Cambridge City Council meeting - May 20, 2019

2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District Zoning Petition.
Referred to the Petition

3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-93, regarding Parcel C (Constellation Center) in Kendall Square.
Referred to NLTP Committee - Zondervan

4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-47, regarding a report on increasing traffic monitoring at the intersection of Prospect Street and Broadway during morning rush hour.
Placed on File

5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-41, regarding enforcement of moped registration requirements and enforcement data.
Placed on File

6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $8,615.00 from the Cambridge Public Health Commission, Agenda for Children, to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account for the Center for Families program and will be used to provide Community Playgroups, Drop-In Playgroups, Provider Groups and support of Family Fun Day.
Order Adopted 9-0

7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Family Shelter grant received from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in the amount of $164,650.08 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used to operate its family shelter from Apr 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019, including the provision of case management and housing stabilization services for ten homeless families at a time as referred by the DHCD.
Order Adopted 9-0

8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,000 from the Alexander W. Kemp Foundation to the Grant Fund Public Works Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used for maintenance and upkeep of the playground at the Alexander W. Kemp playground at the Cambridge Common.
Order Adopted 9-0

9. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a donation $1,000 from the Carl Barron Awards for Administrative Excellence to the Grant Fund Public Works Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account which will be used for the Carl Barron Awards ceremonies at DPW to recognize an employee who exhibits excellent job performance.
Order Adopted 9-0

10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $126,000 from the Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account for procurement of electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Kelley - ABSENT)

11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $750,000 from the Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account for procurement of equipment for use in snow and ice operations.
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Kelley - ABSENT)

12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Ethridge King as a member of the Board of Election Commissioners for a term of four years, effective May 20, 2019.
Placed on File

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendments to the following ordinance: and proposed amendments to Chapter 14.04 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (the "Fair Housing Ordinance). Fair Housing (passed to a 2nd reading) [AWAITING HOME RULE LEGISLATION-BEFORE PROPOSAL CAN BE ORDAINED]

2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-108, regarding a report on offering early voting in City Council and School Committee Elections. [PENDING RESPONSE FROM LEGISLATURE]

3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the proposed Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance. [ON OR AFTER APR 22, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON PASSAGE TO BE ORDAINED]

4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $3,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $800,000 to provide funds for various Schools for repairs to entrance doors, upgrade of energy management software, replacement of analog phone system with the voice over internet protocol (VOIP), and the replacement of an emergency generator. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $20,500,000 to provide funds for various water pollution abatement projects, including construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within the Alewife area. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $4,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $10,000,000 to provide funds for the construction of improvements at City Hall. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

9. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $22,000,000 to provide funds for the construction of improvements at the Fire Station Headquarters Building located at 491 Broadway. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $4,000,000 to provide design and construction of Eliot Street between JFK St. and Brattle St. which is a continuation of the Harvard Square Kiosk and Plaza and Surface Enhancement project. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $10,000,000 to provide funds for the design and reconstruction of the Tobin School building. If approved, this appropriation will be included in the City’s FY20 bond issue. [ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON ADOPTION]
Order Adopted 9-0

2. An application was received from Sean Hope, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 199 Pemberton Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. Response has been received from the neighborhood association.
Order Adopted (Kelley, Zondervan - NO)

3. A petition was received from Dumpling Daughter, Liam Patrick, regarding 213 Square foot patio area with seating for 20 seats in front of 75 Ames Street.
Order Adopted

4. An application was received from Webster Bank, requesting permission for an A Frame board sign in front of the premises numbered 1 Brattle Street.
Order Failed of Adopted 2-7 (Simmons, Toomey - YES)

COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Taylor Cairns, regarding support for the Cambridge Courthouse.

2. A communication was received from Cody McInnis, regarding Protected Bike Lanes.

3. A communication was received from Tara Greco, regarding the impact of the anticipated 12,500 units on energy, water, transportation, school or service’s needs.
Referred to NLTP Committee - Zondervan

4. A communication was received from Lara Ortiz-Luis, 28 Healey Street, regarding support for protected bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue and Mount Auburn Street.

5. A communication was received from Jonathan Harris, 9 Marie Avenue, regarding Inman Square, Vellucci Plaza, and Feeney Brothers subcontract.

6. A communication was received from Kristine Jelstrup, 120 Pleasant Street, transmitting the support of Mothers Out Front for Policy Order # 3 on the FUTURE Act.

7. A communication was received from Edward Woll, Jr. 79 Dana Street, in support of Policy Order # 3 on the FUTURE Act.

8. A communication was received from Pamela Van Dort, 13 Cornelius Way, in opposition the refiled zoning petition by Joseph T. Maguire of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to amend the Zoning Ordinance by creating the Grand Junction Pathway Overlay District.

9. A communication was received from Matthew Connolly, 13 Cornelius Way, in opposition the refiled zoning petition by Joseph T. Maguire of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to amend the Zoning Ordinance by creating the Grand Junction Pathway Overlay District and his concern about how contract zoning proposals in East Cambridge are considered.

10. A communication was received from Carol O’Hare, 172 Magazine Street, regarding the application of Webster Bank for a sandwich board sign at 1 Brattle Street.

11. A communication was received from Olivia DAmbrosio, Producing Artistic Director, Bridge Repertory Theater, regarding the management practices of the Multicultural Arts Center.

12. A communication was received from Hasson Rashid, 820 Massachusetts Avenue, regarding issues of homelessness as it relates to the City Budget and the loan orders.

13. A communication was received from John Pitkin, 18 Fayette Street, regarding Policy Order # 4 on Feeney Brothers subcontracting for Eversource and on City Manager’s Agenda # 5 regarding moped registration enforcement.

14. A communication was received from Joseph T. Maguire, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. regarding the refiling zoning petition to create the Grand Junction Path Overlay District.

RESOLUTIONS
1. Welcome wishes to Dolores Huerta to the City of Cambridge and congratulations for receiving the Radcliffe Medal on May 31, 2019. Councillor Simmons

4. Resolution on the retirement of Deborah Ruhe from Just-A-Start. Councillor Toomey

7. Congratulations on Marriage of Dr. Darnisa Amante and Eric Jackson. Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui

8. Congratulations to John Loder and Ella Hawkins on the birth of their son, Camren Roy Loder. Mayor McGovern

ORDERS
1. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request from Sarah Benson for a suitable dedication in the vicinity of 470 Franklin Street in honor of the Benson Family. Councillor Simmons

2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City personnel to draft a formal Anti-bias/Cultural Competency Strategic Plan for eventual adoption and implementation. Councillor Simmons

3. City Council support of the FUTURE Act (H.2849/S.1940) and urge the legislature to pass the bill this session. Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Kelley

4. That the City Manager is requested to provide the City Council with a comprehensive list of projects Feeney Brothers Utility Services is currently working on within the City of Cambridge, as well as a detailed understanding of how the city is ensuring Eversource and Feeney Brothers Utility Services are keeping residents and property safe. Councillor Zondervan

5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department with the view in mind of assessing a speed reduction strategy on strategy on Magoun Street. Mayor McGovern

6. Late Order Re: Adding $20 Million To Budget for Affordable Housing. Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Mayor McGovern

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearings held on May 1, 2019 and May 7, 2019 relative to the General Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2020 and recommending adoption of the General Fund Budget in the amount of $638,060,155.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; General Fund Budget Adopted 7-2-0
[Note: Councillor Simmons asked to be recorded as voting under protest for the School Committee Budget]

2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearing held on May 7, 2019 relative to the Water Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2020 and recommending adoption of the Water Fund Budget in the amount of $12,833,295.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Water Fund Budget Adopted 9-0

3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearing held on May 7, 2019 relative to the Public Investment Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2020 and recommending adoption of the Public Investment Fund Budget in the amount of $26,796,725.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Public Investment Fund Budget Adopted 9-0

4. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councilor E. Denise Simmons, Co-Chair and Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui, Co-Chair of the Housing Committee for a public hearing held on Mar 28, 2019 to discuss Affordable Housing Overlay District.
Report Accepted, Placed on File

HEARING SCHEDULE
Mon, May 20
5:30pm City Council Meeting - Budget Adoption (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, May 21
1:00pm The Health and Environment Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the “City of Cambridge getting to Net Zero Action Plan: Fiscal year 2018 progress report” and to receive a general update on the Net Zero Action Plan. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)

Wed, May 22
12:00pm Civic Unity Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the Massachusetts Equal Pay Law that was enacted in 2018 - What employees, supervisors, and City Leadership should know, what are the best practices, and how metrics must be established to ensure compliance with this new law. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)
2:00pm The Transportation and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss with Eversource any plans it has for meeting the anticipated electricity needs of Cambridge business and residents by expanding capacity on land it owns throughout the City, with a focus on sites in East Cambridge (Kendall Square and Fulkerson Street). (Sullivan Chamber - televised)

Tues, May 28
1:00pm The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee will conduct public hearing to receive an update on the Election Commission’s discussion of potential changes to the ballots used for Municipal Elections that would limit voters to marking only up to fifteen candidates. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)
5:30pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on a petition received from Verizon New England, Inc. to amend the zoning map of the City of Cambridge by creating a new Overlay Zoning district entitled “Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District” encompassing 10 Ware Street and to amend article 20.000 of the Zoning Ordinance by creating a section entitled “Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District”. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)

Wed, May 29
5:30pm The Health and Environment Committee will conduct a joint public hearing with the climate Resilience Task Force to receive an update on the task forces progress to date and to receive input and feedback. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)

Thurs, May 30
5:30pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to continue discussion on a zoning petition filed by Stephen R. Karp, Trustee of Cambridge Side Galleria Trust to add a new section 13.100 to Article 13 and to amend the zoning map to add a new PUD-8 District Overlay. (Sullivan Chamber - televised)

Mon, June 10
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
6:30pm The City Council will conduct a public hearing to discuss the petition filed by Kenneth S. Barron, 614 Massachusetts Avenue, et al property owners, pursuant to MGL Chapter 40 section O petitioning that a Business Improvement District (BID) be established for the Central Square Business Improvement District. (Sullivan Chamber)

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1 May 20, 2019
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request from Sarah Benson for a suitable dedication in the vicinity of 470 Franklin Street in honor of the Benson Family; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for their review and approval.

O-2 May 20, 2019
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: In recent years, the City has taken important steps in recognizing the importance of engaging in anti-bias training to ensure that the City provides a healthy work environment, and a workplace culture that encourages people to rise as far as their talents, abilities, and ambitions will allow, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity; and
WHEREAS: The anti-bias training that has taken place at the highest levels of the municipal government has been a necessary and important step in the right direction, yet the long-term impact may be negligible if such work is not institutionalized, codified, and made part of our long-term municipal DNA; and
WHEREAS: The work of ensuring that the City’s workforce is a true meritocracy, and a place where all members of the workforce feel valued, appreciated, and able to prosper builds upon the strong work of individuals like Clorae Everteze and Renae Gray, and in order to further that work, it is imperative that the City take formal steps to ensure that anti-bias and sensitivity training for all City staff, starting with Department Heads, be made a part of the City’s culture going forward; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City personnel to draft a formal Anti-bias /Cultural Competency Strategic Plan for eventual adoption and implementation, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.

O-3 May 20, 2019
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Recent events have demonstrated the safety and health risks inherent in aging fracked gas infrastructure; and
WHEREAS: Gas leaks deprive tree roots of oxygen and can kill shade trees, which are irreplaceable protectors against extreme heat and flooding projected in the city’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment; and
WHEREAS: 95% of natural gas is methane, which is a greenhouse gas that causes 84 times more climate change (heating) than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period; and
WHEREAS: Gas leaks in the state have not been significantly reduced since passage of Ch, 149, Acts of 2014, An Act Relative To Natural Gas Leaks, and ratepayers still pay for the lost gas; and
WHEREAS: House H.2849 / Senate S.1940: “An Act for Utility Transition to Using Renewable Energy (FUTURE)” will incentivize transitioning our utilities away from using explosive fossil fuel as an energy source towards renewable thermal energy sources including solar and geothermal; and
WHEREAS: The FUTURE bill will empower municipalities to have a stronger, safer, more transparent working relationship with public utilities by improving coordination for gas leak repair, mandating that utilities notify the local fire chief and police department within an hour of finding a dangerous leak, requiring that utilities share maps, costs, and plans with the public, and requiring that gas utilities be audited annually for safety, performance, and leak reports; and
WHEREAS: The FUTURE bill will allow individuals and municipalities to claim property damage from gas leaks, including trees, and also mandates that gas leaks within a certain distance of a tree, building, or school be fixed within 6 months; and
WHEREAS: The FUTURE Act’s promotion of renewable thermal energy is aligned with the City’s Net Zero Action Plan goals as well as its’ goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2035; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record in strong support of the FUTURE Act (H.2849/S.1940) and urge the legislature to pass the bill this session; and be it further
|RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to members of Cambridge’s Legislative Delegation, as well as House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Karen Spilka, and Governor Charlie Baker on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-4 May 20, 2019
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: On Sept 24, 2018, the City Council was unanimous in asking the City Manager to consider freezing Feeney Brothers Utility Services from working with the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: No formal response was received, and Feeney Brothers Utility Services continues to carry out work within the City of Cambridge under contract with Eversource, including at the ongoing Inman Square Intersection Improvements project; and
WHEREAS: Residents remain concerned about the continued use of Feeney Brothers Utility Services despite their involvement in numerous negligent incidents throughout the Commonwealth, including within the City of Cambridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on whether or not the city can exclude Feeney Brothers Utility Services from these types of projects, as well as a general understanding of any authority the city has to limit use of contractors who are known to be negligent; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to provide the City Council with a comprehensive list of projects Feeney Brothers Utility Services is currently working on within the City of Cambridge, as well as a detailed understanding of how the city is ensuring Eversource and Feeney Brothers Utility Services are keeping residents and property safe as part of their work on these projects; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter before June 30, 2019.

O-5 May 20, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department with the view in mind of assessing a speed reduction strategy on strategy on Magoun Street.

O-6 May 20, 2019
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: On April 28, 2019, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a Policy Order that stated “…the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate City staff to ensure that an additional commitment of $20 million from the City’s budget is devoted each year over the next five years (for a total of $100 million) toward the City’s efforts to preserve and create affordable housing units, and to report back to the City Council on this in a timely manner;” and
WHEREAS: The City Council re-affirmed that vote with a subsequent Policy Order on February 11, 2019, asking for a response from the City Manager; and
WHEREAS: The budget for FY20 does include additional funding for the creation and preservation of affordable housing, yet it falls short of the request from the City Council to devote an additional $20 million per year over the next five years to be spent on affordable housing; and
WHEREAS: The City Council has declared, on numerous occasions, that the creation and preservation of affordable housing is one of its top priorities, and this body recognizes that a significantly larger investment of City dollars is necessary to have any appreciable, positive impact upon this matter; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City personnel to re-examine the current allocation of funding designated for affordable housing, to provide an additional $20 million (that is not being redirected from other sources) on top of what has already been allocated towards the creation and preservation of affordable housing, and to report back to the City Council on this matter at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Committee Report #4
The Housing Committee held a public hearing on Thurs, Mar 28, 2019 at 5:01pm in the Sullivan Chamber to continue discussions on the Affordable Housing Overlay District.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Simmons, Co-Chair of the Committee, Councillor Siddiqui, Co-Chair of the Committee, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Louis DePasquale, City Manager, Lisa Peterson, Deputy City Manager, Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development, Jeff Roberts, Director of Zoning and Development, Chris Cotter, Housing Director, Cassie Arnaud, Housing Project Planner, Community Development Department (CDD), Nancy Glowa, City Solicitor, Neal Alpert, Aide to Councillor Simmons, Sarah Stanton, Aide to Councillor Siddiqui, and Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk.

