUT WHEN THE, UM, REGULATIONS WOULD BE PROMULGATED.
THERE WOULD, IT WOULD TAKE SOME TIME.
WE'RE HOPING TO SORT OF MORE, UM, MAKE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE A REGISTRY.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE, UM, CONTEMPLATED HOW TO HANDLE THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, REGISTERED THEIR UNITS.
ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE HAVE GIVEN THEM A REGISTRATION FOR A PERIOD OF YEARS.
SO, UM, I THINK WE WOULD CERTAINLY, UM, LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT HOW ANY TYPE OF RESTRICTION WOULD, UM, BE A BURDEN UPON INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND COMPLIANT WITH OUR ORDINANCE
[01:15:01]
TODAY.DIEGO, UM, TED, TED THE SECOND ROUND HERE, WHAT, UM, SAYING THE WRONG THING, SO OF THE 500 ESTIMATED UNREGISTERED ST ARE THEY LISTING THINGS ON AIRBNB AND VRBO? AND SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THERE'S NO WAY TO, UH, HAVE PULLED THEM IN NOW AND THAT THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS REGISTRATION AND THE BOOKING AGENCY IS GOING TO DO.
I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S TWO PARTS, BUT ARE, ARE THEY LISTED NOW ON THE, THE, THE BIG THREE, LET'S SAY? YEAH, I WOULD SAY THE, IF NOT ALL, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE 500 ARE ALL LISTED ON THOSE THREE WEBSITES, AND THERE'S NO WAY NOW OF, OF INSISTING THAT THEY GET REGISTERED.
SO WE WILL SEND OUT VIOLATION LETTERS WHEN WE CAN FIND THE ADDRESS OF, OF WHERE THESE PLACES ARE AND CONFIRM THAT THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE CITY.
UM, FROM THERE IT KIND OF BECOMES PART OF OUR ENFORCEMENT PROCESS WHERE ONCE THAT LETTER GETS SENT OUT, PERIOD OF DAYS GO BY, THEN WE CAN SET A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER AND FINES.
AND THEN IF THEY STILL AREN'T COMPLYING, THEN IT HAS TO GO TO COURT, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH LONGER PROCESS.
UM, NOT ALL 500 OF THOSE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE ELIGIBLE TO BE ABLE TO BECOME A SHORT-TERM RENTAL BECAUSE MANY OF THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY AREN'T LIVING AT THE PROPERTY AND THEY'RE JUST DOING IT AS A WAY, AS A WAY TO GAIN MONEY.
I WOULD SAY A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE THAT DO RECEIVE A LETTER, SOME OF THEM MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RULES, AND THEN ONCE, ONCE THEY RECEIVE THAT LETTER, THEY WILL START THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
BUT THERE IS A VAST MAJORITY, PROBABLY OF THE UNREGISTERED ONES THAT MOST LIKELY WOULD NEVER BE ELIGIBLE BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PRIMARY RESIDENCE AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO JUST TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON, ON ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, JAMES, THE, UM, SO YOU KNOW, FROM TALKING TO THE BOOKING PLATFORMS THAT THERE ARE 500 ILLEGAL UNITS, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE CAMBRIDGE LISTINGS, BUT THEY DON'T, DON'T SHOW YOU THE ADDRESS UNTIL YOU BOOK, I BELIEVE.
SO THEY WON'T GIVE YOU THE LISTING? THEY'LL, OR THEY WON'T GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS? THEY'LL, THEY'LL GIVE YOU AN APPROXIMATE LOCATION, BUT WHAT WE, WHAT THE CITY USES IS WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY CALLED HOST COMPLIANCE, THAT'S A SHORT TERM RENTAL MONITORING COMPANY, WHICH CAN HELP IDENTIFY WHERE THESE PLACES ARE BASED OFF, LIKE INFORMATION LISTING THE PICTURES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO THEY CAN, IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, WE'RE NOT GONNA FIND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHERE THESE PLACES ARE.
