2019 Municipal Election

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2019.     List of Candidates who pulled nomination papers

Cambridge Candidate Pages    2019 Cambridge City Council Campaign Bank Reports

There will be 22 City Council candidates and 11 School Committee candidates.

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Cambridge City Council and School Committee candidates: 1941 to 2019  (plain text) (PDF) - updated Aug 3, 2019

Candidate	election	Age	address	ZIP	Occupation	sigs	certified
Akiba, Sukia	CC	33	343 Walden St.	02140		100	72
Azeem, Burhan	CC	22	91 Sidney St. #814	02139	MIT student	83	57
Carlone, Dennis	CC	72	9 Washington Ave. #6	02140	Architect	64	62
Franklin, Charles	CC	27	162 Hampshire St. #1R	02139	Engineer	60	58
Kelley, Craig A.	CC	57	6 Saint Gerard Terr. #2	02140	Politician	81	73
Kopon, Derek Andrew	CC	39	8 Wright St. #2	02138	Engineer	83	79
Levy, Ilan S.	CC	52	148 Spring St.	02141	Software Engineer	76	58
Mallon, Alanna	CC	48	3 Maple Ave.	02139	Designer	80	72
McGovern, Marc C.	CC	50	15 Pleasant St.	02139	Social Worker	100	91
McNary, Jeffery	CC	71	116 Norfolk St.	02139	Writer	76	60
Mednick, Risa	CC	55	20 Maple Ave.	02139	Nonprofit Mgmt	65	59
Moree, Gregg J.	CC	62	25 Fairfield St. #4	02140		87	76
Musgrave, Adriane	CC	34	5 Newport Rd. #1	02140		95	93
Nolan, Patricia M.	CC	62	184 Huron Ave.	02138	School Committee	67	65
Pitkin, John	CC	75	18 Fayette St. #2	02139	Retired	73	70
Siddiqui, Sumbul	CC	31	283 Sidney St. #3	02139	Attorney	100	93
Simmons, E. Denise	CC	68	188 Harvard St. #4B	02139	City Councillor	100	95
Simon, Ben	CC	34	67 Bishop Allen Dr. #2	02139	Teacher	68	61
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan	CC	27	19 Trowbridge St #6	02138		90	78
Toomey, Timothy J., Jr.	CC	66	88 6th St.	02141	City Councillor	100	97
Williams, Nicola A.	CC	56	8 Brewer St. #5	02138		100	89
Zondervan, Quinton	CC	49	235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave.	02141	Entrepreneur	93	71
Allen, Ruth Ryan	SC	55	48 Fenno St.	02138	Business Owner	91	85
Bowman, Mannika L.	SC	39	134 Reed St.	02140		98	87
Dawson, Bernette J.	SC	37	71 Oxford St. #8	02138		58	58
Dexter, Emily R.	SC	62	9 Fenno St.	02138	Research	96	93
Fantini, Alfred B.	SC	70	4 Canal Park #203	02141	Retired	100	98
Kadete, Elechi M.	SC	30	10 Laurel St. #4	02139	Financial Analyst	68	58
Lim, Christopher	SC	44	48 Pleasant St.	02139	Engineer	72	67
Rojas Villarreal, Jose Rojas	SC	48	19 Cornelius Way	02141	Loan Officer	73	70
Weinstein, David J.	SC	46	45 S. Normandy Ave.	02138	Writer/Communications	67	60
Weinstein, Rachel	SC	44	60 Standish St. #1	02138		100	94
Wilson, Ayesha	SC	37	15 Concord Ave.	02138		76	67

Mar 27, 2019 – A few words on the "Overlay" proposal

Personally, this Overlay proposal obliterates over 35 years of what changes could be expected around where I live, and I don’t live in the upper crust part of town. The limiting factor has been the floor area ratio (FAR) – 1.0 for commercial and 0.75 for residential. I have always lived with the possibility that a higher building could appear next door, but that the footprint of the building would have to be smaller and additional setbacks would create a little breathing room between the buildings. That seemed like a reasonable expectation – one that I could easily live with.

During the time I have owned my triple-decker I negotiated with one neighbor so that a small extension would have a roof line that allowed light to continue to get to my first floor apartment. When the neighboring building changed hands and they wanted to add air conditioning units on the roof, I negotiated to ensure that they would be located far enough from my windows so that the added sound would be acceptable. These are the kinds of negotiations that happen when buildings are at or somewhat above the allowable density. Through it all I maintained very reasonable rents to all of my tenants since 1985.

If this Overlay proposal is approved, a new owner could build straight up to a height taller than my building with no setback whatsoever from the property line. Furthermore, the building could cover almost the entire lot yielding a density between 3 and 4 times what is allowed today. No sunlight whatsoever would get to my building. I would have no rights whatsoever to object.