Also present were Mike Johnston, Executive Director, Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), Susan Schlesinger, Trustee, Florrie Darwin, Trustee, Affordable Housing Trust (AHT), Peter Daly, Executive Director, Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. (HRI), Elizabeth Houghteling, Annette LaMond, Justin Gee, Liz Zhong, Vikram Srinivas, Elizabeth Gombosi, Fritz Donovan, Dipendra Pokhael, Sarah Bloh, Matieyes Fessehaye, Bob Woodbury, John Pitkin, Young Kim, John Kennedy, James Zall, Stefanie Coxe, Frey Meyer, Charles Franklin, Ti-Grace Atkinson, Marilee Meyer, Natalie Ribeiro, Eugenia Schraa, Stephen Kaiser, Carol O’Hare, Melissa Marschel, Makenzi Herbst, Theresa Tobin, Alicia Weng, Alena Culbertson, Rachel Han, Ron Berham, Peter Lawless, Liz Werby, Hannah Lodi, Abra Berkowitz, Teresa Brown, David Sullivan, Tsigu Burat, Robert Cesari, Daniel Stotaw, Robert MacArthur, Carolyn Shipley, Michael Prusak, Derek Kopon, Frances Sullivan, Trudi Goodman, Adriane Musgrave, Noam Tanner, Curt Rogers, Elsa Tadesse, Ms. Rukunuzzaman, Patrick Braga, Francis Goyes, Ann O’Connell, Alexandra Markiewicz, Lenny Solomon, Neheet Trivedi, Nicola Williams, Curt Rodgers, Justin Gee, and Victoria Berglund.

Councillor Simmons convened the hearing and read from a prepared Opening Statement (ATTACHMENT A). She gave an overview of the agenda (ATTACHMENT B).

Councillor Siddiqui stated that she looks forward to the discussion. She noted that many of themes have emerged on retail, setbacks, etc. She added that the Frequently Asked Questions (ATTACHMENT C) document from CDD is very helpful.

Councillor Simmons noted that all communications received by the City Clerk’s Office will be made of the permanent record of the hearing. (ATTACHMENTS T 1-20).

Introductions were made and Councillor Simmons invited Ms. Farooq to give an opening comment. Ms. Farooq said that since the last meeting, the Housing Committee charged CDD to put together zoning text.

She said that the staff at CDD and the City Solicitor’s Office have spent many hours putting this text together into a Working Draft (ATTACHMENT D). She said that at the staff level, this work continues. She said that this is a Working Draft and starting point for the discussion.

Jeff Roberts gave an overview of the PowerPoint presentation (ATTACHMENT E).

Peter Daly acknowledged the CDD staff and thanked them for their incredible work while under incredible pressure. He stated that some of the criticism he’s heard about the Affordable Housing Overlay is that it would be used by market-rate developers to build projects that will line their pockets, and he does not believe this is accurate; rather, he feels it is safe to say that the vast majority of the projects that come out of this are going to be developed by non-profits, and any public resources that are invested into these developments will ultimately yield benefits that are poured right back into the community. He said that all of these projects will be long-term affordable units, governed by the Affordable Housing Trust and other restrictive covenants. He said that they will permanent and affordable so there is no residual value or monetary reward for doing these projects. As it relates to sites and funding, he thanked the City Council for referring additional funding to the Finance Committee. He said that this overlay provides the opportunity for an even playing field on sites. He said that out of 50 projects that the non-profits looked at, 47 were lost. He said that it is safe to say that if this overlay had been in place, more than half of those would have been developed as affordable housing. He said that sites are critical and without this, he does not know how affordable housing developers will obtain sites. He said that as it relates to design review, he said that CHA and other non-profits take great pride in design review. He said that they want to develop the best-looking project for the funds that are available. He said that they do everything that they can to incorporate the community ideas into a site, and partially this is because their reputation is tied to each project, and they’re not going anywhere as an organization. He said that, lastly, in light of the significant amount of people who are desperately seeking affordable housing in this community, it is important to give people some hope. He said that right now there is not a lot of hope. He noted the need to shorten the waiting lists and the only way that can be done is by developing more housing.

Susan Schlesinger stated that the AHT has submitted a letter to the Housing Committee which has laid out the broad principles related to the overlay proposal. She said that we are losing diversity in Cambridge. She said that this is a proposal that speaks to the lost middle. She said that you can look at the precipitous drop in the last 7-8 years of that population group. She said that we are losing people every day. She noted that Cambridge has been proud because it is diverse, and we do reach out to people who cannot live here and cannot pay market cost. She said that the AHT believes that this is an effective way to site affordable housing across the city and to be able to get multi-family housing in neighborhoods that have zoning that doesn’t currently allow multi-family or affordable housing. She said that this is a small subset of projects, but it will be more units as it will be more predictable. She said that affordable housing cannot wait.

Mayor McGovern stated that as it relates to height and scale, there have been concerns that the overlay will allow towers and tall buildings to be built. He wanted to correct this by stating that the overlay itself caps out at 7 stories, unless there is zoning already in an area that allows more than 7 stories. Mr. Roberts said that the dimensional standards that modify dimensional standards to affordable housing projects would allow projects of 4 stories in some districts and 7 in other districts. He said that you could build an affordable housing project taller if the district allows taller buildings. He said that a taller building would have to comply with all the other zoning requirements that already exist. Mayor McGovern asked why having “as of right” is important to the overlay. He said that his understanding is that without “as of right,” it is difficult to get funding and projects are more expensive, and he clarified that “as of right” would not suddenly allow buildings of 8 stories or more to be built all over the city. Speaking to why “as of right” is so important, Mr. Daly responded by saying that all affordable projects depend upon state and city subsidy. He said that there is usually a waiting line for all subsidies, and to be able to apply for financing from the state, one first needs to have their zoning in place. He explained that if you must go through a long zoning process, you cannot even apply for the subsidies. He said that if you get appealed, your application is put on hold for 3-4 years. He said that the predictability that would result from this overlay would mean that housing could be developed more quickly and at a saved cost (because developers would not be trying to navigate through an extensive process that can add to the costs of the projects). Mayor McGovern said that unlike a larger for-profit developer who has millions of dollars behind them, for an affordable housing developer, the prospect of delays and not having access to state and city funding could kill a project. Ms. Schlesinger stated that it would be much more expensive because during a point of litigation, the non-profit is holding the property and paying costs and lawyers costs, redesigning costs, potentially losing contractors to other projects, etc. She said that affordable housing is built with a lot of leverage. She noted the importance of having a project ready to go as each cycle of subsidy funding comes around, and the nonprofits have not had the sites to be able to do that in Cambridge. She said that she cannot recall a project in Cambridge within the last 30 years that was built above 7 stories. She said that the facts need to be emphasized in this public conversation, rather than just peoples’ fears. Mayor McGovern said that people are lumping all forms of development (non-profit, market-rate, and luxury) together, and there is a stark difference between affordable housing development and how they are financed, and for-profit luxury developments and how they are financed. He said that that is the key to understanding why the as of right is important. Mayor McGovern said that as we adjust this plan to address all concerns, he does not want to lose sight of why we are doing this. He said that we are doing this is to make affordable housing development more financially viable and possible. He said that it is important to compromise, but we must make sure that this plan makes it financially possible to build more affordable housing.

