Riding the Third Rail - April 8, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting

The relative quiet of the last few weeks will likely end this week with the introduction of a policy order that challenges the status quo of the Cycling Safety Ordinance. There’s also a new zoning petition. Here are the agenda items of note this week:

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 2024 #6, regarding micromobility rules and regulations. [text of report]
pulled by Pickett; comments by Acting City Solicitor Megan Bayer, Pickett, Toner, Traffic Commissioner Brooke McKenna, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Deputy City Manager Owen O’Riordan, Iram Farooq (CDD), Nolan, Police Commissioner Christine Elow, Phil McDavitt (CPD); Placed on File 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 2024 #12, regarding tenant protections resources. [text of report]
pulled by Siddiqui; comments by Siddiqui, Maura Pensak (Housing Liaison), Maria ?, Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern, Megan Bayer, Simmons, Toner exercises Charter Right on JSW motion to refer to Ordinance Committee; Placed on File 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $20,000,000 from Free Cash to the Debt Stabilization Fund. This appropriation will be used to mitigate anticipated debt service costs in future years for the City’s major capital projections.
pulled by Pickett; comments by Pickett, Finance Director Claire Spinner explains rationale, Simmons asks for clarification, City Manager Yi-An Huang notes anticipated increases in debt load, Taha Jennings provides additional information re: role of Covid; Order Adopted 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a summary of a Planning Board Meeting on the 2023 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations. [text of report]
Place on File 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department and the Law Department to draft proposed near-term amendments to the PTDM Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Pickett, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Siddiqui
pulled by Toner; comments by Toner, Iram Farooq, Pickett, McGovern, Yi-An Huang; McGovern motion to require report back no later than October 2024; Siddiqui asks if City would be involved in negotiating private parking arrangements; Owen O’Riordan says these would be primarily private arrangements; Brooke McKenna notes that City would be involved if parking is commercial parking requiring a permit; McGovern asks if City would be involved in renting spaces for metered parking (no); Nolan asks if October 2024 sufficient time, Huang notes that timeline could be reported much sooner, Farooq says timing is reasonable; McGovern amendment Adopted 8-0-1 (BA-Absent); Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department, the Department of Public Works, the Community Development Department, and the Law Department to draft proposed amendments to the Cycling Safety Ordinance to extend the deadline associated with the completion of those sections of the ordinance that are required to be completed by May 1, 2026.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Pickett, Councillor Wilson
pulled by Toner; Toner notes that there is no intention to jeopardize safety, disputes public comment interpretation of impact report, need for more mitigation before any implementation, notes that City staff wrote the text of the “Ordered” sections of the Order, need to do no harm; comments by Pickett on lessons learned from implementations so far; Wilson notes that “it’s important that when we know better, we do better”; Yi-An Huang notes work of Toner, Pickett, and Wilson with City staff leading to this Order, emphasizes that City ready to meet original timelines (seems as though City only interested in parking mitigation and nothing more); McGovern emphasizes that this is only a proposed delay for mitigation and that no other changes are expected; Simmons acknowledges importance of cycling safety but also businesses affected, houses of worship affected by loss of parking; Siddiqui emphasizes City Manager statement about meeting current deadlines; O’Riordan prefers to provide more details when matter returns after Charter Right; Toner asks for clarity on timelines; McKenna says a delay will allow for Cambridge Street to be split into two projects; Huang promises more granular data and timelines; Sobrinho-Wheeler asks if language actually came from staff, O’Riordan concurs that staff provided the language but that City is not advocating a particular outcome; JSW and Pickett want more data, notes that most accidents occur at intersections and those hazards are made worse by quick-build bike lanes; Charter Right - Sobrinho-Wheeler

28 Communications - all but two of which are in response to the potential touching of that sacred cow that is the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

There could be hundreds opining during Public Comment on this - largely due to the activists lighting up their mailing lists with alarm calls. Much of the commentary will be variants of the statement that “if you don’t do exactly as I say and implement every aspect of the latest Bicycle Plan, then countless people will die and civilization itself will be threatened.” Personally, I would just like to understand how Broadway got snuck into the latest plan without anyone asking the residents of Mid-Cambridge. To wit:

The 2015 Bicycle Plan (note that Broadway is not included):

The 2020 Plan (eastern half) in which Broadway is added:

For what it’s worth, I really wish the City would, at the very least, take Broadway out of the plan. It’s not a primary route for cyclists and it duplicates other routes. It is also a primary route for emergency vehicles and, based on experience from elsewhere in the city, those emergency vehicles will likely have a much more difficult time doing their jobs with a combination of white posts, concrete barriers, and greatly narrowed road width. Needless to say, the loss of parking will also greatly impact residents on and off Broadway - many of whom do not have driveways.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department to hold a community meeting with residents of Appleton and surrounding streets in the Huron and Brattle Street neighborhoods to review their findings and discuss options for addressing the traffic concerns on Appleton Street.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Pickett, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled by Toner; comments by Toner, Brooke McKenna, McGovern added as sponsor; Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-1 (BA-Absent)

Order #4. City Council support of H.2963, An Act relative to payments in lieu of taxation by organizations exempt from the property tax, to ensure municipalities are fairly compensated and their long-term budgetary needs are preserved.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Wilson
pulled by Toner; uptalked comments by Sobrinho-Wheeler; comments by Wilson, Siddiqui, Toner on whether Catholic Church and others would be affected, Yi-An Huang response; Charter Right - Toner

Applications & Petitions #1. A Citizens Zoning Petition has been received from Joseph S. Ronayne, regarding amending the current Articles 4, 5 and 8. [text of petition]
Referred to Planning Board and Ordinance Committee 6-0-3 (BA, PN,JSW-Absent)

Accessory Dwelling Units

• Remove outdated language in Article 4.21 that limits ADUs exclusively to Night Watchman housing.
• Remove language in 4.21 that requires existing accessory structures to conform to current dimensional requirements in order to be used for ADUs. This allows existing outbuildings to be used for ADUs where previously they could not.
• Remove ADU restrictions in 4.22.1 that prevent any newer, smaller homes from adding ADUs.

Table of Uses

• Update the Table to allow all types of housing in all residential districts by-right.

Table of Dimensional Requirements

• Increase allowed FAR in all Residential A, B, C, and Business A3 zones to 1.0 to incrementally increase residential density.
• Reduce minimum lot size per dwelling unit in all Residential A, B, C, and Business A3 zones to 1000 square feet per unit to allow for additional units per lot.
• Reduce minimum lot size and lot width in Residential A districts to conform with other residential districts.
• Remove the Footnote that limits FAR on larger Res B lots to just 0.35.
• Make no changes to setback, height, or open space requirements.

Article 8: Nonconformity

• Modify Article 8.22.1 to better conform to existing state law regarding interior changes to existing homes.
• Eliminate the 10% and 25% rules that force homeowners to get a Special Permit or Variance to add extra space, even when their homes are otherwise entirely conforming to current zoning.

The sum total of all this is to:

1. Expand ADU opportunities;
2. Allow for additional housing units in districts that have traditional been excessively limited as to their permitted uses, density, and/or unit counts; and
3. By reducing the overall number of non-conforming homes, reduce the number of situations whereby homeowners are required to get expensive and time-consuming Special Permits and Variances in order to make simple updates.

No kidding around - April 1, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here are some of the more interesting items this week:

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the MBTA Track Improvement Program work in February and July 2024 on the Red Line. [text of report]
pulled by Nolan; comments by Nolan, Iram Farooq (CDD), Brooke McKenna (TPT), Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Pickett, Simmons, City Manager Yi-An Huang, Suzanne Rasmussen (CDD), Wilson; Placed on File 9-0

Order #1. City Council support of H.3012/S.2027, An Act Authorizing Project Labor Agreements, to strengthen and secure Massachusetts’ long term economic development.   Councillor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Pickett, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Toner, Councillor Wilson
pulled by Toner; comments by Azeem; Toner motion to add all as sponsors; Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Finance Committee held a public hearing on Mar 19, 2024 to review and discuss the FY25 Capital Budget and to continue the Dec 12, 2023 City Council discussion on Public Investment Planning and to discuss City Council budget priorities and goals. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Resolution #4.1. In support of waiting ‘til the midnight hour.   Councillor Wilson, Councillor Pickett