BUT I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY CAPTURE ABOUT 70% OF WHERE THESE UNITS ARE AND, AND FIND THESE LOCATIONS EVEN THOUGH THE ADDRESSES AREN'T BEING PUBLICIZED.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE A DETECTIVE IN LINE OF WORK.
UM, SO MY, MY OTHER QUESTION, UM, HAS TO DO AGAIN WITH THIS, UM, QUESTION, PARTICULARLY FOR THE AUTONOMOUS UNITS OF RESIDENCY.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN MASSACHUSETTS LAW, WHETHER IT'S TAX CODE OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT SETS HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN A PROPERTY IN MASSACHUSETTS TO BE A, A LEGAL RESIDENT? I KNOW SOME STATES HAVE THAT, 'CAUSE I I HAVE A NUMBER OF FRIENDS WHO GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN FLORIDA AND NEW ENGLAND.
YOU KNOW, THEY SPEND SO MANY MONTHS IN EACH PLACE.
UM, AND I THINK THERE IS A REQUIREMENT IN FLORIDA, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE THERE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF MONTHS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY TO BE A RESIDENT.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW IF MASSACHUSETTS HAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IF SO, WOULD THAT HELP TO, UM, SET A STANDARD FOR THE AUTONOMOUS UNITS? UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF, SO LET ME SPEAK BOTH SPECIFICALLY TO, UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, THE FRAME UNDER, UM, MASS GENERAL LAW CHAPTER 60 4G, WHICH SORT OF OUTLINES A MUNICIPALITY'S AUTHORITY TO REGULATE.
AND WITHIN THAT, THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC DEFINITION FOR PRIMARY RESIDENTS, UM, OR A LENGTH OF DAYS.
WE ARE GIVEN SORT OF BROAD, UM, AUTHORITY TO CRAFT OUR OWN ORDINANCE AND ORDER TO, UM, ENFORCE OR RESTRICT SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
[01:20:01]
UM, AND SO THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, FACTORS THAT ARE USED TO DETERMINE PRIMARY RESIDENCE WITHIN CASE LAW.THERE'S A FRAMEWORK FOR DOMICILE, BUT IN TERMS OF SPEAKING LIKE SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT LENGTH OF TIME STATUTE, AND SO, UM, WE CAN USE THIS AS AN AREA, UM, TO, FOR OURSELVES TO DETERMINE WHAT IS GONNA SATISFY FOR PURPOSES OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OF PRIMARY RESIDENT.
UM, ANY MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? YES, MR. BELLA? SO, UH, THIS ISN'T A QUESTION, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, UH, JUST PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RESPONSE TO, UH, PLANNING BOARD MEMBER, UH, TAN'S, UH, QUESTION REGARDING, UH, WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN THINGS COULD BE DONE THROUGH POLICY, UH, RATHER THAN AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
UH, IN THE PROPOSED, UH, UH, AMENDMENTS UNDER THIS PETITION, THERE IS AN AMENDMENT TO, UH, WHAT IS CURRENTLY ZONING ORDINANCE, UH, 4.66 REGULATIONS WHERE THE COMMISSIONER OF INSPECTION OF SERVICES SERVICES SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION 4.6, UH, ZERO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THE PETITION AMENDS THAT TO ALSO ADD, AND ITS SUBSECTIONS THAT THUS REMOVES AMBIGUITY RELATIVE TO WHETHER ISD CAN PROMULGATE POLICIES THAT ENFORCE, UH, THE, NOT ONLY THE ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE, BUT ANY ADDITIONAL SUBSECTIONS THAT ARE ADDED.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THE, UH, PETITION ALSO PROPOSES AN AMENDMENT TO 4.65, WHICH, UH, THIS IS THE, IN THE PETITION ADDS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE RELATIVE TO REGULATIONS ON BOOKING AGENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UNDER PROPOSED 4.65 SUBSECTION A, WHERE A BOOKING AGENT PLATFORM IS PROHIBITED FOR PERFORMING BOOKING SERVICES IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WITHOUT REGISTERING WITH THE CITY THROUGH ISD.
