November News: Election Results and Council Updates

This Week’s Update:
City Manager’s Agenda
CMA 2021 #238 – BEUDO Proposed Amendments: The Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) was enacted by the City Council in 2014, requiring that owners of larger buildings track and report annual energy use to the City and publicly disclose the data. As it stands, the ordinance does not require any energy efficiency standards, just that buildings disclose how much energy they use. The proposed amendments by the CDD, as requested by the City Council, set emissions reductions targets for the largest buildings that match or exceed the Commonwealth’s targets. These amendments will be further reviewed and discussed by the Climate Crisis Working Group, and ultimately voted on by the City Council.  I have not reviewed in depth, but upon my first review, I am glad the amendments have been proposed.  They represent a key important step in our fight against climate change. And they are inadequate to meet the challenge we face.  The timelines are too long and the requirements too weak.  I look forward to strengthening this ordinance when the council debates the amendments.  
 
Policy Orders and Resolutions
POR 2021 #246 – Alewife Quad Temporary Moratorium: In 1979, the City of Cambridge Community Development Department created the Alewife Revitalization plan, intended to fill the Fresh Pond – Alewife area with a mix of residential, business, and industrial structures. Forty years later, the 2019 Envision Alewife plan still visualizes Alewife as a mixed-use district, with development promoting the creation of good-paying, low barrier-to-entry jobs, and additional housing with no lab uses. However, over the past few months, a real estate investment firm has spent close to $400 million, purchasing 19 separate parcels in the Alewife “Quad” area to date. Since this firm is known for owning and developing real estate in the healthcare area (mostly laboratories), I have proposed that the Zoning Ordinance is amended to prohibit laboratory or office development within the Alewife Overlay district until December 31st, 2023, or until new Alewife District Zoning is ordained by the City Council.
 
POR 2021 #247: Upper Mass. Ave. Bike Lane Improvements: As many of you know, the bike lane plan on Massachusetts Avenue from Dudley Street to Alewife Brook Parkway is slated to begin construction within the next few weeks. The construction of protected bike lanes is crucial for cyclist safety and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions; I have consistently been a strong supporter of a network of safe bike lanes throughout the city. However, many residents have raised relevant concerns regarding the removal of the approximately 80 parking spots on Mass. Avenue. The current plan will remove these spots without designating any new handicapped spots for people with limited mobility. I have introduced a policy order asking the City Manager to deliver a report on how people who need accessible parking can access services on Mass. Ave. with the proposed plan. One idea to address these concerns is to use the bus lanes currently proposed for 15-minute loading zones during off peak hours to allow for 2-hour parking, which Boston has implemented on streets, marking bus lanes with time-limited parking, although not on streets with medians. These issues are important, AND it is important that construction of the bike lanes happens on time, which is why I have specified in the policy order that these reports allow for the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance on the existing timeline.