Do I take this personally? Yes. If this were to happen I would likely look for another place to live after being here for over 40 years. So I’m looking now at the few potentially reasonable city councillors to step in and prevent this from happening. If adding to our already high percentage of subsidized housing units is your priority, you should really find a way to do this that doesn’t involve throwing me and others under the bus. – Robert Winters

Midsummer Madness - Featured Items on the Tues, July 30, 2019 City Council Agenda Here's my first pass at the more interesting stuff. On Electric Vehicles and Electric Infrastructure Manager's Agenda #22. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Numbers 19-13, 19-71 and 19-78, regarding Eversource substation expansion, energy projections and overall update on process. Manager's Agenda #23. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-59, regarding exploring a pilot for Level 1 (110V) EV and micromobility charging stations on street light poles throughout the city. Manager's Agenda #24. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-07, regarding a report on Boston's electric vehicle charging station home rule petition and proposed similar language for City Council consideration. [Solicitor opinion] [Home Rule Petition] [Proposed Order] Manager's Agenda #25. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-141, regarding a report on safe way to bring power to the curb and across sidewalks to power electric vehicles. I find these developments interesting in the sense that we're seeing the future incrementally unfold. It is, however, worth noting that any decrease in the use of fossil fuels for vehicles or in buildings inevitably will lead to greater demand for electricity - at least in the near term, hence the relevance of the expansion of substations, etc. The likelihood that solar panels and rooftop wind turbines will take up the slack is more fantasy than reality. On Picking Winners in the Cannabis Sweepstakes Unfinished Business #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the proposed Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance. [Draft Ordinance] [Advertised Draft Ordinance] [Zondervan memo] [Kelley Memo] Committee Report #4. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone Co-Chair and Councillor Craig A. Kelley, Co-Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on June 27, 2019 was to continue discussions on a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code to add a new Chapter 5.50 entitled “Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance.” The Council will pass something very soon, but I continue to marvel at the degree to which some councillors are trying to pick the winners. Affirmative action is great, but there comes a point where this becomes simple political patronage. On Preferential Treatment for Certain Developers in Perpetuity Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Jan Devereux, Co-Chair and Councillor Quinton Zondervan, Co-Chair of the Health and Environment Committee for a public hearing held on June 4, 2019 to discuss the proposed 100% Affordable Housing Overlay as it relates to the tree canopy, open space, green space and stormwater management. Committee Report #7. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone Co-Chair and Councillor Craig A. Kelley, Co-Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on July 2, 2019 to discuss a proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to create a city-wide Affordable Housing Overlay District (AHOD). Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a memorandum from Councillor Carlone, regarding the general public my comments and questions, and zoning recommendations for the proposed Affordable Housing Overlay submitted on Apr 25, 2019. Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a memorandum from Councillor Mallon and Mayor McGovern regarding Amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay. Regardless how one feels about this Overlay business, it is very clear that this proposal should properly be viewed as an emergency measure and that there should be a sunset clause after which it goes away unless it is freshly reauthorized at some point - perhaps 3-5 years from now. That said, each iteration of this dreadful proposal moves further toward making it permanent, i.e. a permanent mechanism for converting privately-owned residential property into public or quasi-publicly owned residential property. Sunset is being replaced with "review" which means precisely nothing. Apparently, the current group of nine councillors seems hell-bent on literally turning Cambridge into the Peoples Republic of Cambridge where the notion of private property is met with nothing but disdain. Zoning should be about predictability and consistency so that when properties change hands there can be reasonable expectations. This proposal replaces consistency with chaos. This proposal should not pass, but if it does I hope that nobody ranks any of its supporters anywhere on their City Council ballot. This includes some people who I have considered friends, but they will not even get an honorable mention on my ballot if they vote in favor of this travesty. There may be other proposals that are worthy of support, but they are not currently before this City Council. Zoning regulations should not be authored by the beneficiaries of preferential zoning. Everything Else Manager's Agenda #32. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-60, regarding small business parking pilot. The City Solicitor's opinion regarding how such a program could jeopardize Resident Parking is quite interesting. Applications & Petitions #10. A revised Petition has been received from Stephen R. Karp, Trustee of Cambridge Side Galeria Associates trust to amend the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance by adding a new Section 13.100 to Article 13.00 of the Zoning Ordinance and to amend the Zoning Map to add a new PUD-8 District overlay that certain area (which includes parcels and portions of ways and streets) labeled as "PUD-8 district". The proposal could help to make this area much more vital and inviting than it is today. This re-filed version reduces some of the heights of the prior proposal with added community benefits. It will be interesting to see how this fares and if the City administration is capable of weaving this together with other developments in the area into a unified whole. Order #6. City Council opposition to any proposal that would increase allowable semi-truck weight or trailer length without the ability to regulate such at the municipal level.   Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Siddiqui As a resident of one of the "corridors" that some councillors seem to use so frequently as political fodder, I am very interested in lessening the impact of the larger tractor-trailers that inevitably seem to find their way onto streets like mine. Whatever happened to the notion that local delivery vehicles should be used for local deliveries? Order #7. That the Government Operations/Rules and Claims Committee be and hereby is requested to coordinate with relevant representatives from the Attorney General’s office and the City Manager’s office to hold a meeting, to include City staff, to review Open Meeting Law requirements for elected and appointed City officials.   Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan Pardon my iconoclasm, but as long as there is plenty of disclosure and sufficient notice and a very public discussion for at least a week or two prior to an important vote, I have no issue with elected officials hashing out some details out of public view. Order #11. That the Government Operations/Rules and Claims Committee is requested to coordinate with relevant staff to hold a meeting to discuss the feasibility of adding a private attorney budget item to the City Council budget.   Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux This request has been made and rejected countless times, and it should be rejected again. What would be better (and simpler) is to establish a protocol where the City Council can request that the Law Department work directly with the City Council or its committees on specific matters where it may be warranted. The last thing we need is to have a City Council attorney and the Law Department doing battle. Bear in mind that even though the City Manager has a contract, he still serves "at the pleasure of the City Council." Order #16. That the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee is requested to hold a hearing to review City policy on sidewalk surface treatments, with the goal of clearly establishing that where sidewalks are or traditionally were made of brick, the sidewalks should remain or become brick, when feasible after sidewalk work.   Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux This has long been the established policy of the City when it comes to sidewalk replacement. Has this changed? Order #17. That the proposed zoning amendments to Articles 2.00 and 4.32 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance to permit Shared Mobility be referred to the Ordinance Committee for further review.   Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Mallon Oh boy, another zoning petition. Order #21. That the Amendment to Chapter 2.128 Surveillance Ordinance Technology be forwarded to the Public Safety Committee for a hearing.   Mayor McGovern, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui It's one thing to oppose the use of facial recognition software for combing through images solely for the purpose of (correctly or incorrectly) identifying "bad guys" in the absence of a specific crime, but there are some very good reasons for using it after a crime has been committed in helping to identify a potential culprit. I would make the same comment regarding the use of surveillance cameras. Order #25. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the License Commission and City Solicitor’s office to drop all charges against UpperWest and its owners, to reconsider UpperWest’s package store application, and to issue a public apology to UpperWest and its owners.   Councillor Zondervan There is apparently no accounting for taste. If the City Council supports this Order, they belong in an asylum. Committee Report #9. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councilor E. Denise Simmons, Co-Chair and Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui Co-Chair, of the Housing Committee for a public hearing held on June 25, 2019 to discuss the Affordable Housing Trust’s recommendations for the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program’s preferences on selecting residents for available units. I am all for preferential treatment for long-time Cambridge residents and those for whom relocation isn't a reasonable option, e.g. seniors or parents with young children. That said, we seem to be moving steadily toward an environment where the government is becoming the primary landlord and where benefits are more likely to go to those who are connected. Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a memorandum from Councillor Mallon, transmitting the final report of the Mayor's Arts Task Force. Most of the report is a reprinting of meeting minutes, but the introductory part does emphasize some guiding principles and some action items. The study of arts in Cambridge has continued as long as the study of Central Square. It is never clear where either will ultimately lead but it is still worth raising the questions. - Robert Winters Comments?