THERE'S ALSO LANGUAGE THERE THAT SAYS THAT ISD SHALL ESTABLISH A BOOKING AGENT PLATFORM REGISTRATION SYSTEM THROUGH REGULATIONS AND OR POLICY PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, UNDER THE PETITION, THERE IS LANGUAGE AND AMENDMENTS THERE THAT WILL ENABLE ISD TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS AND POLICY INDEPENDENT OF FURTHER AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCES THAT WILL ENABLE AND EFFECTUATE, UH, ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT, UH, THROUGH ISD OUTSIDE OF FURTHER AMENDMENTS, OR AT LEAST THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, EXPLANATION AND, AND LANGUAGE TO, UH, MEMBER TAM.
AND THEN IF I COULD ADD IN THE SPIRIT OF ADDING MORE INFORMATION, UM, TO, UH, VICE CHAIR'S QUESTION ABOUT THE PRIMARY RESIDENTS.
UM, THERE, THERE IS AN, UM, MM-HMM
UM, AND WITHIN THE, UM, GENERAL ADMISSION ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL, UM, HOUSING AUTHORITIES, THERE IS A DEFINITION FOR PRIMARY RESIDENCE WITHIN THAT.
UM, I DON'T WANNA CONFLATE THAT IT'S APPLICABLE HERE, BUT WITHIN THAT THERE IS PRIMARY RESIDENCE AND THAT IS DEFINED, UM, BY A NINE MONTH PERIOD AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO SOME OTHER FACTORS.
UM, SO THERE, THERE IS SOME, UM, UM, REGULATORY CONFORMANCE THERE WITH THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SO, UH, DISCUSSION, WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, OPEN IT UP HERE? IF I DON'T HAVE VOLUNTEERS, I'LL JUMP IN.
UM, SO I, I CONGRATULATE, UH, ISD AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND THIS EFFORT, I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ILLEGAL UNITS REALLY CAN BE PROBLEMATIC.
UM, AND I THINK THIS ORDINANCE, THE AMENDMENT CITY ORDINANCE WILL HELP, UH, HELP YOU TO, UH, TO ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, SO I'M IN SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE IN GENERAL.
UM, I DO THINK THOUGH, UH, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIT OF REASONING THAT WE ARE HEARING FOR THE 90 DAY LIMITATIONS, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE NECESSARY.
UH, TO ME IT'S, UH, MY GUESS IS THAT THE OPERATORS WHO ARE REGISTERED ARE DOING A FINE JOB, AND IT'S, UM, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT THROUGH,
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UM, THROUGH WHATEVER ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES WE ALREADY HAVE.SO I DON'T REALLY SEE THE NEED FOR THE RESTRICTION, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE NEGATIVE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION THAT WILL HAVE FOR A LOT OF, OF, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE RAISING FAMILIES, UH, OR TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HOUSE THEIR ELDERS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
BUT EXTENDED FAMILIES, WHATEVER, THEY NEED THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN A LONG-TERM RENTAL.
AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT, I THINK, ON, ON, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, OF OF HOMES.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD NOT WANNA SEE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN TERMS OF THE AUTONOMOUS UNITS, UM, AGAIN, I, I'M JUST GOING TO USE THE EXAMPLE OF, OF FRIENDS THAT I HAVE.
NONE OF THEM LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, SOME ARE IN MASSACHUSETTS, SOME ARE IN CONNECTICUT, WHATEVER, AND THEY SPEND PART OF THEIR YEAR UP HERE, AND THEN MAYBE IN FLORIDA OR ARIZONA OR WHATEVER.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THEM CHOOSE TO RENT OUT, BUT IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE IN YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE FOR FIVE MONTHS OR SO, THEN YOU MIGHT WANNA BE ABLE TO, TO RENT IT OUT AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT A 90 DAY RESTRICTION ON THE AUTONOMOUS UNITS MAKES ANY SENSE EITHER.
