Council Updates, Heat Wave, AHO 2.0, And More

Amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO 2.0)
Next week, the Ordinance Committee will be meeting twice to discuss the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO). The first meeting will be on Monday, July 31 at 6:00pm. This meeting will likely go long due to public comment, so a second meeting is already scheduled for Thursday, August 3 at 3:00pm. There is no doubt that the recent amendments to the AHO are on many residents’ minds. It’s been on my mind throughout much of the last year. I have written about the AHO here before at length, but given that we will be discussing the amendments in detail next week, I wanted to let you know my thoughts on the proposal. Broadly, I think the process for the revision of the AHO is flawed and potentially damaging to the community. The original AHO had a five-year review process built in which would require the city to study the effects of the existing policy and come up with recommendations for amending the ordinance if necessary (that five-year review would likely have begun next year to hopefully be completed in 2025 based on the original AHO which passed in 2020). I believe that these amendments are premature and that we have not had adequate time to assess the effects that the AHO has had on affordable housing production. And that the AHO is not the only manner in which we can address affordable housing production. As people who follow city politics know, the original AHO was highly contentious and created many divisions in the community, and this process seems to ignore that. Even so, at least that process that led to the AHO was comprehensive, with a lot of work with city staff, affordable housing stakeholders, and was a city run, community driven process. And it promised a timeline for review so the city could analyze the impacts of the AHO over time and if necessary, consider changes publicly. Practically, I don’t agree with the methodology being used to address density either. The corridors assumed in the AHO amendments are not reflective of the commonly understood transportation corridors in the city and are not the same corridors listed in the Envision Cambridge plan. In addition, the proposed changes to open space are problematic. I will continue to advocate for zoning changes and building practices that favor affordable housing for low and middle income while also striving to create community and cohesion within our city – how it is now and how it can be in the future. This happens through central planning and careful consideration of individual areas, like we are doing in Alewife, so that we can match housing with other community needs and neighborhood uses and really transform our city for the better and house more people. In my opinion, this proposal is a one-size-fits-all approach to zoning that doesn’t purport to take on the structural issues and sees height as a silver bullet for a regional housing issue and so I cannot support the amendments.

Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project
On Tuesday, August 1 at 12:00pm the Ordinance Committee will be meeting to discuss and develop language that would allow us to participate in the state’s 10 city pilot program to limit the use of fossil fuels in new construction or substantial renovations. If we are able to pass this we will be able to mandate that new construction and substantial renovations within the city cannot use equipment or appliances for heating, cooking, drying, or lighting that utilize fossil fuels. This proposal has the opportunity to be transformational throughout the state if the program is expanded. The catch for me is that there will be some exceptions proposed, which will be discussed on Tuesday. The first exception, which is state mandated, is for labs and medical buildings. This exemption is disappointing, of course, as labs can be some of the highest energy users in Cambridge, and are the most commonly built new buildings; however, thanks to BEUDO, we have a plan that is not as robust, but should be impactful in dealing with lab emissions. Other potential exceptions have been mentioned as well, most notably an exemption for restaurants. This idea is counter to our goals and not necessary so I will be pushing against it for a number of reasons. My preference is to remove the exemption completely, and create a waiver process available to be requested in limited circumstances. Or perhaps a 2027 termination of the exemption – in line with the timeline for the state recommended multifamily water heating exemption. After discussing this with builders, restaurateurs, and experts in the field, I feel that the technology in existence and cooking practices make transitioning to electric equipment possible now especially for new restaurants. Any new fossil fuel lines we put in today make it that much harder to meet our required emission reductions. Cambridge can help spur other local and state action to transition away from gas cooking, which we know is bad for the environment and a dire health risk for restaurant workers.

Memorial Drive
Some of you may have seen a recent publication of documents regarding the state’s decision not to open up Riverbend Park to residents on Saturdays this summer, which the Council and the community have repeatedly petitioned for. I was disappointed to see the state dismiss the decision making authority of the Council and mischaracterize the votes we have taken to that effect. It was also disappointing to see the will of residents be misunderstood and discounted. I will be following up with the state and through our state delegation to continue to press for access to Riverbend Park, so be on the lookout for more action this week. Environmental justice demands that we ensure our city’s parks and green spaces are accessible to everyone.