2. Thanks to Michael Monestime for his five years of work as Executive Director of the Central Square Business Association and best wishes in his future endeavors.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

R-2     Sept 27, 2021
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
VICE MAYOR MALLON
MAYOR SIDDIQUI

WHEREAS: On September 20, 2021, the Central Square Business Association announced that Executive Director Michael Monestime will be stepping down from his role after five years of pouring his blood, sweat, and tears into enhancing Central Square, lifting the area businesses, and bringing a renewed vitality to the local arts scene in this hub of the Cambridge community; and

WHEREAS: Michael Monestime has provided a shot into the arm of the Central Square neighborhood, tirelessly working to help establish and promote the neighborhood’s Business Improvement District, recruiting artists to create numerous, visually-striking murals across Central Square to help build greater connective tissue throughout the area, and establishing the Starlight Square project, among many other place-making endeavors; and

WHEREAS: In addition to his endless ideas for improving Central Square and his unbridled passion for the work, Michael Monestime brought with him a humble, friendly demeanor that made working with him as pleasurable as it was productive, and both Central Square and the Cambridge community have been enriched by his having devoted so much of his time, talent, and energies to his role these past five years; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record thanking Michael Monestime for his five years of work as Executive Director of the Central Square Business Association, and in wishing him well on his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Michael Monestime on behalf of the entire City Council.

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Sept 27, 2021  Amended
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: In recent days, Americans have looked on in horror and outrage as thousands of Haitian immigrants – who have fled the multiple crises in their home country and are seeking asylum in the United States – have made their way to Del Rio, TX, and have been forced to take shelter from the scorching heat under a bridge while being inhumanely treated by US Border Patrol officers; and
WHEREAS: The horrific situation these Haitian immigrants were experiencing, already heartbreaking, was made all the more disturbing as images of US Border Patrol agents on horseback appearing to whip migrants attempting to enter the country from Mexico were broadcast across the country; and
WHEREAS: The Biden Administration, while expressing remorse over the images of the US Border Patrol agents and empathy with the plight of the Haitian immigrants, has done little to actually alleviate the situation, and in some ways has worsened the situation by seeking to deport many of these asylum-seekers back to Haiti; and
WHEREAS: There is no suggestion that any quick or easy answers to this humanitarian crisis exist, and while it is recognized that the members of the Biden Administration likely have personal empathy for the plight of these Haitian asylum-seekers, it is clear that the Biden Administration must immediately change course towards enacting a more deliberate, empathetic, and humane method of resolving this humanitarian crisis, while striving to meet the high ideals that the United States has long espoused; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council formally go on record in standing in solidarity with the plight of the Haitian asylum-seekers in Texas, and in urging the Biden Administration to immediately recalibrate its approach to resolving this humanitarian crisis in Texas by treating these asylum-seekers with the humanity and basic decency they deserve; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward Markey, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, and Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley on behalf of the entire City Council, in the hopes that they will continue to share these sentiments with the Biden Administration.

O-2     Sept 27, 2021
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: It has come to the City Council’s attention that the building located at 689 Massachusetts Avenue, which currently is home to the Citizen’s Bank Central Square Branch, will be going on the market for sale in the near future; and
WHEREAS: This prime location could be utilized in a myriad of ways and potentially meet any number of critical needs if it were to come under the City’s ownership and control; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to reach out to the owner of 689 Massachusetts Avenue to inquire about the prospect of selling this building to the City of Cambridge, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.