UM, SO, BUT WITH THOSE EXCEPTIONS, UM, I THINK THE, THE CHANGES ARE, ARE, UM, VERY WELL SUITED TO WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
WELL, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL TO ALL MY, UH, COLLEAGUES FOR SUCH GOOD, SMART QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION LEADING UP TO THIS.
UM, M MY FEELING IS MAYBE WHAT FOLKS ARE GETTING AT, IT'S, IT'S THE OWNER OCCUPIED IN PARTICULAR, RELATIVE TO THE CAP, UM, THAT FEELS LIKE THAT ONE DOESN'T SEEM NECESSARY TO ME.
THIS IS WHEN SOMEONE IS SHARING A SPACE IN YOUR HOME, UM, OWNER ADJACENT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND THEN AUTONOMOUS, I THINK THAT DOES START TO STRETCH INTO, WE ARE IN A, AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE HOUSING IS VERY TIGHT.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING, OR MY GUESS IS OBVIOUSLY THE REASON TO DO THIS IS TO, TO, UM, DISCOURAGE, UH, UM, UM, HOME RENTALS TAKING OVER WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE FOR THEIR HOMES.
SO FOR THE AUTONOMOUS, I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT HAVING, UM, A CAP, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S 120 DAYS, MAYBE THAT'S CONSIDERED IN ORDER TO DISCOURAGE FULL UNITS BECOMING FULL-TIME, UM, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS ESSENTIALLY.
UM, AND THEN IT'S THE OWNER ADJACENT.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT'S THEN IN BETWEEN, I WOULD STILL KIND OF LEAN, I THINK MAYBE TOWARDS ME WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS IF IT'S WORKING FINE, NOT FINE, BUT LIKE, IF IT'S WORKING, AND CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT REASONS THROUGH CAMBRIDGE.
AND SO HAVING LOTS OF FLEXIBILITY AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AT DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
UM, AND SO HOPEFULLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER AS SYDNEY DESCRIBED, IF THIS IS A BIT OF A PLACEHOLDER, SO THAT IT CAN BE USED IF IT'S, IT'S CHOSEN.
BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED, I, I DON'T SEE A NEED FOR, UM, A, A CAP ON THAT.
UM, I'M ALL FOR MAKING ISDS WORK EASIER AND, UM, MORE, UH, EFFICIENT.
AND SO I THINK REALLY ASHLEY BROUGHT UP AN INCREDIBLY THOUGHTFUL POINT.
UM, IT REALLY MADE PUT ME IN MIND OF, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THE, THE BACKYARD CHICKEN, UM, UH, ORDINANCE WHERE THERE'S A POINT AT WHICH, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REALLY NEEDS TO BE IN CHARGE OF MM-HMM
MAKING CHANGES AND MANAGING THINGS.
AND SO THERE ARE A FAIR NUMBER OF THINGS OF HERE IN HERE, LIKE HOW DO YOU DEFINE, UM, HOW, HOW YOU DO REGISTER, RIGHT? HAVING A PROOF OF THIS THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE JUST SEEM LIKE THINGS THAT MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING SENDING TO COUNCIL SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF HOW DO PIECES OF THIS GET STRIPPED BECAUSE THIS IS, UM, A NEWER INDUSTRY MARKET, RIGHT? AND I'M SURE IT WILL KEEP CHANGING, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT FORM FORUM FOR IT TO CONTINUOUSLY COME BACK TO.
SO MAKING SURE THAT ISD HAS ENOUGH FLEXIBILITY TO KEEP KIND OF BEING NIMBLE AS THE ENVIRONMENT CHANGES, I THINK WOULD BE, I'D BE ALL FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST SORT OF, AND THIS IS A BIT OF A QUESTION, I I THINK YOU GUYS KIND OF JUST ANSWERED THIS AND MAYBE I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH OR UNDERSTAND IT.