July 2, 2019 - Investigation into June 2016 Fatal Bike Collision in Cambridge Complete (Middlesex County District Attorney's Office)
Excerpt from the Summary Statement: "Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 14, Mr.---, the operator of the Jeep, had a responsibility to open his door only when it was reasonably safe to do so without interfering with the movement of other traffic, including bicyclists and pedestrians. Based on the video evidence provided by CAM14, it appears that Mr.--- opened his door just before Ms. Phillips, the bicyclist, struck it, limiting the time available to her to take action to avoid the collision. Despite this, Mr.--- stated that he checked his mirrors before opening the door and that his view was clear. The witnesses to this crash indicate that Ms. Phillips jumped the curb and entered the roadway from behind the Jeep. The video evidence provided by CAM16 appears to corroborate these statements. This lends credibility to Mr.---’s statement that his view was clear. Had his attention been directed toward the driver’s side rear of his vehicle at the same time Ms. Phillips jumped the curb, Ms. Phillips would likely have been positioned off the roadway or on the passenger side of the Jeep, not apparently approaching the driver’s side of the Jeep. Consequently, Mr.---’s view likely would have been clear, as he stated. Taking into consideration the speed at which Ms. Phillips was travelling reinforces the conclusion that this crash was likely unavoidable on the part of Mr.---, the operator of the Jeep. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 85 Section 11B, bicyclists are only authorized operation on sidewalks outside business districts when necessary in the interest of safety. This collision likely could have been avoided had Ms. Phillips rode her bicycle consistently in the rightmost travel lane as directed by the painted markings on the road surface and did not jump the curb onto the sidewalk as was prohibited. This would have made her more visible to other persons in the area, including Mr.--- and allowed him to take precautions for safety accordingly.

City Manager’s Disposition Report pursuant to Chapter 2.110 of the Cambridge Municipal Code

The City has released the City Manager's Disposition Report, which has been prepared for the City Council, Planning Board, and City Clerk. The Report is available online at cambridgema.gov/firststreetgarage.

Materials related to the future of the First Street Garage, including the Third Community meeting presentation, the City Manager's Disposition Report, and the First Street Area Parking Planning Study report, are available on the project website.