O-3     Sept 27, 2021
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: Abortion care is essential health care and health care is a fundamental human right; and
WHEREAS: Equal access to abortion care everywhere is essential to social and economic participation, reproductive autonomy, and the right to determine ones future; and
WHEREAS: Equitable access to comprehensive reproductive health care—including abortion care is fundamentally a racial and economic justice issue; and
WHEREAS: The landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade upholds the constitutional right to privacy, including in health care decisions and the right to access abortion care; and
WHEREAS: The rights established in Roe v. Wade have been relied upon in this country for nearly 50 years with nearly 7 in 10 Americans agree with the decision that established a woman’s right to an abortion; and
WHEREAS: In 2020, the ROE Act was passed into law in the Commonwealth, abolishing unnecessary abortion restrictions and codifying the principles of reproductive freedom in Massachusetts state law; and
WHEREAS: Over the last decade reproductive rights and freedom have been under attack across the nation and since 2011, anti-abortion lawmakers throughout the country have pushed nearly 500 restrictive laws through state legislatures to make abortion difficult and at times completely impossible to access; and
WHEREAS: These abortion bans and restrictions have become more extreme and have aimed to restrict abortion as early as 6 and 8 weeks of pregnancy—before many people even know they are pregnant; and
WHEREAS: Abortion bans do not stop abortion, they merely push safe, necessary care out of reach of the most vulnerable and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and those struggling to make ends meet; and
WHEREAS: On Sept 1, 2021 the Supreme Court denied an emergency request to block Texas S.B. 8, a blatantly unconstitutional and radical six-week abortion ban that also incentivizes vigilantism and provides a $10,000 reward for private citizens who sue their neighbors on suspicion of abetting abortion; and
WHEREAS: The Texas SB 8 bill will not be the last attack on reproductive freedom; this fall, the Supreme Court is scheduled to consider another case from Mississippi that takes direct aim at the core protections of Roe v. Wade; and
WHEREAS: It is clear that the ultraconservative majority on the Supreme Court is not interested in defending abortion rights and access from these constant attacks and has now helped to advance the agenda to end access to safe abortion; and
WHEREAS: Congress can and must act to pass legislation that affirms reproductive rights, freedom and justice and codifies protections in Roe v. Wade in federal law once and for all; and
WHEREAS: The Women’s Health Protection Act, co-introduced by Massachusetts’s own Representative Ayanna Pressley along with Representative Judy Chu is the legislative solution that would fight back against these ultraconservative attacks on abortion access and codify the right for doctors to provide and patients to access abortion care free from medically unnecessary bans and restrictions; and
WHEREAS: Each day that goes by without Congressional action means that more people— disproportionately Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those struggling to make ends meet-- will be denied their constitutional right to abortion; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record in support of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s Women’s Health Protection Act as the legislative solution to fight back against the calculated attacks on reproductive rights and freedom across the country; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council urges President Biden to swiftly sign the Women’s Health Protection Act into law and continue to use the full power of the Presidency to affirm reproductive rights and justice for all; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the Cambridge delegation and President Biden on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-4     Sept 27, 2021  Amended
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: Over the course of the past several months the Department of Human Services programs have made changes to after school programming, including changing to a lottery system for enrollment; and
WHEREAS: The DHSP made other changes, including Community School admission, and staffing issues; and
WHEREAS: These changes resulted in families not being notified regarding their acceptance or non-acceptance into after school programs until right before the start of the 2021-2021 school year, leaving many families scrambling for after school placements for their children; and
WHEREAS: These changes and communications issues have left many families feeling angry and frustrated; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager direct the DHSP to issue a report, including but not limited to the specific changes in programming that were made this year, how many students are being served compared to previous years, demographic information on the children being served, any obstacles to providing additional after school programming, the new lottery system, and why there was a delay in notifying parents, and the feasibility of appointing a parent advisory board to DHSP help in future programmatic changes; and be it further
ORDERED: That this report be sent to the Human Services and Veteran’s Committee of the City Council for a public meeting.

O-5     Sept 27, 2021
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that the Biden administration is continuing to use a Trump-era policy known as Title 42 to expel tens of thousands of individuals and families seeking asylum at the southern border, including 16,000 in August 2021 alone; and
WHEREAS: A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to stop this practice, ruling that the Title 42 policy does not authorize the expulsion of migrants and also that it does not allow for those removed to be denied the opportunity to seek asylum in the US; and
WHEREAS: The Biden administration is actively appealing the ruling and continues to defend their aggressive use of Title 42 in court; and
WHEREAS: Rhetoric around public health and the pandemic should not be used as pretext to quickly expel immigrants from our country; and
WHEREAS: Most recently, the Biden administration has made use of Title 42 to expedite and accelerate the deportation of more than 15,000 Haitian people who have sought asylum in Del Rio, Texas in the aftermath of a severe earthquake and political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in September 2021; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge is proud to be home to a substantial Haitian community, and these recent events have caused immense pain and trauma; and
WHEREAS: The Cambridge City Council cannot be silent as the Biden administration continues to enforce and defend a racist Trump-era immigration policy and deny the rights of Haitian people and others coming across the border to request asylum; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record urging the Biden administration to completely stop their inappropriate use of the Title 42 policy, and to allow those seeking asylum to enter the US; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-6     Sept 27, 2021
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: The 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, widely recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture, will be celebrated nationally as the “Olmsted Year” on April 26, 2022; and
WHEREAS: Along with Charles Eliot, F.L. Olmsted envisioned the stately allée of “sycamore” (plantanus orientalis) trees, the first of which was planted on April 22, 1897, along the stretch of Memorial Drive that is now known as Riverbend Park; and
WHEREAS: The People for Riverbend Park Trust, the non-profit organization founded by Isabella Halstead in 1975 to establish a place for peaceful recreation along the Charles River by eliminating vehicular traffic on Memorial Drive on Sundays, has proposed placing a historic marker at the site where the first sycamore tree was planted; and
WHEREAS: The Trust proposes that the marker be dedicated in late April 2022 in conjunction with the Olmsted Year celebration and when Riverbend Park typically opens for weekend recreation; and
WHEREAS: The Trust provided the City’s Community Preservation Act Committee with conceptual renderings (provided by landscape architect Gary Hilderbrand) of a granite marker and an estimate that it would cost about $24,000 to fabricate and install; and
WHEREAS: The proposed inscription on the marker reads:

AT THIS SITE THE FIRST OF THE TREES FORMING THE ALLÉE OF PLATANUS ORIENTALIS
WAS PLANTED ON 22 APRIL 1897 AS PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE
CAMBRIDGE RIVERFRONT BASED ON PLANS DATED THAT YEAR BY F. L. OLMSTED AND J. C. OLMSTED
FOR THE CAMBRIDGE PARK COMMISSION FOLLOWING THE VISION AND INTENTIONS
OF FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED (1822-1903) AND CHARLES ELIOT (1859-1897)

WHEREAS: The proposed Olmsted marker did not receive CPA funding due to a surplus of requests for historic preservation grants exceeding the available funds; and
WHEREAS: The People for Riverbend Trust very much hopes that another source of municipal funding can be found for the marker, and that the City can help secure the necessary support and cooperation from the State’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), under whose jurisdiction Memorial Drive falls; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the staff at the Cambridge Historical Commission, the DCR Commissioner, and members of Cambridge’s state delegation to approve, fund and execute the design and installation of a suitable historic marker by April 2022 to recognize the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted and others in transforming the Cambridge riverfront landscape, and report back on their progress before the end of the current Council term.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Ordinance Committee met to conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2021-2).

Date: Thurs, Apr 8, 2021 5:30pm Sullivan Chamber
Present: Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
Absent: Siddiqui

Councillor Carlone called the meeting to order and gave the floor to the petitioners.

The petitioners provided a PowerPoint presentation which is attached to these minutes. Daniel Mascoop explained how housing contributes to climate change. He explained that attached homes and apartments are more energy efficient than single detached homes. Rebecca Schofield explained that the larger number of jobs is creating a housing imbalance. She stated that there is a gap in the housing stock that is available.

Daniel Mascoop explained the zoning has created this unsustainable status quo.

Allan Sadun stated that over half of the buildings in Cambridge neighborhoods are already above their maximum number of units allowed under current zoning. The current zoning encourages people to build individual detached boxes surrounded by paving without basically any backyard. The proposal is to allow three story, multifamily housing with off street parking being optional. He explained how the proposal would increase open space and affordable residential units.

Rebecca Schofield stated that the petition will create more housing options, units will be smaller, and they will be more affordable.

Councillor Carlone opened the floor to questions from the council.

In response to a question from Councillor McGovern about who access to this housing will have, Alan Sadun stated that the term missing middle refers to a middle level of density, not income. The petitioners anticipate that the units being in range of middle income and upper middle-income households, making between 100% and maybe 150% of the area’s median income.

Rebecca Schofield added that she would love to see programs from the city to make these units affordable.

In response to a question from Councillor McGovern about they calculated the expect sale price of these units, Alan Sadun stated the rule of thumb for new construction is that it sells between $800 to $1,000 per square foot of per unit. The luxury single family homes are closer to that $1,000 per square foot level. This proposal encourages units in the $800 range.

In response to a question from Councillor McGovern about what prevents some from demolishing a multifamily residence and replacing it with a larger single-family, Alan Sadun suggested adding language to increase FAR for multifamily developments.