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT A DEFINITION OF PRIMARY RESIDENCE IS NINE MONTH OCCUPANCY, IS SOMEWHERE IN ZONING CODE? DOES IT NOT, IT DOES NOT EXIST IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
AND I'M ASKING THIS BECAUSE PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAS SO IMPLICATIONS ACROSS SO MANY THINGS, RIGHT? YOUR TAXES, YOUR VOTING REGISTRATION, ALL THESE THINGS.
ARE THERE ANY UNINTENTIONAL FALLOUTS FROM
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ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVING CO IT CODIFIED THAT MARY'S FRIEND WHO LIVES IN FLORIDA SIX MONTHS, THIS IS NO LONGER HER PRIMARY RESIDENCE, THAT SOMEONE COULD POINT TO THIS AS A, SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST A GENERAL QUESTION OF CURIOSITY, REALLY.I WAS WONDERING WHETHER THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION FOR CITY COUNCIL OR WHETHER YOU WANTED TO ANSWER, WANT THAT DISCUSSED AT THIS POINT, BUT WE WE'RE IN DISCUSSION RATHER THAN QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT'S A QUESTION TO YOU, MARY, BUT DO YOU WANT THAT ANSWERED? IT'S, OR DO YOU WANT IT READ IT AS A RHETORICAL? IT'S REALLY RHETORICAL UNLESS I MISSED SOMETHING AND IT, YOU'RE SAYING IT IS WRITTEN SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IF, IF IT, IF THIS IS KIND OF THE FIRST TIME IT'S CODIFIED IN SOME WAY, I, IT'S JUST SOME A POINT OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS IT? KNOW, IT COULD BE CONFUSED.
SO WE'LL LEAVE IT AS RHETORICAL.
UM, I, I THINK MARY FLYNN HAS ARTICULATED ALL OF MY POSITIONS ON THIS.
I THINK GIVING ISD THE POWER TO ENFORCE, UH, AND TO PICK UP THE 500 UNREGISTERED, UH, SRTS IS REALLY THE, THE, THE NEED AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS, UH, ZONING ORDINANCE.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON FOR ANY CAP, UH, WITH, WITHOUT HAVING HEARD ANY REAL RATIONALE FOR IT.
UH, CERTAINLY FOR THE, UH, OWNER OCCUPIED AND OWNER ADJACENT.
AND GIVEN THAT THE AUTONOMOUS HAS TO BE THE OWNER'S PRIMARY RESIDENT, BUT THEY HAPPEN NOT TO BE THERE FOR SOME PARTICULAR PERIOD OF TIME, I DON'T REALLY SEE A NEED FOR ANY CAP THERE EITHER.
UH, IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY CAP, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE AUTONOMOUS WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE I COULD SUPPORT.
BUT I THINK THE 90 DAYS IS STILL TOO SHORT.
A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN, UH, A UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE A SEMESTER OFF OR TAKE A YEAR OFF PLAN TO COME BACK TO THEIR OWN HOME.
UM, AND SO I DON'T SEE 90 DAYS JUST DOESN'T SEEM LONG ENOUGH, UH, FOR THEM AT ALL.
UM, UH, UH, ASSUMING AI IS CORRECT IN MY QUICK SEARCH, UH, IT SAID THAT IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR TAX PURPOSES, UH, PRIMARY RESIDENCE IS 183 DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR.
UM, WHETHER IT'S ANYWHERE IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OR NOT, I, I DON'T RECALL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE ISD THE, THE POWERS IT NEEDS TO REALLY MAKE THIS, UH, AN ENFORCEABLE ORDINANCE.
UH, BUT I HAVE BEEN REALLY IMPRESSED BY ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE INCOME THEY GET THAT HELPS 'EM PAY THEIR MORTGAGES, HELPS 'EM STAY IN CAMBRIDGE, AND ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DIFFERENT FAMILY ARRANGEMENTS TO EXIST.
AND SO, UH, I, I, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING AND, UH, I I WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE CAP.