UPCOMING HEARINGS
Planning Board Hearing, Aug 13, 2019 at 6:30pm, at 344 Broadway (rescheduled from July 16)

City Council Hearing, Sept 9, 2019 at 6:30pm, at Cambridge City Hall (rescheduled from July 29)

References:
Final Report for the First Street Area Parking Planning Study (by the consulting team of Kleinfelder and McMahon Associates)
Complete report available at www.cambridgema.gov/firststreetgarage, and consists of three items:
  • Cover memo from Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Director Joseph Barr
  • Summary report that provides a condensed overview of the study process, analysis, and conclusions.
  • Full report that documents the data collection, data analysis, scenario review, and conclusions.
[First Street Area Parking Planning Study Report Summary] [First Street Area Parking Planning Study Final Report]

McGovern July 15 message to neighborhood listserv: I wanted to take a moment to explain a few things about the Sullivan Court House discussion because I think its time for a reality check: 1. The Court House is owned by the State and not the City, so it is the State who decides who purchases the building. The Council is being asked to evaluate the transfer of parking spaces at First Street Garage to Leggat McCall, not the Courthouse project or any of the proposals from Rep. Connelly which would now include the most expensive public affordable housing project ever proposed in Cambridge (or anywhere in the state), community space, arts space, and a public park. 2. DCAMM (the State agency in charge of the building), has indicated that they will not “give” the building to the City and if Leggatt McCall walks away the building will go back out to bid. Comparisons to cherry-deals in other cities across the state aren’t applicable in Cambridge where the state isn’t trying to relieve blight in downtown areas by stimulating urban revitalization. 3. As far as the claim that the city is giving public land to a private company, the city is not giving anything to anyone.. The city does not own the Sullivan Court House. The State through DCAMM is selling the building to Leggat McCall for over $30 million dollars. This sale was subject to a court case (and appeal), both of which upheld the State’s authority to sell this building to a private developer. This was NOT the city’s doing. This was NOT a decision made by the city and for folks to be suggesting that it was, is disingenuous at best. 4. In a meeting I had with Rep. Connolly, he agreed that if the City was going to invest $200 million in affordable housing the Courthouse would not be the best place to invest it because the cost per unit would be double the typical $450-500K construction cost. If the City were going to invest $200 million in affordable housing, it could get twice as many units in another location. 5. The City Manager has indicated that he will NOT ask for an allocation to bid on this property should it become available. This means that the City is not going to get control of the building for affordable housing or anything else because without an allocation request from the City Manager, the City Council cannot allocate the money on our own. 6. If the State decided to give the building to the City, the City Manager has stated that he will not accept it, in part due to the $40+ million it will take to remediate the asbestos alone. To put that into perspective, that’s double what the City allocates each year to put into the affordable housing trust to build homes across the city. Taking on that liability would effectively offset contributions to the affordable housing fund for two years, and that is just to get the site ready for construction. 7. The building remains an eyesore on the neighborhood and is falling apart. If this process goes back out to bid, and the City is not going to purchase the building, it will be sold to another for-profit developer and we will start the process all over again, leaving the building a blight on the community for another several years. 8. Although Rep. Connolly has the best of intentions and has asserted that the State and City can work together to remediate the asbestos. the State has refused to validate Rep. Connolly’s assertions, and reportedly tried to contact him to correct the way he was mischaracterizing their position. The State has no intention of investing money to clean up the building, and Rep. Connolly has not been able to get ANY commitment for funding from the State. 9. The current proposal went through a community process that negotiated a significant community benefits package. In exchange for leasing unneeded parking spaces in the First Street Garage, the City extracted the following benefits package from the developer Leggat McCall: a. $23.5M TOWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING: b. $2M+ TOWARD SENIORS: c. $950,000 TOWARD WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: d. $2M+ COMMUNITY CAUSES AND NON-PROFITS: e. $2M+ TOWARD GREEN INITIATIVES: f. $4M+ TOWARD RETAIL: g. TOTAL: $34.5 million of community benefits, not including taxes, additional parking revenue, and capital improvements to the First Street Garage (as outlined below) i. $4 million+ in annual taxes ii. $1 million+ in annual lease payment at the First Street Garage iii. $1 million+ in capital improvements at the First Street Garage That is a total of $40.5 million dollars in community benefits to the City for leasing the parking spaces and the project moving forward. What is frustrating me about this conversation is that people have been led to believe that if the Council just rejects the parking then we will end up with affordable housing. It is ironic that many of the folks who are suggesting this are against the Affordable Housing Overlay because they don’t want a 4-story building next to their home but they support a 22 story tower in another neighborhood, but I digress. The point is that the State has said it will not “give” the building to the City. The City has said that it doesn’t want the building even if they did. We cannot govern in a fantasy world where the State decides to forgo over $30 million, and the City decides to invest close to $200 million to remediate and renovate the building. So, we are left to decide to rent the parking spaces to Leggat McCall and allow the project to go forward with the community benefits that have been negotiated or start the process