Councillor Siddiqui suggested some sort of Affordable Housing Finance 101 presentation for the community. She said that she would like to see this at some point in the next few weeks. She said that as it relates to the implications of a requirement for family-sized units, she would like to tease this out. She said that she often hears about families and their need and it is not required by overlay. She said that she wants to know the implications of such a requirement if the City were to have one.

Mr. Cotter responded by stating that the CDD drafted the proposal without that requirement, but with the knowledge that family-sized units are a significant priority of the City and the AHT. He said that with the majority of the projects that they see coming to the AHT, they are able to work with developers to help them maximize 2- and 3-bedroom units. He said that they defer to the overall approach of the overlay to leave in the flexibility, without drafting it with a requirement for family-sized units, so they could be applied in different cases. He stated that CDD has heard from the City Council the need to create smaller units in larger buildings to serve those coming out of homelessness, to serve populations with service needs, etc. so having a family unit requirement could make those types of projects more difficult. He said that it is certainly the priority for family housing. Councillor Siddiqui said that it seems that more funds would mean more family-sized units. She said that it would be helpful to have more information on financial implications. She said that knowing how much subsidy would be involved from the city, state, etc. would be helpful to have this information laid out. She said that she was surprised to see the bicycle parking included in this language, because she has heard that less bike parking could mean one more unit. She said that she would make that concession if that were the case. She said she thought that the City Council was moving away from that. She said that she looks forward to the discussion.

Councillor Carlone said that CDD has done a good basis for the written word. He said that there is talk of form-based guidance. He noted that the map on page 7 breaks down three zones: low scale residential, commercial strips, and higher density or larger developments. He said that in the green color there is a variety in heights and it seems to him that a property that allows 45 feet is very different in price than a property that allows 65 feet. He asked CDD to look into more of a transition. He said that existing zoning basically says that you can build up to 45 feet as of right, but next to a residential zone you must respect a height of that zone within 50 feet. He said that he understands that a 7-story building in that zone could be 20 feet away from a property line next to a 2.5 story house. He said that everyone is for maximizing affordable housing, but there needs to be some sort of progressive green zone or a transition of some sort.

He said that this is key to a what a lot of worry is focused on. Ms. Farooq said that they have started to work with an architect to model different scenarios. She said that the notion of transitions is one that they have been investigating. She noted that it has been challenging to find a rule system that works in all the different contexts, but they take Councillor Carlone’s comments to heart and CDD shares the goal so that there will be some type of height transition. Councillor Carlone said that this goes into the calculation of what sites make sense and what sites do not. He said that a lot of the purple sites on the map are committed by universities or developed already. He commented that the larger focus will be on the green zones and that is good because the services are in that area.

Councillor Carlone said that the design standards in the zoning are very weak. He said that the urban designs are good. He said that this is going to be key in how to develop in a way while working with developers of non-profit buildings. He said that it must be a trustworthy relationship. He said that the guidelines must be reasonable but truly informative. He said that since most of the green zones have retail, to say that a percentage will have retail in the long run to him is questionable. He noted the need to strengthen the retail districts and having more people living there will help. He said that the percentages will be night and day, especially given that the zoning specifies between Harvard Square and Arlington.

He said that there must be active ground floor uses. He said that when it is done by a development, it means that the rent must be too high. He said that as it relates to non-binding design review, the nonbinding ones if you don’t have a good developer and architect are very unimpressive. He suggested that CDD show examples via photographs, not just drawings. He said that it is important for the committee members to get presentations and information in a timely fashion, so they can give comments earlier rather than waiting until the Ordinance Committee.

Councillor Mallon said that she has significant concerns around not having middle tier height caps in the green zones, particularly in the BA and the BA2 zones. She said that there needs to be a mid-tier less than the 80 feet. She said that there is a way to be respectful of the neighborhoods and have a stepdown. She said that the overlay has 45 feet and 80 feet. She said that there needs to be consideration for the progressive green zones. She said that one of the concerns that she is hearing is about the proliferation of tear down of buildings. She said that the zoning language in 5.3 does not specifically say if a structure can be torn down. She asked if this is something that could be explicitly stated. She said that if there is going to be a teardown, is there a demolition delay ordinance that will still be in effect. Ms. Farooq said that the section that Councillor Mallon read deliberately leaves the opening that there will be certain instances where it does not make sense for a building to be preserved and would need to be demolished. She said that zoning does not trump historical regulations. She said that demolition delay would still be in effect and this in no way precludes that. She explained that for historical buildings, it would be in effect.

Councillor Mallon asked for clarity of what supersedes what when talking about this affordable housing overlay in terms of conservation districts, historic districts, or overlays already in place. Ms. Farooq said that when an overlay is in zoning, all of those lay on top of each other and all could apply depending on a specific question. She said that this overlay would trump all the others for 100% affordable development. She said that we are only talking about things in zoning. She explained that if there is something that is a historical regulation or additional city ordinance, it would not be impacted by this overlay.

Nancy Glowa said that other laws, whether local, state, or federal, would still apply. She said that the Historic Commission’s jurisdiction still applies and that would have to be considered for any project under this overlay. Ms. Glowa said that the City has certain historic requirements that derive from state law, but other historic provisions are based upon the City’s own historic ordinance. She said that the easiest way to think about it is that zoning regulates zoning issues, but it does not trump other types of laws that may apply to a particular property. Councillor Mallon said that it would be helpful to have information in writing to send out to people who are concerned about that issue.

Councillor Mallon said that when going through zoning, she questioned who gets to decide what an overlay project is. She asked what in the zoning prevents her and others from deciding that her house is an affordable housing project because it is affordable to her, it is a single-family dwelling and she is not paying more than 30% of her income in her housing cost. Mr. Cotter said that the idea of what is behind an affordable housing project would be a deed restriction that guaranteed permanent affordability of any building that was developed or under these provisions with marketing and selection plans approved by the City that would be open and would allow for fair access to that housing. He said that if someone wanted to do something like that, CDD could look at that and it would be unlikely to see small buildings like that come in that way, but they are open to a variety of ways to create new affordable units. Councillor Mallon said that it would be wonderful to have documents wherein the committee could submit questions to CDD.

Councillor Zondervan said that he has a lot of questions. He said that we are all in favor of affordable housing, and when he asks questions, even the challenging ones, it is so that he can fully understand the implications of this policy. He said that this policy should have the intended effect of improving the affordable housing situation in the city. He said that Mr. Daly said that there were a lot of affordable housing projects that would have gone through if this zoning were in place, but his understanding is that the number of units that we are able to build is funding limited. Mr. Daly said that the limitations are somewhat based on available money, but also by the fact that the nonprofits do not have the projects to pursue. Councillor Zondervan asked how many units would be able to be developed. He said that he understands that having sites makes a difference in terms of how easy it is to do these projects, but it would not increase the number of units because that depends on funding. Mr. Daly said that he believes that the funding will go further with this overlay. He said that, for example, if they were bidding on a site with a private developer that would allow ten units and the asking price per unit was $200,000 per unit – if they were able to double the density on that, the acquisition price suddenly comes down significantly and that makes their project more competitive for other funding sources, and they will be able to stretch subsidy dollars further. Councillor Zondervan said that assuming that we have the same amount of funding as of now, how many units of affordable housing are we able to build currently and then per year and how many would we be able to build under the overlay. Mr. Cotter said that they have seen Trust funds used to produce roughly 60 units per year over the past few years. He said that if funding goes up, that number could go up. He said that the City has had a strong commitment to preserving expiring use housing with one very large property to deal with in the short term. He said that after that, it will be easier to look at the resources and put more funding into the production. He said that the number of 60 units is consistent with what CDD projections are based on funding. He said that the goals that are being sent with Envision would account for roughly 1,000 units over the next 12 years. He said that if there are additional funds that could be attainable. He said that the biggest challenge over the last 2-3 years has been finding sites and to then get in line for the state funds.