UM, SO I, MARY LAER, UH, ARTICULATED KIND OF THE TWO POINTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, ONE OF WHICH IS THANK YOU ALL FOR ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
UM, THE SECOND IS, UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT I, I ALSO, UM, AM COMPELLED BY, BY ALL OF THE, UM, PUBLIC FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT REGARDING THE CAP.
UM, AND I, I, I DO THINK THAT FOR THE AUTONOMOUS UNITS, THERE IS REASON TO, I THINK WE COULD CATCH SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE FUDGING THE DEFINITION OF PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
UM, AND THAT MAY BE A FIVE MONTH CAP.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, TED, MY, UM, DEFINITION OF PRIMARY RESIDENCE IS SIX MONTHS AND A DAY, WHICH I THINK IS SIMILAR TO THAT 183 DAYS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IF WE PUT A FIVE MONTH CAP ON THE AUTONOMOUS SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATES THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING IT, UM, UH, UH, ILLEGAL, I DUNNO IF THE LEGAL'S THE RIGHT WORD, BUT THE UNREGISTERED UNITS WHERE THEY'RE NOT HERE AT ALL.
UM, AND JUST PRETENDING LIKE IT'S THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
UM, BUT I CERTAINLY RECOMMEND REMOVING IT FROM THE OTHER TWO DEFINITIONS OF THE SHORT, THE OTHER TWO SHORT-TERM RENTAL CATEGORIES.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND AT SOME POINT MAYBE, UM, THE THOUGHT WAS LIKE TO HAVING A CAP WOULD HELP US, UM, OR HELP PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RENT SHORT TERM NOT TO, AND
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TO RENT LONG TERM AND OPEN UP THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, TO OUR CITY.AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IF, IF THERE'S ONLY 500, NOT ONLY, BUT IF THERE'S 500 AND NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, 3000 UNITS THAT ARE, OR MORE THAN THAT, THAT ARE, UM, UNLISTED, BUT OUT THERE, THAT PROPERTY IS A, IS A LESSER CONCERN THAN EVERYONE EXPECTED IT TO BE.
SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD THAT I, YOU KNOW, 90 DAYS, OR EVEN IF IT'S LIKE A MORE LONGER TIME, MAYBE WE DON'T EVEN NEED THAT CAP.
SO, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO GIVE ISB THE POWER THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB AND, UM, BE ABLE TO ENFORCE, I THINK IS GREAT.
AND SO, UM, IF THIS GETS THIS, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I GENERALLY LEAN TOWARDS WANTING FEWER THINGS IN THE ZONING AND HAVING MORE ELSEWHERE TO GIVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
BUT, UM, IF THIS, IF THIS IS WHERE WE START, YOU KNOW, SO BE IT.
AND, UM, I GUESS
ASHLEY DIEGO? UM, YEAH, JUST, UH, AGREEING AGAIN WITH ALL THE COLLEAGUES.
I THINK EVERYONE SAID A LOT OF GREAT POINTS.
UM, IF, IF THERE IS ONE FOR AUTONOMOUS, I, I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE DONE AFTER THE FACT, NOT IN THE FIRST, FIRST CO-EDIT.
I THINK THAT IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE SOME DATA FOR THAT AND SEE IF THAT'S BEING ABUSED.
UM, AND THEN I THINK I HEARD SOME STORIES ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN ONE PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE AND THEN BUYING IN CAMBRIDGE.
SO YOUR PREVIOUS CAMBRIDGE PLACE BECAME YOUR SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
UM, TO ME THAT'S LIKE ANOTHER LEVEL ABOVE AUTONOMOUS WHERE YOU'RE STILL A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS INTO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIES AS ILLEGAL BEFORE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THOSE HARDSHIP GRANDFATHER THINGS THAT I'D WORRY ABOUT.
UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST THINK ABOUT THAT MORE, YOU KNOW, THAT'D BE MY, MY MESSAGE FOR THAT.
