Possible Topics:Cambridge InsideOut - August 4, 2020
Possible Topics:
1) Small Business Recycling Expands & Reusable Shoppings Return
2) July 27 Midsummer City Council meeting
4) New and Updates - including Starlight Square
5) Roads and Squares and Around Town
July 28, 2020 – The City of Cambridge announced the expansion of the Small Business Recycling Program beginning November 1, 2020. A pilot program, which offered free curbside recycling collection to 125 businesses, was successfully launched in November 2018.
“I am so pleased to be able to expand this free curbside recycling program, which is great way to support our small businesses and help them reduce their waste,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “It also aligns with our overall goals to reduce trash and greenhouse gas emissions in Cambridge."
Small businesses with less than 50 full time employees are invited to apply for the program. An additional 125 businesses will be added through this expansion. Selected businesses will receive free collection of up to 3 recycle carts twice per week. The collection service and the carts are provided by the City of Cambridge at no cost to the selected businesses.
The City of Cambridge will be hosting an online public forum to answer questions about the Small Business Recycle Program on Monday, August 10 at 1 pm. Register here.
To apply, fill out an application here by September 9, 2020. The City will notify selected businesses by October 9, 2020.
For more information, contact Deb Albenberg, dalbenberg@cambridgema.gov.
July 23, 2020 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale and Commissioner of Public Health Assaad J. Sayah, MD announced today amendments to the March 23, 2020 temporary emergency order that restricted customers at retail establishments from using reusable bags after purchasing retail products because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the amended order, customers are permitted, effective on Saturday, July 25, to bring reusable bags to retail establishments for use at checkout. Until August 10, retail establishments are prohibited from charging the required fee of 10 cents for each recyclable paper bag or compostable plastic bags provided by the retail establishment.
Beginning August 10, the city’s mandatory 10 cent fee for recyclable paper bags or compostable plastic bags provided to the customer at the point of sale, and all provisions of Cambridge’s “Bring Your Own Bag” ordinance will be in effect. The city’s ban on single use plastic bags has always remained in place.
“The City of Cambridge takes deliberate and measured steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, protect our community, and reopen the city in a controlled manner,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “The Cambridge community cares deeply about recycling whenever possible and I am pleased to see reusable checkout bags returning to our retail environment. As a city, we move cautiously in our public health decisions and utilize our Expert Advisory Committee to understand the potential impacts on new or modified public health measures and guidance. The community’s compliance with these measures have made a difference in Cambridge, and we will continue to use data and expert advice to inform our strategies to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Our goal is to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents.”
The city encourages consumers to frequently wash, sanitize, or disinfect their reusable bags. Additionally, the city recommends that employees placing items in reusable checkout bags for customers wear disposable gloves as an additional safety measure. All retail establishments are required to comply with the Commonwealth’s Sector Specific Workplace Safety Standards.
View the full emergency declaration on the COVID-19 Website.
The City of Cambridge and the City’s Public Health Department continue to work closely together to identify resources to reinforce the city’s response and preparedness activities. For more information and updates on COVID-19, please visit the city’s dedicated information page: https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19.