Councillor Zondervan said that on page 7, the purple zones show height limits as being much higher. He asked if they would be able to build as of right, whereas for-profit developers require a special permit to build those larger buildings. Mr. Roberts said that this is a draft for discussion and this is a topic that could continue to be discussed. He said that the intent was that the expectation is projects that are being built under the overlay would max out at 7 stories and the CDD did not want to be more restrictive than what is allowed under current zoning. He said that if the committee wanted to get into the specifics, they could ask if a project could comply with all the dimensional requirements and if it were bigger than 50,000 square feet, the normal zoning might require a Project Review Special Permit from the Planning Board, whether the overlay could be looked at as something that continues to require the Project Review Special Permit or not. If it did require a Project Review Special Permit, it could proceed through the comprehensive permit process under 40B. He said that this could be an open discussion if the committee had opinions about where it should go. Councillor Zondervan said that he would like to see this clarified.

As it relates to parking requirements, Councillor Zondervan said that his preference is that we completely eliminate parking requirements. He said that based on the numbers in the presentation, projects of 10 units or less would not have a parking requirement based on the current language. He asked what the thought is of having a parking requirement at all. Mr. Roberts said that parking as it relates to zoning has a lot of different dimensions to it. He explained that the way that parking has been thought about has changed a lot. He explained that there is evolving thinking about whether it is appropriate to require parking as a function of zoning or to look at it as something that the market or need will drive. He said that it will play out that way. He said that there are a lot of considerations to consider such as availability and supply of on-street parking, impacts on public resources, etc. He said that the draft as written currently is based on a balanced approach to saying what is a ratio that makes sense and under what circumstances additional flexibility is warranted. He said that the biggest complication as it relates to parking and zoning is that it has a lot of impacts on other goals and objectives in zoning. He said that fitting parking spaces on a site is not a particularly easy task and can be costly. He said that this is an attempt to put together a reasoned set of standards. He said that it will ultimately be a decision of the City Council with the support of CDD as to where to balance the many different objectives. Councillor Zondervan said that if he looks at the map it is 90% of where the projects would likely happen. He said that he leans toward not having a parking requirement at all. Ms. Farooq said that what they have put forward is based on utilization information received from some of the non-profits in existing projects. She said that the nature of how people get around is constantly evolving. She said that they are continuing to have conversations with transportation staff as well as the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department staff and they will certainly look forward to the City Council’s guidance.

In terms of retail, Councillor Zondervan said that there is not a lot of mention of existing retail and he would like to see the City use the zoning to protect existing retail. He said that we do not want to displace retail tenants. He asserted that he would like to explore ways to capture that in zoning. For example, a provision that allows existing retail tenant to return with an affordable rent.

As it relates to environmental design standards, Councillor Zondervan asked if there will begin to be a requirement for net zero construction for small residential in 2022 and larger residential projects in 2025. He said that this is an opportunity to pull some of that forward and say what if we make these affordable housing projects under the overlay net zero right away. He said that he has spoken with an architect who has done several affordable housing projects where there is no onsite combustion. He said that it does not mean that there is additional cost and it can be a cost savings in some cases. He said that he would like to consider the possibility to start to implement some requirements for net zero as part of the overlay. He said that the marketplace is telling us that the costs are not greater in all cases. He noted the need for flexibility to ensure that we are not requiring anything that is not feasible. Ms. Farooq said that the approach that they took was not to create requirements that do not exist for all other similar development.

She said that CDD has tried to steer clear of creating requirements that are over and above what all other residential projects would be mandated to do. She said that CDD is happy to continue the conversation with the developers if there is something that will make sense. Peter Daly said that most non-profits believe strongly in this. He said that sometimes it does come down to money. He said that having the restriction will increase the cost of the project. Ms. Schlesinger said that as it relates to retail, without a source of money to ensure affordable rent for a business, it will decrease the number of units because it will raise the cost of the project. She said that it is rent control for commercial property in some respects. She said that she is not aware of any state or federal program that could be accessed for that.

Councillor Zondervan said that rents would be similar to what they are now. He said that he is asking for a way to protect the rents rather than allowing the rents to go up. He said that he is thinking about a guarantee that the rents would not rise more than needed to cover the costs. He said that, in terms of the environmental requirements, since it is in the City’s interest that these requirements are implemented, it would seem reasonable for the City to pay for that as long as it is reasonable. He said that we are talking about a slight increment in some cases. He then yielded the floor.

Vice Mayor Devereux said that she is overwhelmed with the amount of information. She said that, while she appreciates how the PowerPoint presentation gives the high-level vision, the actual zoning language needs to be explained in greater depth. She said that there is a lot of potential for wiggle room where the language may say “may” as opposed to “must.” She said that this goes to the nonbinding review. She said that it is not clear as to how public input is considered. She said that she thinks that goes to a lot of the concern that residents have about this being very uncertain. She said that it would be helpful to be clear on the types of sites that would be desirable for affordable housing developers to have an opportunity to develop, which goes to the size of the parcel and the number of units that are the sweet spot. She said it would be helpful to know what the sites are so that we can hone in on what the zoning and design standards are. She said that she agrees about transition and family sized units and the Affordable Housing Financing 101 education that Councillor Siddiqui referenced. She said that she agrees with Councillor Carlone that photos and examples and 3-D models are helpful. She said that renderings are subjective. She said that a 3-D model, particularly when talking about relaxing dimensional standards, really brings home what is being discussed. She said that she has the same concerns as Councillor Mallon about the proliferation of teardowns and the impact on conservation districts. She said that there is a reference to the State Register of Historic Places and she is not familiar with what properties are on the state register and how that plays into it. She said that she is most concerned about open space. She realizes that this seems to acknowledge concerns about reduction in open space, but all that open space can be consumed with parking, bike parking, balconies, etc. so it is not what the average person considers open space. She said that it seems very limiting.

Vice Mayor Devereux said that looking at the image on page 11, she is curious to know if that building were built on that site today, how many units would it have with an overlay? She noted that it would be helpful for her to better understand what impact the overlay has on neighborhoods and affordable housing projects that have already been built.

Vice Mayor Devereux said that she shares concerns about preserving local retail in business districts. She said that the reality is that if this is going to be successful, we must discuss how zoning language works and its impact and how to make it work to accomplish the shared goal of housing.

Councillor Simmons advised that the April 9th City Council meeting is a Roundtable meeting and the Apr 16, 2019 Housing Committee is for public comment only. She noted that there is another Housing Committee hearing on Apr 25, 2019.

Councillor Simmons opened the hearing to Public Comment at 6:36pm.

Elizabeth Houghteling said that she has lived in Cambridge for 40 years. She said that there are too many questions and the overlay, as written, is a blunt instrument. She said that she is not comfortable that neighborhood groups will be silenced because of this overlay. She appreciates the questions and looks forward to the next meeting.

Fritz Donovan, 42 Irving Street, read from a prepared written statement regarding his lack of support for this proposal (ATTACHMENT G).

John Kennedy, 25 Avon Street, stated that he agrees with Mr. Donovan. He said that there are already 62 different zoning districts in the city with a number of Historical Districts. He said that the concept of adding another layer makes no sense to him. He said that focusing on another overlay district is madness. He said that we need to focus on a better way to do the zoning within the requirements that we currently have.

James Zall, 203 Pemberton Street, stated that if we are in favor of affordable housing, we must keep in mind that it is a zoning proposal intended to increase, in a modest way, the number of affordable units in the city. He said that if we ask this zoning to address many other issues, we will not wind up with an ordinance at all. He submitted written public comment (ATTACHMENT H).

