Cambridge City Council meeting - July 30, 2012 - AGENDA
CITY MANAGERS AGENDA
1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $75,000 from General Fund Cable Television Salary and Wages account to the General Fund School Salary and Wages account to cover the costs of an Educational Access Program Manager position.
2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the ARRA Race to the Top (RTT) Funds from the U.S. Department of Education through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in the amount of $357,775 to the School Grant Fund Salary & Wages account ($150,706), to School Grant Fund Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($167,719) and School Grant Fund Travel Training account ($39,350) which supports the continuation of the alignment of district's ELA, math, science and social studies curriculum to the revised MA Curriculum Frameworks, which are aligned to the national Common Core standards.
3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Temporary Emergency Shelter grant received from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in the amount of $238,992.13 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will allow the YWCA to use the funds to operate its family shelter for seven months, including the provision of case management for ten homeless families at a time as referred by the DHCD.
4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of donations to the Multi Service Center in the amount of $2,620.43 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used in support of homeless clients of the Multi Service Center to maintain at-risk households by paying either part of their rental arrearage, helping a previously homeless individual or family being placed in housing with a security deposit, paying one month's rent, or assisting with other related relocation costs.
5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an increase in the appropriation of the Points of Entry Grant for $30,000 funded by the Open Society Foundation through Kratos Learning Solutions, to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salary and Wages account ($27,770) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($2,230) which supports individual and group career counseling, workshops, integrated curriculum, expanded learning time, and distance learning at the Community Learning Center (CLC).
6. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of donations received from Harvard University and MIT in the amount of $14,500 to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account as well as a transfer from the General Fund Reserve Other Ordinary Maintenance Account to the General Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance Account in the amount of $14,000 totaling $28,500 and will be used to support "The Cambridge Question Campaign Against Domestic Violence."
7. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Cambridge Food Pantry grant received from the Cambridge Health Alliance for $15,000 to the Grant Fund Human Services Other Ordinary Maintenance account and will be used to support the Cambridge Food Pantry Network.
8. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a Library Services & Technology Act Grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care in the amount of $7,000 to the Grant Fund Library Salary and Wages account ($1,300) and to the Grant Fund Library Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($5,700) and will support workshops and library materials and staff time to provide on-site services.
9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a supplemental FY13 allocation from the Office of the Attorney General, Local Consumer Aid Fund for $6,000 to the Grant Fund License Commission (Consumer's Council) Salaries and Wages account ($5,000), to the Grant Fund License Commission Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($500) and to the Grant Fund License Commission Travel and Training account ($500) which is in addition to the $54,000 that is already used as a funding source to support the Consumer's Council Budget in the FY13 Adopted Budget.
10. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person to the Cambridge Health Alliance Board of Trustees for a three-year term effective July 1, 2012: Bill Hart
July 30, 2012
To the Honorable, the City Council:I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointment of Bill Hart to the Cambridge Health Alliance Board of Trustees for a three-year term effective July 1, 2012.
Bill Hart is a Everett resident who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office. In this role, Mr. Hart serves as the point person and chief advocate for the fifteen college system; communicating policy initiatives and complex higher education issues to key stakeholders as well as identifying projects and deploying college administrators to address workforce development throughout the Commonwealth.
Mr. Hart has a long-standing relationship with the Cambridge Health Alliance beginning in 2004 when he joined the Foundation Board. He also was a long-standing member of the Hospital Board. As a board member, he facilitated meetings and introductions with the various key stakeholders of Everett to further cultivate discussions on how the City of Everett and Cambridge Health Alliance could further collaborate to address key health concerns in the community.
Mr. Hart possesses a Bachelor's degree from Merrimack College and a Master in Public Administration from Suffolk University.
Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager
11. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as Commissioners for the Conservation Commission for a three year term to expire on June 25, 2015:
Edward W. "Ted" Pickering
Purvi Patel
July 30, 2012
To the Honorable, the City Council:I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointments of Edward W. "Ted" Pickering and Purvi Patel as Commissioners for the Conservation Commission, for a three year term expiring on June 25, 2015.
Edward (Ted) Pickering has been a resident of Cambridge since 2008. He has worked as an environmental professional, primarily in soil science, for over 20 years. In addition, Ted was a member of the Sudbury Conservation Commission for 15 years.
Purvi Patel has been a resident of Cambridge for over 4 years. She has a degree in environmental engineering and will be pursuing her professional engineer's license this year. Purvi has spent her professional career as a regulatory agent for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) Office and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA).
Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager
12. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a Constable with Power for a term of three years effective Jan 1, 2012: Lawrence P. Maguire (City Employee)
13. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $300 in donations from road races to the Grant Fund Police Other Ordinary Maintenance account made to the Cambridge Auxiliary Police in recognition of their assistance with these events and will be used to purchase equipment for the Cambridge Auxiliary Police.
14. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a $100 donation from Arnold Shapiro Productions Inc. to the Grant Fund Police Salaries and Wages account. This grant will support a Police Department program through the Youth and Family Services Unit (YFSU) in partnership with the Cambridge YMCA and the Cambridge/Somerville Boxing Club for a youth boxing program for youth 13-22 who are either currently or have previously been enrolled in the YFSU Diversion program.
15. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-73, regarding a report on whether automated external defibrillators can be utilized in police vehicles.
16. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-80 regarding the on-street bicycle parking program.
17. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-12 regarding a report on zoning changes for the Sullivan Courthouse and neighboring parcels.
18. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-68 regarding a report on whether NStar is able to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the continued and successful flow of the city's electrical power.
19. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a Public Safety Answering Point Emergency Communications Center Support (PSAP Support) Grant funded from the State 911 Department for $301,330 to the Grant Fund Emergency Communications Salaries and Wages account ($203,830) and to the Grant Fund Emergency Communications Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($97,500) which will support certain Emergency Communications dispatch personnel costs, the overtime costs of quality control review services by EC Supervisors, to fund additional development costs for the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System and the purchase of replacement headsets and other dispatch equipment.
20. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $81,500,000 to provide funds for architectural design, construction and other associated costs of the King School project.
Passed to a 2nd Reading (9-0)
July 30, 2012
To the Honorable, the City Council:Please find attached an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $81,500,000 to provide funds for architectural design, construction and other associated costs of the King School project.
Background/Process
The process to date has included 3 community meetings from which the input from abutters, parents and concerned citizens was included in the Feasibility Study evaluation and recommendation. There was an additional meeting with abutters at the Cambridge Community Center which provided further insight regarding abutters' and neighbors' concerns, which will be considered when the design team moves into the next phase of the design process called Schematic Design. During the Schematic Design phase, two meetings are planned to keep all concerned parties up to date on the progress of the project and to enable continued input. Additional public meetings will be scheduled during later phases of the design process.
The Martin Luther King Jr. School Construction Project Feasibility Study, which reviewed multiple design options, has resulted in a recommendation to demolish most of the existing structure and construct a new building. The recommended option includes a complete redesign of the site landscaping and abutting roadways. All design options considered all of the requirements of the School Department and Human Services programming. Some key features are listed below:
Abatement and Demolition of the existing building
A defined building separation of the JK-5th grade teaching program, the 6th - 8th grade teaching program and all after-school programs
New science classrooms
New kitchen preparation area
New cafeteria with age appropriate furniture and separation
400 seat Auditorium
Band and music rooms
Library
Two gyms
A separate Preschool entrance and play area
Separate spaces for most after-school programming
All new Furniture and Audio Visual Equipment
New computers and building wide wireless access
Natural day lighting in classrooms
Super efficient building insulation system
All high efficiency mechanical and electrical systems
Underground parking for approx. 60 vehicles and 20 on grade parking spaces
New transformer with redundant feeds
Safety and Security controls
The ability to isolate building sections for energy efficiency during off hours
A NET ZERO goal for the project
Provide an embodied energy and embodied carbon analysis
All new sidewalks and landscaping around the site
Dedicated School Bus parking which is out of the travel lane of the roadway
Furniture, Fixtures and EquipmentIn addition to the above, the total project cost includes: design consultants, construction costs, testing costs, project management staff, insurance, police details, contingencies and other miscellaneous costs. The above amount, together with the $3,000,000 appropriated last fiscal year, will bring the total cost for this project to $84.5 million, which is the amount discussed at last month's City Council Roundtable discussion.
I am aware of concerns that have been raised in a series of emails to the City Council. The City did engage an outside, independent consultant to conduct an analysis of the impact of "Embodied Energy on the overall long term sustainability of the project." A copy of the independent analysis is attached.
Before a final City Council vote on the appropriation, the Council and public will be provided with the full feasibility study, which is currently in final draft and under review.
Future Schedule
• Schematic Design Phase July 2012 - November 2012
• Construction Management at Risk Interview and Selection Process July 2012 - October 2012
• Abatement and Demolition late 2012 through early 2013
• Construction Documents available for bidding late Fall 2013
• Construction schedule 2014 through August 2015
• Martin Luther King Jr. School reopens September 2015
If passed to a second reading, this will allow the City to comply with all legal requirements so that the order may be adopted on Sept 10, 2012, which will allow the project to proceed and to meet the projected September 2015 opening date.
Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager
Agenda Item No. 20A July 30, 2012
ORDERED: That $81,500,000 is appropriated for the purpose of financing the architectural design, construction, and other associated costs of the King School project; and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow $81,500,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other enabling authority.
QUESTION COMES ON PASSAGE TO A SECOND READING
21. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the Final Landmark Designation Study Report for the Garrett Birkhoff House at 45 Fayerweather Street, as recommended by the Historical Commission.
22. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in the amount of $610,752 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salary and Wages account ($530,719), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($78,253) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($1,780).
23. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-63 regarding a report on safety issues at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Vassar Street.
Tabled - Kelley
24. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the Planning Board's recommendation with regard to the North Massachusetts Avenue Rezoning Petition.
Referred to Petition
To the Honorable, the City Council,
The North Massachusetts Avenue rezoning petition proposes text changes to the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District north of Porter Square that are intended to maintain and encourage ground floor nonresidential uses, preserve the historic character of the Avenue, and facilitate outdoor seating.
The proposed zoning rebalances the allowable densities to create a strong incentive for mixed use development along North Massachusetts Avenue while helping to preserve lots with historic structures. An active non-residential use on the ground floor is required for all lots with an existing non-residential use. Buildings that are considered historically significant are exempt from the ground floor use requirements. The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for lots with exclusively residential uses is lowered from 1.75 FAR to 1.0 FAR, while lots with an approved non-residential use on the ground floor are allowed an FAR of 1.75. In addition, seasonal outdoor seating for eating establishments is exempt from parking requirements up to 50 seats or 50% of the permanent seats.
Massachusetts Avenue is the primary transportation and retail corridor for the North Cambridge Neighborhood and in many ways also serves as a gateway into the city. As the neighborhood continues to grow and change it is important to encourage the retention and expansion of neighborhood scaled and focused ground floor retail and other active non-residential uses on the ground floors of buildings on the Avenue to promote a mixed-use streetscape that is safe, appropriately scaled, visually appealing, and reinforces the urban and historic characteristics of the corridor.
The Board finds that the zoning petition is an appropriate strategy and recognizes that the zoning changes in the petition have been developed with extensive input and coordination among City staff, neighborhood residents, property owners and business owners on and near North Massachusetts Avenue.
Respectfully submitted for the Planning Board,
Hugh Russell, Chair
25. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, regarding the appointments of the following people as Board Members for the Council on Aging:
Elizabeth Cadigan
Lois Carra
Ismail Laher
July 30, 2012
To the Honorable, the City Council:I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointments of Elizabeth Cadigan, Lois Carra and Ismail Laher as Board Members for the Council on Aging, for terms of two years (Ms. Cadigan) and three years (Ms. Carra and Mr. Laher), begining on Sept 1, 2012 (Ms. Cadigan and Mr. Laher) and Oct 1, 2012 (Ms. Carra).
Elizabeth Cadigan, MSN, RN, is the Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at the Cambridge Health Alliance. She is responsible for strategic planning and standards of care for all patients served by the Alliance. She is also an active participant in the Alliance's Board of Trustees Quality Committee. She has a great interest supporting services for the seniors of Cambridge. She received her Masters in Adult/Gerontological Nursing at Boston University Graduate School of Nursing.
Lois Carra, Ph. D., is a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in neuropsychology. She has studied the aging brain and ways to keep it vital. She has a great interest in developing activities and services to improve the quality of life - both physical and mental - for seniors.
Ismail Laher is a long-time advocate for seniors. A Cambridge senior himself, he has served on the Advisory Board of Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services. He is a past Council on Aging Board member, returning after a number of years to support our services and Senior Centers.
Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager
26. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-57, regarding the City Council's request for a report regarding the question of appropriate regulation of satellite dishes.
Referred to Ordinance Committee
July 30, 2012
To the Honorable, the City Council:In response to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-57, regarding the City Council's request for a report regarding the question of appropriate regulation of satellite dishes, Acting City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa reports the following:
Pursuant to Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the Over-the-Air Reception Devices ("OTARD") rule prohibiting restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming (the "Rule"). The Rule, set forth in 47 C.F.R., Section 1.4000, applies to TV antennas, wireless cable antennas, and video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37 inches) in diameter (hereinafter collectively referred to as "antennas"). The Rule specifically prohibits governmental (including state or local zoning, land use or building regulations) and nongovernmental restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of acceptable quality signal. The Rule applies to homeowners including condominium owners and to tenants with respect to property that they own or rent that is within their exclusive use or control.
Local governments may impose clearly designed legitimate safety restrictions even if they impair installation, maintenance or use provided they are necessary to protect public safety and are no more burdensome than necessary to ensure public safety. Examples of valid safety restrictions include fire codes that would prevent the installation of antennas on fire escapes or within a certain distance from a power line, and installation requirements that describe the proper method to secure an antenna. These restrictions must be stated in the text, preamble or legislative history of the restriction or described in a document that is available to antenna users. Similarly, restrictions necessary for historic preservation may be imposed even if they impair installation, maintenance or use of the antenna provided certain criteria are satisfied, including that the restrictions necessary for historic preservation are no more burdensome than necessary to accomplish the historic preservation goal. Both safety restrictions and restrictions necessary for historic preservation must be imposed and enforced in a nondiscriminatory manner.
The FCC has stated that local restrictions that require a person to obtain a permit or approval prior to installation of such antennas create unreasonable delay and are generally prohibited unless necessary to serve a legitimate safety or historic preservation purpose. Fees are also generally prohibited by the rule. A restriction requiring notification of installation to a City department such as Inspectional Services ("ISD") may be permissible, provided that notification to ISD would not cause unreasonable delay. A restriction that requires an antenna to be located where it is not visible from the street might be permissible provided that the requirement does not preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal or unreasonably increase the cost of the installation. Because the FCC Rule does not allow the City to require a permit or to charge a fee, if the City were to impose permissible restrictions through enactment of an ordinance, this could result in additional burdens on staff time and resources.
Given that the FCC Rule prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas except under certain narrowly defined exceptions, any restrictions imposed by the City under a local ordinance should be carefully crafted so as to ensure that the ordinance would survive a legal challenge. In order to overcome a potential legal challenge, any proposed ordinance should include provisions to ensure that installation will not be unreasonably delayed nor the cost of installation unreasonably increased and that reception of an acceptable quality signal is not precluded. If these conditions are met, an ordinance regarding the placement of new satellite dishes and the removal of satellite dishes that are no longer in service would likely be found to be legally permissible.
A draft ordinance is attached for your review and consideration.
Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager
CHARTER RIGHT
1. An application was received from the Trustee of Cottage Park Realty Trust requesting permission to modify the existing curb cut at the premises numbered 27 Cottage Park Avenue; said application has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. No response has been received from the neighborhood association. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Kelley on Applications and Petitions Number Three of June 18, 2012.]
Approved 9-0
ON THE TABLE
2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-09, regarding a report on the use of coal and on Cambridge becoming coal-free. [City Manager Agenda Number One of Mar 5, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Vice Mayor Simmons on Mar 5, 2012.]
3. Urge greater cooperation from the Cambridge Housing Authority to better serve the people of Cambridge. [Order Number Two of Apr 9, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Vice Mayor Simmons on Apr 9, 2012.]
4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department and other relevant departments in order to present to the City Council a map of Cambridge that shows, by location and by date, all of the areas where construction is and will be taking place over the coming decade. [Order Number Four of Apr 9, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Toomey on Apr 9, 2012.]
5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item No. 12-28, regarding temporary ramps and obstructions in construction zones. [City Manager Agenda Number Eight of Apr 23, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on Apr 23, 2012.]
6. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-35, which requests a report on whether there were any public safety officers that falsified their emergency medical training re-certification while employed by the City of Cambridge. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey on City Manager Agenda Number Two of May 21, 2012. Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Toomey on June 4, 2012.]
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 15, 2012 to discuss the petition of Forest City/MIT to amend the Zoning Ordinances by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street and further to provide for the potential development of a residential building on Sidney Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Green Street. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after June 25, 2012. Planning Board hearing held May 1, 2012. Petition expires Aug 13, 2012.
Referred to Aug 6 Special Meeting
8. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 23, 2012 to discuss a petition to amend the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge by adding to Section 5.50 entitled "Special Dimensional Regulations" a section 5.54 entitled "Special Regulations for Municipal Elementary and Middle (K-8) Schools. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after June 25, 2012. Planning Board hearing held June 5, 2012. Petition expires Aug 21, 2012.
Ordained as Amended 9-0, Ordinance #1349
9. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 23, 2012 to discuss an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance on a petition filed by CJUF III Northpoint LLC to amend Article 13.700 - Planned Unit Development in the North Point Residence District. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after June 25, 2012. Planning Board hearing held June 5, 2012. Petition expires Aug 21, 2012.
Ordained as Amended 9-0, Ordinance #1350
10. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on June 6, 2012 to discuss the petition from the Planning Board to rezone the North Massachusetts Avenue area. A hearing was also scheduled at 4:15pm to discuss a petition of the Planning Board to amend the Zoning Map for an area along North Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B. The petitions were discussed together. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after July 2, 2012. Planning Board hearing held May 15, 2012. Petition expires Sept 4, 2012.
North Mass. Ave. Petition Ordained as Amended 9-0, Ordinance #1351; Trolley Square Petition to be re-filed Sept 5.
APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS
1. A zoning petition has been received from Susan Yanow, et al. transmitting a zoning petition entitled "Area Four Neighborhood Preservation" requesting the City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map in Area Four and the Central Square area.
Referred to Planning Board and Ordinance Committee for Hearing and Report
2. A constable bond was received from Albert T. Darling for approval of the surety.
3. An application was received from Robert and Kristine Higgins, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 1 Highland Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works with conditions. No neighborhood association for that area.
4. An application was received from Martha Doyle, Education First Center, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 8 Education Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works with conditions. Approval has been received from the neighborhood association.
5. An application was received from Toscano Restaurant requesting permission for two signs, two awnings and one canopy at the premises numbered 52 Brattle Street and 1 Story Street. Approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development, Historical Commission and abutter.
COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Sitara Alamgir and Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir transmitting thanks for the kind resolution remembering Dr. Jalal Alamgir.
2. A communication was received from Bill Cunningham, board member of the Alliance of Cambridge Tenants regarding upzoning proposals.
3. A communication was received from Peter Valentine regarding the People Fixing the Nation.
4. A communication was received from James P. Coughlin, Media Officer, Sunshine of the Americas Foundation regarding Level III Labs in in the City of Cambridge.
5. A communication was received from the family of Sofia DeSimone transmitting thanks for the support during a difficult time.
6. A communication was received from Edward P. Finn, Medford City Clerk transmitting a copy of a Council resolution regarding transportation cost incurred by all the non Minuteman district schools.
7. A communication was received from Carl F. Barron, Caru Associates in support of the request to change Zoning Ordinance by Forest City to include the 300 Block of Massachusetts Avenue.
8. A communication was received from George R. Metzger, Central Square Business Association in support of the petition to amend Cambridge Revitalization Development district.
9. A communication was received from Mahta Ostovari rejecting the Forest City Petition.
10. A communication was received from Paula Noyes rejecting the Forest City Petition.
11. A communication was received from Mimi Taylor, 55a Brookline Street rejecting the Forest City Petition.
12. A communication was received from Samuel Bayer, 1 Stearns Street #3 opposing the Forest City Petition.
13. A communication was received from Ari Ofsevit, 10 Lawrence Street in support of more density, vibrancy and housing in Cambridge.
14. A communication was received from Carolyn Fuller, 12 Douglass Street opposing the proposed downzoning of Central Square.
15. A communication was received from Franics Higginson rejecting the Forest City Petition.
16. A communication was received from Joseph Aiello, 207 Charles Street in opposition to the proposed downzoning petition.
17. A communication was received from Pam Matz, 22 Essex Street rejecting the Forest City Petition.
18. A communication was received from Tony Tornaritis rejecting the Forest City Petition.
19. A communication was received from Matthew LaRue, 88 School Street opposing the proposed downzoning.
20. A communication was received from Douglas Dodds rejecting the Forest City Petition.
21. A communication was received from Rachel Wyon, 283 Sidney Street rejecting the Forest City Petition.
22. A communication was received from Bonnie Shepard rejecting the Forest City Petition.
23. A communication was received from Kathy Watkins, 129 Franklin Street Apt. 315 urging the City Council to vote no on Forest City upzoning.
24. A communication was received from Carolyn Shipley, 15 Laurel Street urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
25. A communication was received from James Iffland protesting against the attempt by Forest City to modify zoning laws.
26. A communication was received from Andrea Yakovakis, 53 Madison Avenue rejecting the Forest City Petition.
27. A communication was received from Brian McNamara transmitting support for the Forest City Zoning Proposal.
28. A communication was received from Dan Jeffs, 6R Eaton Street urging the City Council to reject the Forest City Petition.
29. A communication was received from Paul Alan Rufo, representating the owners of 323 Massachusetts Avenue regarding the Forest City/MIT Project.
30. A communication was received from Cathy Higgins, 345 Norfolk Street urging the City Council to vote no on Forest City Corp petition
31. A communication was received from Dana Demetrio, 15 Foch Street Apt. 1 rejecting the Forest City Petition.
32. A communication was received from the family and friends of John "Sonny" Gentile transmitting thanks for the wonderful resolution the City Council adopted for their father.
33. A communication was received from Joan Friebely urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
34. A communication was received from Margaret Myers, 31 Chalk Street urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
35. A communication was received from Yalem Yidego urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
36. A communication was received from Dan Colonn urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
37. A communication was received from Dara Glass, Edmunds Street urging City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
38. A communication was received from Charles Teague, 23 Edmunds Street urging the City Council to reject the Forest City Petition.
39. A communication was received from Cindy Marsh urging the City Council to vote no to the Forest City Petition.
40. A communication was received from Nancy Ryan transmitting opposition to the Forest City Petition.
41. A communication was received from Susan Harrison transmitting opposition to the Forest City Petition.
42. A communication was received from Shelley Rieman transmitting opposition to the Forest City Petition.
43. A communication was received from Michael Brandon regarding the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District rezoning proposal.
44. A communication was received from Margery Meadow, John MacLeod and Ruth Meadow-MacLeod, 43 Gold Star Road transmitting support to the rezoning in North Cambridge.