all over again with another for-profit developer and let the building sit for another several years. That is the reality of the situation. Folks need to understand the reality of the situation and not a  narrative that is not based in any actual facts or possibility. I will also point out that many who live in East Cambridge support this project and many do not. For anyone to claim that they "speak for the neighborhood" is simply untrue. Marc McGovern Mayor Heather Hoffmann response (July 15): Since my neighborhood is now becoming a point of contention on your neighborhood's list, I'll just weigh in very briefly because I think I can claim to have devoted as much study to this issue as just about anybody else in the City. 1. We are not arguing about the Courthouse. The people in East Cambridge who bring up the Courthouse are generally people who say we have to lease these parking spaces because of what the Commonwealth has and hasn't done with its own property. The parking spaces are property of the City of Cambridge. The Courthouse is not. The Commonwealth has let its property fall apart, to the detriment of Cambridge residents in my neighborhood, and the City has done absolutely nothing to advocate for them. On the other hand, the City has done plenty of advocating for a billion-dollar corporation and seems far more concerned for its welfare than ours. 2. Anyone who claims that the parking spaces the City proposes to lease to Leggat McCall are unused has been paying absolutely no attention for the past several years. Residents have compiled figures from the City's own data that show usage rising inexorably since the courthouse has been vacant. They have taken videos of the garage during the day that show that it is full or nearly full most work days. East Cambridge residents who have parking passes complain that there are often no spaces for them to park in, even though they dutifully pay the monthly fee for their passes. But you don't have to believe us. At the direction of the City Council, the City commissioned a parking study, which was issued on June 14 and then reissued on June 27 because an East Cambridge resident actually read it and noticed that the weekdays the consultants said they collected parking data were actually Saturdays. The study is full of other blatant misinformation (e.g., alleged public parking lots that aren't), but, despite all of that, it concludes that there are NOT ENOUGH PARKING SPACES in the garage to lease 420 of them to LMP. It says there will regularly be dozens of people turned away because the garage will be full. And that's before the CambridgeSide Mall demolishes its 795-space above-ground garage, just for starters. So, anyone who says there are enough unused parking spaces is making things up. There's a ton more to say about this issue, but you can hear it all tomorrow night at the improperly-noticed, premature Planning Board hearing. Heather Hoffman, writing from the shadow of the Tower of Mordor Letter on the East Cambridge Courthouse Debate (Joe Aiello, July 8, DigBoston) To the Editor, My name is Joe Aiello, and I have been a resident of East Cambridge for the last ten years. I have spent countless volunteer hours over the last six years on the Sullivan Courthouse redevelopment, which includes the city-owned First Street Garage – whether it be during my time as an executive board member of the East Cambridge Planning Team (ECPT), sitting on Councilor Toomey’s Courthouse Working Group, or simply as a resident who cares about his neighborhood. In his letter to the City Council and the Planning Board on June 26th, City Manager DePasquale stated that he believes the current redevelopment proposal for the Sullivan Courthouse is the “most beneficial economic proposal the city will receive”. Thanks to my involvement with this project over the years – I am in full agreement with the City Manager. These benefits, which came about through years of work between Leggat McCall and residents of the East Cambridge neighborhood like myself, include: 24 on-site units of 100% affordable housing, $11.5M to the city’s affordable housing trust, a community/senior center, money for workforce development & community non-profits, $4M in annual city tax revenue – the list goes on and on (not to mention green space, local retail, and rehab of the First Street Garage). Unlike what some elected officials have said recently, the process has ALWAYS been a public one. Over the years, the Planning Board voted to approve the project, the City Solicitor and Land Court have given their opinions, and now the City Manager and a study of First Street parking have weighed in. What more needs to be done in order to prove that this redevelopment needs to go forward? The building, as it stands today, is empty, decaying, and an environmental/health hazard to all who live in its shadow. Just ask the folks who stand up at public meetings to share stories about their flooded basements and 911 calls made, all thanks to the blighted courthouse’s abandoned state. Petitions, fences, NIMBYism, & lawsuits are NOT progress. Affordable housing, jobs, retail, community space, & tax revenue that fund important City programs and infrastructure ARE. In my opinion, this is a critical project with a long complex process that deserves in-depth research by councilors before they cast their votes. Once the history, process, and facts are understood, any City Councilor who votes against the lease of the parking spaces in the First Street Garage is not doing so based on the merits of the Courthouse redevelopment as a whole, but simply to score political points in an election year. Joe Aiello East Cambridge Resident, Charles Street

Feb 10, 2019 - I'm cleaning up some old email today and found something I wrote a couple of years ago in response to a question about books on Cambridge history. Perhaps you'll find it useful. - RW

It's hard to say where to begin. There was a tradition of Cambridge history-writing in the 19th century that was largely lost during most of the 20th Century. The tradition seems to be having something of a 21st Century revival. Some of my favorites (and I've picked up many of these on eBay) are:

Lucius Paige's History of Cambridge (1877) - you can also read this on the web, e.g. https://archive.org/details/historyofcambrid00paigiala
I mention this one first because it is so often referenced in later histories.