Young Kim stated that he appreciates that materials have been posted but suggested that they be posted well before the meeting so there can be informed discussions. He said that he understands the need for affordable housing and rent control. He said that the non-profits cannot successfully bid in the open market against the deep pocket developers. He said that he understands that we need to help non-profit developers, but he questioned why we are extending an advantage to the deep pocketed developers. He said that there are a lot of developers who are chasing the dollar. He submitted written comments (ATTACHMENT I).

Stefanie Cox, 73 Dana Street, stated that she has worked in affordable housing in other parts of the state. She encouraged the committee not to let perfection be an enemy of the good. She said that there are so many changes that are happening in our community and as we hold out for the perfect proposal, Rome is burning, and people are moving out. She said that there will never be a perfect proposal, but we need something that will allow for the most good.

Fred Meyer said that Cambridge was a factory town when he moved here. He said that the high values in real estate have empowered lower real estate taxes every year, but we have spent far too little of that money to help residents stay. He said that none of his neighbors support this proposal, but every neighbor is quite willing to pay more taxes to help those less fortunate. He said that we do not really need a zoning overlay. He suggested that the City stop keeping taxes low and invest this money to help unlucky tenants.

Charles Franklin, 162 Hampshire Street, read from a prepared written statement in opposition to this proposal (ATTACHMENT J).

Ti-Grace Atkinson, 35 Harding Street, read from a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT K). She stated that she has not heard or read anything about the interim parts of these units. She said that microunits are not livable if you don’t have space to breathe. She said that the City Council must think about the people living inside the spaces. She said that everyone is in favor of affordable housing, but it is the details that matter.

Marilee Meyer, 10 Dana Street, submitted prepared written comments (ATTACHMENT L). She said that the idea of the overlay having two dimensions, 45 feet and 80 feet, sounds reasonable but the problem is with the form-based code that was only introduced on March 5th. She said that she is for keeping the FAR. She said that form-based code is to be implemented neighborhood by neighborhood according to the literature, tailoring the requirements to fit specific places, not here. She said that we have reduced everything to two zones instead of looking at each of the neighborhoods. She said that not all neighborhoods are economically feasible or have public transportation which are prerequisites for housing. She said that CDD wants to impose a theoretical urban form on an old city with historical preconditions without community or Planning Board approval.

Natalie Ribero, Housing Director, CEOC, read from a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT M) and submitted signatures by Cambridge residents in support of the zoning proposal.

Eugenia Schraa, 259 Washington Street, read from a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT N) in support of the Affordable Housing Overlay.

Stephen Kaiser, 191 Hamilton Street, stated that he has been asking about the final plan for the Envision report and that it be released. He urged that the Draft Zoning be released. He said that he got copies of the draft zoning that was released last evening. He said that we still need the planning report. He said that in the Draft Zoning, he could find no definitions of low- or middle-income housing in the draft proposal. He said that he could also not find such definitions in the existing zoning. He said that you must do a loophole analysis of any zoning. He submitted a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT O).

Peter Lawless, 22 Inman Street, stated that height, density and green space are the issues that make him anxious about this proposal. He stated that his building floods when it rains heavily because there is no green space around his building. He said that if this overlay passes, 5 years from now the city is still going to be unaffordable to many. He said that Cambridge will become less a city of people and more a city of towers. He said that he used his life savings to buy his unit.

Abra Berkowitz, 632 Massachusetts Avenue, stated that she supports an Affordable Housing Overlay District, but she does think that we must stipulate both the makeup of the units and how to adjust the AMI to truly serve the demand. She said that she has students who have been on a waiting list for a decade. She said that we need to consider the demand and the demand is for low income units. She suggested that the homeownership units be examined. She said that if we are talking about sustainability, they need to have access to a homeownership unit.

David Sullivan, 16 Notre Dame Avenue, stated that he appreciates the time that is being spent on this issue. He said that he appreciates all the hard questions that are very important, and he appreciates the detailed comments. He said that it is important to realize that this will not be chiseled in stone, and once passed it can be amended as needed. He said that he has never seen a perfect piece of legislation and he asked the committee to keep that in mind. He said that he appreciates that several have spoken about more funding for affordable housing. He said that it is not enough to say we will spend more money if there is not a mechanism to find sites to build that housing.

Carolyn Shipley encouraged the addition of affordable housing, but she has questions and concerns about the terminology of this zoning. She said that she helped two of her friends get affordable housing in Cambridge. She said that this overlay proposal will take away the right to appeal and is dividing Cambridge. She said that she was verbally attacked by supporters of this zoning on March 20th because they did not like what she said. She said that she had PTSD after that attack. She said that if this overlay passes, she will not be able to install solar panels, or plant trees or shrubs, because her home will be in shade.

Michael Pruzack, 8 Austin Park, read from a prepared written statement regarding his opposition to this proposal (ATTACHMENT P).

Derek Kopon, 8 Wright Street, stated that a lot of people will make a lot of money off this proposal. He said that some have said that the developers will not get rich off this proposal, but he thinks that is not the case. He said that the developers get money from the public to fund capital development and to build a revenue stream that continues in perpetuity. He spoke about the project at 1791 Massachusetts Avenue and said that did not put in parking, so they wouldn’t have to dig out the basement. He said that they were complaining that when they get their fee after development completion, they would be paying 40% income tax for two years. He submitted a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT Q).

Trudi Goodman, 1221 Cambridge Street, stated that she has lived in the city for 40 years. She said that negative issues and problems between the haves and have nots have always been in place. She said that there needs to be some resolution that poor people live in the city and have a right to live in the city. She said that anyone who builds anything in the city should be vetted as to the buildings that they already own in the City of Cambridge. She said that if you develop affordable housing that is not good, you have not changed the issues for people who need affordable housing.

Adriane Musgrave, 48 Haskell Street, highlighted the fact that there was a citywide planning process that has recently concluded and within that discussion, there was a suggested target goal of 25% of new housing production be affordable with at least 3,175 new affordable units by 2030. She said that currently there is under 15% of housing is affordable. She said that the non-profit developers have stated that without the overlay, zoning relief, and funding, none of those units will be built. She said that she hopes that the committee will consider the goals that the community process went through and the affordable housing overlay that would make those goals happen.

Noam Tanner, 47 Sacramento Street, stated that he would like to raise a group of other people who do not have much of a voice on this proposal: the people who want to move to Cambridge, that work in Cambridge and cannot afford to live in Cambridge. He talked about workers that live out of the city and may have to commute more than two and a half hours. He said that this overlay will help this worker and the environment. He submitted a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT R).

Patrick Braga, 11 Everett Street, read from a prepared written statement regarding his strong support for the Affordable Housing Overlay District (ATTACHMENT S).

Francis Goyes, 353 Harvard Street, stated that she lives in Cambridge and she loves it. She said that she is well connected to the area. She said that a lot of people don’t have time to come to Cambridge after work to participate in meetings like this one. She said that data shows that people that attend these kinds of meetings tend to be older homeowners and are usually not supportive of whatever is being discussed, especially when it comes to housing. She said that depriving low- and middle-income households from access to excellent education, parks, and transit is perpetuating segregation.

Ann O’Connell, 52 Shepherd Street, stated that she is in support of the Affordable Housing Overlay District, but she hopes that it goes through iterations. She said that we must resist the temptation to allow parking and everyone will benefit. She said that she would like rights restored to abutters and property owners. She said that she was under the impression that zoning means harmony in terms of building design.