45. A communication was received from Margery Meadow and John MacLeod urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
46. A communication was received from Arleen Henry rejecting the Forest City Petition.
47. A communication was received from Polly F. Attwood, 175 Richdale Avenue, #320 urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
48. A communication was received from Wendy Sanford, Richdale Avenue urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
49. A communication was received from Mahesh Viswanathan, 40 Bristol Street #3 urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
50. A communication was received from Philip McArthur, 45 antrim Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
51. A communication was received from Bill Cavellini, 33 Oak Street, Somerville regarding the Forest City Petition.
52. A communication was received from Charlie Teague, 23 Edmunds Street rejecting the Forest City Petition.
53. A communication was received from David Kant regarding the Forest City Petition.
54. A communication was received from Corinne Espinoza, 89 Auburn Park, #140 rejecting the Forest City Petition.
55. A communication was received from Nita Sembrowich urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
56. A communication was received from Leslie Cohen, 237 Norfolk Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
57. A communication was received from Bill Morse, 269 Norfolk Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
58. A communication was received from Aviva and Jeremy Rothman-Shore, 10 Ballord Place urging the City Council to vote against the downzoning in Central Square.
59. A communication was received from Susan Markowitz, 20 Oak Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
60. A communication was received from Judtith Glaubman, 154 Auburn Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
61. A communication was received from Trey Hedden, 2 Michael Way urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
62. A communication was received from Hubert Murray, 204 Erie Street regarding Area IV Preservation Petition.
63. A communication was received from Mary Vanderwicken, 139 Pine Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
64. A communication was received from Carol O'Hare, 172 Magazine Street regarding the Forest City Petition.
65. A communication was received from David Grosser, 22 Locke Street urging the City Council to defer the Forest City biolab project until the fall when the larger Central Square advisory recommendations come in.
66. A communication was received from Chris W. Low urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
67. A communication was received from David Fichter, Deborah Wise, Eliza Fichter and Olivia Wise, 20 Worcester Street rejecting the Forest City Petition.
68. A communication was received from Remy Trahant urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
69. A communication was received from Richard D. Clarey reject Forest City.
70. A communication was received from Olivia Wise, 20 Worcester Street reject the Forest City Petition.
71. A communication was received from Leslie MacIntosh, Appleton Street urging the City Council to vote no on the Forest City Petition.
72. A communication was received from Richard Goldberg, 170 Harvard Street requesting the City Council not to grant Forest City upzoning petition.
73. A communication was received from Cathy Hoffman, 67 Pleasant Street requesting Forest City petition be withdrawn, reject the Forest City Petition.
74. A communication was received from Emily Dexter, 9 Fenno Street requesting a second opinion regrding the possibility of renovating the current MLK building.
75. A communication was received from Peter Abair, Director, Economic Development and Global Affairs, 300 Tech Square expressing his support for the proposed extension of the Cambridge Revitalization District to allow Forest City to build a mixed use building at 300 Massachusetts Avenue.
76. A communication was received from John Pitkin, 18 Fayette Street expressing the need for a climate change plan as it relates to the Forest City building.
77. A communication was received from Randa Ghattas commenting on the Forest City and Area IV Neighborhood Preservation petitions.
78. A communication was received from Esther Hanig, 136 Pine Street in opposition to the Area 4 downzoning petition.
79. A communication was received from Patty Nolan, 184 Huron Avenue stated her support for the loan authorization for the King School.
80. A communication was received from Andrew Grande, Sierra Club Massachusetts supporting Resolution #28 on the Production Tax Credit.
81. A petition filed by Martha Bakken, et al., in support of tearing down and rebuilding the King School.
82. A communication was received from Skip Schiel, 9 Sacramento Street urging City Council not to pass the Forest City Petition.
83. A communication was received from Gerald Bergman in opposition to Forest City upzoning Petition.
RESOLUTIONS
1. Resolution on the death of Paula F. (Nagle) Macomber. Councillor Maher
2. Resolution on the death of Joseph E. Sheahan. Councillor Maher
3. Resolution on the death of Rose A. (Witham) St. George. Councillor Toomey
4. Resolution on the death of John S. Zukas. Councillor Toomey
5. Resolution on the death of James H. Gavin. Councillor Toomey
6. Resolution on the death of George Charles Assad. Councillor Toomey
7. Retirement of Lieutenant Jeffrey R. Howard from the Cambridge Fire Department. Mayor Davis
8. Resolution on the death of Mary Ellen (Galvin) Sprague. Councillor Toomey, Councillor Maher
9. Resolution on the death of Neyda I. Maldonado-Rodriguez. Councillor Toomey
10. Congratulations to Cambridge Rindge and Latin Senior, Kevin Lovaincy, on being named to the Boston Globe's All-Scholastics Volleyball Team. Councillor Toomey
11. Congratulations to Cambridge Rindge and Latin Junior, Jalen Penrose, on being named to the Boston Globe's All-Scholastics Volleyball Team. Councillor Toomey
12. Congratulations to Nina Headley on the opening of All In One Fruits and Vegetables at 918 Cambridge Street. Councillor Toomey, Councillor Cheung
13. Resolution on the death of John F. "Jack" Reilly III. Councillor Maher
14. Resolution on the death of Frances M. (Aliquo) Renzulli. Councillor Maher
15. Retirement of Everett Collymore from the School Department. Mayor Davis
16. Retirement of Diane Sullivan from the School Department. Mayor Davis
17. Retirement of Ronald Michael Wresinski from the School Department. Mayor Davis
18. Resolution on the death of John G. "Jack" Morgan. Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey
19. Resolution on the death of Mariano A. Raposo. Councillor Toomey
20. Resolution on the death of Modestino "Musty" DiPietro. Councillor Toomey
21. Resolution on the death of Anne F. Williamson. Councillor Maher, Mayor Davis
22. Resolution on the death of John J. O'Mara. Councillor Maher
23. Resolution on the death of William J. "Bill" Adario. Councillor Toomey
24. Resolution on the death of Bernadine M. Medeiros. Councillor Toomey
25. Congratulations to Abby Walker on being cast in an upcoming film entitled "Admission." Vice Mayor Simmons
26. Resolution on the death of Edith (Brizzolari) D'Alessandro. Councillor Maher
27. Resolution on the death of Wilfred "Bill" J. Haggan Jr. Councillor Maher
28. Congratulations to Reverend Irene Monroe on receiving the 2012 GLAD Spirit of Justice Award. Mayor Davis, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Reeves, Councillor Decker
29. Congratulations to Sue Heilman on her new position as Chief Executive Officer of The Family Center. Mayor Davis
30. Congratulations to Kelley Leary on being named Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. Mayor Davis, Councillor Toomey
31. Congratulations to Cambridge Seven Associates on the occasion of their Jubilee Anniversary. Mayor Davis
32. Resolution on the death of George Hassett. Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey
33. Resolution on the death of Elizabeth A. "Liz" (O'Donnell) Sullivan. Councillor Maher
34. Resolution on the death of Ann M. (Regal) Zwirble. Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey
35. Resolution on the death of Erna L. (Malcolm) Benjamin. Vice Mayor Simmons
36. Speedy recovery wishes to Andrew Spears. Vice Mayor Simmons
37. Speedy recovery wishes to Dita Obler. Vice Mayor Simmons
38. Speedy recovery wishes to Ethel Ampey. Vice Mayor Simmons
39. Resolution on the death of William J. "Billy" Cassidy. Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey
40. Happy 50th Birthday wishes to Tanya English. Councillor Reeves
41. Happy 25th Birthday wishes to Tyler English. Councillor Reeves
42. Resolution on the death of Francis Harvey. Councillor Maher
43. Resolution on the death of Robert E. Burns. Councillor Maher
44. Resolution on the death of Dorothea "Dotty" E. (Sommerville) Gallagher. Councillor Maher
45. Resolution on the death of Edward L. Lange. Councillor Toomey, Councillor Maher
46. Resolution on the death of Richard Cordeiro. Councillor Toomey
47. Resolution on the death of Richard L. "Lou" Ouellet. Councillor Toomey
48. Resolution on the retirement of Gordon Gottsche. Councillor Toomey, Mayor Davis, Vice Mayor Simmons
49. Congratulations to the Mount Auburn Hospital on being named one of the country's Best One Hundred Cardiac Hospitals by HealthGrades. Councillor Maher
50. Congratulations to Paddy's Lunch on being named "Best Dive Bar" by the Improper Bostonian. Councillor Maher
51. Resolution on the death of Edith (Hurst) Johnson. Councillor Maher, Mayor Davis
52. Resolution on the death of John R. Roderick. Councillor Toomey
53. Resolution on the death of Stacy Ann Walker. Councillor Toomey
54. Congratulations to Mercedes Kaestner on signing a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. Councillor Toomey
55. Resolution on the death of Afuokeze Kangsen. Vice Mayor Simmons
56. Congratulations to Yoki on their new restaurant in Central Square. Councillor Cheung
57. Congratulations to Raymie Strata on being appointed as an advisor at Shareaholic. Councillor Cheung
58. Congratulations to Michael Simon on his creation of a grassroots Wi-Fi network in Central Square. Councillor Cheung
59. Congratulations to Sextant Therapeutics Inc. on being recognized as a Mass High Tech Company. Councillor Cheung
60. Congratulations to Plexxi on raising a large sum during the Series C funding round. Councillor Cheung
61. Encourage residents to participate in Local Economy Week from Sept 24-30, 2012. Councillor Cheung
62. Congratulations to the World Hepatitis Alliance HBV Chapters at MIT and Harvard on their recent event in educating and bringing awareness to precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Hepatitis. Councillor Cheung, Councillor vanBeuzekom
63. Congratulations to Karen Klinger and Susan Hunziker on receiving the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) 2012 Hometown Media Award in the "community events" category for their documentary "Kendall Band." Councillor Cheung, Councillor vanBeuzekom
64. Congratulations to Cauzoom on being recognized as a Mass High Tech Startup Company to follow by the Boston Business Journal. Councillor Cheung
65. Best wishes to CareerVillage for continued success and congratulations on providing mentorship opportunities for students. Councillor Cheung
66. Resolution on the death of David Phillips. Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons
67. Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Muriel Cox. Vice Mayor Simmons
68. Congratulations to the members of the Trinidad and Tobago community on the occasion of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago reaching a milestone of fifty years of independence. Mayor Davis
69. Resolution on the death of John O'Sullivan Francis, Jr. Vice Mayor Simmons
70. Congratulations to Susan Gittleman on being honored as one of the "Women of FIRE" by Banker and Tradesman. Councillor Decker
71. Retirement of David Leslie from his position as Executive Director of Food For Free. Councillor Decker, Vice Mayor Simmons
72. Welcome to the Hereditary Disease Foundation to Cambridge for its eight bi-annual Huntington Disease Research Meeting. Councillor vanBeuzekom
73. Resolution on the death of Evelyn T. (Bois) Coffman. Councillor Toomey
74. Resolution on the death of Mr. Cohen, founder of Lechmere Sales. Councillor Toomey
75. Congratulations to Jenn and Brad Macomber on their recent wedding. Councillor Toomey
76. Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Edward Lewis Diehl. Councillor Maher
ORDERS
1. That the City Council go on record encouraging Harvard and MIT to bid on the MBTA sponsorship and naming rights of Harvard and Kendall Square MBTA stations in order to preserve the station names. Councillor Toomey
2. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments to determine whether a raised intersection on the corner of Tremont and Garden Streets, and whether reclassifying Tremont Street as a 20-mile per hour zone to increase speeding fines, would increase safety in this area. Vice Mayor Simmons and Councillor Cheung
3. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City staff to determine whether unisex bathrooms can be installed in City Hall, or whether existing bathrooms could be modified into unisex bathrooms. Vice Mayor Simmons
4. That the City Council go on record requesting that the Legislature and the Governor immediately address the operating and capital maintenance issues negatively affecting the transportation infrastructure of the MBTA, those of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its Authorities. Mayor Davis
5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council in Executive Session the nature of the possibility of six lawsuits, their status, and any others that might have been filed. Councillor Reeves
6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Commissioner of Public Works and the City Electrician to discuss the installation of lower and decorative lighting along Cardinal Medeiros Avenue. Councillor Toomey
7. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City departments in attendance at the Boston Bio International Conference to provide a report that describes the final full cost to attend this conference and promote Cambridge and the contacts and possible new endeavors and City partnerships identified through this event. Councillor vanBeuzekom
8. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to communicate the City Council's support relating to the possible licensing and regulation of pedi-cabs to the Cambridge License Commission. Councillor vanBeuzekom
9. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to investigate how the City can sponsor and promote the PARK(ing) Day event on Sept 21, 2012. Councillor vanBeuzekom
10. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to create a Pavement to Parklet program for the City of Cambridge. Councillor vanBeuzekom
11. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Department of Public Works to provide a summary of the effectiveness of the Back of the Sidewalk Tree Planting Program including how its existence can be most effectively promoted to residents. Councillor vanBeuzekom
12. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Police Department, and the Cambridge Licensing Commission to provide a report to the City Council on the recent incident at the Cambridge Gateway Inn. Councillor vanBeuzekom
13. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to create the placement of appropriate signage or indication of entry into the City of Cambridge on or around the North Bank Pedestrian Bridge. Councillor vanBeuzekom
14. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City staff and report back to the City Council on whether a tagging program could be implemented to notify owners of bicycles that have been removed from sign posts by the Department of Public Works and contact information for retrieval of said bicycle. Councillor Kelley
Tabled - vanBeuzekom
15. That the City Manager is requested to provide the City Council with an update on a previous City Council request to have the Department of Public Works develop a notice system for parks and playgrounds so that people look for a tag on a broken or damaged piece of equipment to see if the issue has been reported and to see when a repair is anticipated to be made. Councillor Kelley
16. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council statistical information regarding enforcement citations for loud motorcycle mufflers, car radios and the City's plan to address these issues. Councillor Kelley
17. That the City Council go on record encouraging the License Commission to seriously consider the option of allowing Pedicabs to serve residents, businesses and tourists in Cambridge with certain provisions. Councillor Kelley
18. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City staff on whether, and under what conditions, emails to both Council@Cambridgema.gov and to individual Councillors, at both their personal and City emails, may be shared with the general public and what, if any, redaction of personal information should be done prior to such sharing, whether the sharing of an email is by forwarding it to others or by posting it to a website. Councillor Kelley
Toomey voted NO
19. That the City Council hereby submits the following change to the City's Zoning Ordinance for consideration, referral to the Planning Board and Ordinance Committee and ordination- to add a footnote #15 to Table 6.36.1(a) column III (Open Space, Res A-1, A-2, Res B) stating: "Where a single dwelling unit is located on a private way and where said private way would provide adequate parking for at least one car, with the written notice from the Fire Department that emergency access would not be impaired, the requirement for off street parking is waived." Councillor Kelley
Charter Right - Toomey
20. That the petition to amend the zoning map along Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B be re-filed on Sept 5, 2012. Councillor Maher
21. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Crowley family to determine a suitable location at the corner of Lexington Avenue and Hawthorne Park for a street corner dedication for James E. Crowley Sr. and James E. Crowley Jr. and forward order to the Dedication Committee for review. Councillor Maher
Kelley voted NO
22. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Schifferdecker family to determine a suitable location near 238 Huron Avenue for a street corner dedication sign for Joseph A. Schifferdecker and forward order to the Dedication Committee for review. Councillor Maher
Kelley voted NO
23. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Tennis family to determine a suitable location on Griswold Street for a corner dedication sign for John (Jack) W. Tennis and forward order to the Dedication Committee for review. Councillor Maher
Kelley voted NO
24. That the City Manager to direct the Veteran's Service Department to spread awareness of massvetsadvisor.org to the veteran community. Councillor Cheung
25. That the City Manager is requested to urge members of the Cambridge Legislative Delegation to support and help pass a bill that would address the problem of double utility pole removals. Councillor Cheung
26. That the City Manager is requested to notify the appropriate departments to work with the MBTA to restore the lighting in the Harvard Square Station. Councillor Cheung
27. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Schlesinger Family to determine a suitable location on Irving Street for a street corner dedication sign for Marian Schlesinger and forward this order to the Dedication Committee for review. Councillor Decker and Councillor Maher
Kelley voted NO
28. That this City Council go on record urging Senator Scott Brown to extend the Production Tax Credit for the wind industry. Councillor Decker
29. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate departments on how the goals formed by the Economic Development, Training and Employment Committee last term have been translated into practice in the City administration. Councillor Cheung
30. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to report back to the City Council with an estimate of how sequestration would affect municipal finances and the finances of human services organizations that partner with the City. Councillor Cheung
31. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments and report back to the City Council with a short summary on how CDBG grants have been used over the past few years in the city, potentially including a list of completed projects, jobs created and the overall impact on the community. Councillor Cheung
32. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments on the feasibility of providing bike regulations to a wider audience including through media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, public service announcements and newspaper ads, increased enforcement and installation of signs informing bikers that they must obey the rules of the road. Councillor Cheung
Referred to Traffic & Parking Committee - Cheung
33. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate City departments to expand enforcement of the prohibition on Cambridge pick-ups by non-Cambridge cabs not specifically called to Cambridge. Councillor Cheung
Charter Right - Decker
34. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to ascertain why data requested on the Andrews Petition during an Ordinance Committee hearing has not been received and report back to the City Council. Councillor Cheung
35. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to determine the answers to questions regarding the Foundry Building in order to help move the community process forward. Councillor Cheung and Councillor Toomey
36. City Council concern about Michaels Development Company's practices as they relate to the bid process for the project at 159 First Street. Councillor Cheung
COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office, transmitting a report from Councillor Leland Cheung, Chair of the Cable TV Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee for a public meeting held on June 12, 2012 to discuss planning and outreach regarding the digital divide.
2. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on June 27, 2012 to continue discussion on the petition of Forest City/MIT to amend the Zoning Ordinances by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street and further to provide for the potential development of a residential building on Sidney Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Green Street.
Referred to Aug 6 Special Meeting (with corrections)
3. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on June 28, 2012 to continue discussion on the petitions from the Planning Board to rezone the North Massachusetts Avenue area and to amend the Zoning Map for an area along Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B.
4. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on July 19, 2012 to conduct a follow-up meeting on the petition to amend the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge by adding to Section 5.50 entitled "Special Dimensional Regulations" a section 5.54 entitled "Special Regulations for Municipal Elementary and Middle (K-8) Schools.
5. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on July 25, 2012 to continue discussion on the petition of Forest City/MIT to amend the Zoning Ordinances by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street and further to provide for the potential development of a residential building on Sidney Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Green Street.
Referred to Aug 6 Special Meeting
6. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office, transmitting a report from Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom, Chair of the Environment Committee for a public meeting held on June 26, 2012 to discuss open space throughout the city.
7. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Civic Unity Committee for a public meeting held on July 10, 2012.
COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICERS
1. A communication was received from Councillor Craig A. Kelley regarding the King School Renovation.
HEARING SCHEDULE
Mon, July 30
5:30pm Special City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Aug 6
3:00pm The Economic Development, Training and Employment Committee will conduct a public meeting to receive an overview from Community Development Department of the Grand Junction Rail with the Trail Feasibility Study of 2006 and to discuss the actions the City can make towards its construction. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm The Public Safety Committee will conduct a public meeting to continue discussions on the MIT nuclear reactor. (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Aug 13
5:30pm The Public Safety Committee will conduct a public meeting to discuss security cameras. (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Sept 10
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Sept 24
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Oct 1
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
6:30pm The City Council will conduct a public hearing to discuss the property tax rate classification. (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Oct 15
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Oct 22
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Oct 29
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Nov 5
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Nov 19
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Nov 26
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Dec 3
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Dec 10
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Dec 17
5:30pm City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that the MBTA is considering advertising sponsorship of various MBTA Red Line stations in order to raise revenue; and
WHEREAS: Kendall Square and Harvard Square are possible locations that could be sponsored; and
WHEREAS: Both Harvard and MIT benefit greatly from their proximity to the MBTA stations and have historical associations with the stations; and
WHEREAS: If Harvard and MIT were successful bidders they could preserve the names of the stations and prevent corporations from branding them as their own; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record encouraging Harvard and MIT to bid on the station naming rights with the intention of preserving the station names; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Harvard and MIT on behalf of the entire City Council.
O-2 July 30, 2012
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that residents of Tremont Street have grown increasingly concerned about vehicles speeding down their street, creating a potentially dangerous environment for pedestrians; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments to determine whether a raised intersection on the corner of Tremont and Garden Streets, and whether reclassifying Tremont Street as a 20-mile per hour zone to increase speeding fines, would increase safety in this area; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the feasibility of implementing these two speed-control measures.
O-3 July 30, 2012
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: The City Council adopted a Council Order in 2011 that called upon the City Manager to appoint appropriate City staff to work with the Cambridge GLBT Commission to create a city-wide ordinance on gender-neutral bathrooms. This was implemented by a city-wide policy on Mar 26, 2012; and
WHEREAS: Following the same course of logic that led to this city-wide policy being enacted, it would be prudent to determine whether or not unisex bathrooms could be installed in City Hall, which is open to and used by many members of the public; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate City staff to determine whether unisex bathrooms can be installed in City Hall, or whether existing bathrooms could be modified into unisex bathrooms.
O-4 July 30, 2012
MAYOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
COUNCILLOR DECKER
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
COUNCILLOR MAHER
COUNCILLOR REEVES
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: The highway, road, bridge, and rail network of Eastern Massachusetts is an essential component for the economic activity of the Commonwealth, and all of New England; and
WHEREAS: The funding to maintain, upgrade, and improve those components of the transportation infrastructure under the control of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its authorities has been inadequate for over a decade; and
WHEREAS: Cities and towns across this region have demonstrable and important transportation needs that have gone unmet for many years due to inadequate Chapter 90 funding, and insufficient state-funds available to Metropolitan Planning Organizations to allow worthy local projects to ever be funded and built; and
WHEREAS: The citizens of Cambridge have absorbed MBTA fare increases and reductions in MBTA services, as well as a general deterioration of the highways, roads, bridges, and sidewalks relied upon every days by millions of Massachusetts citizens; and
WHEREAS: Investing in transportation infrastructure is an investment in the people of this municipality, this region, this Commonwealth, and this nation; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record requesting that the Legislature and the Governor immediately address the operating and capital maintenance issues negatively affecting the transportation infrastructure of this municipality, those of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its Authorities; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record requesting that the Legislature and Governor act swiftly to invest in the basic maintenance and operation of the transportation infrastructure of this state, so that it may act as a catalyst for economic development, environmental stewardship, and the health and well being of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Governor Deval Patrick and the Cambridge Legislative Delegation on behalf of the Cambridge City Council.
O-5 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR REEVES
WHEREAS: A combination of discrimination and wrongful termination complaints have resulted in many millions of dollars of costs and damages for the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: The actions that led to these complaints, plus the filing of the complaints and subsequent law suits, caused much anguish for the City employees involved; and
WHEREAS: The City Council has been told there is a possibility of six more discrimination lawsuits; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go into Executive Session; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in Executive Session the nature of the six lawsuits, their status, and any others that might have been filed.
O-6 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: Cardinal Medeiros Avenue is a heavily traveled route for both vehicles and pedestrians; and
WHEREAS: Street trees have created a pleasant canopy that shades the street and sidewalk enhancing the pedestrian experience during the day; and
WHEREAS: The canopy has also become so dense that traditional street lighting cannot sufficiently illuminate the ground below resulting in a very dark street during evening hours; and
WHEREAS: The City has regularly pruned the trees in an attempt to improve the lighting, but the canopy is too dense for noticeable results; and
WHEREAS: The street, which experiences significant pedestrian activity as well as automobile, could benefit from the installation of lighting that is below the canopy; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Commissioner of Public Works and the City Electrician to discuss the installation of lower and decorative lighting along Cardinal Medeiros Avenue and to report back to the City Council.