Midsummer Night's Dream - Or Is It Real? - Agenda Items for the July 27, 2020 Cambridge City Council meetingThe summer meeting is often the time when battle lines are drawn and City Council business becomes Publick Theatre. Perhaps that's what Monday will bring, but that's pretty much what we've been seeing for months, and the theatrics are getting really old. This week's skirmishes are likely to be the culmination of kerfuffles past, e.g. what constitutes "military" equipment in the Police Department inventory, and the next chapter in the Overlay Express to move as much of the housing stock into "social ownership" as our revolutionary misrepresentatives can manage. This is also the Penultimate Meeting on the City Manager's contract extension - a matter of considerable importance and something of a litmus test of just how much some councillors misunderstand the Plan E Charter and the whole idea of a city manager form of government. There are also some practical suggestions, e.g. using the recent sale of the Grace properties at Alewife as a possible opportunity to make something better of the Jerry's Pond area. In any case, here are a few things that for one reason or another seem to stand out among the others: Resolution #3. Resolution on the death of Barbara Ackermann. Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons Suffice to say that former Mayor Barbara Ackermann was a class act in every way. Manager's Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $10,489,930 received through the Coronavirus Relief Fund as part of the Federal Cares Act, to the Grant Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account which will support expenditures related to core municipal services; public health; and services and supports to residents. Manager's Agenda #30. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a proposed restatement of and amendment to the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Account, entitled “The City of Cambridge Restated and Amended Mayor’s Disaster Relief Account” (“Account”). Order #2. The Mayor be and hereby is requested to schedule a Roundtable/Working Meeting for members of the City Council and School Committee for Tues, Aug 11 at 5:30pm at City Hall, in the Sullivan Chambers, 795 Massachusetts Ave, to discuss CPSD reopening school plans. Mayor Siddiqui Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting information from the School Committee’s summer meetings. No comment here other than to say that years from now we'll look back at 2020 (and perhaps beyond) as the year defined by the virus and how it reshaped so many things - some temporarily and some permanently. It is worth noting that while the councillors debate revolution and trivia, the School Committee and the Mayor are in the unenviable position of making extremely consequential decisions on how our public schools will operate come this fall. Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-16, regarding feasibility of eliminating Library late fines. In some colleges/universities where I have worked, the policy was that there was no time limit on how long a faculty member could keep a library book. Some of the books I took out just stayed on my bookshelf forever. Manager's Agenda #27-28. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-33, regarding implementing a Tenants’ Rights and Resources Notification Act that would require owners and management companies to include tenants’ rights and resources information when issuing eviction notifications including at the initial Notice to Quit stage. In principle, having complete information is a good thing. I have been a landlord for 35 years and never had to give anyone the boot, but if I ever did I guess it's not so much to ask that I give an informational pamphlet along with the eviction notice. Anything beyond that is someone else's job. Manager's Agenda #29. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an updated response to Calendar Item #9, regarding Gas Infrastructure Ban. It should surprise no one but the zealots that the MA Attorney General is of the opinion that a comparable ban in the Town of Brookline violates state law and the Constitution of the Commonwealth. "The Attorney General agrees with the policy goals behind the Town’s attempt to reduce the use of fossil fuels within the Town. However, the Legislature (and the courts) have made plain that the Town cannot utilize the method it selected to achieve those goals." My guess is that unless an adult intervenes, the Cambridge City Council will pursue it anyway - because that's what zealots do. Manager's Agenda #31. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-34, regarding a report on an itemized statement of all materials, tools, and property owned by the Cambridge Police Department. Late Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Police Commissioner, Dr. Branville G. Bard, Jr., transmitting a memorandum regarding some semblance of understanding as to how and why municipal police departments, like here in Cambridge, came to require the type of weaponry listed in the inventory contained in response to Council Order O-9. This will likely be the main attraction at the meeting - debating ad nauseum whether this or that type of weapon or apparatus is or is not "military." I imagine it will also be prime time for the Zondervan/Sobrinho-Wheeler vs. Commissioner Bard sideshow in which the "abolish the police" gang explains in great detail all that they will never understand about law enforcement and public safety. Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Personnel Department and provide an update on the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers’ Association union contract negotiation at the City Council’s regular meeting on Sept 14th, 2020. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui Order #5. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Personnel Department and City Solicitor to generate a report detailing the Sole Assessment Process, the Civil Service HRD process, the reason for choosing the Sole Assessment Process over the Civil Service HRD process, and the projected costs associated with both processes. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to present this report at the Sept 14th regular City Council meeting. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler Order #14. The City Manager look into transferring primary traffic enforcement responsibilities from the Cambridge Police Department to unarmed, trained enforcement personnel in the Traffic & Parking Department, Department of Public Works, Health & Human Services, or another suitable department. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler The first two Orders seem to indicate the desire of the current City Council to blur those inconvenient boundaries established by the Plan E Charter regarding the role of the City Manager in managing the City and, in particular, in handling matters involving appointments and personnel. I suppose it's possible that they'll confine their remarks to matters of policy, but micromanagement is so much fun. Then again, some of them seem so ripe for charter change and the desire for greater control that I'm sure they won't be able to contain themselves. The third Order (Order #14) seems like just the next chapter in the "Defund the Police" playbook. This is not to say that asking Traffic & Parking or DPW or Human Services to take on additional enforcement roles is unthinkable. I just think that when a parking control officer or rubbish collector or social worker pulls over a car for running a red light it will be quickly followed by hysterical laughter emanating from the offending vehicle. Then again, if the offender is a serious bad guy it won't be so funny. Applications & Petitions #1. A Re-Submission of a Rezoning Petition has been received from Salvatori Zimno, Vice President, Development, BMR-THIRD LLC., regarding rezoning petition for a proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map of the City of Cambridge which upon adoption, would result in a new Planned Unit Development ("PUD") District CDK. [Petition w/o images] [images from petition] Applications & Petitions #5. A Zoning Petition has been received from Arvind Srinivasau regarding zoning language for the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay district. [text of petition] Applications & Petitions #6. A Zoning Petition has been received from Francis E. Donovan regarding new zoning amendments to increase Affordable Housing. [text of petition] Zoning, zoning, and more zoning returns. The first of these (Canal District PUD) offers a vision of what might finally happen in and around the Constellation Center site in Kendall Square that never materialized. The second is the next iteration of a recurring petition for the northwestern end of the Alewife Quadrangle area between Fresh Pond and the RR tracks. [As with the previous versions, this proposed zoning comes with a proposed pedestrian bridge over the RR tracks.] The third petition has some interesting ideas and alternatives to the current "Affordable Housing Overlay" petition that is currently going through the process. Of course that also means that the AHO Express advocates will likely be dismissive of it. The interesting contrast between this new petition and the AHO is that the new petition (a) emphasizes the relaxation of single-family zoning rules in favor of multi-family housing, and (b) has an emphasis on having more ownership units. Simplistically, it's a contrast between the "social ownership" emphasis in the AHO that would put an ever-higher percentage of housing into the hands of government and their non-profit partners, versus making somewhat more intensive use of existing properties and promoting home-ownership. Unfortunately, the two viewpoints are intertwined with political organizations and their affiliated elected officials. People can talk all day and night about charter change, but the more fundamental problem is that we have only the most imperfect ways of assessing what the voters of this city actually might favor (hint - municipal elections do a lousy job of measuring public opinion). When it comes to "abolishing the police" or making consequential decisions about housing policy and weighing tenant needs vs. property rights, a coin flip or a Ouija Board would probably do as good a job or better than the people who supposedly represent us. Order #8. The Mayor be and hereby is requested to call a Special Meeting of the City Council and invite a representative from the Collins Center to present on the process and benefits of Charter Review and Reform. Councillor Nolan And so it begins. The rhetoric surrounding the possible extension of City Manager Louis DePasquale's contract has been accompanied by hints of charter change because, after all, why did Louis wait so long to allow us to use our reusable shopping bags? Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing to think about our form of government every decade or so, but when I listen to the current rhetoric from the current councillors I really just want to take a rain check until the ideologues and the zealots and the power-hungry have gone to pasture. Order #10. That the Cambridge City Council pass the attached Real Estate Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition. Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler I suppose I shouldn't really care about proposals like this because my building is unlikely to be transfered to anyone else in my lifetime, but I remain eternally suspicious of this City Council's endless quest to curtail the rights of property owners and to extract as much money out of every source possible to fund their eternal campaign to move residential property into "social ownership." At least this proposal puts the hit on those buying and/or selling property. Councillor Carlone, on the other hand, has now loudly proclaimed his wish that residential property taxes be jacked up to near the maximum possible even if that means shocking homeowners with a 50% increase in their residential property tax bills. The City Manager, in contrast, seems to be dedicated to maintaining a much slower rise in residential property taxes (thanks, Louis). Order #11. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to Contact IQHQ and engage the relevant city departments regarding next steps for restoration, health and environmental protection, improvement, beautification, and making the surrounding areas of Jerry’s Pond publicly accessible and incorporating Jerry's Pond into the adjacent public parklands, with pedestrian and bicycle connections to the MBTA Station, the Alewife Reservation, Minuteman Bikeway, and the Linear Park. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan Order #12. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to take steps to improve the surrounding landscape for residents who live in the neighboring community and the many individuals who commute through the area via the Alewife Red Line, the Minuteman Bikeway, Rindge Avenue and Alewife Brook Parkway. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan These are both very forward-looking Orders that (I believe) have the intention of getting ahead of the curve regarding future plans by the new owners of the former WR Grace properties in the Alewife area. Those properties recently sold for $125 million and it's unlikely that they'll sit idle forever. Like it or not, with significant investment comes significant opportunities for improvement, and boy does that area need some improvement. Order #15. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate departments to conduct street cleaning without towing for the remainder of the 2020 season, and to employ other methods including (but not limited to) an escalating ticketing schedule that would continue to incentive compliance. Councillor Zondervan Councillor Kelley once suggested this and it's not such a crazy idea. On the other hand, I was pretty happy to recently have my neighborhood streets finally swept clear of debris, and I doubt that would have happened as effectively if vehicles were just tagged and not towed. Order #16. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City of Cambridge Law Department to review the above changes to the language of the Domestic Partnerships Ordinance and report back to the Council. Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan I have no idea why this proposal has come up now, but I do remember that some aspects of the Domestic Partnership Ordinance lost their impact with the legalization of same-sex marriages. Basically, once marriage was an available option to all it invalidated some of the benefits for unmarried partners. I am curious about the possible unintended consequences of the proposal in that "'Domestic partnership' means the entity formed by two or more persons who meet the following criteria......" Hmm...., does that means I could form a tribe of unrelated persons who "are in a relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment" and declare my tribe to be a domestic partnership so that we could obtain a range of legal benefits? This could get really interesting. Committee Report #1. A report of the Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee Meeting on Feb 19, 2020 to discuss amendments of the City Council’s Rules. Committee Report #2. A report Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee Meeting on Mar 12, 2020 to discuss the City Manager’s request to extend his contract. I don't know when they'll vote on a contract extension or what the term of that extension will be. The proposal initially floated was for a two year extension (which seems reasonable), but the revolutionaries seem to want to make it shorter so that they can get started right away on their interplanetary search for somebody as unaffiliated with Cambridge as possible and who will allow them to check all the necessary boxes. - Robert Winters |
1207 tested positive; 99 confirmed deaths (72 in long-term care facilities, 27 in general community)
Click on graph for latest Cambridge data
Aug 4, 2020 Breakdown of Cases
July 30, 2020 – The City of Cambridge today announced that all City-sponsored community events, athletic events, events permitted for the use of City parks, or other City-sponsored public gatherings will be cancelled through September 7, 2020, or postponed to a later date. All prior approvals for events or gatherings are revoked.
City sponsored youth sports activities that take place in City parks or other City athletic facilities are permitted, subject to obtaining a City permit, and further subject to complying with all COVID-19 requirements and guidelines concerning youth sports issued by the State, which include but are not limited to requirements concerning social distancing, hygiene protocols, staffing and operations, and cleaning and disinfecting.
The meetings of the Board of Zoning Appeal, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission and Neighborhood Conservation Commissions, License Commission, Planning Board, Pole and Conduit Commission and Election Commission are authorized to be held. Meetings will continue to be held virtually by utilizing web based technology that will stream audio and video – whenever possible -- of the meeting. All meetings will allow for remote participation by the members of the public body. All other public meetings of City committees, advisory groups, community meetings and the like shall remain cancelled and postponed until a later date, unless a meeting is determined necessary by the City.