Alexandra Markiewicz, 6 Laurel Street, stated her support for the Affordable Housing Overlay District. She said that the majority of the traffic in Cambridge is from people who are passing through Cambridge. She said that if there was more of an opportunity for people to actually live in the City, there would be less traffic. She said that cities change. She said that cities have many different types of buildings from many different time periods. She said that the overlay is a chance to have the city change in a way that is more equitable.

Nicola Williams, 8 Brewer Street, stated that she appreciates the comments of Councillor Mallon and Councillor Zondervan. She said that she is speaking on behalf of small retailers. She said that she supports the comprehensive affordable housing strategy for Cambridge and $100 million dollars for affordable housing. She said that she is concerned about the purple section on the map. She said that she is asking for clarity and transparency in what is happening in the purple zone.

Curt Rogers, 8 Austen Park, stated that he has advocated tirelessly to advocate for affordable housing. He said that he strongly supports affordable housing, but he is against this proposal. He said that it shifts the City from FAR zoning to a radical new zoning process – form-based zoning that has not been studied. He said that it will destroy the character of streets and neighborhoods by surpassing the density and height of the adjoining properties. He said that it eliminates the binding authority, binding sound judgment, and the binding design review process of the zoning board. He said that it eliminates the neighbor’s ability to have a meaningful say in any abutting developments and removes the ability for neighbors to sue which is unconscionable.

Annette LaMond, 7 Riedesel Avenue, stated that she has one question that she has not heard. As it relates to the onerous state regulations on going after subsidized money, she wonders what the City Council can do in terms of working with the state and surrounding communities that have the same affordable housing problems to improve the laws and make new legislation that could be a better way than a drastic zoning change.

Justin Gee, 9 Austin Park, stated that for something that will have a deep impact on the quality of life in the City in terms of density and what is built, he is not in support of this plan. He said that it is deeply flawed and rushed. He asked the City Council to consider this.

Victoria Berglund, Lincoln Way, stated that her heart goes out to those who are fearful of affordable housing in their neighborhood. She said that she wishes they could see the light. She said that this affects those in affordable housing and she would hate to see people have to leave Cambridge because it is a beautiful place to live.

Public Comment closed at 7:37pm.

Councillor Simmons and Councillor Simmons thanked all those present for their attendance.

The hearing adjourned at 7:38pm.

For the Committee,
Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Co-Chair
Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui, Co-Chair

AWAITING REPORT LIST
16-26. Report on the possibility of the City Council implementing a zoning change, on the permitting of all new restaurants where a wood-fired oven is used as a significant method of food preparation. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Carlone, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-5) from 4/4/2016

16-42. Report on plans for the former Riverside Community Health Center on Western Avenue, including transfer of ownership of the building to the City and the process for determining future usage. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Vice Mayor McGovern (O-1) from 5/2/2016

16-83. Report on drafting possible legislation and other recommendations for interim actions to identify and address the public health impacts of any commercial wood-fired ovens. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Mayor Simmons (Calendar Item #4) from 10/31/2016

16-101. Report on the potential of building below market rental housing on City-owned parking lots along Bishop Allen Drive. On a communication from Councillor McGovern requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons (O-4) from 12/12/2016

16-108. Report on whether people displaced and qualify for Emergency Status who are using Section 8 in other cities or towns can retain their resident preference for the purpose of Inclusionary Housing. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey (O-4) from 12/19/2016

17-22. Report on the potential growth of next-generation wireless technology in the City, to include: the expected footprint of citywide coverage from just one company and what market competition might produce; the integration of public and private infrastructure to support the network; what local standards the City might hope to maintain relative to aesthetics and safety; and how this new technology fits into our Broadband access plans. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-14) from 2/27/2017

17-87. Report on a schedule for resubmitting a revised draft of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that incorporates clearer wording and/or more clearly explains each section in less technical jargon and is more coherent in its entirety, with the goal of seeing such an Ordinance adopted by the end of this City Council term. On a communication from Councillor Kelley and Councillor Devereux requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Carlone, Councillor Devereux (O-8) from 9/18/2017

18-6. Report on information regarding electronic device usage by City-elected officials.
Councillor Toomey (O-7) from 1/22/2018

18-15. Report on any other relevant City Department to gain a sense of who is purchasing buildings in Cambridge.
Councillor Simmons (O-3) from 2/5/2018

18-21. Report on the feasibility of initiating a formal transit study and action plan of the Alewife area in response to unanimous concerns of the Envision Alewife Working Group.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Siddiqui (O-7) from 2/26/2018

18-38. Report on inventory of all City-owned vacant buildings and lots and the City's plans for them, if any.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui (O-2) from 3/26/2018

18-44. Report on ensuring an additional commitment of $20 million from the City’s budget is devoted over the next five years toward the City’s efforts to preserve and create affordable housing units.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui (O-6) from 4/23/2018

18-53. Report on an updated schedule for resubmitting a revised draft of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that incorporates suggestions from the Light Cambridge Committee by June 11, 2018.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-1) from 5/14/2018

18-60. Report on a small business parking pilot that would allow temporary on-street employee parking during typical daytime operating hours.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons (Calendar Item #1) from 5/14/2018

18-66. Report on establishing a Young Adult Civic Unity Committee to be modeled after the Citizen Civic Unity Committee and to recruit applicants from all across the community and across all socio-economic backgrounds.
Councillor Simmons (O-7) from 6/18/2018

18-68. Report on determining the permitting and legality issues of Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing in the City of Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan (O-11) from 6/18/2018

18-73. Report on establishing and implementing a dynamic new initiative that will seek to place Port residents (ages 18 and over) on paths to jobs with family-sustaining wages.
Councillor Simmons (O-6) from 6/25/2018

18-83. Report on an action plan to work with the City’s Community-Based Organizations to create a network of summertime evening programming to reduce the threat of violence in the City’s public spaces in 2019 and beyond.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Mallon (O-9) from 7/30/2018

18-87. Report on the navigational editing capabilities of the City of Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-16) from 7/30/2018

18-93. Report on the sale of The Constellation Center's Parcel C in Kendall Square. See Mgr #3
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey (Calendar Item #7) from 9/24/2018

18-96. Report on how the City views internet-based platforms as opportunities for outreach and communication and what sort of guidelines have been, or are being, developed to help everyone understand how the City’s various departments do or do not utilize these communication resources and how any communications on these platforms are managed so that the messaging and information is kept up-to-date.
Councillor Kelley (Calendar Item #10) from 9/24/2018

18-100. Report on taking all possible immediate actions to preserve and restore Linear Park.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Kelley (O-3) from 9/24/2018

18-108. Report on offering early voting in City Council and School Committee Elections.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui (O-1) from 10/29/2018

18-119. Report on evaluating the existing capacity of fire stations in the Kendall Square area and whether a new fire station is needed, and if so, determining the feasibility of locating a plot of land for this use.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-2) from 11/5/2018

18-123. Report on ensuring funding for our municipal media services.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern (O-9) from 11/19/2018

18-129. Report on conducting a comprehensive, independent planning, and parking study of the neighborhood and use of the First Street Garage within 6months.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone (Calendar Item #1) from 11/19/2018

18-130. Report on working with the Chair of the Civic Unity Committee, the Director of the Cambridge Library, the Director of 22-CityView, the Director of the Women’s Commission, and any other appropriate City personnel to begin planning for a public discussion in recognition of 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-3) from 12/3/2018

18-134. Report on creating a more inclusive city website, including an Open Meeting Portal registration form that does not require the use of gendered pronouns, salutations or titles.
Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon (O-11) from 12/3/2018

18-137. Report on reviewing the FCC Regulations on Small Cell Technology.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-18) from 12/3/2018

18-141. Report on safe way to bring power to the curb and across sidewalks to power electric vehicles.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-2) from 12/17/2018