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about the height limitations, Alan Sadun stated that the limitations are similar to the limitations in the Affordable Housing Ordinance. He added that the petitioners do not want to restrict things like very well insulated roofs or solar roofs that increase the energy efficiency of these buildings. He stated that the intent was not to create new options to go high.

Councillor Zondervan pointed out that the petition allows projects to go more than three stories above grade with a special permit granted by the planning board.

In response to a question from Councillor Nolan about infill, Alan Sadun stated that they did not look at that specific scenario.

Councillor Nolan stated that buildings are being taken down and she urged the city to look into infill.

In response to a question from Councillor Carlone about adding unit size limitations, Alan Sadun stated that they had not thought about that issue.

Councillor Carlone raised some concerns with the open space requirement. “That's what I thought, but I thought your input might dissuade me. So, we will go to community development now who have written I believe it was 18-page analysis and history of zoning as it relates, in part to this petition before us. And then they very much related to envision, which I appreciate and implications of that. So, assistant city manager, Farouk, welcome. And please take over and introduce your staff as they come on. Thank you.”

Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager of Community Development, explained that the Planning Board did not yet have a recommendation on the petition. They were very much in support of the goals of the petition, and thought that if there was a recommendation, it would be for the council to consider eliminating single and two families zoning in the city and not having districts that that were restricted to that lower development level.

Jeffrey Robert, Director of Planning and Development, explained that the Planning Board deliberately did not vote to send a report to council at this time. Instead, their conclusion of that meeting, was to have staff provide the Planning Board a summary of their discussion to that point, so that they could talk about it some more before reaching a conclusion and delivering a report. The Board talked about the racist and classist origins of zoning across the country, including in Cambridge and the need to acknowledge and confront it, rather than looking at zoning as a given. Another topic was about multifamily housing in particular, and whether it should be allowed everywhere. A lot of the discussion at the board was around the possible impacts of the proposed change. concerns were raised by some board members about whether this would provide greater housing affordability, or whether it would only result in higher priced market rate units. Some concerns were also raised about how this proposal would interact with the affordable housing overlay, which is intended to advantage permanently affordable housing by creating a difference between what could be allowed in terms of density for affordable housing compared to what is allowed under base zoning.

In response to a question from Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler about the impact of the petition of the Affordable Housing Overlay, Iram Farooq stated the city has not done an of how many lots might be affected by the Affordable Housing overlay.

Chris Cotter, Housing Director, added that there is the intention in the overlay that there would be some type of infill housing. The overlay was scaled to try to give enough of an advantage to an affordable housing builder to compete against the market rate developer who might be looking at that same site. To the extent that you raise that base that the market rate developer might look at will impact the overlay by definition.

Vice Mayor Mallon stated that she met with all the affordable housing builders and was pleasantly surprised how supportive they were of this particular petition, and that they did not feel that it would really do too much damage to them. There was a desire by the affordable housing builders to put a unit cap on what can be built in the missing middle petition.

In response to a question from Vice Mayor Mallon about unit caps, Iram Farooq stated it would be challenging to come up with that number. She stated that the number would probably be six, but the department would need to do research.

Councillor Zondervan stated that affordable homeownership is generally made available through smaller projects.

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about the potential impact of the petition on these types of projects, Iram Farooq stated that the city has not explicitly done such an analysis.

Chris Cotter added that the affordable homeownership developments tend to be smaller. Pressures will pop up and in ways that may not always be understood.

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about the elimination of parking minimums, Iram Farooq stated the city has not generally recommended removing parking minimums for residential but has discussed lower numbers.

Councillor Nolan made sure that the planning board was told that the council has already started exploring eliminating single family zoning and addressing parking minimums.

Councillor Nolan expressed concern about the potential impact of the proposal on smaller affordable projects.

Councillor Carlone moved to suspend rules to extend to 9pm.
Yea: Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
Absent: Siddiqui

Bill Boehm stated that he is an architect and that people have a hard time creating small multi-family units. He wants to see Cambridge evolve into a more pedestrian friendly, climate change prepared city that welcomes and accommodates people from all walks of lives, as documented by envision Cambridge.

Justin Saif stated middle income in Cambridge is much higher than many people realize 80% to 120% of area median income for a family of four its $95,000 to $143,000. Under the status quo housing costs have skyrocketed, resulting in significant displacement and harm to tenants. The most common displacement scenario is that the landlord reaches an advanced age and passes away and their children have no interest and instead sell the property.