All meetings of the City Council, including City Council Committee meetings, and all other City public bodies, boards and commissions that are governed by the state Open Meeting Law and transact official City business, other than quasi-judicial public bodies, boards and commissions, will follow the procedures defined in the City’s Amended Temporary Emergency Restriction on City Public Meetings, City Events, and City Permitted Events due to COVID-19, which is available on the City’s website.
Members of the public are reminded that they should maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from non-household members and should wear face coverings while outdoors.
The above temporary restrictions will remain in effect until September 7, 2020, or until further modified by the City Manager.
For more information and to sign up to receive updates on COVID-19, please visit the City’s dedicated information page: https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19.
July 16, 2020 – The City of Cambridge announced today that Lot 5 in Central Square, located at the corner of Bishop Allen Drive and Norfolk Street, will close for public parking beginning on Tuesday, July 21.
The Central Square Business Improvement District will be transforming Lot 5 into Starlight Square, a temporary venture that will include an outdoor amphitheater with physically-distant seating, a courtyard for dining and dialogue, a community center for summer learning and food distribution, and the Central Square Farmers Market. The lot will be closed for parking through the late fall.
Residents and visitors coming to Central Square have numerous alternative parking options, including; on-street meters, the Green Street Parking Garage located at 260 Green Street, Lot 4 located at the intersection of Bishop Allen Drive and Essex Street, and Lots 8 and 9 located at the intersection of Green Street and Pleasant Street.
The Central Square Farmers Market will continue to operate on Mondays, from 12-6pm, within Starlight Square.
For information on public parking options in Cambridge, visit www.cambridgema.gov/traffic/Parking.
Parking Lot 5 - Site of Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square and Around Town
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Michael Monestime & Patrick Barrett - Masked Marauders of Starlight Square
Square In The Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Starlight Square
Sending Messages
Masked Mannequin
Masked Mannequin
Magazine Beach
Magazine Beach
Magazine Beach
Killer Rabbit among the Carnage
Approach to Grand Junction RR Bridge and Memorial Drive
Grand Junction RR Bridge - under Memorial Drive
Grand Junction RR Bridge
Grand Junction RR Bridge
Grand Junction RR Bridge
Grand Junction RR Bridge
Turkeys
Shared Street: Harvard & Bigelow
Lafayette Square
Fenway Lights
Osborn Triangle
Osborn Triangle
Parking Available
Little Donkey Outdoor Dining
July 16, 2020 – The City of Cambridge announced today the creation of a COVID-19 Housing Stabilization Program to provide short-term financial assistance to individuals and families in Cambridge who are experiencing housing instability due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This program represents the City’s second phase of COVID-19 related financial assistance for housing-related needs,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “I am incredibly proud that we are expanding our efforts to help residents who need housing assistance. Through this new program, the City will provide $1.5 million in direct support to help individuals and families who are facing housing instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The program will subsidize eligible households whose rent, condominium fees, or cooperative carrying charges are more than 40% of their income at the time of application. Qualified applicants will receive a two-month subsidy for the amount by which their housing cost exceeds 40% of the household’s current income.
The program will be administered jointly by the City Manager’s Office through the Office of the Housing Liaison, the Department of Human Services Programs through the Multi-Service Center, and the Community Development Department.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for the COVID-19 Housing Stabilization Program online beginning July 20, 2020. The online application form can be accessed at www.cambridgema.gov/housingfund. Additionally, applicants who are unable to complete an application online may call 617-349-9797, starting July 20, 2020, to request assistance completing an application over the phone. Staff will make the best efforts to return calls within 3 business days.
To be eligible for the COVID-19 Housing Stabilization Program:
For additional information on submitting applications to the Housing Stabilization Program, visit www.cambridgema.gov/housingfund.
The City is committed to identifying new resources to help residents and businesses navigate this difficult time. For more information and to sign up to receive updates on COVID-19, please visit the City’s dedicated information page: https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19.