The Cambridge of Eighteen Hundred and Ninety Six (a 50th Anniversary compilation published in 1896 commemorating the transition of Cambridge from Town to City in 1846)
This has a lot of good history in it. I have loaner copies available.

Survey of Architectural History of Cambridge, Volumes 1-5, by the Cambridge Historical Commission
These you can still pick up on eBay and they're at the Cambridge Public Library. I have multiple copies of each volume as loaners.
Volume 1 was originally published in 1967, but a 1989 update is practically a whole other book.

A City's Life and Times, Cambridge in the Twentieth Century, various authors, published by the Cambridge Historical Society, 2007.

Building Old Cambridge, by Susan Maycock and Charles Sullivan of the Cambridge Historical Commission, recently published and available (no sales tax!) at the Cambridge Historical Commission office as well as local bookstores (with sales tax).
This volume started out, I believe, as a successor volume to Volume 4 of the Survey of Architectural History of Cambridge (Old Cambridge), but it grew into something far more comprehensive.

There are at least, I believe, 5 oral history volumes put together by Sarah Boyer and the Cambridge Historical Commission. I believe they may all still be available for purchase at the CHC office, but some are also available at bookstores (and at the Library).

Cambridge on the Charles, by Alan Seaburg, Thomas Dahill, and Carol Rose, published by Anne Minerva Press. Alan and Thomas are friends and fellow Board members with the Middlesex Canal Association (I'm also the webmaster).

There are lots of other miscellaneous books that I really love, including Ten No License Years in Cambridge, published in 1898, that provides great insight into the temperance movement in Cambridge and the roots of the "good government" movement in the 20th Century. It's available in the Cambridge Room of the Main Library.

The books by Tip O'Neill all have some interesting bits and pieces about Cambridge in the 20th Century.

Robert Winters

Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record):

If you would like to subscribe or pick up a free paper copy at various sites, I encourage you to do so. It really is The Paper of Record.

After devastating fire, 50 York St. residents welcomed home in Cambridge (Aug 5, 2019)

State flag officially removed from Cambridge’s council chamber (Aug 1, 2019)

Study shows ‘pretty shocking’ underutilization of parking at multifamily buildings in Cambridge (Aug 1, 2019)

Is there an end in sight to Massachusetts’ housing crisis? (July 26, 2019)

MAP: Cambridge makes way for boost in electric car use (July 25, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: End partisan gerrymandering in Massachusetts (July 24, 2019 by Alex Harper)

National Trust grants $15K for St. Augustine restoration (July 24, 2019)

OPINION: No good alternatives to affordable housing overlay in Cambridge (July 23, 2019 by David E. Sullivan)
[Ed. Note: There are numerous misrepresentations of fact in this opinion piece. For example, it greatly understates the potential impacts on abutters - "some small risks: maybe a design not to some neighbor’s liking, or an unwelcome shadow on an abutter’s yard". In truth, some projects could cover almost the entire lot and completely block all direct sunlight in some locations. Any right to object would be taken away entirely. It is worth noting that the author of this piece was also the author of the 1980 Removal Permit Ordinance that gave the Rent Control Board the authority to issue or deny permits to owners seeking to remove apartments from rent control for any reason. (Ref.: Bill Cunningham's 2011 "while in reality" draft) It did not (nor could not) prevent the conversion of units to condominium status, and thus was born the "ordinanced condominiums" where a condo owner was not permitted to legally occupy the unit he owned. Removal permits were rarely issued. As a city councillor during the rent control era, the author advocated "social ownership" perhaps more than any other councillor. This really is at the heart of the proposed Overlay - a permanent mechanism for transferring private residential property into "social ownership". One other relevant fact overlooked by this opinion author – Cambridge already has more subsidized units now than at any time in its history - primarily due to Inclusionary Zoning. That is, one "good alternative" is to simply allow the recently updated Inclusionary Zoning to continue to add subsidized units in 20% proportion along with unregulated units.]

Emergency Dispatcher Position information session to be held - on July 29 (July 23, 2019)

Lawmakers send $43.1 billion budget to Gov. Baker (July 22, 2019)

Memories of Cambridge residents who worked on Apollo 11 mission (July 19, 2019)

Longtime Cambridge friends set out to transform cannabis industry (July 18, 2019)

OPINION: A fatal flaw in the affordable housing zoning proposal (July 18, 2019 by Skip Schloming)

LETTER: Councilors should respect hard work of neighbors and support Sullivan plan (July 17, 2019 by Adriane Musgrave)

LETTER: What more needs to be done to prove Sullivan Courthouse plan must move forward? (July 17, 2019 by Joe Aiello)

MAYOR OP-ED: Clearing up misinformation regarding Sullivan Courthouse (July 16, 2019 by Marc McGovern)

GUEST COLUMN: No crystal ball for the Sullivan Courthouse (July 9, 2019 by Eileen Sommer)

On the 5th anniversary of Kensley David’s murder in Cambridge, still no arrests (July 3, 2019)

DA rules collision ‘unavoidable’ in Amanda Phillips’ 2016 fatal bicycle crash in Cambridge (July 2, 2019)

