Council Updates, Snow Storm, Short Term Rentals, and More

Harvard Square Pedestrianization Opportunities
I have long been a supporter of more opportunities to pedestrianize sections of the public way in order to enliven the community and help local businesses. I have worked to pilot a number of pedestrianization opportunities in Harvard Square and I want to continue that work in 2026. This week I am sponsoring a policy order, along with Councillor Simmons, Zusy and Mayor Siddiqui, which asks City staff to prioritize pilot opportunities for pedestrianization in Harvard Square, without an unnecessary and expensive consultant study. I have been working with local property owners and the Harvard Square Business Association and I believe that our resources can be better utilized by instead focusing on the on-the-ground problems and solutions with local property owners and businesses rather than bringing in an expensive consultant to do a more comprehensive study.

Endorsing a Plant-Based Treaty
I have been working with the folks from Plant Based Treaty to work to have Cambridge prioritize and promote the consumption of plant-based foods to help to mitigate and adapt Cambridge to the impacts of climate change, improve social justice and economic wellbeing, and support Cambridge in reducing its consumption-based emissions. I’m sponsoring a policy order this week with Councillors Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern and Mayor Siddiqui to ask City staff to incorporate plant-based solutions into the Sustainable Cambridge, incorporate plant-based purchasing practices in City-operated events and work with the School Department to incorporate plant-based purchasing practices in School-related events, and use municipal communications channels to promote sustainable and affordable food and drink practices throughout the City. More plant-based food choices can be a great way for all residents to improve their personal health, take stock in their own consumption patterns, and reorient how we think about local foods.

Mass Ave and Cambridge Street Zoning
I wrote about the Mass Ave and Cambridge Street zoning petitions in detail here, so take a look if you want my more detailed thoughts. The Mass Ave petition passed by a vote of 6-3 last term. I voted against them after the amendments I proposed to bring the petition back to the MAPS-recommended heights failed. This week, I am cosponsoring amendments to the Cambridge Street zoning petition along with Mayor Siddiqui to find compromise and bring the petition in line with the recommendations from the Our Cambridge Street community process. The petition, which we have discussed in detail since June and over the course of numerous public meetings, has a number of benefits for the streetscape in line with and responsive to the Our Cambridge Street planning study and would be an improvement over current zoning with respect to the inclusion of setbacks, design standards, open space, and ground floor active space as requirements for taller heights.

There are concerns about heights, which were increased beyond what was discussed in Our Cambridge Street. That process recommended six stories along much of the corridor, with greater heights allowed in the Webster/Windsor and Lechmere areas due to their strong transit connections. In the spirit of compromise and in keeping with the Our Cambridge Street community process, we intend to make amendments to reduce the height throughout most of the corridor to 6 stories and reduce the height of the Lechmere parcel to 10 stories. 6 stories was the recommendation from the Our Cambridge Street planning study, and we have heard from developers during the discussions over both of these petitions (Mass Ave and Cambridge Street) that 8 story buildings are unlikely to be built anyway. On the Lechmere parcel, it is important to plan for taller heights due to its proximity to mass transit, but we have heard from the parcel owner that they do not have plans to redevelop over 10 stories. If we can make those changes in response to the actual expected outcomes, I think we can find compromise on the council to pass the zoning petition – which will have other benefits besides the obvious height impacts: this zoning will improve building stepbacks, design standards, open space, and ground floor active space as a requirement for taller heights. We will still have work to do to continue to reform Cambridge Street zoning though CDD’s response to existing Policy Order (POR 2025 #164) requesting CDD to require active ground floor at 6 stories for the entire corridor to reflect the community vision from the Our Cambridge Street planning study. We hope that response will lead to a new zoning petition that we can work to pass.