O-7 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: In June, 2012 employees of the City of Cambridge, including Community Development Department, City Manager's office and City Councillors participated in the Boston Bio International Conference - a global event for biotechnology; and
WHEREAS: Over 15,000 biotechnology professionals from 48 states and 68 countries joined together to review the state of the industry and the path forward for a global marketplace of innovation; and
WHEREAS: Presently, 8 of the 25 largest employers in Cambridge are a biotechnology company, a biotech/life science division of a multinational pharmaceutical firm or a life science service provide; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge relies on an active community of successful employers such as those noted above; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City departments in attendance at this conference to provide a report that describes the final full cost to attend this conference and promote Cambridge and the contacts and possible new endeavors and City partnerships identified through this event; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this request.
O-8 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: One of the goals of the Cambridge City Council is to "Address the challenges and opportunities for multiple modes of transportation to safely share roads and sidewalks"; and
WHEREAS: A human-powered bicycle cab (alternatively called an eco-cab or pedi-cab) is an excellent alternative mode of transportation within cities; and
WHEREAS: These types of cabs are the original alternative used within heavily trafficked areas in Asia to limit cars yet transport individuals within small areas, for example, from Kendall Square to Inman Square; and
WHEREAS: These types of cabs are successfully employed within many urban environments such as NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, and San Diego; and
WHEREAS: A successful local pedi-cab company is in discussion with the Cambridge License Commission regarding the possible licensing and regulation of this type of transportation for Cambridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the Cambridge City Council supports the concept of human-powered bicycle cabs operating within the city limits; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to communicate this support to the Cambridge License Commission with a report back to the City Council on this request.
O-9 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has participated in and supported International PARK(ing) Day in previous years; and
WHEREAS: This event is on Friday, Sept 21, 2012; and
WHEREAS: PARK(ing) Day is a annual global event where residents, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parallel parking spaces into public PARK spaces for the day; and
WHEREAS: This event calls attention to the public desire for more urban open space, and generates vital discourse around how public space is created, allocated and improves the quality of the urban human habitat; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to investigate how the City can sponsor and widely promote this event; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this request at the City Council meeting of Sept 10, 2012.
O-10 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: One goal of the Cambridge City Council is to Foster Community and support Neighborhood Vitality by supporting opportunities for citizens to participate and to know each other within their neighborhoods and across the city; and
WHEREAS: A Pavement to Parklet program seeks to temporarily reclaim strips of city streets and quickly and inexpensively turn them into new public parklets, plazas, and seating areas. Through this process streets are converted into inviting and pedestrian-friendly public spaces for people to sit, relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the city around them; and
WHEREAS: In cities such as NYC, Oakland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco parklets, plazas and seating areas have been created by interested neighborhood groups and businesses that sponsor and maintain the sites in conjunction with city planners; and
WHEREAS: Roadways are identified and transformed simply by painting or treating the asphalt, placing protective barriers along the periphery, and installing moveable cafι tables and chairs. These parklets transform narrow sidewalks to a width that graciously accommodates a vibrant city experience; and
WHEREAS: Within a Pavement to Parklet program, the success of each parklet, plaza and seating area is evaluated to understand what short-term adjustments may need to be made to the site, and ultimately, whether the temporary site warrants a long term community investment; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to create a Pavement to Parklet program for the City of Cambridge; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this request.
O-11 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has a Back of the Sidewalk Tree Planting Program in place that works together with residents to improve the urban forest; and
WHEREAS: This program is a public/private tree planting partnership, in which the City will plant trees along the back of sidewalk, (up to 20 feet off the public way) on private property of interested, eligible owners; and
WHEREAS: This is an excellent strategy for greening the city; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Department of Public Works to provide a summary of the effectiveness of this program, including how its existence can be most effectively promoted to residents; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this request.
O-12 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: Cambridge City Police were dispatched to investigate loud noises in a hotel room at the Cambridge Gateway Inn located on Route 2 on July 5, 2012; and
WHEREAS: It has been reported that approximately 35 minors were discovered in one hotel room; and
WHEREAS: When backup assistance was requested to process the large quantity of youth at the location the police radio system was not useable; and
WHEREAS: Multiple bottles of alcohol, quantities of marijuana, and 3 loaded firearms including a semi-automatic firearm were found on site; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge in no way condones opportunities for underage drinking, individuals in possession of illegal firearms, and hotel rooms accommodating more than the allowable number of occupants; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Police Department, and the Cambridge License Commission to provide a report to the City Council on this incident including when the radio system upgrade will be complete and what action has been taken regarding the firearms found, the individuals who rented the room who were present at the scene, the hotel management and how incidents such as this will be avoided in the future.
O-13 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: The North Bank Pedestrian Bridge located at DCR's North Point Park opened in East Cambridge on July 13, 2012; and
WHEREAS: This impressive riverside construction successfully connects Paul Revere Park in Charlestown to North Point Park in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Pedestrians supporting car-free travel, can now travel by foot in five minutes what was once a 25-minute journey; and
WHEREAS: There is no Cambridge signage or indicator for individuals entering the City of Cambridge side of the bridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to create the placement of appropriate signage or indication of entry into the City of Cambridge on or around the bridge; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this request.
O-14 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: In an effort to maintain safe and convenient access to sidewalks from parked vehicles, most notably for cars with handicapped plates, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has started removing bicycles locked to a number of sign posts; and
WHEREAS: From the point of view of the owner of a removed bicycle, it is not always clear that the bicycle was removed by DPW rather than stolen; and
WHEREAS: Bicycles locked to poles, posts, bike racks and so forth that appear abandoned are, after brief notice on the bicycle, also removed but not all such bicycles have actually been abandoned, they have just been left at that location by a cyclist without better storage options; and
WHEREAS: It would seem fairly easy for the DPW staff removing such bicycles to put a tag on the relevant post or pole or rack saying something like "NOTICE- The Bicycle Locked Here Has Been Removed by Cambridge DPW. For More Information Call 617-349-4800 (or whatever number is most relevant); now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with relevant City staff and report back to the City Council on whether such a tagging program could be implemented and, if so, to provide a plan with the timeline of such implementation.
O-15 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to provide the City Council with an update on a previous City Council request to have the Department of Public Works develop a notice system for parks and playgrounds so that people look for a tag on a broken or damaged piece of equipment to see if the issue has been reported and to see when a repair is anticipated to be made.
O-16 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Noise from car radios and from motorcycle mufflers have regulatory limits; and
WHEREAS: Excessively loud car radios and motorcycle mufflers is both unnecessary and annoying; and
WHEREAS: Such disturbances of the peace are virtually impossible for private citizens to address; and
WHEREAS: Excessively loud car radios, whether the car is moving or parked, and excessively loud motorcycle mufflers not only decrease citizens' ability to peaceably enjoy themselves, but they also help create a climate of lawlessness; and
WHEREAS: Relevant enforcement authority is vested in the Cambridge Police Department; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on
The total number of enforcement citations given in the past two years for loud motorcycle mufflers and for loud car radios;
The City's plan to address these issues of disturbances of the peace, to include the relevant equipment the City has for providing appropriate enforcement, the relevant training of appropriate City staff to carry out enforcement and the relevant funding and staffing designed to mitigate these noise problems; and
Statistics on all motorcycle and loud car enforcement.
O-17 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Pedicabs have proven to be a popular mode of alternative transportation both in resort areas and in major cities; and
WHEREAS: Given their lack of emissions, the use of Pedicabs for local transportation would prove beneficial, or at least would not be harmful, to local air quality; and
WHEREAS: Air quality health concerns are increasing given overall rising temperatures and evidence that particulate matter from vehicles can be more harmful to human health than was once believed; and
WHEREAS: The use of Pedicabs would have minimal negative impacts on Cambridge's traffic and parking problems; and
WHEREAS: Given their size and weight, Pedicabs in Cambridge would face much of the same logistical challenges as bicycle delivery trucks; and
WHEREAS: Such bicycle delivery trucks appear to be successful in navigating Cambridge's transportation network with a minimum of safety issues; and
WHEREAS: It is important to protect the general public's interest and to preserve public Rights of Way when granting licenses of any sort; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record encouraging the License Commission to seriously consider the option of allowing Pedicabs to serve residents, businesses and tourists in Cambridge provided that:
There is no expectation of the creation of private property rights to any City Right of Way by any Pedicab company;
It is demonstrated that the use of Pedicabs, to include their being stationed someplace while waiting for clients, being parked while their drivers eat lunch, etc, will not overly constrict existing public Rights of Way along sidewalks and streets; and
Appropriate methods of training, supervision and insurance exist; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to provide the License Commission with a suitable copy of this Order prior to its next meeting.
O-18 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: The Council's recent discussion about limiting the size of sodas and other sugary drinks generated national attention; and
WHEREAS: A large number of individuals from across the country elected to share their thoughts on this issue with the Council via email using the address: Council@Cambridgema.gov; and
WHEREAS: The comprehensive research, insightful analysis and thoughtful communication efforts displayed by such emails (see attached) could be of great benefit to the general public when trying to craft appropriate public policy on any number of issues; and
WHEREAS: It is not clear what expectations of privacy should be associated with emails sent to Council@Cambridgema.gov or to an individual Councillor, whether at a personal address or at a City email address; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with relevant City staff on whether, and under what conditions, emails to both Council@Cambridgema.gov and to individual Councillors, at both their personal and City emails, may be shared with the general public and what, if any, redaction of personal information should be done prior to such sharing, whether the sharing of an email is by forwarding it to others or by posting it to a website; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this issue.
O-19 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Cambridge's zoning ordinance requires one off street parking space per newly constructed residential unit; and
WHEREAS: This requirement is not absolute but may be waived by Special Permit; and
WHEREAS: The Special Permit option creates a burden for the applicant and for City staff in preparing, reviewing and deciding on the application; and
WHEREAS: Building off street parking adjacent to a Private Way seems like it may be an unnecessary addition to paved surfaces and an unnecessary reduction to lawns, gardens or other similar open space; and
WHEREAS: Private Ways in Cambridge allow people who own the property adjacent to a Private Way to park on the part of the Private Way that borders the property they own; and
WHEREAS: The requirement for residences bordering a Private Way to have an off-street parking space seems both unnecessary and redundant as long as parking on the Private Way would not interfere with required access for emergency vehicles or other occupants of the Private Way; and
WHEREAS: Requesting a Special Permit to eliminate the off-street parking requirement for a Private Way seems overly burden should their be adequate access for emergency vehicles and other occupants of the Private Way with a car(s) parked on the Private Way rather than on the residential lot; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council hereby submits the following change to the City's Zoning Ordinance for consideration and ordination- to add a footnote #15 to Table 6.36.1(a) column III (Open Space, Res A-1, A-2, Res B) stating: "Where a single dwelling unit is located on a private way and where said private way would provide adequate parking for at least one car, with the written notice from the Fire Department that emergency access would not be impaired, the requirement for off street parking is waived;" and be it further
ORDERED: That this proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinances be referred to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for a hearing and report.
O-20 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR MAHER
WHEREAS: The Planning Board submitted a petition to amend the zoning map for an area along Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B; and
WHEREAS: The Planning Board held a hearing on the petition on June 19, 2012 and the Ordinance Committee held hearings on June 6, 2012 and June 28, 2012; and
WHEREAS: The petition remained in the Ordinance Committee; and
WHEREAS: Said petition will expire on Sept 4, 2012 due to a procedure non-compliance of Chapter 40A; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the petition to amend the zoning map along Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B be re-filed on Sept 5, 2012; and be it further
ORDERED: That said petition be referred to the Planning Board and Ordinance Committee for a hearing and report.
O-21 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR MAHER
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Crowley family to determine a suitable location at the corner of Lexington Avenue and Hawthorne Park for a street corner dedication for James E. Crowley Sr. and James E. Crowley Jr.; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for review.
O-22 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR MAHER
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Schifferdecker family to determine a suitable location near 238 Huron Avenue for a street corner dedication sign for Joseph A. Schifferdecker; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to to Dedication Committee for review.
O-23 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR MAHER
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Tennis family to determine a suitable location on Griswold Street for a corner dedication sign for John (Jack) W. Tennis; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for review.
O-24 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the Cambridge City Council that a new website launched recently called massvetsadvisor.org helps veterans and their families access vital benefits through a comprehensive database; and
WHEREAS: Spreading awareness of this site will assist veterans transitioning back from combat and at all stages of military service by providing them with the benefits they need and the knowledge of how to go about applying for these important services; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Veteran's Service Department to spread awareness of massvetsadvisor.org to the veteran community.
O-25 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the Cambridge City Council that there is a prevalence of double utility poles that obstruct the view of pedestrians and drivers and mar the streetscape; and
WHEREAS: This is a common problem shared by cities and towns across the Commonwealth as there are currently several versions of a bill calling for the quick and efficient removal of double utility poles before the legislature; and
WHEREAS: Going on record to support a bill of this nature would facilitate the removal of an eyesore and create more jobs for utility workers by allowing these stalled projects to get on the fast track; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to urge members of the Cambridge Legislative Delegation to support and help pass a bill that would address the problem of double utility pole removals; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to the members of the Cambridge Legislative Delegation on behalf of the entire City Council.
O-26 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the Cambridge City Council that the lights at the Harvard Square Station need to be replaced, especially in the area where the Arts on the T is displayed; and
WHEREAS: The Harvard Square Station is used frequently by tourists, students and residents and it is important both aesthetically and especially for safety reasons that the station have adequate lighting; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to notify the appropriate departments to work with the MBTA to restore the lighting in the Harvard Square Station; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this order to MBTA Secretary Davey on behalf of the entire City Council.
O-27 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR DECKER
COUNCILLOR MAHER
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Schlesinger Family to determine a suitable location on Irving Street for a street corner dedication sign for Marian Schlesinger; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and is hereby requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for review.
O-28 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR DECKER
WHEREAS: This City Council has learned that wind energy is facing a potential crisis that could result in the loss of tens of thousands of high-quality American jobs; and
WHEREAS: The Production Tax Credit (PTC) for renewable energy was created in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to help level the playing field for clean energy industries such as wind and geothermal. The PTC has been incredibly successful at helping to move the wind industry forward and enabling it to achieve economies of scale that make it competitive with other energy sources; and
WHEREAS: Wind now generates around 20 percent of total electricity needs in states like South Dakota and Iowa. In March 2012, wind was responsible for 32 percent of the energy supply in South Dakota, and 29 percent in Iowa. Nationally, wind is 3% of our energy mix with opportunity to expand; and
WHEREAS: Moving America toward a clean energy future will not only create new, high-quality American jobs, but also has significant public health benefits. Renewable energy like wind power replaces energy from fossil fuels that cause air pollution, leading to heart attacks, asthma attacks and more than $100 billion in health costs; and
WHEREAS: The American Wind Energy Association estimates that as many as 37,000 jobs - mostly in the manufacturing sector - could be lost if no action is taken to renew the PTC; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That this City Council go on record thanking Senator John Kerry for his support of the PTC; and be it further
RESOLVED: That this City Council go on record urging Senator Scott Brown to extend the Production Tax Credit for the wind industry; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Senator Scott Brown on behalf of the entire City Council.
O-29 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate departments on how the goals formed by the Economic Development, Training and Employment Committee last term have been translated into practice in the City administration and report back to the City Council.
O-30 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The Cambridge City Council is considering policies that will impact the future of the City's finances; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to report back to the City Council with an estimate of how sequestration would affect municipal finances and the finances of human services organizations that partner with the City.
O-31 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge releases an extensive Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER); and
WHEREAS: It has been suggested that a concise one to two page summer of (CAPER) would be a useful way to communicate with congressional legislators on how Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are being put to use for low and middle income households in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Specifically, this would be useful for the Massachusetts congressional delegation who advocate to secure CDBG grants on the City's behalf; and
WHEREAS: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments and report back to the City Council with a short summary on how CDBG grants have been used over the past few years in the city, potentially including a list of completed projects, jobs created and the overall impact on the community; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to forward this information to members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation.
O-32 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the Cambridge City Council that there has been a high number of reports of bicyclists not abiding by bike regulations; and
WHEREAS: Pedestrians have raised safety concerns about bicyclists disregarding red lights, riding on sidewalks and through crosswalks; and
WHEREAS: It has been reported that residents feel that signs posted across the city to remind bikers to obey the rules of the road might alleviate the situation; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments on the feasibility of installing signs informing bikers that they must obey all rules of the road; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate department heads on the feasibility of providing bike regulations to a wider audience including through media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, public service announcements and newspaper ads; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Police Department to increase enforcement against bikers using sidewalks that endanger pedestrians.
O-33 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate City departments to expand enforcement of the prohibition on Cambridge pick-ups by non-Cambridge cabs not specifically called to Cambridge.
O-34 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the Cambridge City Council that data requested on the Andrews Petition during an Ordinance Committee Hearing last term has not been delivered; and
WHEREAS: The information requested is as follows:
Methodology and data from the Nexus study.
How the 1:1 ratio is derived.
Rationale for the 15%.
Breakdown of the projects' success over the history of the applicable ordinance.
Number of affordable units lost out of expiring units.
Any systemic plans to save big buildings of expiring affordable units and how many are at risk;
now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to ascertain the before-mentioned data and report back to the City Council.
O-35 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: There has been much discussion and anticipation about how the Foundry Building in East Cambridge could be best used as a space to connect disparate communities in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Gathering the facts mentioned below would help move the community process forward:
• Could the building be rented in its current state?
• If not, what would make the building operational, habitable and safe to use?
• Are there any impediments to the use of the building in the speculative ways previously detailed in the Council or sent to the Manager?
• Are there any issues Councillors should be aware of with respect to the building?
• What types of uses would work in the building as it is or if it were renovated (identifying which falls under which category?)
• What needs to be done to open the building for use?
now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to determine the answers for the abovementioned questions and report back to the City Councillors.
O-36 July 30, 2012
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that the project on 159 First Street was primarily put to bid to construction organizations that do not abide by Cambridge's Responsible Employer Ordinance; and
WHEREAS: Many developers in Cambridge are committee to the use of labor in accordance with the Responsible Employer Ordinance because it helps to sustain Cambridge's local economy, community, and employees therein; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing concern about Michaels Development Company's practices; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a copy of this resolution to Michaels Development Company on behalf of the entire City Council.
TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Cable TV, Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee conducted a public meeting on June 12, 2012 beginning at 4:06pm Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss planning and outreach regarding the digital divide.
Present at the meeting were Councillor Leland Cheung, Chair; Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom; Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services; Mary Hart, Director and Linda Turner, Information Technology Department; Susan Flannery, Director of Libraries; Corey Pilz, Consumer Information Specialist; Emily Shumsky, Intern, Consumers' Council; Nancy Schlacter, City Manager's Office; Ginny Berkowitz, Media Arts Manager, Cambridge Public Schools; Teddy Chery, Mayor's Office; and Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office.
Also present were Nicole Belanger, Community Media and Technology Coordinator, CCTV; Tim Plenk; and James Williamson.
Councillor Cheung asked for an update as to where the City is currently in regards to work being done to address the digital divide.
Ms. Semonoff stated that in November of 2006, in response to a Council Order requesting that the City help bridge the digital divide, the City Manager appointed a Digital Divide Committee which included members from City Council, School Committee, City agencies, the Housing Authority and community agencies. The Committee was charged with the task of finding ways to address barriers to internet access. After several months of work, the Committee recommended a pilot Digital Divide Project for providing low-cost technology and WIFI to units within the Cambridge Housing Authority's Newtowne Court, in conjunction with the City's WIFI pilot being led by the Information Technology Department. She noted the Digital Divide Committee surveyed many projects that provide computers, training, technical support and Internet access to students and other households. After reviewing the pros and cons of these different models, the Committee reached consensus on several critical issues: First, the decision was made to provide desktop computers rather than laptops. Second the decision was made to provide free refurbished computers donated from the IT Department rather than to offer new computers at a reduced price to program participants. Third, the decision was made to incorporate work force development opportunities into the program by having the computers refurbished by Rindge School of Technical Arts' students who also provided the majority of the call center tech support and training for families. She noted that the City Manager was receptive to the concept and he went to the City Council to appropriate $50,000 for the project. She stated that CCTV was designated as the project manger for the pilot program.
Ms. Semonoff stated that it turned out to be a complicated process to ensure adequate access mainly due to signal penetration issues. She noted that it was possible to provide some wireless access to residents but it was neither robust nor reliable. There were a significant number of people who ended up with internet access; however, the pilot program heavily depended on people keeping equipment plugged into their units which posed a problem as many people no longer did this as the program progressed. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated she believed many people were concerned of the cost of keeping the equipment plugged into their units. Ms. Semonoff stated that the cost of doing such was virtually zero. She stated that people did not keep their computers plugged in for many reasons, including needing to use outlets for other reasons. Her belief was that it was not an issue of cost to the households.
Nicole Belanger, CCTV, stated that she was involved with the Newtowne Court digital divide access process. She noted that some work is still done to maintain the network to this day. The infrastructure presented challenges in keeping the network accessible and the maintenance has been a challenge. She noted that some people still have computers that they received when the pilot program began. Ellen Semonoff stated that her evaluation is that it was a good effort to learn of the challenges. She noted that the benefit of this program was the idea that even if the City had the money to replicate the project, the project as designed did not make sense. She noted that the next phase was for the Cambridge Housing Authority to apply for significant grant funding. These funds would be used for the expansion of broadband and WIFI access. The Cambridge Housing Authority was not successful in receiving the large grant, but they did receive a grant which allowed them to set up computer labs within housing developments and continued support for instruction in those labs. She noted that the City recently got involved with Comcast in effort to assist in rolling out their Internet Essentials program and was trying to focus on how to continue the work of the Digital Divide Committee in conjunction with the City's E-Gov Committee.
Councillor vanBeuzekom inquired as to the lessons that were learned in the Newtowne Court pilot project. She noted that she was paying close attention as the project unfolded. She stated that she believed cost was an issue. She stated that slow service did not enable people to feel the benefits of the program. She stated that it is imperative to have entities totally on board. It must be a program in which they are strongly invested. She stated that the management of Newtowne Court consistently had to reset equipment.
Councillor Cheung questioned if newer technology has come out. Mary Hart stated that there is technology but it is very expensive. She stated that full-strength routers are put in City Hall. Councillor Cheung questioned if there was fiber or wireless used in Newtowne Court. Mary Hart stated that the closest they could get was a couple of switches surrounding Newtowne Court. Broadband was put at 119 Windsor Street which would send signals that splayed. She stated that nothing was reliable. Ellen Semonoff commented that one thing that did happen is that some of the people who received computers and used WIFI then subscribed to Comcast for their internet access. Ms. Hart stated that Comcast gives libraries and schools a connection to broadband. All schools and libraries have been given access. Once broadband is within a building, it is relatively easy to gain internet access as additional wire can be installed throughout the building to expand signal strength and allow more users to access the network.