19-2. Report on allocating a percentage of hotel/motel tax revenue and adult use cannabis tax revenue to the arts in the FY20 budget.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-5) from 1/7/2019

19-3. Report on establishing a Central Square Improvement Fund and allocate no less than 25% of funds generated to the arts.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-6) from 1/7/2019

19-4. Report on the City's 1% for arts ordinance, which projects have met the threshold and which have fallen short, and whether it can be adjusted to account for ensuring that all mediums and disciplines of art, including live performance art, receive funding.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Simmons (O-7) from 1/7/2019

19-5. Report on how to provide public representation to the major project Selection Committees.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone (O-14) from 1/7/2019

19-7. Report on Boston’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Home Rule Petition and propose similar language for the City Council to consider.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Carlone (O-2) from 1/14/2019

19-11. Report on the feasibility of eliminating the use of plastic water bottles at City and School events.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Mallon (O-4) from 1/28/2019

19-13. Report on conferring with Eversource and the appropriate City departments to undertake a series of studies and analyses related to finance, health and safety, building design, and long-term electricity needs before the construction of a substation in East Cambridge.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 2/4/2019

19-14. Report on conducting inventories of both local arts organizations and private foundations that may support them.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-4) from 2/4/2019

19-15. Report on the possibility of setting up an assistance fund/program to help low-income and/or elderly/disabled residents manage bed bug infestations.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan (O-9) from 2/4/2019

19-16. Report on the “Super Sunday” road race that was held on Feb 3, 2019 and if the proper procedures were followed in issuing permits and when/if the neighbors were notified.
Councillor Toomey (O-13) from 2/4/2019

19-18. Report on sharing regular project updates from the GSA and MITIMCO on the new Volpe Center.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-13) from 1/7/2019

19-20. Report on seeking additional funding for affordable housing concerns.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-6) from 2/11/2019

19-21. Report on the process for establishing a formal, thorough review of the City’s Affordable Home Ownership programs, incorporating a plan for obtaining and analyzing substantial quantitative data inclusive of all types of units.
Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 2/25/2019

19-22. Report on the feasibility of allowing small businesses to host live acoustic music performances without a license, and if feasible, present the City Council with a proposal to allow such performances.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-5) from 2/25/2019

19-25. Report on information that is offered to limited equity condominium owners regarding the ability to recoup extraordinary repair and maintenance costs, the procedure that is in place to inform purchasers of existing or possible construction and maintenance issues that may result in higher-than expected condo fees, and the possibility of allowing roommates to cover unexpected expenses.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Simmons, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-10) from 2/25/2019

19-26. Report on communicating directly with the Volpe Center about the possibility of having their staff help the City set up a Micro-Mobility Pilot program in the Kendall Square area.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-11) from 2/25/2019

19-29. Report on providing data on speed and vehicle counts on Garden Street between Concord Avenue and Linnaean Street and identify potential measures to improve its pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-2) from 3/4/2019

19-32. Report on the number of fines for failure to clear sidewalks issued from the winter of 2014-15 through the winter of 2018-19.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-4) from 3/18/2019

19-33. Report on updating the bike data count chart, along with other data tables and charts, in the Cambridge Bicycle Plan to reflect 2016 and 2018 data.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-9) from 3/18/2019

19-34. Report on how the data collected from the Broadway Eco-Display is used to inform the City’s transportation planning efforts and to address the possibility of installing additional Eco-Display counters at the highest trafficked bicycle locations to provide more comprehensive information about bike use and other vehicles such as scooters.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-10) from 3/18/2019

19-35. Report on the status of any micro-mobility pilot programs or partnerships in Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley (O-12) from 3/18/2019

19-36. Report on how the Parking and Transportation Demand Management Ordinance is being used anecdotally, what the participation rates and trends are, and how it’s administered.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-17) from 3/18/2019

19-37. Report on moving a Transit Benefit Ordinance proposal to an action plan.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-18) from 3/18/2019

19-38. Report on designating a staff member in the Economic Development Division as an "arts liaison."
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-2) from 3/25/2019

19-39. Report on creating a dedicated comprehensive "arts friendly" licensing web page.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-3) from 3/25/2019

19-40. Report on providing accessibility to the deaf community by hiring American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and using apps such as Language Line Solutions to communicate with the deaf community in their first language.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey (O-5) from 3/25/2019

19-41. Report on how Cambridge enforces moped registration requirements and the enforcement numbers. See Mgr #5
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey (O-6) from 4/1/2019

19-42. Report on plans this construction season to install sidewalk markings that appropriately indicate what types of mobility devices are allowed on which sidewalks.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-7) from 4/1/2019

19-43. Report on the types of vendor reporting programs that the City uses and how they are used as well as the ability to modify these programs given the constraints of relevant state and federal laws and similar limitations.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui (O-8) from 4/1/2019

19-44. Report on installing more metered parking spots in business districts that do not currently have any.
Councillor Toomey (O-1) from 4/8/2019

19-45. Report on compiling a full accounting of streets, schools, and public buildings that may be named in honor of those who have ties to the American slave trade, and to work towards renaming all of these streets, schools, and buildings.
Councillor Simmons (O-4) from 4/8/2019

19-46. Report on reviewing whether the MBTA is out of compliance with the amended MBTA/BCIL settlement agreement through the delay in completion of the elevator replacement and concurrent hazardous condition of the stairwells related to Central Square.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon (O-9) from 4/8/2019

19-47. Report on increasing traffic monitoring resources at the intersection of Prospect and Broadway, especially during morning rush hour. See Mgr #4
Councillor Mallon (O-12) from 4/8/2019

19-48. Report on working with the MBTA to do whatever is necessary to alleviate the Green Street bus idling and unhealthy situation.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-14) from 4/8/2019

19-49. Report on recommending restrictions on signage specific to retail establishments that sell e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-15) from 4/8/2019

19-50. Report on clarifying the policy around future installation of new LED street lights and replacement of failed 4000K LED street lights with warmer alternatives 3000K or less.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone (O-17) from 4/8/2019

19-51. Report on determining whether an all-way stop sign, a raised intersection or other safety improvements would be helpful at the Garden/Field/Alpine intersection.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern (O-7) from 4/22/2019

19-53. Report on working with the Cambridge Police Department and other relevant City staff on how media collected by hand-held photo/video recording devices is used, stored, and shared.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui (O-4) from 5/6/2019

19-54. Report on how a cloud-based data management system for DHSP's Children and Youth Programs will clearly protect all aspects of participant privacy and access security.
Councillor Kelley (O-5) from 5/6/2019

19-55. Report on working with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department and the License Commission to establish a "play streets" permit.
Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui (O-7) from 5/6/2019

19-56. Report on determining what facilities, parking changes, and other improvements to the pavement conditions would be necessary and feasible to make Massachusetts Avenue a quick-build Complete Street between Sidney Street and Putnam Avenue.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone (O-2) from 5/13/2019

19-57. Report on establishing a partnership with the MBTA to offer CharlieCards at certain public buildings throughout the city.
Mayor McGovern, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Siddiqui (O-4) from 5/20/2019

19-58. Report on working with the Recycling Advisory Committee and other stakeholders to draft an ordinance banning single-use plastic items in Cambridge.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone (O-6) from 5/13/2019

19-59. Report on exploring a pilot for Level 1 (110V) EV and Micromobility charging stations on street light poles throughout the city.
Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui (O-7) from 5/13/2019

19-60. Report on adding a cybercrime assessment section to the list of monthly Bridgstat reports or, alternatively, create a separate report to help formalize the information flow about cybercrime to the same level as the currently used Bridgstat.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui (O-8) from 5/13/2019

19-61. Report on potential ballot changes at a public hearing of the Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee on May 28, 2019.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-9) from 5/20/2019