R-4.1     Apr 1, 2024
COUNCILLOR WILSON
COUNCILLOR PICKETT
WHEREAS: I’m gonna wait ‘til the midnight hour, That’s when my love come tumbling down, I’m gonna wait ‘til the midnight hour, When there’s no one else around, I’m gonna take you, girl, and hold you, And do all things I told you, in the midnight hour; and
WHEREAS: Yes I am, oh, yes I am, One more thing I just wanna say right here; and
WHEREAS: I’m gonna wait ‘til the stars come out, And see that twinkle in your eyes, I’m gonna wait ‘til the midnight hour, That’s when my love begins to shine; and
WHEREAS: You’re the only girl I know, That really love me so, in the midnight hour; and
WHEREAS: Oh yeah, in the midnight hour, Yeah, alright, play it for me one time now; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: I’m gonna wait ‘til the midnight hour, That’s when my love come tumbling down, I’m gonna wait, way in the midnight hour, That’s when my love begin to shine, just you and I, Oh, baby, huh, just you and I, Nobody around, baby, just you and I, Alright, you know what?, I'm gonna hold you in my arms, just you and I, Oh yeah, in the midnight hour, Oh baby, in the midnight hour.

Comments?

City of Cambridge Awarded $2.4m Federal Grant to Fund Design of Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Crossing MBTA Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line

Mar 28, 2024 – The City of Cambridge announced the award of $2.4 million in federal funds for the design of a critical off-road bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the MBTA Fitchburg Commuter rail line in North Cambridge. The federal funds will be combined with an existing $600,000 of City matching funds to complete the design of this bridge crossing that will help connect the Rindge Avenue neighborhood to Danehy Park. The project also includes planning and design of a multi-use path parallel to the rail line, creating connectivity to the crossing from many local points, as well as providing more convenient access to the Alewife Red Line transit station.

The City of Cambridge completed a design feasibility study for this crossing in 2023, which included a public process and examination of design alternatives. The study concluded it was feasible and suitable to construct a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and the City submitted a Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods (RCN) grant application in September 2023. On March 13, 2024, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Cambridge was among the recipients of the RCN grant awards.

In addition to feasibility, the grant considered the potential community benefit and impact of the proposed project. The project will create a safe and dedicated path of travel between a densely populated area on Rindge Avenue to Danehy Park – the largest open space in Cambridge - as well as Fresh Pond Mall. This path will provide residents direct access to grocery stores, clothing and other retail outlets, as well as work force training and employment opportunities. The bridge crossing project, which includes several connector paths, will become a key link in the greater bicycle and pedestrian network. Just to the north, paths will connect to Linear Park, the Minuteman Path, and the Somerville Community Path and directly to the south, will connect to Fresh Pond, the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway, and the Danehy-New Street Connector path, which is under design.

“This award allows us to make meaningful progress on a project that will be of great benefit to residents in this neighborhood,” said Iram Farooq, Cambridge Assistant City Manager of Community Development. “There is a true revitalization movement underway in this region of our City, with recent rezoning accomplishments that have encouraged development of housing and mixed-use buildings. Mobility and access to local open space, businesses, and other resources is key to building a community. The rail crossing and multi-use paths will transform the way people are able to navigate, experience, and enjoy the neighborhood.”

The RCN grant award will fund the planning and design of the bridge crossing project but is not intended to fund construction. The City is working to add the project to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in order to seek state and federal funding for future construction. The RCN grant award confirms the viability of the project and the validity of the rationale, improving the chances of garnering funding for future stages.

Please visit the project website for more information on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Crossing Study:
https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitydevelopment/fitchburgcommuterraillinecrossingstudy

To learn more about the RCN program and grant recipients, visit the U.S. Department of Transportation:
https://www.transportation.gov/grants/reconnecting-communities/reconnecting-communities-fy23-awards

Why schools should bring back eighth-grade algebra

Lack of diversity in advanced math classes is a problem, but leveling down is the wrong solution.
by Marcela García, Boston Globe Columnist, Mar 8, 2024