Ginny Berkowitz stated that Comcast, in a commitment to the Federal Communications Commission, introduced the Internet Essentials program which offers families with children who are eligible to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) low-cost Internet service, affordable computers and digital literacy training. The cost for internet access is $9.95 per month plus applicable taxes. She noted that Comcast recently expanded the program's eligibility to include students who are certified to receive reduced lunch. She noted that as long as they have a student in the school, they can utilize this program through graduation. Comcast also provides eligible families with a voucher for a $149.99 net book plus applicable taxes. The challenge is to reach families to inquire of their interest in participating. The Superintendent sent out a mailing to all eligible families to make them aware of the program, and plan to do a similar mailing for the coming school year. Ms. Berkowitz stated that the return has not been impressive but some families are following through. Identification of families in need is a priority and she believes that creative outreach is essential.
Tim Plenk, Cambridge Public School parent, stated that Comcast was brought in to this project kicking and screaming. He noted that many hours were spent meeting with Comcast but that it seemed to him that Comcast did not embrace the project. He stated that it was difficult to get information from Comcast and they were often not prepared to furnish requested information. He stated that the connection available is a low-speed connection which caused a myriad of problems.
Mr. Plenk commented that Harvard and MIT have wireless campuses and it would be beneficial to gain knowledge from their expertise. He noted that the Harvard Square Business Association has made Harvard Square wireless as well.
James Williamson commented that he heard that Newtowne Court has had a lot of problems with internet access.
Ginny Berkowitz stated that parent involvement is a key component for educational concerns related to digital access. She noted that access to parents who do not have internet access is imperative. ICTS at the school department conducted a series of surveys targeted to staff, students and families. This data will be collected within the next few weeks and will hopefully help identify the needs for such families.
Mr. Williamson stated that many students have internet access via their mobile phones and questioned how much of the data will be based on that aspect. Ginny Berkowitz stated that the data has not been received; however, the survey was explicit in asking participants to identify what types of devices were being used to access the internet. Councillor Cheung questioned if the surveys were anonymous and commented that data attached to surveys may be a way to understand the scope of the issue. Ms. Berkowitz stated that the surveys were anonymous.
Councillor vanBeuzekom turned the conversation to the library aspect. Ms. Flannery stated the library has wireless internet access in all of its libraries. She stated that this provides access to people who have their own computers. She noted that many people use the library as their office and that they may not be paying for internet service in their homes. She stated that this is difficult to know without questioning people. She commented that the bigger piece is that in the course of a year, the library exceeds 200,000 hours of internet access. She noted that training is provided in multiple ways. She stated that there is training that is catered toward the lower end of spectrum such as basic computer usage and knowledge. The Central Square branch provides formal classes in how to use computer and basic keyboard skills. She stated that a unique factor in the literacy project pairing up one student with one tutor and that individual instruction is valuable. Ms. Flannery stated that it is her observation that it is heavily skewed toward the immigrant population and that the immigrant population is taking advantage of this program.
Corey Pilz stated that the Digital Access Committee is also focused on gathering the resources that are currently available in the city and conveying such to the public. CCTV recently conducted a citywide survey of computer labs-both public and private-that are open to the general public. Using this information, he stated that he is currently creating a master list of valuable information such as hours of operation, types of computers, types of classes and support, etc. He noted that once the list is completed, members of the Digital Access Committee will work with City agencies to target the necessary audience to get this information dispersed. Councillor van Beuzekom questioned when this information would be available. Mr. Pilz stated that the goal is by the end of the summer.
Susan Flannery stated that the Adult Literacy Program is a program to help people learn English. She believes that some language training has been done but specifics cannot be given without research. If someone needs help with translation, staff is made available and she noted that sometimes volunteers will also be asked to help in this respect.
Mr. Williamson stated that he depends on the library for computer access. He stated that when he goes into the basement to use the computer lab, the energy is quite impressive. Two things that come to mind is the issue in managing the social relations that take place in these spaces and the timing as to when people can log on. He stated that it is a treat to be able to get ten free pages of black and white printouts. He noted that initially, there were color printers and color printing turned out to be quite expensive. He questioned if anyone had researched the possibility of allowing color printing as a special side arrangement. Ms. Flannery responded that in all libraries, interactions with patrons can be challenging. She stated that library staff does try to manage that as best as possible. One hour of computer access is given when a person logs on. She noted that because there is more space and computers at the Main Library, a second hour is allotted if no one is waiting. She stated that regarding the printing, she does not get involved in day- to- day decisions but stated that it is the policy of the library that if an accommodation can be made to give patron something they need, staff will do that. She noted that the cost of toner cartridges is quite expensive but that she will investigate official policy of color printing.
Councillor Cheung focused on next steps. He commented that training and providing services through the municipality seem good but the question is about access to the internet. He stated that it seems as if more information relating to the impediments to signing up for the service, the nature of the digital divide and how to address this issue is needed.
Ms. Hart stated that the City does know how Harvard and MIT run their networks. She stated that they own their network on campus and every building is wired. She noted that it is much more reliable regarding service. She stated that they have control over the placement of the technology. MIT has given equipment to the City for free and has been working with the City for ten years. Ms. Hart stated that cost is a large factor. She stated that the Information Technology Department does try to make service more robust every year. She stated that MIT and Harvard have offered some help to the City and there have been a couple of pilot programs but that they didn't solve the problem. She stated that it is important to have ownership.
Nancy Schlacter stated that the Department of Commerce conducted a Webinar to discuss problems arising out of the Internet Essentials program. She commented that the problems were identical around the country. She noted that signing up was not as straightforward as one would think, the training piece was limited to certain groups, and that programs did not pass muster. She noted that the Webinar mirrored what conversations are taking place currently. She stated that corporate response is a large part of this. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated she remembered something that Boston was doing to try to have real ownership, essentially not deal with Comcast and own broadband within the city. Ms. Hart responded that Boston attempted to do the same thing and because they did not own their network, they were not successful. Ms. Hart commented that every municipality is struggling with the same challenges. An important point to make is that as a city we continue to try.
Ellen Semonoff stated that Comcast is worth continuing to pay attention to because it is worth people having internet access. She stated that this is a long-term project. She stated that the plan is to urge people whose children are eligible for free-reduced to participate.
Corey Pilz provided background on the application progress and some of the difficulties people are experiencing, as he believed this is one of the biggest problems with the program. He stated that you have to first contact a special Comcast hotline to request an application, fill out app, furnish documentation, and mail back. Comcast recently added an option to fax the application back. Comcast reviews the application and either approves or denies it based on what has been completed. Incomplete applications are automatically denied, and Comcast attempts to follow-up with such families to issue new applications, but it is unclear how this process works. He noted that another issue with Comcast is that if you have a bad debt to Comcast, did not return equipment, or have received Comcast service within the previous 90 days you are automatically not eligible for the program. He noted within Massachusetts, there are currently only 1,000-1,999 active participants according to numbers released by Comcast. He stated that Comcast has been unable to provide the City with the exact number of participants.
Ms. Berkowitz stated that the family liaisons at the high school are a group that should be involved in this effort.
Tim Plenk suggested that the goal for the next meeting should be to prepare next steps of what the committee will be doing.
Councillor Cheung stated that the next meeting will be focused on next steps. He commented that focus groups add texture to the data that will be received. He noted that this is a challenging issue and he is pleased to know that the City of Cambridge is continuing to address this issue.
Councillor Cheung stated that the technology needs to catch up with the people and that basic training is a key component to the accessibility piece.
Nicole Belanger noted that a recurring theme that she hears is from people who have non-functioning computers and the high cost of fixing these computers. She commented that this is something that the committee could address.
Councillor Cheung thanked all attendees for their participation.
The meeting adjourned at 5:20pm.
For the Committee,
Councillor Leland Cheung, Chair
Committee Report #2
The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on June 27, 2012 at 4:11pm in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of meeting was to continue discussion on the petition of Forest City/MIT to amend the Zoning Ordinance by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street and further provide for the potential development of a residential building on Sidney Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Green Street.
Present at the hearing were Councillor David Maher, Chair of the Committee; Mayor Henrietta Davis; Councillor Leland Cheung; Councillor Marjorie Decker; Councillor Craig Kelley; Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves; Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom; Brian Murphy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development; Roger Boothe, Director of Urban Design; Stuart Dash, Director of Community Planning; Jeff Roberts, Project Planner, Community Development Department; Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant; and Marybeth Cosgrove, Operations Manager, City Clerk's Office.
Also present were James Rafferty; Terrence F. Smith; Jay Kiley, Peter Calkins, Forest City; Stephen Kaiser; Lydia Vickers; Heather Hoffman; Richard Krushnic; Nancy Seymour; Tourgun Austin; Chris Lutes; Gail Seidman; Catherine Hoffman; Richard Goldberg; Gerald Bergman; Elie Yarden; Nancy Ryan; Jonathan King; Alec Wysoker; Fred Lewis; Tim Lukas; Sherri Tucker; Lee Farris; Bill Cunningham; Peter Valentine; George Metzger; James Williamson; Steven C. Brown; Mary Platt; and Charles Teague.
Councillor Maher convened the meeting and explained the purpose.
Councillor Maher gave the current state of the petition. He explained that the petition was amended by the City Council and was moved to a second reading at the June 11, 2012 meeting. He noted that the reason the petition was separated is that it contains two distinct components. He stated that the first is a new housing project in which the proposed height had not been thoroughly vetted. The second component is the extension of the CRDD area to include 300 Massachusetts Avenue which has been discussed by the City Council for two years. The original petition to amend the zoning ordinance was proposed more than a year ago and that during deliberations it was determined that more work needed to be done on the petition and more time had to be given to allow for the completion of the planning studies for Kendall Square, Central Square and the transition areas. He noted that the current form of the petition allows for an increase in height from 80 feet to 115 feet. He stated his belief that the height needs to be further examined. He stated that he believes that the suggestion offered by Councillor Reeves that the height at this location not exceed the height of the old NECCO building makes sense.
Councillor Maher stated that the building plans as presented by Forest City also include the portion of the building along Massachusetts Avenue not exceed 65 feet. He noted that there is merit to this but the current version of the petition does not include this as a requirement. He requested that the language be added to the petition to make this a requirement.
Councillor Maher stated that Forest City has also shown a significant commitment to retail space on the first floor of the building. The proposed plan includes more than 15,000 square feet of retail space. He noted that given the site's prominent location that he believes a strong retail presence is essential but that he would like to see that language added to ensure this as well.
Councillor Maher stated that one of the appealing aspects of the proposal is that it is not necessary to build any new parking spaces to meet the needs of the building. He believed that the clear evidence needs to be provided as to why this is the case and consider including language that would ensure that no additional parking spaced will be created.
Councillor Maher explained that the C2 committee is meeting on July 11, 2012 and that this petition will be on its agenda. He noted that this petition will also be before the City Council on July 30, 2012. He noted that the petition will expire on Aug 13, 2012. He stated that one of the more important aspects of this project is the economic contribution to the city. He stated his understanding that Forest City is close to announcing that an existing Cambridge life science company is planning to take this site and he wanted to ensure that the City is in a position to let that happen. He asked Forest City for that information as the City Council moves forward. He noted that when the City Council has dealt with these petitions in the past they have required payment for community benefits to increase development rights and expected the same requirements for this consistent with the square footage and monetary requirement. He stated that as of this date, no agreement or amount has been put forward. He encouraged more work to be done on this petition and suggested one more meeting with the Ordinance Committee on July 25, 2012 at 4:00pm to review and consider further amendments that would include the language.
Councillor Maher then asked the Community Development Department to outline the documents that were submitted to the Ordinance Committee. Brian Murphy explained that the petition went before Planning Board and the Planning Board recommendation (Attachment A) is that the Planning Board is not prepared to make a favorable recommendation on the petition at this time. In addition, the Community Development Department submitted comments received by Goody Clancy on June 26, 2012. Mr. Murphy noted that the Community Development Department did make the Planning Board aware of Goody Clancy comments before the Planning Board made their recommendation. Councillor Maher stated that he expects that there will be documentation in written form after the C2 Committee meets. Mr. Murphy stated that at minimum, he would be able to give a summary to the City Council.
Councillor Kelley reiterated his belief that if the city cares about housing in the proposal that it needs to be part of the zoning petition.
Councillor Decker stated that she believes it is important to do more on this petition than has been traditionally done. Many people have put in much time and it is important to make the City Council, Community Development Department staff and Forest City available to have a thorough understanding of this petition. She stated that she believes it is important to find someone skillful to aid in creating the big picture. Councillor Decker then stated that she heard that a Planning Board member informing a resident that there will be no more negotiation regarding community benefits. Mr. Murphy responded that the City Council is the body that determines what is comprised in the zoning. Councillor Decker stated that it is not true that there is nothing left to negotiate. She stated that if people want to engage in conversations, those conversations cannot be solely with the Community Development Department. She suggested the possibility of scheduling one or two Saturday meetings to give the opportunity for more voices to be heard. She suggested that the Ordinance Committee or the Community Development Department make the effort to go beyond what has been traditionally done to engage the public and that given the tension and anxiety around this petition, much process is needed. She suggested that a skilled person who helps groups of people listen in difficult times and who would work with Community Development staff would be an immense benefit and that either the Mayor's Office or the Ordinance Committee take the lead via a community meeting. She noted the importance of having all of the information before the petition becomes final.
Councillor Reeves stated that the Planning Board made a logical conclusion. He believes that K2 and C2 should be looked at as a whole and that there should be further dialogue. He explained that the City Council is broadly represented and that should be acknowledged. He stated that there is a poor fit between the timing process and the petition and that the July 25, 2012 meeting would be a benefit.
Mayor Davis stated that this petition has created a lot of concern. She believes it has raised a lot of flags for a lot of people and how those concerns are dealt with is very important. She believes the Central Square Advisory Committee (CSAC) report is critical. She stated that the housing is not before the City Council and that this petition is pared back and only concerns 300 Massachusetts Avenue. She stated that the 300 Massachusetts Avenue piece was before the City Council a year ago. She feels that the 300 Massachusetts Avenue building has come a long way. It has been responsive to the concerns of the City Council. She questioned Goody Clancy's peer review and inquired to what extent the peer review looked at the goals of the CSAC. Mr. Murphy responded that the two instances of peer review refer to the Novartis proposal and it involved Goody Clancy taking a look at the proposal and looking at it in the context of thoughts and recommendations of the direction that they believe the community is inclined to move forward. It is a Goody Clancy peer review, not the Kendall/Central Square peer review. Mr. Boothe stated that the zoning petition is now different. He explained that it is more carefully designed and that Goody Clancy has looked as the schematics. He noted that the document is a summary of impressions of where that project stands. Mr. Boothe summarized the document from Goody Clancy. (Attachment B)
Councillor Cheung stated that this process shows the need for innovative thinking for what the city wants to see in our communities. He noted that he is looking forward to the Goody Clancy report to help the City Council along with this process. He explained that he likes the idea of a highly skilled individual who can work with the community to advocate for its interest as an ombudsman. He thinks that this idea should be revisited. He noted that it is difficult for the City Council and the community to understand all of the information that is flowing.
Councillor vanBeuzekom commented that the public has spoken and they are in favor of housing. She stated that the City Council does tend to react when a petition is put before them. She stated that the ratio of housing to commercial space should be appropriate. She commented that the letter from Goody Clancy was dated June 26, 2012 and that it would have been helpful to have received this communication beforehand.
Councillor Reeves asked for clarification. He stated that when this petition was initially proposed, the building design for 300 Massachusetts Avenue was essentially a glass box. Forest City was asked to come back with another design. He questioned what happened in regards to the design. Mr. Murphy responded that the City Council discussed the initial petition and expressed concern about the design. The petitioners then met with the Community Development Department which led to the current design. Mr. Boothe stated that the Koch Center is disappointing in terms of connectivity to the street. He stated that actual ground floor retail is what is expected. The hope is that this design will fit in seamlessly. He noted that the initial scheme was very blocky and the architects came up with interesting ways to modulate the space. Councillor Reeves asked if anything is supposed to be taller than the NECCO building. Mr. Boothe responded that the NECCO building has a lot mechanical apparatus on top of the building. Peter Calkins, Forest City, stated that the height of the building to the roof of the occupied space is about 97 feet and that the building as currently proposed in the 7-story version is 110 feet. He stated that Forest City is willing to study this issue and that the occupied height of building would be at or below the NECCO building. Councillor Reeves questioned the height of the new Novartis Building. Mr. Calkins stated that it is 120 feet in height. Mr. Calkins stated that with Novartis proposal there are two buildings. The Maya Lin building is at 65 feet high in the front. The piece closest to Massachusetts Avenue is 120 feet and mechanicals are on top of that.
Councillor Kelley stated that as it relates to height, this project is difficult to envision. He noted that it would be useful to see what that height looks like and suggested that there may be alternative ways to envision height perspective via balloon placement or some other method.
Councillor Maher then opened the meeting to public comment.
Steve Kaiser, 191 Hamilton Street, stated that it would be beneficial to have traffic reports available so that he could report this information to the Central Square Committee on its upcoming meeting.
Lydia Vickers, 45 Cherry Street, stated that Area 4 has increased traffic and air pollution and that her main concern is community preservation. She questioned if there is a plan for sustainable building standards. She stated that feels that to pass an upzoning petition would establish a precedent which would be harder to fight.
Heather Hoffman, 213 Hurley Street, Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods, read from a prepared statement in opposition to the petition. (Attachment C)
Richard Krushnic, 20 Oak Street, stated that the impact on this petition on Central Square would be significant.
Nancy Seymour, 170 Harvard Street, stated that she would like the City Council to step back before setting precedence. She stated that multiple development projects are bearing down on Central Square and that no new permits be granted and no new construction begun.
Kathy Hoffman stated that instead of retaining the feel of Central Square, it is beginning to be that Kendall Square is creeping forward more and more. She stated that she believes that the Novartis building is an example of what happens with spot zoning. She stated that Harvard Square was lost to banks. She stated that at the Planning Board meeting there were a number of people with grave concerns. She stated that the community is not being listened to. There have been no community meetings.
Richard Goldberg, 170 Harvard Street, Area 4 Coalition, stated that he would like the Ordinance Committee to reject the Forest City petition. He stated that the K2C2 committee work be finished before doing so. The work of the K2C2 should not be the end of the process but the beginning of the process. She stated that he does not understand what the community benefits are with this petition. He believes that the city should have the community benefits before the building process. As it relates to lab space noise, there is a precedent in the Market Street area. This issue needs to be looked at along with cars. He stated that the K2C2 process has to be seen together with the Central Square piece. He would like the City Council to reject the petition and think about the process.
Gerald Bergman, 82 Elm Street, questioned how it is that so many people can treat Forest City like a mom and pop developer. He stated that there is a need to keep pushing forward their petition. He suggested that the petition not be moved forward. Given all of the issues around housing, height, and scale, he believes that this plan is on life support and questioned why the City Council would keep this petition alive.
Elie Yarden, 143 Pleasant Street, thanked Councillor Maher for laying out the framework for this petition. He stated that the real discussion that is needed has not taken place. He would like to point out the models for the future of the City of Cambridge and that the problem is one of management. He pointed out that it is ecologically unsound.
Nancy Ryan, 4 Ashburton Place, Essex Street Neighbors, stated her concern that the elected and appointed officials are not in touch with what the residents are feeling. She stated that a mediator or facilitator is needed. She spoke of upcoming community meetings and stated that The Area 4 Coalition was not consulted. She believes that these meetings were planned to make up for a lack of process.
Jonathan King, 40 Essex Street, Essex Street Neighbors, read from a prepared statement (Attachment D) and noted that he is familiar with the needs of the biotech and pharmaceutical needs. He stated that this building will not generate a shortage for these areas. He asked that the petition be rejected because the proposal reneges on the original petition. He stated that the city is spending much money in staff and volunteer team on the K2C2 planning process which Forest City wants to circumvent. He wants the City Council to value its integrity and reject this petition. He stated that Forest City did not come to the neighborhood associations.
Fred Lewis, 249 Hurley Street, stated that he would like to see more affordable housing in Cambridge. He stated that things come and go in Cambridge because as rent goes up, businesses have to close down. He stated that Forest City is all about making money. He would like for this plan not to proceed until all the reports are completed.
Karen G., Harvard Street, stated that she believes approving upzoning in any retail or industrial area such as Central Square which is surrounded by neighborhoods will negatively affect these neighborhoods. Central Square will not adapt well to upzoned patterns of development. The neighborhood will be weakened.
Chris Lutes stated that he is impressed by the quality of Harvard and MIT. He stated that he runs his business in Cambridge. He is against vilifying the developer. He stated that it is a lack of vision of what Massachusetts Avenue should look like that leads to misunderstanding between the residents and the developer. He stated that no developer can do a good job bringing in additional jobs and buildings without addressing traffic concerns. He stated that Forest City is a very responsible developer.
Sherri Tucker, 854 Mass. Avenue, stated that she has seen many changes in the city. She stated that retail need to be affordable, not wealthy and upscale.
Terrence F. Smith, Director of Government Affairs, read from a prepared statement on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce in support of the Forest City petition. (Attachment E).
Lee Farris, 269 Norfolk Street, Area 4 Neighborhood Coalition, stated that she appreciates the City Councillors who have met with the residents of Cambridge regarding this issue. She encouraged the City Council to listen to what the speakers are saying. She stated that zoning exists for a reason, to set heights, density and uses. Zoning is not meant to be changed because one owner benefits from it. Zoning should change when it benefits the whole city or the abutting neighborhoods. She believes that the City Council recommends that the petition not go forward and let the petition expire.
Bill Cunningham, 6 Newtowne Court, Alliance of Cambridge Tenants, stated his opposition to the Forest City petition. He has concerns regarding the impact the development will have on affordable housing. He questioned what will happen with voucher tenants.
Peter Valentine, Brookline Street, stated his opposition to the development.
George Metzger, 90 Antrim Street, stated that he understands many of the concerns expressed and that future development should follow a vision.
James Williamson, 1000 Jackson Place, stated his opposition to the Forest City petition and submitted information to the committee on rental information, urban design and transportation issues. (Attachment F)
Mary Platt, 77 Bishop Allen Drive, spoke in opposition to the Forest City petition. She thanked the City Council for their work on this issue. She stated that she does not want to be subjected to high rise buildings and enjoys the presence of trees and birds which are vital to any city.
Charles Teague, 23Edmunds Street, spoke in favor of 3-dimensional visuals and having an ombudsman. He stated that he does not see how the City Council can go forward with this petition.
Councillor Reeves stated that the City Council has not been involved in any direct way. He stated that within this process, in Kendall Square two buildings were approved by Boston Properties. The symmetry is to be thought through. He stated that cities either support development or they don't. He questioned in which category does Cambridge fit? He commented that what happens in planning is that the city is potentially different in every decade. He stated his belief that K2C2 has enabled the city to think through the plan. He stated that development is messy. He hopes that the City Council will take the efforts and be a policy making body that is focused on taking the messiness and then making policy. He stated that if zoning relief is given to 4 or 5 projects, what the relation to this project is.
Councillor Decker stated that the process does not seem inconsistent as it relates to other projects. Regarding this particular project, she feels that it has the potential to be a good project that offers the community more of what it wants. She made it clear that the City Council does not get this kind of community engagement on a regular basis. More conversations are needed to reflect on this point. She believes that another Ordinance Committee meeting does not get the city where it needs to be. She is not comfortable that moving forward is the way to go in this instance. She stated that a larger conversation needs to be had regarding the hesitation to this petition. She believes that not to recognize that it is unusual to have so many people present, the large number of e-mails, and the number of meetings speaks to the fact that this is important to the city and communities. She stated that there needs to be new ways to connect and communicate with the residents. She believes that bringing in an outside person to aid the City Council in the process is beneficial.