After six months, Paul Wilson’s murder remains a mystery in Cambridge (July 2, 2019)

Cambridge looks to address equity issues in cannabis industry (July 1, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Consult the 1,100 daily First Street parkers in Cambridge (July 1, 2019 by Abra Berkowitz)

’20 years gone': Mark Sandman’s legacy to be celebrated at Lizard Lounge (June 28, 2019)

State flag to be removed from Cambridge City Council chamber (June 25, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Residents appeal Wheeler development (June 25, 2019 by Ellen Mass and Kathy Johnson)

GUEST COLUMN: East Cambridge in development crosshairs (June 25, 2019 by Dennis Carlone)

Charles River water quality grade dips from A- to B (June 24, 2019)

Cambridge councilors to vote on removing state flag from chamber (June 21, 2019)

Cambridge’s Rep. Connolly offers ‘housing for all’ package (June 21, 2019)

Study says “ample” parking still available even if Cambridge leases to Sullivan developer (June 19, 2019)

So what do Cambridge residents really think about separated bike lanes? (June 19, 2019)

Commissioner’s Award recipients honored during Public Works Week (June 19, 2019)

Cambridge Historical Commission to hold Cambridge Open Archives (June 19, 2019)

New Business Improvement District means cleaner future for Central Square (June 18, 2019)

Cambridge to update bike safety plan with more separated lanes in the works (June 17, 2019)

Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association to host fundraiser (June 16, 2019)

Cambridge Historical Society announces oral history project (June 13, 2019)

Grand opening celebration held at The Link (June 13, 2019)

MBTA Red Line delays expected for foreseeable future (June 12, 2019)

Cambridge looks to create its own TNC regulations (June 12, 2019)

Cambridge councilors look into limiting election donors seeking benefit from City (posted June 11, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Housing for all in Cambridge, not at all cost (posted June 11, 2019 by Kelly Dolan, Doug Brown and Alison Field-Juma)

Cambridge officials propose cleaning up area around Jerry’s Pond (posted June 4, 2019)

Cambridge unveils citywide plan outlining goals for next decade (May 29, 2019)

SET UP TO FAIL -- Housing crisis sparks debate over solutions in Massachusetts (May 28, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Rent control in Cambridge -- why we need it now (May 22, 2019 by candidate Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler)

COLUMN Part 2: How would the affordable housing overlay affect Cambridge residents (May 21, 2019 by Councillor Alanna Mallon)

GUEST COLUMN: Addressing questions regarding affordable housing overlay in Cambridge (May 7, 2019 by Councillor Alanna Mallon)

Can Cambridge Council remove state flag from its chambers? (May 17, 2019)

OPINION: Rent control in Cambridge - why it didn’t work then and won’t work now (May 15, 2019 by Denise Jillson)

LETTERS: Read what Cambridge has to say about the Sullivan Courthouse project (May 15, 2019)

SET UP TO FAIL -- Housing crisis makes traffic worse in Massachusetts (Apr 29, 2019)

Proposed affordable housing district in Cambridge speaks to ‘the lost middle,’ official says (Apr 2, 2019)

LETTER: Tearing Cambridge in two for affordable housing (Apr 2, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Demystifying Cambridge’s proposed Affordable Housing Overlay (Apr 1, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Instead of affordable overlay, raise real estate taxes (Mar 19, 2019)

GUEST COLUMN: Proposed zoning overlay in Cambridge is a major opportunity (Mar 20, 2019)

Cambridge offers glimpse of possible affordable housing future (Mar 8, 2019)

CIVIC CALENDAR

Tues, Aug 6

5:00pm   Regular (Summer) Meeting of the School Committee  (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)

6:30pm   Planning Board meeting  (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)

General Business

1. Update from the Community Development Department

2. Adoption of Planning Board meeting transcripts

Public Hearings

6:30pm   PB #348
580 Massachusetts Avenue – Special Permit application by Home Grown 617 LLC to convert a portion of the existing building to a Retail Cannabis Store pursuant to Section 11.800 (Cannabis Uses). (Materials)

Note: Article 19 Amendment Zoning Petition Hearing noticed for 7:30pm is CANCELLED.

General Business

3. PB# 243 – 161 First Street – Design Review (Materials)

4. PB# 315 – 325 Main Street – Informational Update

Wed, Aug 7

5:30pm   Cambridge Election Commission meeting  (Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)

5:30pm   Transit Advisory Committee #8  (MIT Stata Center, Room 32-144, 32 Vassar St.)

6:00pm   Central Square Advisory Committee  (City Hall Annex, 4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)
The Committee will meet to review the Dark Ride Media petition requesting variance relief to convert a former below grade function hall into a theater and accessory cafe.

Thurs, Aug 8

2:00pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will reconvene its recessed public hearing of August 1, 2019 to continue discussions on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinances to create an Affordable Housing Overlay District. There will be no public comment.  (Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge - Televised)

6:00pm   Cambridge Historical Commission meeting  (Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave.)