AND IT WOULD SUCK TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, BE A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE AND THEN YOU HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL AND THEN ZONING CHANGES AND YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ANYMORE.
I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BUMMER.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, BUT I WILL ALSO ADD ONE NOTE IS THAT THE SURVEY WAS REALLY WELL DONE.
I THINK SEEING ALL THOSE RESPONSES WAS, WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE AND SURPRISING IN SOME CASES.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT IN THE MEMO.
WELL, UM, MY THOUGHTS AS I WAS LISTENING TO, UH, THIS REALLY RICH DISCUSSION AND, AND, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE JUST WELL PREPARED STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY TONIGHT.
UM, CENTRAL QUESTION, OF COURSE, IS HOW DOES THIS AFFECT HOUSING SUPPLY? WE, WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE DESPERATE FOR MORE HOUSING.
AND TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT MIGHT PINCH THAT, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S AT ISSUE, RIGHT? UM, SO WE WANT HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT WE ALSO WANT HOMES, RIGHT? AND HOMES ARE DIFFERENT THAN HOUSING, AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO A CENTRAL ISSUE.
BUT WHAT I LEARNED TONIGHT FROM MS. EVANS AND ALSO MY GOOD NEIGHBORS ON SYCAMORE STREET, UM, THEY'RE CREATING HOMES USING THIS AS A VEHICLE TO CREATE HOMES.
THEIR CHILDREN GET TO USE UNITS, AND THEY'RE HERE PERIODICALLY.
AND SO IT'S SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND HOME LIFE, UM, IN A WAY THAT I HADN'T IMAGINED.
AND SO THERE IS A WAY IN WHICH THE 90 DAY, UH, UH, THE TIME RESTRICTIONS MIGHT AFFECT IT, BUT THESE ARE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT OUR CITY, RIGHT? THAT WE NEED HOUSING.
IT'S THE CENTRAL ISSUE THAT COMES BEFORE THIS BOARD EVERY SINGLE NIGHT AND BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, VIRTUALLY EVERY NIGHT.
WE'RE UNIFIED AS A COMMUNITY AROUND THAT.
SECONDLY, WE'RE AN ACADEMIC CITY, AS TED POINTED OUT, AND SABBATICALS GO ON A YEAR.
UH, AND FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL ADVANTAGE IN THIS COMMUNITY OF HAVING VISITING SCHOLARS THAT HAS BEEN STATED, AND THEY OFTEN ARE HERE FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS.
THEY'RE IN THE REQUISITE, UH, UH, ONE YEAR, UM, POSITION.
MY FATHER WAS ON SABBATICAL, I LIVED IN EUROPE FOR A YEAR.
WE TRADED HOUSES, AND IT WAS AN AMAZING, UH, EXPERIENCE.
AND LASTLY, I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PROUDLY ONE OF, UM, AMERICA'S TOP TOURIST SPOTS AS WELL.
TODAY ON THIS AMAZING DAY, I AM WALKING IN HARVARD SQUARE.
I WASN'T QUITE AT THE WATER PISTOL LEVEL THAT OUR FRIENDS IN BARCELONA WERE, UH, HAVE GOTTEN TO.
BUT, UH, IT WAS APPROACHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, THIS IS WONDERFUL.
WHAT A VIBRANT CITY ON THIS EXTRAORDINARY DAY.
BY THE WAY, DOWNTOWN BOSTON DID MAKE ME WANNA GET A WATER PISTOL OUT.
I COULDN'T WALK DOWN THE STREET.
THERE WERE SO MANY, UH, EXCITED AMERICANS CELEBRATING THE TWO 50 THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE A TOURIST, UM, UH, DESTINATION.
AND THIS, UH, VEHICLE SUPPORTS THAT, UH, I THINK IN A VERY
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POSITIVE WAY.AND, AND THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THAT HAPPENS, UH, THROUGH IT IS ALSO AN INCREDIBLY POSITIVE THING.