Councillor Kelley stated that there are mixed messages regarding community benefits. He stated if past zoning proposals are any indication, this petition will pass in some form. The question is what community benefits are in the package.
Councillor Reeves stated that there is much misunderstanding about the community benefit portion. He asked what the community benefit is for this proposal. He noted that in recent history, community benefits were in the proposals. He stated that he believes that the job of the City Council is to engage the community. He stated that it is the job of the City Council to listen to residents. His principle is that the City must have a policy that is understood and that predictability is a part of good government.
Mayor Davis stated that community benefits in the past have come to the city in a lump sum and that it is something that the City Council must wrestle with. She stated that she does have a sense of the geography in the sense of what is currently there and she wishes that there would be some movement on this issue. She implored the community to look at the big picture. She believes that there is a lot that is coming at a later time that is bigger. She stated that she does not want to react to the emotions but she is concerned with the emotions. There are many good ideas that are coming out of these discussions.
Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that it is an opportunity to listen to the public and also listen to what Goody Clancy has told us in their ongoing peer review. She stated that she is not anti-development, she is for building projects in the right place. She stated that Forest City is an amazing place in the sense that they have improved this district. Forest City has done a superb job. She stated that Massachusetts Avenue seems to be a perfect place for housing with retail on the first floor. She stated her hope that Forest City comes back with housing on the Massachusetts Avenue site.
Councillor Cheung stated that beneath the surface lie difficult issues such as affordability, housing and jobs. He stated that these are not easy issues and he appreciates the time that the members of the community have given. He believes that the concern and trepidation that has been expressed is a signal that more work needs to be done going forward.
Councillor Reeves stated that if citizens want to have housing which is available for working and middle-income people, that desire can be used in negotiating for community benefits. The thinkers need to come up with how that model can be realized in the midst of capitalism. He noted that this is an excellent opportunity to have that discussion.
Councillor Kelley stated that there is tension and justifiable fear on the part of the community that this petition is going forward. He stated that the community can either oppose the petition or negotiate the community benefits of it. He feels that the question is still unresolved.
Councillor Maher stated that he expects a revised petition to come before the Ordinance Committee on July 25, 2012 at 4:00pm. He stated that continued dialogue will take place. He noted that he would like the plan to have more details, especially around the issue of community benefits.
A communication was received from Vice Mayor Simmons stating that she is in favor of the City Council holding off on making any formal decisions about amending the Zoning Ordinance in relation to the Forest City/MIT petition. (ATTACHMENT G)
A communication was received from Gail Seidman, Partner, University Stationery, stating that her supports the Forest City petition which would bring the area in line with the Novartis complex, provide retail space and increase customer support in restaurants. (Attachment H)
A communication was received from Bill August, President, Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association, transmitting concerns about several aspects of the Forest City petition. (Attachment I)
Councillor Maher thanked all those present for their attendance.
The meeting adjourned at 6:58pm.
For the Committee,
Councillor David P. Maher, Chair
Committee Report #3
The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on June 28, 2012 at 4:08pm in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of meeting was to continue discussion on the petitions from the Planning Board to rezone the North Massachusetts Avenue area and to amend the Zoning Map for an area along Massachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Trolley Square and Linear Park from Business A-2 to Residence C-2B.
Present at the hearing were Councillor David Maher, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Leland Cheung; Councillor Craig Kelley; Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons; Stuart Dash; Jeff Roberts; Taha Jennings; Savitri Khalsa; Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant; and Marybeth Cosgrove, Operations Manager, City Clerk's Office.
Also present were John Darrah, William Winder, Katiti Kironde, John Daher, Macky Buck and Charles Teague.
Councillor Maher stated that after the previous meeting it was necessary for clarification of the language in the petition. This petition expires on Sept 4, 2012 and has been moved to a second reading with the expectation to act on this petition at the July 30, 2012 City Council meeting. He introduced Stuart Dash, Director of Community Planning, Taha Jennings, Planner, and Jeff Roberts, Project Planner, Community Development Department (CDD) and asked that they give a brief overview and outline of the CDD's Memo to the Planning Board outlining alternate zoning language to address the issues that have been raised by community members and others at prior public hearings (Attachment A). A document listing suggested revisions is also attached (Attachment B).
Taha Jennings stated that the CDD had two petitions before the committee - one is the petition to rezone the North Mass Ave Overlay and the other is a zoning map change. The Trolley Square map change petition will expire based on timing required procedurally and that time would be used to continue discussions with affected property owners in the area. The other petition is the North Mass Ave Zoning petition. This petition includes zoning changes that the CDD recommended through a planning study. He noted that all changes affect only the portion of the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District north of Porter Square, some language has been clarified following questions and comments made at the public hearings, new language has been introduced to address concerns raised at the ordinance committee meeting including limitations of the frontage of bank uses. The parking exemption for 5,000 square feet of non-residential use is removed in the alternative language based on comments received at the public hearings and because there is already a small business parking exemption in the zoning ordinance.
Councillor Cheung stated that he would like to start by extending his appreciation for incorporating the feedback into the documents. Regarding bank frontage, he inquired how this is limited and regarding the fast food ordinance, how do we modify this to make it more in line as to what people consider fast food. Mr. Jennings replied that in regards to bank frontage, page 8 bullet #7 is language that says no bank, trust company or similar financial institution may occupy a building frontage of more than twenty-five feet. He noted that in Central Square there was a wide range of bank frontage. Mr. Jennings noted that CDD believes that the 25 foot maximum frontage is appropriate. Regarding the fast food provision, Mr. Dash stated that CDD has researched this issue and they will be analyzing the appropriateness of limiting formula-based businesses. He stated that there are some cities that have tried this and the CDD will contact those cities for information. Councillor Cheung inquired if there is a reason to not included this language into the petition at this time. Mr. Dash answered in the affirmative and stated that CDD wants to ensure that sufficient research is conducted. Mr. Dash noted that it is a significant change and it would not be in the best interest to make that change within this ordinance cycle. Mr. Dash stated that currently it is difficult for a fast food business to come into the city. Regarding bank frontage, Councillor Cheung inquired if the CDD consider limiting the overall amount of bank frontage over the entire Massachusetts Avenue similar to what is currently in place in Central Square where there is a cap of the number of fast food establishments. Councillor Cheung stated that people are reacting to the sheer number of banks in Harvard Square. Mr. Dash stated that in discussions in the Kendall Square process, the approach in this petition was a good place to start. Councillor Cheung questioned why the city doesn't have a cap on banks similar to that of fast food restaurants. Mr. Dash stated that frontage is where they are working currently.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked about the fast food issue and the formula that is used. Mr. Dash stated that this is not being proposed for this ordinance. Vice Mayor Simmons questioned the definition of a formula-based business. Mr. Dash stated that an example of a formula-based business is a business wherein every menu is the same, the same uniform is worn and every store has the same protocol.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked about the vision of limiting bank frontage. She inquired if it is the length along the street that is entails the twenty-five foot requirement. She stated that nowhere in the proposed ordinance speaks to the number of banks, only the frontage of the same. She noted that this is something to keep in mind when talking about commercial development and zoning changes. She stated that this is something to think about with all development projects.
Councillor Kelley stated that he feels that the major questions have been addressed. He believes that there needs to be quick work on the fast food piece within the Zoning Code as a whole rather than in any one particular district. The issue of banks is something that the City should explore and that the use zoning is an important tool to keep places that are driven by large scale economics to twisting our residential economics.
As it relates to bank frontage, Councillor Cheung inquired of the possibility of an overall cap for bank frontage. He stated that in hearing the support of his colleagues on this issue this would be a good thing to limit in this petition. He noted that he believes that a big part of the problem is the sheer number of banks. He questioned if the CDD could come up with a reasonable amount of total bank frontage along the avenue that would be considered appropriate. Mr. Dash stated that he is concerned with this becoming a more restrictive petition if we move in the direction of that position. He stated that the alternate zoning language was a reasonable balance into that foray. Mr. Jennings added that the character of North Massachusetts Avenue is different than Central Square. The community was focused on a mix of uses and walk-ability. He agrees with Mr. Dash that the issues in Central Square are not the same kind of issues of North Massachusetts Avenue. Councillor Cheung offered the suggestion of the possibility of any particular bank having a certain amount of branches. Mr. Dash stated that CDD will take a look to see if there are ways to get totals. Councillor Cheung stated that the CDD is reasonable but that he is looking to be more aggressive and creative thinking would be a good thing.
Mr. Jennings stated that the neighborhoods between Harvard Square and Porter Square were not involved with coming up with zoning changes. They brought up some of the issues that some of the changes affect. Mr. Jennings stated that changes were limited to North of Porter Square.
Councillor Maher stated that while he understands the concern about banks, it seems odd to think that changing this sliver of Massachusetts Avenue would solve all of the problems. He counted four branches that fall within this overlay and for as long as he can remember, there used to be three in this district and one outside. He noted that the number of banks has not changed. He thinks that the problem is a much bigger problem in Central Square and Harvard Square and should be looked at. He spoke of a recent study that said most banks are looking to close branches and that they went on to list that there are only two or three spots that are bucking the trend such as Harvard Square, Copley Square and Brookline Square.
Councillor Maher opened the meeting to public comment.
John Darrah, 47 Reed Street, stated that there were at least half a dozen meetings with the planning staff. He stated that there was strong neighborhood support to preserve retail along Massachusetts Avenue and to stop the condominium-only developments. Out of that process came this ordinance. The CDD asked about retail repeatedly and never once did the issue of restricting retail come up. It was not a big neighborhood issue. He stated that the concern of the neighbors is that once a condominium is gone, the retail is gone as well. He strongly urged the City Council to pass this petition and stated that the neighbors want this ordinance in place.
William Winder, 11A Meacham Road, stated that one of the things that disturbs him in the zoning is that parking does not have to be included within the square footage. He stated that he is concerned about that part of the ordinance and how the streetscape will be affected.
Macky Buck, 20 Gold Star Road, stated that Mr. Darrah spoke well about the concept of this neighborhood. It is a place where people can walk. She stated that right now it is a big theme to have banks every four feet. The fast food issue has to be resolved as a citywide issue. She noted that the petition was signed by all but one person when asked for signatures. She stated that this is what people want. Regarding the parking issue, Ms. Buck stated that what brings the parking problems are the condominiums due to the developer not putting in enough parking. She noted that North Cambridge works for the residents.
Charles Teague, 23 Edmunds Street, stated that he is concerned about the use of the language. This is law and not to be taken lightly. He noted thirteen special permits by his count and he challenged the City Council to take out the piece where it states that anything can be overridden by special permit.
Dennis Carlone, 15 Martin Street, stated that there are a lot of good things about this zoning. He stated that to support that amount of retail there needs to be dense buildings. He suggested that there should be a summary chart as it relates to zoning. He noted that he is trained in zoning but when it is on a chart it is clear what is being said. He stated that as it relates to fast food piece, many businesses south of Porter Square are against it but would not speak to that.
Nancy Bjornson, 49 Locke Street, stated her concern that the BA2 to CA2 was left out.
Public comment closed at 4:58pm.
Councillor Maher stated that Trolley Square is a separate map change. He noted that CDD will be revisiting the proposed map change and that procedurally, the timing is such that the petition will expire. He noted that property owners had legitimate concerns with future issues with their property. Councillor Maher stated that there were two separate petitions and they were hearing them at the same time because they were in the same area. He noted that the City Council has to move on a timeline and it was apparent that timeline would not be met so that the petition will probably be re-filed in the September/October timeframe.
Councillor Maher asked about the issue of parking when a building is elevated and parking is beneath it. Mr. Roberts stated that there are a couple of ways to address that. He noted that when the original Massachusetts Overlay District was established, that was one of the key concerns. The concern was maintaining an active street presence on the ground floor and to not allow structured parking. This is incorporated under the current language. He noted that a building cannot be fronted by parking. Mr. Roberts stated that many provisions are to prevent offensive features of buildings. Councillor Maher advocated the concept of a summary chart. He asked to have a summary chart for the July 30, 2012 City Council meeting.
Councillor Maher then spoke about the fast food issue. He questioned that if this is taken a step further, do places such as the 1369 or the High Rise Bakery fit into that same category. Mr. Roberts stated that the Zoning Ordinance defines fast food as food which is intended for immediate consumption and available upon a short waiting time and packaged or presented in a manner that can be readily eaten outside of the premises that it is sold. The second definition is that it is a specific operation and which "has its primary business sale to the public of fast food and does not meet certain conditions. He stated that it is difficult to make the judgment because there are different elements of the definition. He stated that there could be a large number of independent businesses that are selling a product different than McDonalds or Starbucks but does fall under the definition.
Councillor Cheung asked for suggestions on how to tweak the petition to make it better around the issues that affect this region and Cambridge. He noted that overall, the staff has been responsive in preserving ground floor retail. He inquired about special permits and the rationale behind a waiver by special permit of the Planning Board. Mr. Roberts stated that special permits was one of the points of issue of the original petition. In the current version, that language was not changed. This clarifies how overlay rules apply. He stated that the way it works is that base zoning requirement and overlay come in on top of that and except where explicitly stated, you have to adhere to all the requirements. The reason why the special permit is noted is that there are certain provisions that the Planning Board may waive. Mr. Dash stated that the Planning Board can only waive specific provisions.
Councillor Kelley questioned the parking issue and stated that it is clear that retail needs to be at sidewalk level but with residential parking the first four feet can be structured parking. Mr. Roberts stated that is the case with a residential development. He stated that looking at the North Massachusetts Avenue guidelines, the rationale is that residential development has a different form which allows a more residential character to the front entrances of those buildings. Councillor Kelley questioned why there could not be a section added that stating that residential uses must start at grade and parking cannot exceed the grade. Mr. Roberts stated that everything on the ground floor is non-residential. Councillor Kelley asked if there is a downside to making a subsection that parking would not go above grid. Mr. Roberts stated that CDD can look at that. He noted that one issue with allowing residential use is that if there is some historical character to the area then the desire would be to use a building form that was compatible with surrounding uses. Mr. Roberts stated that language could be considered to prevent where there would be visible parking that was right up against the sidewalk. He believes that if this is allowed by special permit, a developer will make a project work best for them. He commented that his experience with the Planning Board is that there are always good reasons to say yes. He stated that the language clearly says it cannot happen unless there is a good explanation as to why it is not.
Councillor Maher stated that the current plan is that this issue will come up at the July 30, 2012 City Council meeting.
Councillor Maher thanked all those present for their attendance.
The meeting adjourned at 5:19pm.
For the Committee,
Councillor David P. Maher, Chair
Committee Report #4
The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Thurs, July 19, 2012 beginning at 4:12pm in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of the meeting was to conduct a follow-up meeting on the petition to amend the Zoning Ordinance by adding to Section 5.50 entitled "Special Dimensional Regulations" a section 5.54 entitled "Special Regulations for Municipal Elementary and Middle (K-8) Schools.
Present at the meeting were Councillor David Maher, Chair of the Committee; Mayor Henrietta Davis; Councillor Craig Kelley; Vice Mayor Denise Simmons; Richard Rossi, Deputy City Manager; Stuart Dash, Director of Community Planning, Community Development Department (CDD); Jeff Roberts, Project Planner, CDD; Vali Buland, Assistant City Solicitor, Law Department; Michael Black, Construction Project Manager for the City; Savitri Khalsa; and Interim City Clerk Donna P. Lopez.
Also present were Lori Cowles, 239 Allston Street; Andrew Spooner, 48 Avon Hill Street; Diana Goldfarb, 95 Kinnaird Street; June Hites, 50 Haskell Street; Carolyn Shipley, 15 Laurel Street; John Pears of Perkins Eastman Architects; and Mark Boyes-Watson of Boyes-Watson Architect.
Councillor Maher convened the meeting and explained the purpose. He stated that the Community Development Department would give a brief overview about why the petition is before the City Council, what it will accomplish, the revision to the petition and a summary of the changes.
Mr. Dash explained that the zoning petition came about as a result of the Innovation Agenda (IA) and the plans to renovate the municipal K-8 schools. The Community Development Department was asked to work on the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinances. Mr. Roberts worked with the project team on the new language.
Mr. Roberts spoke about the proposed text changes concerning the municipal K-8 school sites contained in (ATTACHMENT A). The chart included summarizes the changes to FAR, height, setbacks, parking, loading bays and open space in three scenarios. The major thrust of the petition was that most school sites are non-conforming and violates the Zoning Ordinances and it is difficult to make modifications to the school sites. As of right changes and the Planning Board special permit scenarios are outlined.
He reviewed the changes of how portions of school site that contain open space will be handled. Some sites, King Open, Harrington, Tobin and Peabody, have adjacent playing fields that are designated open space. The issue is how the regulations would apply in these situations.
Councillor Kelley stated that one of the issue raised was what defines a lot and he does not see this definition. Mr. Roberts stated that the Zoning Ordinance has a definition of what a lot is and this carries over to the regulatory structure. The Zoning Ordinance defines a lot as a single owned lot of land which the owner designates as a lot. In relation to schools; it depends on how the owner designates the lot. A better approach would be to deal with the relevant lots as they are in the designated districts. The lot definition is a fundamental issue of zoning and CDD felt it was better not to change it.
The proposed change affects areas within an open space zoning district. The changes to the language clarifies zoning modifications in FAR, height and setbacks allowed for school uses would not apply in open space zoning districts. The base zoning requirements would continue to apply in open space districts.
Councillor Kelley questioned the FAR for the King School with the adjacent open space. Mr. Roberts stated that the special permit changes only apply to residential zoning. Lots under the same ownership are considered one lot and the FAR can be reduced for portions of a single lot that are in different zoning districts.
Mayor Davis commented that the lot is not the defining matter. She asked if the defining matter is the residential zone. Mr. Roberts stated that was correct.
Mr. Roberts explained the change to areas that are customarily used as public open space, which may or may not be located in an open space district. These areas could be on school lot but used by the school and the adjacent neighborhood - for this use Public Recreational Open Space is defined. This area cannot be reduced, but can be reconfigured within the school site and size of open space must remain. No more than a 10% reduction may be allowed by a special permit if the Planning Board determines that it would result in a space of at least commensurate public benefit to what exists.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked Mr. Roberts if the school site zoning petition only amends zoning for public schools. Mr. Roberts replied that the petition includes municipal public school K-8 and would not apply to private schools, high schools or colleges. This petition will expedite renovations to school buildings contained in the IA.
Councillor Maher stated that the City was asked to review all elementary schools due to IA. Out of 12 building 11 could not be changed. Mr. Rossi added that only the King Open (the old Harrington) and the Morse have additional FAR. This zoning change would put the City before the Planning Board for a special permit. These changes are important. The City is not interested in taking away any open space.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked with the revisions will there be a public process. Mr. Rossi answered except if it is as of right; but if relief is needed Planning Board approval is required. Mr. Dash stated that effort was made to keep it out of variance process.
Councillor Kelley stated that he is not in favor of special permit process. These are municipal project and a special permit process is a bad idea. He would like the special permit process removed. Councillor Kelley questioned the height requirements on the chart. Mr. Roberts stated that the as of right provision is grandfathered in for existing buildings and can go up to 45' for new buildings with review. The special permit provision requires a review by the Planning Board to look at the entire site design. Mayor Davis asked is it not true that all projects require a Planning Board review. Mr. Roberts stated that only projects 50,000 square feet or more require project review special permit in non-residential districts. However all school sites affected are in residential districts.
Councillor Kelley noted that some of the area of Tobin site is in Res. B and some of the area is in open space. Will all the area on Vassal Lane be figured in the FAR.? The 1.25 FAR would only apply to the Res. B portion; open space FAR is 0.25 stated Mr. Roberts. Councillor Kelley requested that the City Council be provided the numbers on how big the buildings could be prior to the July 30th Council meeting. Councillor Kelley again stated that he is uncomfortable with special permit process. He stated that 55' -65' feet is tall for the area. He is not sure he would support this. He spoke about moving the project around for parking but is not sure educational value will be considered. Mr. Dash stated that the Planning Board review process helps to improve design for all projects. Councillor Kelley added that if buildings are to be built for education it will not be through the special permit process. These projects are based on an educational plan.
Mayor Davis made a motion that the text change be substituted for the original petition.
Councillor Kelley moved that section 5.54.2 (e) be removed. The question now came on Councillor Kelley's motion and the motion failed on a voice vote of three in the negative and one in favor. The committee now proceeded to act on Mayor Davis' motion to substitute the revised text for the original petition. The motion carried on a voice vote. Mayor Davis further moved that the substituted language be referred to the full City Council. This motion carried on a voice vote.
At 4:45pm Councillor Mayor opened the meeting to public comment.
June Hites, 50 Haskell Street, expressed her concerns about the two starting time for the upper campus and parking. On the early start time some teachers will get choice parking. Her main concern is about parking - Yerxa Road and adjacent streets will be utilized by school personnel for parking and will prevent residents getting into their driveways. On playing fields - she is against anything taken away.
Carolyn Shipley, 15 Laurel Street, spoke about open space. She heard that space will be the same but might not be outdoors. Open space will be moved indoors. Mr. Rossi stated that this is incorrect. She is concerned with the IA and keeping 6, 7, 8 graders away from k-5 students; is this a valid educational model. The need for 2 gyms and 2 cafeterias is an increased cost for tax payers. By the time the 8 schools are renovated the City will have a new superintendent. She asked will the IA education plan still be valid. She asked why the 2 groups of students cannot mingle.
Councillor Maher asked Mr. Rossi to give an outlook into the ten year definitive plan. The City is looking at renovating 3 schools discussed (King, King Open and Tobin) and 1 school that needs renovation and has not been renovated since the 1950's (Graham and Parks). Councillor Maher asked if there were any plans to renovate the Peabody School. No exterior work is planned; there may be program changes stated Mr. Rossi. There will be no expansion of the Peabody foot print.
Councillor Maher stated that the two start times and the parking issues will be discussed during the planning process. The net changes in staffing and the enrollment numbers for the Peabody School are unknown at this time. The King will have one auditorium, one cafeteria with dual facilities in the gym. This is what is in the planning process.
At 4:55pm Councillor Maher closed public comment.
Councillor Maher spoke about the current inequities in the schools. In the 8th grades throughout the system enrollment ranged from 11-70 students. With the IA it is hoped to equalize the playing field. He spoke of a 7th grade with 11 boys and l girl; this is not a good educational opportunity.
Mr. Rossi commented that the zoning change allows the flexibility to renovate the schools and address issues such as trees, parking and quality of life for residents around the schools.
Councillor Maher informed the public that the amendment to the Zoning Ordinance as substituted for the original text and referred to the full City Council will be on the agenda for the July 30th Special City Council meeting.
Councillor Maher thanked all those present for their attendance.
The meeting adjourned at 5:00pm on motion of Councillor Kelley.
For the Committee,
Councillor David P. Maher, Chair
Committee Report #5
The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Wed, July 25, 2012 beginning at 4:15pm in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of the meeting was to continue discussion on the petition of Forest City/MIT to amend the Zoning Ordinance by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District (CRDD) from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street and further to provide for the potential development of a residential building on Sidney Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Green Street.