Mon, Aug 12

6:00pm   Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission Meeting  (Lombardi Building, 831 Mass. Ave, Basement Conference Room)

Tues, Aug 13

6:30pm   Planning Board meeting  (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)

General Business

1. Update from the Community Development Department

2. Adoption of Planning Board meeting transcripts

Public Hearings

6:30pm   First Street Garage Parking Space Disposition
55 First Street – Disposition of a leasehold interest in 420 parking spaces and approximately 9,000 square feet of ground floor retail (together the “Leasehold Interest”) in the First Street Garage, located at 55 First Street and owned by the City of Cambridge, to the developer Leggatt McCall Properties, which was conditionally awarded the bid pursuant to G.L. Chapter 30B subject to the review and approval of the disposition of the Leasehold Interest by the City Council pursuant to the City’s Municipal Disposition Ordinance, Chapter 2.110 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (the “Disposition Ordinance”). (Materials)

Materials related to the future of the First Street Garage, including the Third Community meeting presentation, the City Manager's Disposition Report, and the First Street Area Parking Planning Study report, are available on the project website.

Wed, Aug 14

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to continue discussions on a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code to create a Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance; Including amendments submitted at the July 30, 2019 Special City Council Meeting.  (Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge - Televised)

Mon, Aug 19

5:30pm   Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission Meeting  (Lombardi Building, 831 Mass. Ave, Basement Conference Room)

Wed, Aug 21

3:00pm   License Commission Public Hearing  (831 Mass. Ave, Basement Conference Room)

3:00pm   The City Council's Transportation and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public hearing to continue discussion of the future electric needs of the Kendall Square area and progress toward identifying an alternate, viable location for a new substation other than the proposed site on Fulkerson Street.

5:30pm   Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting  (Police Station, First Floor Conference Room, 125 Sixth St.)

Thurs, Aug 22

4:00pm   Affordable Housing Trust meeting  (City Hall, 2nd Floor Ackermann Room, 795 Massachusetts Ave.)

7:00pm   26th Annual Oldtime Baseball Game  (St. Peter's Field, Sherman St.)

Roger Clemens to pitch in 2019 Abbot Financial Management Oldtime Baseball Game. Free admission, no tickets necessary. [Facebook Page][Oldtime Baseball website]

Thurs, Sept 5

6:00pm   Cambridge Historical Commission meeting  (Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave.)

6:00pm   Human Rights Commission Meeting  (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)

Sat, Sept 7

9:00am-1:00pm   Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Day  (Field Street Lot at Danehy Park - enter via Fern St.)

Mon, Sept 9

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

6:00pm   Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission (MCNCDC) meeting  (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)

6:30pm   City Council Public Hearing - First Street Garage  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised) - postponed from July 29

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the disposition of a leasehold interest in 420 parking spaces and approximately 9,000 square feet of ground floor retail (together the “Leasehold Interest”) in the First Street Garage, located at 55 First Street and owned by the City of Cambridge, to the developer Laggatt McCall Properties, which was conditionally awarded the bid pursuant to G.L. Chapter 30B subject to the review and approval of the disposition of the Leasehold Interest by the City Council pursuant to the City’s Municipal Disposition Ordinance, Chapter 2.110 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (the “Disposition Ordinance”). This hearing will be held pursuant to the Disposition Ordinance as part of the legal requirements for disposing of the Leasehold Interest.

Wed, Sept 11

8:00-9:30am   Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)

3:00pm   License Commission Public Hearing  (831 Mass. Ave, Basement Conference Room)

5:30pm   The City Council's Health and Environmental Committee will conduct a joint public hearing with the Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force to receive an update on the Task Force’s progress to date and to receive input and feedback.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30-7:30pm   Bicycle Committee meeting  (4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)

Thurs, Sept 12

5:30-7:00pm   Commission for Persons with Disabilities meeting  (51 Inman St., 2nd Floor Conference Room)

Sat, Sept 14

11:00am   Carl Barron Plaza - Design Day Of Engagement  (Carl Barron Plaza, Central Square - intersection of River St and Massachusetts Ave)
Interactive event to get input on and brainstorm design ideas for the Carl Barron Plaza reconstruction as a part of the River Street Reconstruction project.

3:00pm   Carl Barron Plaza - Design Charrette #1  (Carl Barron Plaza, 1 Central Square)
Interactive event to get input on and brainstorm design ideas for the Carl Barron Plaza reconstruction as a part of the River Street Reconstruction project.

Mon, Sept 16

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

6:00pm   Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission Meeting  (Lombardi Building, 831 Mass. Ave, Basement Conference Room)

Tues, Sept 17

4:00pm   The City Council's Government Operations/Rules and Claims Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the feasibility of adding a private attorney budget item to the City Council budget to provide the City Council with specific and timely legal guidance on issues before them.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

7:00pm   Carl Barron Plaza - Design Charrette #2  (Carl Barron Plaza, Central Square - intersection of River St and Massachusetts Ave)
Interactive event to get input on and brainstorm design ideas for the Carl Barron Plaza reconstruction as a part of the River Street Reconstruction project.