July 14, 2020 – The City of Cambridge announced today that all 2019 Resident and Visitor Parking Permits will expire on Saturday, August 15, 2020. After this date, vehicles without 2020 Parking Permits will receive tickets when parked in areas designated “Parking by Permit Only.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Cambridge had previously been extending the expiration date of 2019 Resident and Visitor Parking Permits.
Residents who still need to renew 2019 Parking Permits can renew online, by mail, or in person. Applications submitted online or by mail must be sent in before July 31 to ensure time for processing and mailing. In order to be eligible for a Parking Permit, residents must:
Pay any outstanding parking tickets; Supply proof of residency (one utility bill that shows the name and the Cambridge service address or two pieces of mail that show the name and Cambridge address) that is dated within the previous 30 days; and If applying for a Resident Parking Permit, ensure that the name and address on the registration match the proof of residency, the vehicle is registered in Massachusetts, and the registration has a garage code of Cambridge.
Residents should visit CambridgeMA.Gov/Parking-Permits, email tpt@cambridgema.gov, or call 617-349-4700 to review eligibility requirements and find more information about how to renew online, by mail, or in person. The Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department is open by appointment only, Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-5:00pm and on Fridays from 9:00am-noon.
The City of Cambridge is committed to identifying new resources to help residents and businesses navigate this difficult time. For more information and to sign up to receive updates on COVID-19, please visit the city’s dedicated information page https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19.
IQHQ plans office, lab campus near Cambridge’s Alewife station (July 8, 2020 - Boston Business Journal)
"GCP Applied Technologies has sold its 26.5-acre Cambridge headquarters campus to California-based IQHQ Inc., a life-science focused real-estate developer, for $125 million — a deal that could spark a wave of future office and lab development." ..... "It’s not clear how much IQHQ could build in Alewife Park, a large site located directly adjacent to the MBTA's Alewife Station on the Red Line. But the company is planning “a premier scalable office and laboratory campus in a renowned center for innovation,” Tracy A. Murphy, IQHQ’s president, said in a statement."
More COVID-19 Updates at 2020 CCJ Notes I (January to June) and at the City's COVID-19 Information Page.
CIVIC CALENDAR (abridged)
5:00pm School Committee Virtual Meeting (webcast from Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
The next Regular Meeting of the School Committee will be held on Tues, Aug 4 at 5:00pm, held in and broadcast from the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway, for the purpose of discussing any and all business that may properly come before the Committee.
Individuals must sign up in advance to provide public comments at regular meetings or public hearings. For the Aug 4 Regular (summer) Meeting: The sign-up window is Thurs, July 30 through Tues, Aug 4 at 12Noon (by phone) and 4:30pm (online).
- To sign up to call-in by phone: contact Jennifer Dever Wood at 617-349-6620.
- To sign up to call in using the ZOOM app on your computer or mobile device: visit www.cpsd.us/school_committee/virtual.