Present at the hearing were Councillor David Maher, Chair of the Committee; Councillors Minka vanBeuzekom, Leland Cheung, Marjorie Decker, Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons; Brian Murphy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Department (CDD); Stuart Dash, Director, Community Planning, CDD; Jeff Roberts, Project Planner, CDD; Roger Boothe, Director of Urban Design, CDD; Matt Nelson, Chief of Staff, Mayor's Office; and Interim City Clerk Donna P. Lopez.
Also present were Peter Calkins, Chief Operating Officer, Forest City Boston; Frank West, President, Forest City Boston; Kathryn Brown, Vice President, Forest City Boston; Jay Kiely, Property Manager, Forest City Boston; James Rafferty, Attorney representing Forest City; Jesse Baerkahn, Retail Consultant, Forest City; Peter Valentine, 37 Brookline Street; Richard Goldberg, 170 Harvard Street; Roshannda Teixeira, 192 Humboldt Avenue, Dorchester; Donald Sheehan, IBEW Local Union 103; Mary Platt, 77 Bishop Allen Drive; Kathy Watkins, 129 Franklin Street; Laurie Friedman, 33 Essex Street; Susan Schlossberg, 431 Putnam Avenue; Stephen Kaiser, 191 Hamilton Street; Gerald Bergman, 82 Elm Street; Elie Yarden, 143 Pleasant Street; James Williamson, 1000 Jackson Place; Maciek Gadamski, 13 Lopez Street; Jennifer Effron, 17 Decatur Street; Bill Cunningham, 6 Newtowne Court; Carol O'Hare, 172 Magazine Street; Cathy Hoffman, 67 Pleasant Street; Sherri Tucker, 854 Mass. Avenue; Mark Jaquith, 213 Hurley Street; Charles Teague, 23 Edmunds Street; Julian Cassa, 109 Windsor Street; Susan Yanow, 221 Norfolk Street; Lee Farris, 269 Norfolk Street; Hatch Sterrett, 12 Boardman Street; Fred Lewis, 249 Hurley Street; Margaret Myers, 31 Chalk Street; Robin Lapidus, 130 Bishop Allen Drive; and Robert Winters, 366 Broadway.
Councillor Maher convened the hearing and explained the purpose. He announced that the meeting is being televised. The housing component has been removed from the petition. Several meetings have been held on the petition. At the last meeting CDD was asked to look at a number of issues including parking, commitment to retail which was not in writing, building design including heights along Massachusetts Avenue which he requested to be brought down. He outlined the format of the meeting. The Community Development Department will deal with language changes and will also comment on the feedback received from C2 committee on issues raised by the committee. The petitioner will be heard secondly who will be presenting revisions to their plan and then the community benefit will be discussed so that the City Council and the public can understand the issues.
Councillor Maher requested Assistant City Manager for Community Development, Brian Murphy to come forward to explain some of the issues. Mr. Murphy stated that CDD was asked to report on a few issues from the last Ordinance Committee meeting. The first issue was the 115 feet height restriction you wanted to see the height lowered. A modified version of the text was submitted (ATTACHMENT A). The maximum height on the Massachusetts Avenue site was reduced 95 feet which is comparable to the height of the Necco site, excluding the roof top mechanical. In addition as was provided in the design which was not included in the zoning language requirement that 2/3 of Massachusetts Avenue site be a maximum height of 65 feet and a 20 foot set back. The reduction from 95 to 65 allowed for greater articulation of the building. CDD was asked to provide the requirement of retail. Retail was discussed in the presentation, but retail was not required so language was added to make retail a specific requirement using the uses that were in place within the CRDD. Verification was also requested that University Park does in fact have capacity for additional parking without constructing new garages. There are 3 parking garage: 55 Franklin Street, 30 Pilgrim Street and 80 Lansdowne Street. As planning is built there is a maximum number of spaces of 2687. The highest use is peak time during the workday. Spaces for the University Park tenants total 1904; spaces for the general public total 245 for a combined total of 2149. This leaves excess capacity of 576 which is more than adequate for what is proposed. . Forest City will talk about the PTDM that they have in place for two of the phases of University Park. CDD was also asked to report back on C2 committee on the plan presented to the committee on July 11th. There was a range of issues. He cited some specific questions that were raised by the Central Square Committee. Some members asked if the lobby area would be accessible to public in terms of bathrooms and whether the space would publicly useable. Forest City responded that they had not gone through that level of detail, but probably not. Design issues were discussed such as if there was a curtain wall. Forest City stated that they had not gotten to that level of detail. Some members of the committee were pleased that Forest City had taken into consideration the different building materials and lowering the height. The presentation did show the lower height. There was approval for retail and an activated street level. Some members expressed their displeasure with the removal of the housing. There would have been more support if this was a combined proposal that also included significant housing, especially for affordable housing or moderate income housing. Committee members asked what could be built as of right and what could not be built as of right. Forest City plan includes an increase in density of just less than 108,000 square feet. As of right you can get to a height of 55 feet; 80 feet with a special permit. This proposal asked for an additional story to get to 95 feet. He outlined specific questions regarding retail and whether retail would be friendly to local small businesses. Forest City commented that Jesse Baerkahn has been brought on as a retail consultant. Members also expressed their concerns that there would be community benefits and mitigation as part of the increase in the gross floor area. It was discussed to make retail active based on the ideals of the Red Ribbon Committee. It was made clear that members did not want to see phone stores, liquor stores gyms or banks in the area. Other comments were made by the public that they felt that the public was not welcome in University Park, concerns for the height and having a mechanical pent house. Some were supportive of strategic density and strategic development of mixed use around traffic hubs. There was a feeling that the additional height could be viewed as a precedent for further development. There was skepticism about the data about cars. The public would be more supportive of density, but only around housing. The last issue was to report back on what might be the issue for a benchmark for community benefits. Based on some past work that was done by the City Council and using the increased number in the GFA and a number of $10.00 a square foot that has been used in previous petitions would lead to a payment of just over $1 million at $1,078,680. Forest City Council is subject to the requirements for the incentive payments on $4.44 per square foot. This was outlined in a document entitled Economic Benefits of 300 Massachusetts Avenue (ATTACHMENT B).
Councillor Maher invited the petitioners to come forward. Mr. Peter Calkins, Chief Operating Officer of Forest City Boston, made comments on some of the key discussion points raised previously in this committee, the City Council and the general public. He stated that he was pleased to confirm that Millennium, formerly Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and currently Millennium Takeda Oncology Company is the life science company that will be the tenant for 300 Massachusetts Avenue. Millennium has been in the community since 1997 when they first came to University Park. Millennium occupies 1/2 million square feet and employs more than 1200 people at all levels of employment. Discussion has been ongoing for a long time with Millennium about this building. This is the expansion space that Millennium envisions. The size of the building is based on their vision for the expansion. The company wants to be in close proximity to the existing facility. They are excited about the opportunity to grow in Cambridge; they have been a strong community partner. Millennium sponsors a whole range of community programs in the city, such as Shadow Days were high school student follow workers around for the day. Agreements with Millennium are subject to approval with the Takeda board. At the last Ordinance Committee CDD was advised to revise the height of the building down to 95 feet with the 65 feet cornice line for two thirds of the building. This was done. A summary of the zoning petition was distributed (ATTACHMENT C). The overall effect of this building is responsive to the comments by the Planning staff at CDD and Goody Clancy. The prior proposal had a 80 foot height that resulted in a building that felt bulky. CDD suggested that if the current proposal had a little more height if would help with the articulation of the building. This suggestion has worked well. Only one floor was added to the height of the building. FAR has not changed. This proposal allows us to build a building up to 246,000 square feet on this site. This is an increase of 107,100 square feet over the current as of right site. However in our original University Park build out some of the commercial area was converted to residential. We built 326,000 square feet less than what could have been built. With this building Forest City will be at 1,820,000 square feet. This is still 80,000 square feet below what was entitled to be built as commercial in the entitlements of twenty years ago. There has been a great deal of discussion about housing in Central Square and across the city. Forest City is eager to engage in exploration of how more housing could be created in the Central Square area. Of the 674 housing units which is already developed it is 274 more units that the baseline of 400. Of these units 26% are affordable units; well in excess of the standard 15% inclusionary housing in Cambridge. In connection with the development of 300 Massachusetts Avenue Forest City will be paying $1 million to the affordable housing trust to be used for affordable housing based on the zoning now applicable to this site. This money can be used for low and moderate income housing in the city. On the issue of parking, parking for this building will be provided in existing garages. No new spaces need to be constructed. Forest City does acknowledge that 300 Massachusetts Avenue will still generate trips, but at present Forest City is well below the original trip cap that was in the traffic mitigation agreement mentioned earlier. With 300 Massachusetts Avenue the percentage is 70%. The PDTM plans in place for two of the 3 garage when the SOV mode share is measured for the garages is at 42%, which is well below city average. Ms. Rasmussen stated at the C2 meeting that the average in the city is about 50%. The target is 42% and Forest City is at the target. The garage at 55 Franklin Street which will be used by 300 Massachusetts Avenue was built before PDTM plans were implemented in the city and is not currently subject to the PTDM plan. Forest City will work with CDD to implement a PTDM plan that will take affect for that garage as well. All three garages in University Park will have a PTDM Plan. Forest City has committed that the frontage on Massachusetts Avenue, about13, 000 feet, will be for active retail space. Local, interesting operators will be identified to fill the space to bring life and vitality to the street. CDD has suggested zoning language to reinforce this commitment. Forest City has been working with Jesse Baerkahn, a retail consultant, to achieve these goals.
At this time Jesse Baerkahn spoke the about retail aspect. This needs to be exciting active ground floor space. The success in his opinion is hinged upon leases to small local owner operated businesses. This is exciting for the neighborhood. He spoke about Catalyst, a 10,000 square foot restaurant in Kendall Square He does not view this space being used by one big user, but rather it being used by 3 or more users. It is important to have active, broken up store fronts. He is excited about the retail and working with Forest City and CDD in an official capacity as it relates to this petition to get the right retail into this space. Councillor Maher questioned the amount of retail space and its correlation this to the Novartis building where the Flour and the Wine Shop is located. He asked what the size difference is. Mr. Calkins spoke about the amount of retail space at 300 Massachusetts Avenue has been moving around. The space has been planned to have more outdoor space. This is in the range of 13,000 sq feet of retail space and is broken up in 3 different depths so it can accommodate different kinds of retailers. Mr. Baerkahn stated that Flour on Massachusetts Avenue is about 2,000 square feet and Central Bottle is a little less. There is a little less than 4,000 square feet of retail there. Positive change can happen when you have 13,000 square feet to work with. Catalyst is about 10,000 square feet stated Mr. Baerkahn. In Kendall Square, the Watermark building where there are 3 restaurants represents 10,000 square feet. Mr. Baerkahn stated that there is a nice chunk of space for retail for community benefit.
Mr. Calkins stated that the subject of public benefits is one that has been raised a number of time as to what are the benefits over time that will be provided. He submitted a draft commitment letter attached as (ATTACHMENT D). This was put together in a similar fashion as those previously submitted. For each 107,000 square feet that Forest City is requesting the payment of $10.00 per additional square feet will total $1,078,680 for community benefit mitigation payment. In additional $1 million will be contributed to affordable housing trust. He noted that this site currently generates about $54,000 a year in real estate taxes and that this number is expected to increase to about $2.4 million in real estate taxes when occupied. Over the 15 year lease with Millennium, 300 Massachusetts Avenue will be contributing about $44 million in real estate taxes. Beyond the monetary piece how does Forest City use this building to illuminate the process of development? Forest City is contemplating reprising a program that works with local elementary schools one day a week. Mr. Calkins stated that this petition has been before the City Council for 18 months and has been presented to many groups, including the Red Ribbon Committee, the Planning Board, the K2C2 planning initiatives and Goody Clancy. Goody Clancy's input has helped shape the proposal today. Millennium need for additional space by 2015 is critical to their mission and this area of Massachusetts Avenue is in need of vitality which retail space will help to generate. The time to move this petition is now.
Councillor Maher questioned the incentive zoning that was mentioned and asked if other buildings in the Forest City development have been subject to incentive zoning. Mr. Calkins responded in the negative. Councillor Maher asked why. Attorney Rafferty explained that the way the incentive zoning language is set up in section 11.200 only certain types of special permit relief and buildings in certain districts are subject to the incentive zoning. The CRDD has not historically been subject to this, but in the latest revision by CDD there is a specific requirement that this site would be subject to the incentive zoning provision which currently is set at $4.44 per square foot. Incentive zoning is a way to create what might be commonly referred to as linkage. If you are doing a residential project you are never subject to incentive zoning because you need to comply with inclusionary housing, but certain projects are subject to incentive zoning. In this case as a result of the amendment the petition bringing this site into the CRDD it will require a payment at the outset of the project of $4.44 per thousand which is a $l million payment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund per the City Ordinance. The Affordable Housing Trust has a broad charge around developing and maintaining affordable housing and this money will be sent directly to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
At this time Councillor Maher opened the meeting to questions by the City Council.
Councillor Cheung asked for clarification of the retail space. Is the retail space 13,000 or 15,000? Mr. Calkins stated that way back when we were talking about a number of 15,000 square feet. This number has modulated as the building has modulated. The plan in front of you is 13,200 square feet of actual retail space. Councillor Cheung asked if the City Council approves this petition is there a commitment for housing by Forest City. Is housing included in commitment letter? Councillor Maher stated many were intrigued by the housing prospect, but was taken out because of the controversy. This issue was separated from the petition, but he wanted to continue the dialogue on housing not on that particular parcel. There is willingness by Forest City to look at housing and there is a desire by the City Council and the neighborhood to look at what could be done about housing. Mr. Calkins stated that Forest City is interested to look at housing. This is a goal and commitment to explore the issue of housing. Councillor Cheung asked if the Boston Properties model could be applied to this petition. Councillor Maher stated that this could be looked at over the next few days. What was done for the Boston Properties proposal was that if housing was not built by a certain date there would be a financial penalty. This is different because the project is going to be fully built out with this building. Attorney Rafferty added that Boston Properties was given additional square footage to build the housing. The zoning was amended to include an additional 200,000 square feet which could be used for housing. The entitlement does not exist in the current CRDD to do this A site needs to be identified and then create the right within the zoning. In the case of Boston Properties in the MXD zoning there are 200,000 square feet that can be used only for housing. He asked if there is consensus within the City Council to create additional GFA within the CRDD that would allow contemplation of a housing project. Councillor Cheung stated that he wanted CDD to look at this. He would rather see housing on this site. He wants to see if there is a way to get a hook in to get housing. Councillor Cheung spoke about the lobby and cut through from Massachusetts Avenue to the market, is it accessible to the public. Mr. Calkins responded that Forest City does not intend that this be a promotable access for the public. Blanche Street will be enhanced as you come from Massachusetts Avenue back to the market along Blanche Street which is much better experience. The lobby essentially serves all the upper floors of the building which is a single tenant. There are issues of security and control. Councillor Cheung stated that he would like to see the security moved in front of the elevator so that the public has access to Star Market when the market is open.
Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that she has advocated for the pocket park to be on Massachusetts Avenue for the public rather than as an amenity to the hotel. She understands the security issues with the cut through for 300 Massachusetts Avenue. She suggested a cover over all of Blanche Street so that it could be used for 3 seasons. She expressed her surprised about receiving a letter dated July 24, 2012 that goes through the economic benefits of this project. Incentive payment is required by new language. She asked if 300 Massachusetts Avenue was assumed into the district you would not have had to make this payment. Attorney Rafferty replied that Forest City would not have been specifically required to make this payment on what special permit relief might have been sought but that ambiguity has been removed with the added language. Is this the same with the community benefit mitigation payment asked Councillor vanBeuzekom. Is the $l million something that is being given to remove ambiguity. Incentive zoning payment is a requirement that presently exists in the Zoning Ordinance that affects certain zoning districts and certain zoning projects, stated Attorney Rafferty. The amended language would include this. The letter of commitment is different from that. The letter of commitment is a unilateral contract by the zoning petitioner that is modeled on the same letter of commitment as relied on in the Alexandria, the Novartis and the Broad rezoning. It basically identifies the community benefit that the petitioner is prepared to make if the zoning were adopted and the permits to construct and build the structure were approved. This has nothing to do with zoning. It has to do with the legislative outcome of the petition.
Councillor vanBeuzekom questioned the four payments in the commitment letter. Attorney Rafferty stated that the payment in the letter is a payment being made based on certain benchmarks being achieved: the passage of the zoning, the issuance of the special permit, the issuance of the building permit and the issuance of the certificate of occupancy. This is separate from the incentive zoning requirement and the real estate taxes. Councillor vanBeuzekom asked will the community benefit, incentive and mitigation payments be in the new zoning language. Attorney Rafferty stated that the incentive zoning is in the zoning language. It has been the practice to have a reference included for the commitment letter. The amended petition would include a similar reference to a letter of commitment. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated this is a $3 million payment triggered by building permit or occupancy permit. Councillor Maher stated it is confusing and needs clarification. It is not in addition -- it is the community benefit broken up into quarterly payments. Attorney Rafferty agreed. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that the community benefit and the mitigation payment will be paid four times based on milestones achieved. Councillor vanBeuzekom commented that Forest City will pay if the city does certain things. You are asking us to say that there will be no challenges; that is B-1. City will issue special permit by the Planning Board; that is B-2. B-4 states that the city will not support any rezoning or any other ordinance changes that will affect this special district -- is this true? Not the district as a whole, but the ability to construct the project stated Attorney Rafferty. The city is not being asked to do anything this is a voluntary contribution being made by the petitioner but the petitioner has laid out certain conditions upon which the payments will be made. First payment will be made if the zoning is adopted. If the zoning is not adopted no payment will be made and we will not go any further. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that she does not know how common it is that the validity of the zoning is challenged. It sounds like you will not allow the city to go forward with the challenge. Attorney Rafferty stated that it is not if the city will not allow the challenge - it is if the zoning were challenged as a result of the challenge the project did not get built the payment would not be made. He explained a certain case involving the Lesley Porter overlay district where the City Council adopted the zoning amendment and an appeal was filed. The land court and the appeals court affirmed the action of the City Council. However this affected the project. Councillor Decker asked Councillor vanBeuzekom if she was concerned that Forest City will default. Councillor vanBeuzekom responded in the negative; her concern is the conditions that the city must adhere to in B-1. She asked does B-2 say that the city must issue this building permit from the Planning Board. Attorney Rafferty stated that this is a unilateral document that sets forth conditions by which Forest City will make payments to the City. Councillor vanBeuzekom asked if A-2 was different from B-2. Attorney Rafferty stated that there is difference between A-2 and B-2. If s special permit is issued, but if it is appealed and the petitioner is not able to construct the building then the second payment would not be made. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that she interprets conditions in A-l-4 as triggering the payment in B-1-4 are the actions the City must make. Attorney Rafferty stated that B-2 does not have anything to do with the city. If there are no appeals and it is valid, payments are made. Councillor vanBeuzekom asked what the point of B-4 is. Attorney Rafferty explained that if the City or the City Council adopted rezoning or took legislative action that would prevent the project from being built no payments would be made. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that it is rash to act on B-4. The City is not agreeing to anything. The City is being informed how Forest City will make payments. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that she would like advice from the Law Department to make B more explicit. Attorney Rafferty stated that this the 4th time this document has been used and this has been supplied to the City Solicitor. He would not comment if the document had been reviewed by the City Solicitor.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked Mr. Murphy to explain what is allowed for retail in Section 15.21.3. Is fast order food excluded. There has been a lot of discussion about ground floor retail and if this passes the City Council will be pleased that there is retail. The only difficulty is that in the past we have worked to have ground floor retail as a part of large developments because it adds a life to the streetscape. She is concerned about the type of retail and if it is not going to be more of the large chain type retail what assurances are built in for independent type retail for the ground floor. Mr. Roberts stated that Section 15.21.3 in the zoning language incorporates the entire language in Article 15 which sets forth the requirements in the CRDD district. On page 3 contains existing language contained in Article 15 which sets forth the allowed uses including the retail and consumer service establishments and also includes entertainment and recreational uses. The perception of a fast order food establishment is that it is a chain store restaurant. The Zoning Ordinance defines fast order food as an establishment that provides prepared foods on a short ordering time generally in disposable materials where there is a certain amount of limited seating and tables within the restaurant where menus are not given out to all patrons. A fast order food establishment could be a chain or a more locally oriented store. The Zoning Ordinance is silent as to whether what is allowed is a chain or not. Regarding the question about assurances about bringing in unique retailers goes back to the marketing of the space and how it would be marketed and tenants the space. The zoning does not have a particular mechanism for marketing and whether a chain is allowed or not. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she is looking for some level of assurances on this matter. Attorney Rafferty stated that one of the changes in the language is a requirement for a permitted building around a marketing plan. The marketing plan needs to be provided to the Planning Board identifying strategies and the outreach they are doing. There is a lot of language here that does not exist anywhere else. It requires discussions when the building is permitted. More detail will be around what type of retail are you trying to attract. There will be ongoing work with CDD and the Economic Development Division to identify strategies used to identify retailers interested in this space. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she is encouraged to hear that there will be more thoughtfulness around what could be on the ground floor retail. She stated that she wants a certain type of retail that goes with the character of Central Square. She hopes that the City will look for something a bit upscale and not the eat it and run type of establishment. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she wants to keep the idea of housing on the table. The City Council should look at the inclusionary housing and ask if we are getting the housing we want. Is it time to reevaluate the inclusionary housing so we can get more moderate income housing. She spoke about housing for aging in place and GLBT. She does not want housing discussion to go away. She was not in favor of the housing going on the open space. She acknowledges the money that will go the affordable housing trust. She does not want this to be an either or issue. Vice Mayor Simmons wanted to hear from city solicitor on the language in the commitment letter and if this is the same language that has been used in the past she would like to see this. Is this a departure from what has been used in the past. She wanted this information before the meeting on July 30, 2012. The discussion around the corridor and 300 Massachusetts Avenue she stated that the City Council does not have to get involved in the floor plan. The City Council should get involved in the height, width and depth and not on the design. She does not have an argument on the open space being located at the back of the building. She did not know about a canopy over Blanche Street and if this is in our prevue. This changes what is before us. Vice Mayor Simmons asked Councillor Maher to outline where we are and what are the next steps after this meeting.
Councillor Maher stated that it is his intention to substitute the language submitted by CDD contained in Attachment A above for the original petition. Substitution of the text is what we are looking for tonight as well as to refer the matter to the full City Council for the July 30th City Council meeting. The language change addresses many concerns of the City Council and the public. The Commitment Letter is a draft.