SO I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF VERY SPECIFIC THINGS, PLANNING ISSUES, UH, ABOUT PECULIAR AND PARTICULAR THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UH, WE ALL AGREE THAT, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS SUPPORT AND, AND HELP.
UM, SO AROUND THE RESTRICTIONS, UM, UH, I CAME INTO THIS THINKING, WELL, MAYBE THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOOD BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SUPPORT HOMES.
BUT, UM, UH, I GUESS IF I WAS TO CONSIDER IT AT ALL, AND WE KNOW THAT 59% OF THE PEOPLE RESPONDING SAID THEY WANTED SOME CONTROL OVER THE TIME LIMIT.
UH, IT WOULD BE STRICTLY FOR THE AUTONOMOUS, UH, UNITS.
BUT EVEN THERE, UM, I'M NOT SURE, UH, IT'S NECESSARY.
DIEGO AND HIS WISDOM IS SAYING, OUR DATA, MAN, HERE, YOU'RE GONNA GET DATA.
YOU GET THESE ALL LICENSED, THEN WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND, UM, LET'S MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT AFTER THAT.
SEE IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE AND NEED, NEED A TIME RESTRICTION AT THAT POINT.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, UNLESS THERE'S OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION, UM, I SENSE THAT THE BOARD IS, UH, IN FAVOR OF, UH, TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSIONER OF BUILDINGS AND OTHERS IN THE CITY, WHICH ARE CHARGED WITH REINFORCING THIS, UH, REINFORCING IT, ENFORCING, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT THERE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SEND THIS UP TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A POSITIVE, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
AND FURTHER THAT, UH, WE'LL MAKE COMMENTS ON THE, UH, TIME LIMIT AND, UH, OTHER GOOD THOUGHTS AROUND, UH, HOW THERE COULD BE SOME MINOR TWEAKS AND ADJUSTMENTS HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S THE SENSE I HAVE OF THE BOARD.
I AM SEEING SOME NODS, SOME WINKS.
NOBODY'S GIVING ME A THUMBS DOWN OR DRAWING THEIR FINGERS ACROSS THEIR THROAT.
SO, UM, AT THAT POINT, I GUESS I'VE FRAMED A, A MOTION, UH, IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO MOVE THAT OR AMEND THAT? UH, THIS IS MARY FLYNN.
THANK YOU, MARY, FOR THE SUPPORT.
UH, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN MM-HMM
JEFF, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL ON THAT? UH, MOTION PLEASE.
THAT'S ALL MEMBERS VOTING IN FAVOR.
SO AT THIS POINT THAT CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM STAFF OR TO STAFF? STAFF MEMBERS, OR FIRST, UH, MR. CHAIR? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, FOR SWATHI, PROBABLY, MAYBE JEFF, IT WAS PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE IN THE COMMENTS WE GOT TODAY THAT A LOT OF THE EMAILS ONLY HAD THE SENDER'S FIRST NAME YEAH.
I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS SOME WAY, UH, THAT, THAT WHEN WE GET EMAILS, UH, THAT WE CAN SEE WHO THEY ARE ACTUALLY FROM AND THE ADDRESS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SPEAK HERE, THEY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT, UM, WITH, WITH, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AND, AND HOW WE WOULD ENSURE THAT THAT'S THE CASE, BUT I'LL, UH, WE'LL CHECK.
YEAH, I DID NOTICE THAT AS WELL, TED AND, UH, SOMEBODY NAMED SEAN WROTE IN, WHICH PROBABLY INCLUDES ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS POINT? IF NOT, UM, I THINK I PROPOSE THAT WE ADJOURN.
SO I WOULD WANNA THANK THE ISD AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS, UH, TONIGHT.
AND THEIR, UH, VERY CLEAR PRESENTATION AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ENTER IN A PRETTY DETAILED DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, LET'S, UH, ADJOURN.
I'LL SEE EVERYBODY ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER.
ENJOY THE REST OF THE SUMMER, EVERYONE.