Henry Wortis believes that single family zoning should be eliminated, but preparation is necessary. Otherwise, this will worsen the housing crisis by allowing market forces to determine the housing outcomes.

Elizabeth Gilmore opposed the petition for the following reasons. She stated that it will hurt the city’s other efforts to create more affordable housing.

Louise Parker stated that the petition does not provide any provisions for low- or moderate-income housing. It will produce housing for upper middle or even wealthy individuals.

John Gilmore spoke in opposition to the zoning petition. I'm 74. I've lived in Cambridge all my life. No consideration is given in the proposal to the unique historic and neighborhood character of the city.

Christopher Schmidt stated that the status quo is terrible. It causes the city to lose homes that are at the lower end, the naturally affordable, naturally occurring, affordable housing.

Jonathan Behrens expressed support for the petition. The key element of the petition is how it adjusts lot area per dwelling unit requirements. The minimum lot area per dwelling unit for each zone determines the number of units of housing that can be built on a given parcel equivalently.

James Zall has owned a home in Cambridge for 23 years. During that time, the growing demand for housing has combined with decades of restrictive zoning to provide a sizeable financial benefit. A household at the Cambridge median income can afford less than $2400 in monthly rent while many apartments have climbed above that level. The petition is a reasonable and necessary step toward making Cambridge the city it used to be and has the capacity to be again.

Adrian Servetnick stated that market rate housing development is a key part of any plan to reduce rents for Cambridge residents and address the housing crisis. It is absolutely impossible to create affordable housing without significant subsidy in order to create enough affordable units for the more than 10,000 households in Cambridge that earn less than $75,000 a year and are rent burdened. In contrast, market rate housing does not require subsidies. It requires only that the city allowed developers to build the housing. He encouraged the committee to adopt the petition.

Camilla Elvis stated that the petition meets six of the seven core values of Envision Cambridge.

Ben Simon opposed the petition. He stated that he has been displaced due to the profiteering of real estate developers. He stated that the city needs to focus on increasing Affordable Housing.

Huma Gupta stated that the petition continues the classist and racist legacy of exclusionary zoning through the mechanism of unfettered market rate development.

Philip Wellons opposed the petition. Developers are allowed to build more medium cost housing but do not have to. Developers are allowed to use state of the art materials, but may have reasons to go cheaper, such as the offset high land costs. Developers are allowed to eliminate up to 50% of our private residential tree canopy. This petition projects a future based on false hope but opens a future that is more of the same luxury development.

Bill McAvinney stated that the city is experiencing a displacement crisis. Since the loss of rent control, there are a few tools available to prevent displacement. Each affluent household that moves into Cambridge displaces one Cambridge family. This proposal will make it possible for single family homes to be converted to multi-family units. That will shift the pressure to convert from multifamily homes, which is the current supply of existing low and moderate priced housing.

Christopher Mackin spoke in opposition to the petition. He stated that the petition would add upward pressure to land values and aggravate the housing crisis that exists in the City of Cambridge.

Jessica Sheehan spoke in support of the petition. She described her challenges finding market-rate housing.

Elizabeth Houghteling stated that the petition will accelerate the replacement of existing housing by high end townhomes and condominiums. Old tenants will be tossed out in favor of those who can afford luxury accommodations.

Monty Montero-Elliott spoke in opposition to the petition. Cambridge must prioritize the issue of affordability.

Aaron Homer spoke in support of the petition.

Pawel Latawiec spoke in support of the missile petition. The petition is an opportunity to reflect on how the written law aligns with the city’s values.

Elizabeth Gombosi the petition will benefit developers and speculators, not the residents of Cambridge.

Peter Williams spoke in support of the petition. President Biden's American jobs plan specifically encourages cities to eliminate exclusionary zoning laws like minimum lot sizes, mandatory parking requirements and prohibitions on multifamily housing.

Fritz Donovan stated that the city needs to convert surplus office space into residences and retrofit under-occupied single- and two-family homes into multi occupancy dwellings and do it without the waste and environmental damage caused by demolishing perfectly functioning buildings and destroying the increasingly scarce open space and trees.

Lynne Reiss stated that two and three family houses, in general, have a history of providing housing for young professionals and families. She opposed the petition because it takes aim at two and three family homes and actually provides incentives for demolition and reduction in green space and the tree canopy.