Councillor Cheung spoke about banks and the definition of fast food. Does it make sense to incorporate limiting the number of banks in the North Cambridge petition. Mr. Roberts discussed the marketing plan for the retail space. At various points in this process it was discussed to incorporate language into the zoning similar to the language incorporated into some other areas that require submission to the Planning Board and CDD regarding a plan for marketing ground floor retail. This language has not been developed to a point that it was felt that it was ready to incorporate entirely into the language changes that were submitted in Attachment A. If it is the pleasure of the City Council the Ordinance Committee could provide the City Council with this language. He further stated that in response to Councillor Cheung, banks are not one of the allowed uses that would be required within this particular instance unlike the North Massachusetts Avenue discussion where banks would not be allow on ground floor uses on Massachusetts Avenue. In the discussion on North Massachusetts Avenue the ideas about regulating a formula based business which is the way that that zoning regulators around the country have come to define what is thought of as chains businesses. CDD has done preliminary research on this matter, but it is not something that many cities do at this point. Cities that have incorporated it there are varying views on its effectiveness. More research and work needs to be done on this to determine whether this would be an appropriate approach for Cambridge. Councillor Leland stated that he has been asked by the public about the corridor to connect the two streets. He questioned how the $10 per square feet number was derived. Attorney Rafferty stated that it is based on the community benefits formula from the Novartis project. Councillor Maher stated that there are several zoning petitions with a community benefits package. The City Council is looking to develop a formal community benefits policy. As of today there is no formal policy. The $10 was the initial recommendation from CDD. The City Council has not adopted this figure, but has been using it. Councillor Cheung asked if this was the figure used for Alexandria. Councillor Maher stated that Alexandria was completely different, but this figure was used for Alexandria, EF, Boston Properties and Novartis. Councillor Cheung stated that he would look to the chair to increase this figure to $11 or $12. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she agreed with Councillor Cheung that the mitigation amount is too low. However, the problem with this lies with the City Council. It is not right to put the responsibility of mitigation package on the petitioner. She strongly feels that this is the responsibility of the City Council to develop a formal community benefits policy and to make this a priority. She is disappointed that the City Council has not established this policy. The City Council is advocating our authority by not coming up with a community benefits package.
Councillor vanBeuzekom spoke about Forest City's 26% affordable housing units. She stated that the revised language submitted by CDD in section 15.32.2 states that there are 100 units available to be affordable but only for 30 years. As part of the large scale changes to this petition she asked if these units could be made affordable in perpetuity. There are many expiring uses in the City and it would be nice to take these 100 units off the expiring use list.
Councillor Maher stated that Councillor Reeves is not here due to the passing of his mother-in-law and he regrets that he is not here.
Councillor Maher opened public comment at 5:40pm.
Peter Valentine, 37 Brookline Street, spoke about retail - it should be affordable retail. He read a prepared statement and submitted excerpts from the University Park Design Guidelines.(ATTACHMENT E). He spoke about design guidelines and that they should be open to public. He stated that Forest City designed the space so that the public would not be allowed in the space.
Richard Goldberg, 170 Harvard Street, a member of the Area 4 Coalition, stated he has concerns about the Goody Clancy process and how the group was selected. He read a prepared statement (ATTACHMENT F). Why not build housing above the small businesses in the All Asia block, he asked? Do we really want University Park on Massachusetts Avenue or do we want a buffer for Central Square.
Mary Platt, 77 Bishop Allen Drive read a statement for a anonymous resident of Central Square which asked why do we need a biolab? (ATTACHMENT G). The communication also mentioned increased traffic in Central Square, toxic waste from the biolab, noise and increased stress on the T. Forest City needs to prove that they are willing to invest in our City.
Kathy Watkins, 129 Franklin Street, stated that the Forest City proposal is still too high and too dense. She wanted the zoning to be left the way it is. Forest City keeps saying that the parking garages have space. She stated that she parks in the garages and they are full. Noise from the biolabs is incredible. Who wants to live next to that. She spoke about the park - University Park is a nice front lawn for the businesses, not residents. She wants diversity back in Cambridge and to stop destroying it with the zoning laws.
Laurie Friedman, 33 Essex Street, spoke about decision made for the city around multiple zoning petitions. She wants a Cambridge that is livable for all. What does a livable city look, feel and sound like. She does not feel that these questions have been answered. The K2C2 process has not been completed and the residents are concerned. She urged that there be a pause rather than moving ahead with the Forest City proposal. Certain neighborhoods have been more successful in protecting their neighborhoods. She urged the City Council to vote against the Forest City proposal.
Steve Kaiser, 191 Hamilton Street, spoke about the extension of Cambridgeport Revitalization District requires a map change, but he did not see this as an attachment to the CDD document. This is important in the public process to understand what that area really is. This area does not change any of the existing open space. This area contains two parks, including the Market Street park. This zoning should have included open space protection provision for the two sites. Last year this petition was denied because there was no housing element which the City Council felt was important. Now we have taken out the housing element. The City Council is still interested in the housing component, but is not enforcing the housing element as part of the zoning. He suggested to be consistent 300 Massachusetts Avenue should be taken and made into housing. He spoke about traffic impact - 30,000 new auto trips and transit trips daily. As a traffic engineer he does not see where these trips are going to go. The biggest problem with the City's transit is that there is a claim that the red line is 40 % empty during peak hours. In regards to community benefits he goes back to the issue of up-zoning and the profit associated with up-zoning. If the community benefit is less that the profit there is a problem. Article 7 of the Constitution states that on any government action there cannot be a profit for private interest. This applies to all developers.
Gerald Bergman, 82 Elm Street, urged the City Council to vote no on the Forest City petition. He submitted his prepared statement together with information on Novartis (ATTACHMENT H). He agrees with the Planning Board that the City Council should wait until studies are completed. He spoke about community benefits on this project and other projects. He was not surprised that the sum of $1 million for community package of money. Novartis has been used as an example for many things. Novartis has the same language as Forest City for their community benefits. At the time Novartis was give the City $1 million they were paying off large sums in law suits for sexual discrimination and other violations. Forest City has assets of over $10 billion. The $10 square foot amount is a magic portion to make all bad projects acceptable in the City of Cambridge. He stated that Novartis and Forest City are not good corporate citizens. These groups need to be held accountable. Biotech in this location is not what is wanted. It is the wrong place and the wrong time.
Eli Yarden, 143 Pleasant Street, spoke about building more pharmaceutical companies when there is no housing. He quoted statistics of the average wage for family income in Cambridge is over $80,000. He and his wife live on less than that and does not regard keeping his real estate tax rate down as a reward for anything. Please increase my real estate taxes by $500 and allow me to breathe clean air. Housing is what is needed. If policies and zoning had worked there would not be the poverty level of 14.5%.
James Williamson, 1000 Jackson Place, stated that density is the new buzz word. Density is used as the excuse for anything goes. It is all about the money. He spoke about increasing the amount for square footage to $50 and get $ 5 million. He spoke about getting the Massachusetts Avenue corridor right and getting the right scale is important. There is not a lot of interest in urban design issues. Why is 80 feet with a special permit not good for this site. Why is the current zoning not adequate for this site. Even with the setbacks this would create a noticeable presence on Massachusetts Avenue with the Novartis site. The character on Massachusetts Avenue will become overbearing. The building should not exceed the Necco building. Novartis spent $175 million to refurbish the Necco building with 20% tax credits. $35 million dollars of our money went to subsidize the conversion of the Necco building so that it could be added to the National Register of Historical Buildings. The roof top water tower had to be retained and restored. The Necco building will be obscured with the higher building, He submitted two attachments (ATTACHMENTS I and J)
Jennifer Effron, 17 Decatur Street, stated she is an urban planner and a small business advocate. She stated that she sees this area as a dead zone and this is a good opportunity to fill in the dead zone. She would like to see a connection between Central Bottle and the Flour Bakery and Cafe. University Park is a beautiful park. If there were more going on in front of the park there would be more going on behind the park. More foot traffic is needed and this proposes more commercial on the ground floor to get more foot traffic.
Bill Cunningham , 6 Newtowne Court, expressed his concerns about rents. There are people in Cambridge who live here with vouchers. When rents go up a little bit people lose their homes in Cambridge. The theory of the more you build the lower rents - this is an error in Cambridge the record in Cambridge does not support this theory. He is appealing to the City Council to think about the people who live in Cambridge now. He wants to see a study done on what Cambridge gets in dollars and what it loses for the increase in density.
Carol O'Hare, 172 Magazine Street, stated that she generally favors the project. She applauded Forest City for reducing the building height. She stated that adjustments to the design should be considered so that the beauty and the historic nature of the Necco building can be seen and to include the water tower. She suggested that whenever a development come before the Ordinance Committee that there is a copy of the zoning map showing the actual area contemplated to be rezoned. There are no maps in the text amendments. She wanted the developer to explore housing, but felt that the commitment is nothing. In the future important materials that the developer and lawyer have in their possession should be made available before hand. If the commitment letter is a cookie cutter document why didn't the City Council have it in its possession before hand as well. This is offensive as it was presented.
Cathy Hoffman, 67 Pleasant Street, spoke about the comment about the petition being around for 18 months. In the last 6 weeks a lot has been on the table and there have been a lot of negotiations. She credited this to the resident. Is density good or bad - let's figure it out. There is a lot of discussion about demographics and traffic. We have been told that traffic will decline. The traffic study is not representative of Cambridge. When you talk about fewer cars in the future you are talking about different demographics, including young people, students, bike riders and young white professionals. These people are not the population in need of our attention. Forest City still has not submitted a report on traffic. Issues about parking - all meters behind coop are going to credit cards. Cambridge is beginning to adjust itself to different demographics. She spoke about truth telling - this building is not a part of CRDD; it is a separate parcel. Forest City was asked to make the changes. CDD is supposed to represent the citizens of Cambridge.
Sherry Tucker, 854 Massachusetts Avenue, stated that she would like this process and the planning process for Central Square to continue. Forest City is not offering much in community benefits. She thought the affordable housing was long term. She spoke about the cost of rents and the rents being increased. Forest City is making money on the high priced rental property. What are the public benefits to Cambridge when Forest City builds at 300 Massachusetts Avenue. She urged the City Council to vote against the Forest City proposal and extend the planning process.
Mark Jaquith, 213 Hurley Street, stated here we are giving away development rights to a large property owner. Cambridge citizens are not getting much in the way of mitigation. The new residential building sounds great until you look at the details. Cambridge's defector anti-open space policy is fostered by the administration. Housing is needed to bring the cost of housing down. The high rents are not friendly to Cambridge families. In environments like ours, supply and demand do not operate in the norm. Boston Business Journal ran an article on July 18th on residential rents commenting on the infusion of hundreds of new apartments in the shadow of Fenway Park is pushing prices up. Our region has always bucked the national trends. When prices go up they go up in Cambridge as well. A sixteen story market rate tower built on open space is not the solution to housing.
Charles Teague, 23 Edmunds Street, stated that he wants a master plan that puts biolabs against another biolabs. Zoning implements the master plan. Why are we putting biolabs in Central Square. With this petition you are asked to give a bonus. Forest City is choosing the lab space; it is a poor choice. If the City Council votes for this petition you are voting against housing.
Julian Cassa, 109 Windsor Street, stated that no matter what is built here housing make more sense. Whatever is built will be here for 100 years. The amount of retail there is insignificant now. He would like to see 1% of the money actually given back to the community to services such as Tutoring Plus. Blanche Street is a one car road. It cannot handle foot traffic, especially during the construction. Money should be applied to traffic mitigation. Put real dollars to local things.
Susan Yanow, 221 Norfolk Street, asked what a community benefit is. The developer is creating a new skyline for Central Square and a new precedent for the neighborhood on height and density. They are getting more than one story higher. Who benefits with community benefits. The City gets payment - what community benefit goes to Area Three, Area Four and Cambridgeport, she asked?. She spoke about Cambridge residents getting jobs in these new buildings. They are not talking about traffic impact on the immediate community. $2800 - $3800 is the rents being charged by Forest City. She urged the City Council to push for housing on this site.
Lee Farris, 269 Norfolk Street, spoke about community benefits. She felt affordable housing should be permanent. How language in the CDD document would be implemented. She questioned the 105 feet height and wanted clarification. She wanted to see ground floor retail and offices and 5 floors of affordable housing. Community benefits package is not enough. It is still not what we want to see on this site. The difference in Section A and B in the commitment letter is that Section B is meant to muzzle the community.
Hatch Sterrett, 12 Boardman Street, stated see Forest City for the trees. Forest City is trying to cashing in for greed. Community is a place where people care about each other. Kendall Square is an enormous playground for corporate activities. What is different now is the opportunity for greed. Where is the livable, affordable community space for the residents. How do you give community benefits to a community you are destroying.
Fred Lewis, 249 Hurley Street, stated that he wants something to be done to help the business we have to stay here. The traffic is bad in Central Square. This lab will create more traffic. He travels the train every day and it is full every day. There will be over 70,000 more trips daily. He wanted to see Forest City put on hold and let planning process be completed.
Margaret Myers, 31 Chalk Street, stated that she wants the city to do something for the people. She spoke about the city's debt. $l million from Forest City is laughable compared to the damage done to Area 4 and Cambridgeport. She urged the City Council to say no to the petition.
Robin Lapidus, Executive Director of the Central Square Business Association, recorded the association in support of the project and has submitted documentation in support. Millennium has a lot to add to the city.
Robert Winters 366 Broadway, commented that the petitioner was asked if the heights were negotiable and they have been adjusted. Forest City has been responsive to all concerns. He was in favor of the Forest City petition.
On motion of Councillor vanBeuzekom public comment closed at 7:07pm.
Councillor Maher stated that the chair would entertain a motion to substitute the modified language submitted by CDD in (ATTACHMENT A) for the original language. Councillor Cheung moved the above motion. This motion carried on a voice vote of two members with Councillor vanBeuzekom recorded in the negative.
The CDD also submitted the attached language to add Section 15.90 regarding the letter of commitment (ATTACHMENT K).
Councillor Maher also moved that the substituted text be referred to the full City Council. The motion carrier on a voice vote of three.
Councillor Maher also requested that CDD provide a map of the affected area for the July 30th City Council meeting.
Councillor Maher thanked all those present for their attendance.
The meeting adjourned at 7:13pm on motion of Councillor vanBeuzekom.
For the Committee,
Councillor David P. Maher, Chair
Committee Report #6
The Environment Committee held a public meeting June 26, 2012 at 5:06pm in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss open space throughout the city.
Present at the meeting were Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Leland Cheung; Councillor Craig Kelley; Richard Rossi, Deputy City Manager; Brian Murphy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development; Stuart Dash, Director of Community Planning; Jeff Roberts, Project Planner; Taha Jennings, Community Development Department; Lisa Peterson, Commissioner, Department of Public Works; Savitri Khalsa; and Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office.
Also present were Mark Paolillo, Belmont Board of Selectmen; Ellen Mass, Friends of Alewife; Anne-Marie Lambert, Belmont Town Meeting Member; EkOngKar Khalsa, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association; David Landskov, Sustainable Arlington; Conrad Crawford, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority; Sue Butler, President of Green Cambridge; Thomas Flynn; Elsie C. Fiore; Carolyn Meith; James Kell; Richard Clarey; Sarah Roszler; and James Williamson.
Councillor vanBeuzekom convened the meeting and explained the purpose. She noted the agenda of the committee and the guidelines for discussion of topics throughout the meeting (Attachment A) along with a PowerPoint presentation of open spaces in Cambridge and relevant maps (Attachment B).
Councillor vanBeuzekom stated the importance of maintaining public open space. She stated that she wanted to discuss open space as it relates to urban development. She pointed out that open spaces, such as wetlands, act as a buffer to climate change for which we will most certainly need to adapt. She referenced a June 25th Boston Globe article that described how sea coast cities especially are preparing themselves as the climate changes and sea levels rise. She also noted she was pleased that the City of Cambridge is addressing this issue -- having issued a Request for Proposal in January 2012 for the creation of a Climate Adaption Plan. She further noted that the final selection for a consultant has not yet been made.
She stated that having expansive open space mitigates some of the effects of climate change. She defined open space as both publicly and privately owned spaces. Publicly owned includes city and DCR land and privately owned but publicly accessible includes the open spaces on the Novartis, Boston Properties, Harvard and MIT owned lands.
Councillor vanBeuzekom then moved the conversation to open space acquisition and opportunities. Mr. Rossi stated that in terms of pursuing open space, in the past, letters have been sent out citywide to property owners. If owners were interested in selling their land they were encouraged to contact the city before considering other offers. He mentioned that through this process the city identified several undeveloped parcels. As a successful example, he spoke of the land acquired for the Greene-Rose Park. He noted that the land used for this park, originally was a building that was no longer in use and it was listed at a reasonable price. The city took this building through a "friendly" eminent domain process. The building was initially used by the city as a temporary City Hall Annex, while the current City Hall Annex was renovated. Next, this parcel was converted to open space in an area of the city that especially needed large pieces of land for open space. Also a part of a city street (public way) was converted to create one large parcel for public open space. There are other small parcels which are also potentially available and ongoing conversations have taken place over the years in the hope that the city might purchase these parcels for open space. Mr. Rossi spoke of a bank-owned lot near the corner of Sciarappa Street and Cambridge Street. He explained that the city has met with the bank to discuss purchase of this land but stated that the bank is concerned about the loss of development rights and for this reason does not want to sell. Mr. Rossi stated that purchase of this parcel would be a great contribution to the neighborhood.
He also noted the example of the Costa Lopez Park which was expanded when land was purchased by the city in this area. He explained that if opportunities are reasonable, the city is open to the purchase of land convertible to open space. He noted that there is approximately $2.6 million dollars in an Open Space City Acquisition Fund in addition to Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. He also stated that within new projects of a certain size the city always encourages and often requires private developers and land owners to create open space which is accessible to the general public.
Stuart Dash stated that within the broader context of the policy discussion on open space, private development has always been a focal point. He noted that the Greene-Rose Park was a project that was worked on by many people, including residents and city staff. He explained that the Open Space Committee meets on a monthly basis and their broader policy is to operate on the long-term benefits of the city. Councillor vanBeuzekom asked who the members of the Open Space Committee are and whether the minutes could be made available on the city website. Mr. Rossi answered that the Committee has representatives from Community Development Department, Department of Public Works, Human Services, the Water Department, Arts, Conservation, Electrical and the City Manager's office. Councillor vanBeuzekom inquired as to how much money is allocated to this open space acquisitions. Mr. Rossi stated that a conservative estimate is approximately $36 million over the last several years not including Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. He stated that it is more difficult to find the rare opportunities for land purchase than it is to find the money necessary to acquire the land. He also noted that obviously there is a reasonable fair market value limit to what the city will consider paying for a property.
Councillor vanBeuzekom inquired of the relationship that the city has with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as it relates to open space. Mr. Rossi stated that the city has recently met with the DCR regarding the Lowell Park (located along Rt. 16 and Brattle Street). Mr. Rossi noted that this is a good example of how the city partners with the DCR. He noted that some abutters to Lowell Park feel that maintenance of the park could be improved. He stated that discussions have begun with the DCR regarding possibly shifting the management of Lowell Park to the city -- with the intention that the city would be allowed to be creative with the space. Another example is Gibbons Park on Alewife Brook Parkway (near Mass Ave). This land is owned by the DCR and some residents feel that this park is not as well maintained as it should be. Mr. Rossi noted that the city could take over the maintenance of this park with permission from the DCR. Stuart Dash stated that he regularly works with the DCR to look at the broad resources of the Charles River. He noted that it is a common goal of both groups to improve both the quality of and access to the Charles River.
Mr. Rossi then spoke of a conversion of a large land area that might make an open space difference - the location of the Department of Public Works yard. He stated there is a great benefit behind moving this yard to a more appropriate area within the city and to then repurpose the yard as a park. He stated that the Department of Public Works yard is located on 130,000 square feet or approximately three acres.
Councillor vanBeuzekom inquired of Mr. Rossi where the $2.6 million dollars in the open space city acquisition fund came from. Mr. Rossi stated that the city appropriated the money many years ago - as it is important to have funding ready and available when purchase opportunities arise.
Carolyn Meith asked how much money the City raises from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. Mr. Rossi answered that City contributions plus the MA state match was approximately $9.6 million in fiscal year 2012 -- but he expects that the figure could drop in following years.
Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that the Northpoint Park is a premier example of a successful open space that was created as result of a development partnership. She stated that this park is an example of a commercial developer building a park as a part of the property development agreement. She stated that an important but not widely noticed function of open space is storm water and flood water mitigation. Mr. Rossi stated that the Northpoint Park example is a case in which the open space had to be built before the building permits were issued. This language is in the city zoning requirements.
Councillor vanBeuzekom asked for ways to ensure that the Northpoint Park success is duplicated in other development projects throughout the city. Mr. Dash stated that the city is always thinking of and looking for opportunities to secure open space. He explained that the amendments to the City of Cambridge Zoning Ordinances in relation to the Alexandria Real Estate project was part of that thought process and because of this zoning change, a new city park will be created on Rogers Street. He noted that language is built into projects as they are rezoned and then discussed with both the public and the Planning Board. Mr. Dash stated that this a re-zoning benefit. The Northpoint development and the new Northpoint Park exist because the zoning discourages smaller pieces of land and instead prefers adjacent small pieces be combined into one large area of open space which then better enables recreational and pedestrian use of the land.
Councillor vanBeuzekom asked if there is a system in place for keeping track of predevelopment open space agreements so that the City doesn't lose the open space over time. Mr. Dash stated that the Community Development Department does keep track of open space and that when projects come to the Planning Board there is a review of open space that is committed to and required by zoning. He also stated that the city does check periodically that privately owned open spaces remain open to the public. He noted that the Community Development Department web site will soon have available a system that gives the details on all special permits issued. Listed within these special permits are the open space requirements.
Mr. Rossi then spoke about the 130 Brookline Street land which will be converted to open space and will give greater extension to the Pacific Street Park.
Councillor Kelley asked what entity cares for and is responsible for the open space that is the Cambridge Street overpass. He noted that it seems to be an in-between land and it is very important for both pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Mr. Rossi explained that this area is open to the public and when renovated the city will issue permits for the use of this area for major events. He noted that all aspects of this area are being reviewed including bike and pedestrian issues. He noted that there has been great input from city staff and in the end it will be a better site both in terms of bike and pedestrian traffic and a great opportunity for general recreation.
Councillor vanBeuzekom inquired if the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority had already transferred a parcel along Binney Street to the city. Stuart Dash stated that as part of the Boston Properties/Google Agreement, there was a transfer of a section at the corner of Binney St. to the corner of Broadway St. which will be part of broad plan for open space in the coming year.
Regarding the Alewife Reservation area, Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that there was information received from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs stating that they realize how important it is to keep intact the parcel of land surrounding the reservation. There is an amazing network of contiguous undeveloped land that stretches from Fresh Pond and connects both into the Alewife Brook Reservation and the Mystic River Watershed. She stated that it is very important to think regionally about his land. From a watershed perspective, this piece of currently undeveloped land is extremely valuable. She would like to have a discussion regarding how Cambridge can partner with the cities of Belmont and Arlington to ensure this land which is so unique and located within a dense, urban area is protected. She stated that this is both an important habitat and an important part of insuring the City of Cambridge properly adapts to ongoing climate change.
Anne-Marie Lambert, Belmont Town Meeting Member, spoke on the Belmont Silver Forest near the Alewife Brook Reservation. She noted that as evidence of support in Belmont, resolutions have been signed by a majority of Belmont Town Meeting members. She noted that historically, the obstacles have been within the state organizations in terms of setting aside state funding for preservation of this type of land. She noted that she would love to see the land kept as a reservation and that it is appraised at $13.5 million (but only if developable permits are acquired). It has been a challenge to have dialogue with the landowner. She also suggested that city leaders please keep this land as open space for our youth. There have been environmental camps at that site for the past six years and it is important what we are instilling in our youth both a concern for open space and a commitment to its future.