6:30pm Planning Board meeting (Remote Meeting - web only)
General Business
1. Update from the Community Development Department
2. Adoption of Planning Board meeting transcripts
Public Hearings
6:30pm Affordable Housing Overlay Zoning Petition
Zoning petition by City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge by creating a new Section 11.207 entitled “Affordable Housing Overlay” that would apply to all zoning districts in the City of Cambridge and by making corresponding amendments elsewhere within the Zoning Ordinance. (Notice) (Materials)
7:30pm PB# 361
711-727 Massachusetts Avenue – Special Permit application by Gas Light Building, LLC to renovate and rehab the existing building and construct an addition for a hotel pursuant to Section 20.304.3.4 to allow total Floor Area Ratio of 4.0 for non-residential and residential uses combined, Section 20.304.2.2.a additional height of 80 feet, Section 20.304.5.3.b relief from restriction of bank frontage on Mass Avenue, Section 20.304.5.4 relief from Formula Business restriction, Section 20.304.6.3 waiver of parking and loading requirements, and Section 2.000 Definitions exemption of Gross Floor Area for basement uses. (Notice) (Materials)
Board of Zoning Appeal Cases
BZA-017309-2020
402 Rindge Avenue – Comprehensive Permit to create 101 units of affordable housing on the site of the Rindge Tower Apartments which has 273 affordable apartments. The project consists of 2 buildings which will be built in phases. Phase I will include 24 units of housing and 42,500 sf of commercial space. Phase II will include 77 units of housing. Art. 5.000, Sec. 5.22 (Private Open Space) & Sec. 5.31 (Table of Dimensional Requirements). Art. 11.000, Sec. 11.203 (Inclusionary Housing Project). Art. 20.000, Sec. 20.64 (Parkway Overlay Dimensional Standards); Sec. 20.66 (Parking Standards/Curb Cuts) & Sec. 20.67 (Mechanical Equipment). Art. 6.000, Sec. 6.36 (Parking); Sec. 6.44 (Parking Layout); Sec. 6.34 (Parking Space Size Allocation); Sec. 6.48 (Landscaping for Parking Lots) & Sec. 6.107 (Bicycle Parking). Art. 4.000, Sec. 4.34.D (General Office Use). Art. 22.000, Sec. 22.23 (Green Building/LEED & Storm Water Retention/Phosphorus Mitigation). (Materials) (Staff Memos)
General Business
3. PB# 336
1065 Cambridge Street – Extension (Letter)
2:30-5:00pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Design Review Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Community Room, 125 Sixth St.)
5:30-7:30pm Transit Advisory Committee (Senior Center)
5:30pm Cambridge Election Commission meeting (Remote Participation via ZOOM)
The meeting may be viewed by the public at this Zoom Link.
I. MINUTES II. REPORTS 1. Executive Director's Report 2. Assistant Director's Report 3. Commissioners' Reports III. PUBLIC COMMENT |
IV. ACTION AGENDA Old Business 1. State Primary, September 1, 2020 2. Polling Places 3. Early Voting Schedule New Business |
5:00pm School Committee Virtual Meeting (webcast from Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
The next Regular Meeting of the School Committee will be held on Tues, Aug 4 at 5:00pm, held in and broadcast from the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway, for the purpose of voting on the Proposed Re-opening Model for the 2020-21 school year, before it is submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Aug 10, 2020. It is anticipated that this meeting will end by or before 8:30pm.
Individuals must sign up in advance to provide public comments at regular meetings or public hearings. For the Aug 6 Special Meeting: The sign-up window is Tues, Aug 4 through Thurs, Aug 6 at 12Noon (by phone) and 4:30pm (online).
- To sign up to call-in by phone: contact Jennifer Dever Wood at 617-349-6620.
- To sign up to call in using the ZOOM app on your computer or mobile device: visit www.cpsd.us/school_committee/virtual.
3:00pm Special Meeting of the City Council to receive a COVID-19 update from the City Manager and his staff. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only, televised)
10:00am The City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing for the purpose of discussing Cambridge higher learning institutions’ return to campus plans, policies, and health guidance. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only)
3:00pm The City Council's Health & Environment Committee will meet to discuss the Net Zero Action Plan FY20 progress report and to receive a general update on the plan including the upcoming 5-year review process. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only)
5:30pm The members of the City Council and School Committee will conduct Roundtable/Working Meeting to discuss CPSD reopening school plans. (Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, web-only)
2:00pm The City Council will meet in a special session to discuss the possible use of body cameras by the Cambridge Police Department. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only, televised)
5:00pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing on a petition to add an Affordable Housing Ordinance to the City’s Zoning Ordinances. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only)
5:30pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Conference Room, 125 Sixth St.)
6:00-7:30pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
5:00pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing on a petition to add a Green Energy Analysis Zoning Ordinance. (Sullivan Chamber, web-only)
2:30-5:00pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Design Review Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Community Room, 125 Sixth St.)
5:30-7:30pm Transit Advisory Committee (Senior Center)
8:00-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
5:30-7:30pm Bicycle Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