Michael Hoff spoke in support of the petition. He stated that there is a shortage of housing in the city.

Joel Greenberg stated his building was sold to developers who failed to maintain a living standard for the building through the end of his lease, and now plan to replace the building with one and a half million-dollar condos. The city should not be in the business of turning parcels of land into financial assets for people who own a lot of assets but do not wish to make any investment in the city, its people, or institutions.

Dan Eisner spoke in support of the petition.

Robert opposed the petition. It seeks to solve a city-wide problem with an all-encompassing solution that totally disregards all the many differences in the many neighborhoods of Cambridge.

Neil Miller spoke in support of the petition. The city needs to build more housing units.

Ann Fogler spoke in opposition to the petition. Cambridge needs to invest in the underserved, underserved on house black and brown communities, not deep in private developers’ pockets. There is an existing housing crisis in Cambridge but rushing a petition that has not been thoroughly vetted and lacks consideration for the communities it ultimately affects is not the answer.

Burhan Azeem stated that the sad truth is that if there is a limited supply of housing. He supports the petition because it targets housing to middle income individuals.

Marilee Meyer spoke against the petition. It allows developers to dictate what gets built and would encourage tear downs for investment return while adding to the carbon footprint.

Valerie Bonds spoke against the petition.

Richard Harding stated that he was not in favor of the petition. He suggested that the city take more time to work towards a real solution for the working families of Cambridge.

Lee Ferris stated that the proposal should be either voted down or very substantially amended.

Janice Snow spoke in opposition to the petition. The petition supports developers.

Nicola Williams asked at the City Council to reject the petition. The new buildings resulting from this proposed zoning will not supply the needed low income or middle-income housing.

Piper Winkler spoke in opposition to the petition. The petition does not restrict the number of luxury condos that can be built in Cambridge.

Heather Hoffman stated that the National Association of Home Builders tells you that this proposal is not going to produce what city wants in housing.

Lori Thomas spoke in favor of the petition. The city has been building large, detached, single family homes that do not meet the needs of people who have less than a very large amount of money.

Matthew Wallace spoke in support of the petition.

Vice Mayor Mallon moved to close public comment.
Present: Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zondervan
Absent: Siddiqui, Toomey

Councillor Zondervan stated that one of the challenges of this proposal is that it only proposes to build market rate housing. He suggested that the council apply the inclusionary zoning principles to this petition. He stated that he would propose an amendment to the petition.

Councillor McGovern recommended not necessarily amending the petition tonight but asking Community Development to come back with information for an amendment.

Vice Mayor Mallon supported the statement from Councillor McGovern.

Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler stated that the city needs to repeal exclusive single-family zoning. He stated that zoning defines what cannot be built, not what can. He expressed concern about the lack of affordable market rate housing.

Councillor Nolan stated that she found it hard to understand the impact of this petition. She stated that inequity exists regarding access to the tree canopy and open space in areas of the city. She urged the council and the administration to develop solution to the problem raised by the petition.

Councillor McGovern stated that only 7% of housing in Cambridge is single family housing. Currently, if a multi-family is demolished, only a single-family can be built in its place. This petition is trying to change that so that people will not be forced to build a single-family home. He stated that this is an important conversation.

He stated that Cambridge is becoming a people with people who are really wealthy and people who live in

subsidized housing, and very few in the middle. He suggested keeping the petition in committee. Councillor Carlone thanked the petitioner for pushing the city to think about this issue. He stated that different neighborhoods are being inundated with backyard development.

Councillor Carlone moved to suspend the rules to extend to extend the meeting to 9:10pm.
Yea: Carlone, Mallon, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
Absent: McGovern, Siddiqui

Councillor Carlone moved that CDD review any issues discussed at tonight's meeting for a response at the next committee meeting.
Yea: Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
Absent: Siddiqui

Councillor Carlone moved to recess.
Yea: Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
Absent: Siddiqui

Documents received:

A Zoning Petition Has been received from Carolyn Fuller - Ordinance #2021-2 Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition.

A communication was received from Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager / Community Development, regarding the Missing Middle Zoning petition.

A communication was received from Allan Sadun, regarding a presentation for Ordinance Committee Hearing on Apr 8, 2021.

Sundry communications received in regard to the Missing Middle Zoning Petition.