Mark Paolillo, Chair for the Belmont Board of Selectmen stated that he supports keeping the Belmont Silver Forest adjacent to the Alewife Brook Reservation as open space. He explained that he is concerned about development of this site. He would like to find a way to purchase this land but believes that there needs to be a way to partner together with other communities who are committed to the same purpose. He is concerned that time is running out.
He stated the great need for immediate and open dialogue with the City of Cambridge to find a way neighboring cities can partner together on this issue. He further explained that he is willing to meet with any representatives of the city. Councillor vanBeuzekom stated that she will work with her colleagues to request that a meeting take place with the City Manager on this issue. Since Deputy City Manager Rossi had departed for another city meeting, Councillor vanBeuzekom asked Assistant City Manager for Community Development, Brian Murphy for suggestions on how to proceed in this endeavor. Mr. Murphy replied that the city is typically focused on open space within the city limits and concerns, but regarding this topic, it would make sense to follow up with the City Manager.
Ellen Mass stated that it is her hope that there will be municipal, state, watershed and environmental groups involved in this process. She stated it is important that the city of Cambridge recognize it shares this space with regional abutters. She pointed out that on the map from the Open Space Committee there is no recognition for the Alewife Brook Reservation on the map. Mr. Dash informed Ms. Mass that the Alewife Brook Reservation is listed on the map and directed her to this information on the map.
Mr. Khalsa stated that as it relates to stakeholder consideration, the biggest impacts of preserving the Belmont Uplands area pertain to storm water management. Preserving land for the re-absorption of storm water is an issue that the Mystic River Watershed Association in concerned with. He stated that there are many municipal benefits to preservation of this area. He noted that while most of this land is not completely within the Cambridge city limits, it may still be an opportunity for Cambridge to protect its interests and his sense is that this is a case where one last parcel, if successfully preserved, may prove to have a vast and positive ripple effect on a much greater region. Preserving this land now, will be a move in the right direction towards better storm water management and watershed concerns looking forward --ten or fifty years from now.
Mr. Dash stated that many people participated in the rezoning of the Alewife Reservation. He stated that non-pervious parking lots have been turned back into reservation areas due to the city of Cambridge efforts to mitigate stormwater's effects.
Elsie Fiore, Arlington, stated that she is hoping that the cities of Cambridge and Belmont will join together with the city of Arlington. She explained that for many years emphasis has been focused on preserving the Alewife Reservation, south of Rt. 2 (Belmont/Cambridge side) and not enough consideration for the entire area, most especially in relation to impacts on flooding the area on the northern side of Rt. 2 (the Arlington side). She stated that the Mystic River Watershed Association has been active for many years -- positively educating individuals to these concerns.
David Landskov, Sustainable Arlington, wanted to remind City leadership that the best way to retain excess water runoff from storms is a tree. He stated that climate change means more flooding and that is a problem in Arlington.
Mr. Walker stated that he would like to say he is pleased that the discussion regarding the Alewife Reservation is taking place. He stated that this area of land is a valuable resource. Councillor Kelley stated that he holds to the view, that the city should not spend CPA monies on Cambridge Water Department projects. Instead, the CPA money should be spent on open space in Cambridge.
He commented that in order to preserve the Belmont Uplands land area, the money to purchase it has to be assembled so that it can be purchased. Without purchase funds he believes this land will be developed.
Councillor Cheung stated that the preservation of the Belmont Uplands land area is a topic that the City Council has been concerned with for some time. He stated that this is a challenging problem that will require neighboring communities to join together. He extended his support to this cause.
Councillor vanBeuzekom thanked all those present for their attendance.
The meeting adjourned at 6:20pm.
For the Committee,
Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom, Chair
Committee Report #7
The Civic Unity Committee held a public meeting on July 10, 2012 beginning at 9:01am in the Sullivan Chamber.
The purpose of the meeting was to address the spike in summertime violence and safe neighborhoods.
Present at the meeting were Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Leland Cheung; Robert Haas, Commissioner, Christine Elow, Deputy Superintendent, Christina Giacobbe, Chief Administrative Officer, Cambridge Police Department (CPD); Alexandra Donovan, Violence Prevention Coordinator, Cambridge Public Health Department; Brian Corr, Executive Secretary, Police Review and Advisory Board; Matt Nelson, Chief of Staff to Mayor Davis; Neal Alpert; and Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk's Office.
Also present were Acacia Nunes, Cambridge Chronicle; Jeffrey Schloman; Tim Severy, Director of Community Programs, East End House; Nancy O'Connell; Peter Daly, Executive Director, Homeowners Rehab Inc.; and Jamie Ward.
Vice Mayor Simmons opened the meeting and stated that the Civic Unity Committee meeting would discuss what proactive measures the city and the CPD are undertaking to diffuse violence before it erupts. She stated the need to seek ways to get the community and the churches more involved to buck the trend of increased violence during the summer. She noted that the Civic Unity Committee had made four recommendations and requests in 2011; that a point person be established by the CPD who would be a liaison to the City Council and to the community who would be responsible for releasing information after any given "incident" or situation, better communication by the CPD regarding their work and thoughts with the community by holding a yearly or twice-yearly community meeting or the release of a report, sensitivity training for all Cambridge police officers in terms of how officers interact with people of different races, ethnic backgrounds, gender, sexual orientation/identification and age and whether paid details that are being performed by personnel from other agencies are trained by the CPD and what that training consists of. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that there are a number of collaborations that are ongoing and that all of these collaborations are being conducted with sister agencies.
Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that she has been conducting training around procedural justice. She noted that the CPD Fair and Partial Training program does address biases and teaches how to keep biases in check. She noted that all officers have been trained. She stated that the City has been engaged in conversations with all of Middlesex County and that training has been well-received. Vice Mayor Simmons questioned how many of these training programs have been conducted. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that there have been sixteen trainings through the in-service training cycle and two trainings at the regional academies which touch approximately seventy-five officers in that program. This program will also be brought to the Lowell Regional Academy. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that it is important to hear of this work and that the average citizen does not know of the work that is being done. She noted that this was the first time she was hearing of it, and she imagined that most of her colleagues on the City Council likely had not heard of this work either. She stated that it is important for the Police Department to let the citizens know that these issues and others are being addressed. Deputy Superintendent Elow noted that she is working in collaboration with Brian Corr to get community training put in place but that this is in the very early stages of planning . She stated that it is important to educate the community in some fashion. Commissioner Haas stated that it is important to note that there needs to be a partnership between the police and the community. He stated that information needs to be given to the CPD by members of the community so they can break patterns and trends. He commented that community tips and information drives the police department impact. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that when the community has the mentality of us versus them it takes a sustained effort to break down the barrier and build the bridge.
Brian Corr stated that in his role as the Executive Secretary of the Police Review and Advisory Board he has been able to attend training and provide feedback after-the-fact. He spoke of the Tools for Tolerance initiative which looks at issues of bias, profiling, and officer reaction and decision-making. He noted that he was part of the pre-training to see how it might work in Cambridge. He commented that it was interesting to see how different people react to situations. He noted that the feedback has been worked into the trainings within the CPD. He stated that Tools for Tolerance was effective because it raised issues in a way that civilians and officers can both see and understand. He stated that to be able to bring this information back to the CPD and to give his personal perspective has been very rewarding. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that the feedback that has been received has been very positive. Vice Mayor Simmons noted that because Cambridge is an extremely diverse city, issues need to be looked at in a broad sense and she suggested that pre-course and post-course feedback from the police officers would be useful as it would help the CPD determine the impact and benefits of the course.
Commissioner Haas stated that much of this work is in the infancy stages. He noted that Cambridge has developed a lot of the curriculum from scratch. He noted that representatives from the CPD have been attending conferences regarding procedural justice and that great groundwork has been done. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that there is a cultural shift and officers are being asked to provide more information to both the person they are interacting with as well as bystanders, to provide more context for their actions.
Vice Mayor Simmons then moved to the topic of the Willow Street shooting and violence in the summer months when there is typically a spike in violence. She inquired as to what measures have been taken to diffuse violence and in what ways engaging the community and churches can change the trend. She commented that in the midst of the Willow Street incident it was mentioned that a community forum would be held after the funeral of the victim. She questioned whether this forum will take place. She noted that when she walked through the high school after the incident, she spoke to a number of students who said that they want the focus of the forum to come from the students. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she submitted a City Council order on June 11, 2012 for a community forum calling for a youth-driven discussion on violence in the community. She asked what the CPD is doing around the discussion of violence. Commissioner Haas stated that the CPD, Human Services Department, the Cambridge Health Alliance and Brian Corr have participated in discussions about the aftermath of a traumatic event in the community. He noted that the CPD has learned a lot and that they are learning that what was done in the past was counter-productive. Brian Corr stated that the Response Network has been pulled together. He noted that the common response is therapeutic in nature but that can exacerbate fears and worries. He stated that in the aftermath of the shooting it was important to show the students that support staff is present. He stated that he sat in on Crisis Response Team meetings, and helped to reinforce the message of support while at the same time looking forward to the goal of returning to normalcy. He stated that many people were traumatized by this incident because people are very connected in Cambridge. There were many different people who were touched directly such as teachers and friends of the victims. He noted that it is a work in progress but a very positive step to have the response network. He stated that the response went well but could have been better. The response team is trying to capture what was done right so that this information can be shared with others.
Alexander Donovan stated that a tremendous amount of people that showed up at the high school after the incident. She stated that she found that the students liked the community response. She visited the youth centers and spoke about grief and trauma and participated in a conference call to multiple youth centers to work with staff about how to talk to the kids, and how to recognize signs of grief and trauma even when children are not forthcoming about experiencing those feelings. She noted that the network is in the process of coming together and proactivity is very important. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she is pleased to hear about the response network but stated that she feels that it did not appear to be very organized. She stated that she believes that an ombudsman or point person should be appointed because she had to make three or four phone calls to find only basic information, such as victims' names, funeral information, which hospitals victims may be located and where to direct people for various types of counseling and assistance. She stated that there needs to be a hub where all the action comes and questioned if that person should be a designated person from the CPD. She would like to be able to direct people to one person who will be able to dispense accurate and important information.
Councillor Chueng stated that Somerville participates in a Reverse 311 system which notifies participants of different types of information including road closures, community events and emergencies. He noted that this may be another venue to get information dispersed. Vice Mayor Simmons noted that it is very important to have a centralized way of getting information to the community. She asked for information about the Response Team. Commissioner Haas stated that the Response Team is very structured, even if it does not outwardly appear to be. He noted that there is a steering committee which meets regularly. He stated that much work has been done by the Response Team. He comments that the Willow Street incident was complicated and despite that complication, coordination between City departments was remarkable. He stated that many decisions were not made right away but the CPD was in close contact with the family while also realizing the concerns of the larger community as well. He stated that there were meetings at the high school with the CPD and staff and the work was structured and well-coordinated. He noted that tweaking of the response will be evolutionary as the City moves forward. Vice Mayor Simmons recommended that if the response network is something that will be put forward to respond to crises in the city, she would ask that someone from the committee put something in writing to the City Council so that they are aware of the work that is being done and how this Response Team actually functions. Commissioner Haas stated that the CPD is developing a series of forums and looking to boards and commissions to be a feedback mechanism to the CPD.
Councillor Cheung stated that the CPD has done an excellent job going out into the community. He spoke of the Cambridgeport shooting and stated that he only saw approximately twenty community members. He stated that he believes that the police are clearly making the effort for outreach with the community. He stated that the challenge is to get residents to realize that it is their responsibility to work with the CPD. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that after Trevon Martin shooting there was a meeting at the Gately Youth Center and kids talked about their feelings. She noted that the meeting was arranged through the youth centers. She noted that approximately seventy-five young people attended this meeting.
Vice Mayor Simmons stated that before the summer is over and heading into the fall she would like to have a discussion with the teenagers about what they feel and think and give them the opportunity to share their ideas with the City's leaders. She noted that when talking with one CRLS student at the Career Resource Center, he stated that the kids don't know the police officers. He did not know about the Walk in My Shoes forum at the Moore Youth Center that had recently taken place. This was a valuable opportunity for relationship-building that this student was not aware of. She stated that this conversation was the impetus behind the youth-driven discussion that she would like to hold for youth. She affirmed that this forum needs to be as youth-driven as possible. Vice Mayor Simmons also said that it is important that the CPD make a sustained effort to reach out to the youth, and not just make the extra push after various incidents.
Jamie Ward stated that she is pleased to hear about the response at the high school immediately after the Willow Street incident. She stated that she knows seniors at the high school and knows that from this very small group of students that they were pleased with the response of the people who came to the high school. She spoke of the previous comment regarding the return to "normalcy" and she is questioned what normalcy is for adolescents in Cambridge. She noted that when it comes to teenagers, timing is everything. She stated that kids were talking a lot after incident and her fear is that in that period of calming down from the incident, kids figure out what you can and what you cannot talk about in front of adults. She worries about having lost an opportunity for kids to be honest about what "normalcy" looks like in Cambridge. She wonders how many kids are going to come forward and have an honest conversation. She stated that she was not being accusatory but that stated that all situations are fluid and people are moving in the best direction they can in the moment. She would like to think about how to be more nimble, particularly since we are dealing with adolescents who can feel very deeply about situations and feel equally deep about holding back information if they feel it is going to be hurtful that they identify a person and then feel they are in need of protection. Brian Corr stated that when he referred to "normalcy," it was looking at how to make sure that students have the counseling and psychological support that is needed yet still move on to graduation and be able to enjoy that experience in the midst of the circumstances. He stated that it more about ensuring that structures are in place so as they are ready to move forward, people can transition back into routines. Ms. Ward stated that the senior students felt that that was done extremely well and they were appreciative of living in Cambridge. She stated that the students felt taken care of. As it relates to the youth-driven forum, Vice Mayor Simmons stated that the students need to feel a level of ownership to the degree that they will come forward and talk. She stated that it is important to acknowledge the need for this type of conversation.
Vice Mayor Simmons stated that several years ago there was a meeting with management companies and housing officials to discuss the safety of neighborhoods from the perspective of the residents' building or the development. Mr. Peter Daly, HRI, stated that the CPD does a great job working with the different housing agencies. He noted that there is a level of frustration in that residents do not get involved to the degree that HRI would like, and that residents seem more likely to report suspicious activity to their building managers (who may not be in much of a position to act on this information) than to report such activity to the CPD. He stated that a hotline number is given out but that it does not seem to be working. He then pointed out positive examples of neighborhoods and communities working together with the CPD. He stated that at 808 Memorial Drive, residents sponsor National Night Out and police mingle with residents. He stated that there is a sense of cooperation. He stated that there are less problematic issues when collaboration is achieved. He stated that the non-profits and the Cambridge Housing Authority are meeting within the next week and questioned if they should be meeting as a group with the CPD. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that the City Council needs to be involved in that conversation as well. She questioned how to identify a problem family in particular buildings and strategies to move them along. Mr. Daly stated that sometimes it is the resident who is the problem but sometimes it is a visitor to a resident. He noted that HRI has very good lawyers and that HRI is very willing to remove problem tenants, but that hard evidence is needed when trying to remove problem tenants. He stated that other residents need to be willing to go to court and testify against offenders. He stated that the courts will respond when given proper evidence.
Councillor Cheung stated that by the time the drug deal happens, much preventative work has been missed. He spoke of a recent conversation with a resident who felt that when she called the CPD to report suspicious activity as she perceives it, she was made to feel as if she was a complainer. He believes that there needs to be a relationship with the CPD and residents where the residents can feel empowered, and where they will be advised that every little piece of information they can report can ultimately very helpful toward solving the larger problems, even if every single tip does not lead to immediate action. This relationship needs to be built before a drug deal comes to pass.
Vice Mayor Simmons stated that a couple of years ago there was a great deal of problems at one property in the city and much conversation took place regarding this building. She noted that now that building is changed. What has changed is that there is a social worker on site. She stated that a rapport was built between the social worker and the residents and that has made a difference in the building. She stated that this scenario may be a part of the solution.
Commissioner Haas stated that the CPD has had success working with property owners and management companies. He noted that the CPD is active in terms of helping facilitate management companies with problem tenants. They have done put in place a number of initiatives such as an anonymous tip line via phone call or text messaging. He noted that the key to the success of this initiative is letting families know that resources are available to them. Relating to drug activity, Commissioner Hass stated that drug investigations are long investigations and that people do not see that they are ongoing for months at a time and they get frustrated by what they perceive to be a lack of police support. He stated that it is critical to relay information regarding the ability to give the CPD anonymous tips. He stated that if the CPD needs to be made aware of problem areas. He stated that resources are driven by calls for service and that past activity helps to inform the CPD where resources are needed. He stated that the CPD is in contact with the management companies.
Vice Mayor Simmons stated that it would beneficial to notify tenants via newsletters or other methods when the management companies take corrective action to make their living situation better such as the removal of problem tenants. Notification will make people aware of negative consequences. Councillor Cheung echoed Vice Mayor Simmons' comment regarding the importance of notifying tenants that there are consequences to negative behavior. Vice Mayor Simmons stated that she would not like to see a negative attitude towards affordable housing and that further discussion is needed.
Jamie Ward stated that it would help if the teenagers trusted the police more. She stated that teens have told her that everybody knows that the building on Willow Street is a problem and questioned why nothing been done. She stated that the kids have accepted the idea that the police know about the problems at this building and that they do not care. She commented that if kids believe that scenario it contributes to them distrusting the police and shutting down when the police want them to share information. She noted that anything that can be done to help the teens understand that the adults are trying to keep them safe goes a long way.
Vice Mayor Simmons asked Commissioner Haas to provide information regarding the diversity of the CPD including the highest ranking woman and how many women of color with the CPD. She stated that she will await that information for discussion at a future meeting of the Civic Unity committee. Vice Mayor Simmons then asked about discipline regarding race and gender. She stated that what spearheaded this area of inquiry was a meeting that she attended in Boston by women patrol officers and their perception of the lack of advancement with police departments. She questioned how to make Cambridge a city where diversity is more than just a word that is thrown about. She also suggested that having a more diverse police presence may make community members more comfortable in sharing information and establishing relationships with the CPD. She stated that one way to make diversity more than just a buzz word is to look at people's roots and finding of similarities we may not have previously known about or appreciated.
Vice Mayor Simmons then stated that she will follow up on the June 11, 2012 City Council order that she introduced asking the City Manager to set in motion the organizing of a youth forum. She stated that she would also like to follow up on her June 11, 2012 City Council order asking for a joint meeting with the management companies and other area stakeholders to see if the city can figure out a way to make buildings safer. She stated that this work should be done by all City departments and stated her hope that inroads can be made around race, class, gender and sexual preference.
Vice Mayor Simmons thanked all those present for their participation.
The meeting adjourned at 10:15am.
For the Committee,
Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Chair
AWAITING REPORT LIST
12-02. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the repair of all street lights that are not working in Cambridge.
Vice Mayor Simmons and Full Membership 01/23/12 (O-1)
12-08. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on instituting a ban on plastic bags.
Councillor Decker, Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 01/23/12 (O-10)
12-12. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #17
RE: report on zoning changes for the Sullivan Courthouse and neighboring parcels.
Councillor Toomey, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves & Councillor vanBeuzekom 01/30/12 (O-7)
12-20. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on what steps the City will take to help the general public keep track of awaiting maintenance issues on things like park equipment, graffiti, sidewalks, etc.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Decker, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Maher, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 02/13/12 (O-4)
12-21. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the ownership status of the Cambridge Street overpass and on the abilities of universities and other organizations to close off property owned by them but enjoyed by the public.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 02/13/12 (O-6)
12-29. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the no left turn on the Cambridge Common and to remove the bicycle prohibition on certain streets, such as Whittemore Avenue. Referred back for additional information on 3/5/2012.
Councillor Kelley 02/13/12 (O-17)
12-40. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on improper leases and rental of owned affordable housing units. Reconsideration filed by Councillor Toomey on 6/11/2012. Report referred back to City Manager for more information on motion of Councillor Toomey on 6/18/12.
Councillor Reeves, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 03/19/12 (O-3)
12-41. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on what additional measures could be taken to improve the amount of municipal green purchasing by city government, including at the School Department.
Mayor Davis, Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 03/19/12 (O-4)
12-44. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how the proposal by Global Oil LLC will impact Cambridge. Referred back by Councillor Cheung for a report on 5/21/12.
Councillor Cheung, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 03/19/12 (O-10)
12-47. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on legal requirements for public notices and meetings of the Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 04/02/12 (O-2)
12-51. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of finding additional office space for the City Council.
Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Reeves & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/23/12 (O-5)
12-54. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how to establish an Community Choice Aggregation Network which will engage in electricity procurement for the entire City of Cambridge.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 04/23/12 (O-9)
12-57. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #26
RE: report on appropriate regulation of satellite dishes, possibly through an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance.
Mayor Davis and Full Membership 04/30/12 (O-2)
12-59. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on implementing a city-wide department answering service.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 05/14/12 (O-4)
12-63. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #23
RE: report on safety issues at the intersection of Mass Avenue and Vassar Street.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 05/14/12 (O-11)
12-64. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on current status of the Inlet Bridge and what steps the City can take to ensure that agreements with the Commonwealth are upheld.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 05/21/12 (O-1)
12-65. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on an explanation as the when the main library will be open on Sundays.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 05/21/12 (O-2)
12-67. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on implementing a ban on trucks transporting hazardous materials through the City.
Councillor Cheung 05/21/12 (O-5)
12-68. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #18
RE: report on whether NSTAR is able to ensure to the greatest extent possible the continued and successful flow of the City's electrical power.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-4)
12-69. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on repairing the condition of Avon Street and Shepard Street between Walker and Garden Streets.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-7)
12-70. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on accepting payment at parking meters via credit card.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-9)
12-71. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the possibility of converting the vacant lots at the corner of Watson and Brookline Streets and at 35 Cherry Street to community gardens or open space.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 06/04/12 (O-10)
12-72. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how increases in student loans might impact Cambridge students.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-11)
12-73. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #15
RE: report on whether automated external defibrillators can be utilized in police vehicles.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-12)
12-74. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of expanding the barbeque pilot program in parks throughout Cambridge.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-13)
12-75. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of providing a map of long term parking spots for rent on the City website.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-16)
12-76. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the Willow Street shooting.
Councillor Toomey 06/04/12 (O-18)
12-77. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on organizing a youth-focused community forum to discuss issues related to the shooting on Willow Street.
Vice Mayor Simmons and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-1)
12-78. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on expanding the number of Cambridge parks/playing fields with public toilets. Referred back to the City Manager on 6/18/12 on motion of Councillor Kelley.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-5)
12-79. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the construction of the Cambridge Street Overpass.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-7)
12-80. Report from the City Manager: See Mgr #16
RE: report on a list of bike corral stations and how locations for the corrals where chosen.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-8)
12-81. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on meeting with No. Mass Avenue neighbors, businesses and neighborhood groups about whether additional alterations to the median strip would be appropriate.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-9)
12-82. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of implementing an initiative similar to the Boston Meter Program.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-11)
12-83. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on adopting the local option set forth in "The Valor Act."
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-12)
12-84. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the process that insures the public way is maintained when sidewalk obstruction permits are renewed each year.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-13)
12-85. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on installing security cameras in the Donnelly Field area.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-14)
12-87. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the potential uses of the Foundry Building.
Councillor Toomey 06/04/12 (O-19)
12-88. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how the City plans to maintain grade separated bikeways and keep them free from sand, branches and other debris.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-7)