Summary
The goal of this petition is to undo the downzoning mistakes of the past and restore the ability to build and grow Cambridge neighborhoods.
Many existing Cambridge homes that fit in the neighborhood just fine, probably couldn’t legally be built today. That’s because most of Cambridge was “down-zoned” some decades ago. The housing we so desperately need can’t be built because of this.
When a poorly maintained building or home reaches its end of life, instead of being replaced by a multi-family, it’s stripped to the bones and converted to a “luxury” home that can fetch higher rent. If it has a big yard, maybe one or two single families get built as in-fill. This is better than no housing, but we can do better.
Summary of Changes
- Reduce the number of residential districts by combining similar ones
- Increase density in single-family only zones by:
- Allowing townhouse style multi-families
- Reduce restrictions on conversions of single-family homes to multi-family homes
- Allow all multi-family building types in duplex only zones
- Either simplify or remove unnecessary restrictions on dwellings in business districts
- Increase allowed height and size for multi-families city wide
- Reduce setbacks for all buildings in residential and business districts
- Allow additional height and size for residential buildings
- At least three stories of housing in all residential neighborhoods
- At least four stories on wide streets (e.g. Hampshire St., Broadway)
- Allow additional height and size for residential and mixed-use buildings in business districts.
- Central Square: 7-8 stories
4-5 stories of mixed commercial and residential with an additional 3-4 stories of residential - Harvard Square: 7-8 stories
5 stories of mixed commercial and residential with an additional 2-3 stories of residential - Porter Square: 5-6 stories
1-3 stories of mixed commercial and residential with an additional 2-3 stories of residential - Remaining business streets (e.g. Cambridge St.): 4-5 stories
2 stories of mixed commercial and residential with an additional 2-3 stories of residential
- Central Square: 7-8 stories
Residential Districts Summary
- Red denotes change
- Double FAR in Res A and B to accommodate townhouses and multi-family homes respectively.
- Increase FAR and heights in Res C with the goal of supporting three story multi-families, and four stories on wider more traveled streets
- No changes made to other districts as they’re almost entirely institutional uses
- Removed unnecessarily restrictive footnotes
- Allow additional height and FAR on the following streets:
- Broadway, Cambridge Street, Columbia Street, Hampshire Street, Huron Avenue, Prospect Street, Western Avenue
- In a Residential B district, increase FAR to 1.5
- In a Residential C district, increase FAR to 2.0 and max height to 45’
- Require top floor to have a mansard roof
Table of Dimensional Requirements: Bold and underline denotes addition
District | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) Width in Feet | (5) | (6) in Feet | (7) | ||
Front | Side | Rear | |||||||
Res. A | 0.5/1.0 | 6,000 |
| 65 |
|
15 | 25 | 35 |
|
Res. B | 0.5/1.0 | 5,000 | 50 | 15 |
7'6" | 35 |
| ||
Res. C | 0.75/1.49 | 5,000 | 50 |
10 |
7'6" |
15 | 35 |
| |
* The second number in the FAR column can be used for townhomes and multi-family homes
Business Districts Summary
- Increase FAR in Central, Harvard, and Porter Squares make use of allowed height. See section on overlays for additional information
- Allow additional FAR and height when used to build housing on top of businesses
- Increase FAR and heights on remaining business streets, like North Mass. Ave. and Cambridge St., to support 2 stories of retail and business with an additional 2-3 stories of housing for 4-5 stories total. Any part of a building above 50’ must have a mansard top story.
- Removed unnecessarily restrictive footnotes
Table of Dimensional Requirements: Bold and underline denotes addition
District | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | ||
Front | Side | Rear | |||||||
Bus. A |
| none |
300 | none | none | none | 15 |
35/60 | none |
Bus. A-1 |
1.0/1.5 | none |
300 | none | none | none | 15 | 35 | none |
Bus. A-2 | 1.0/3.0 | none |
300 | none | 5 | 10 | 20 | 45/60 | none |
Bus. A-3 | 0.75/1.49 | 5,000 |
300 | 50 |
10 |
7'6" |
15 | 35 | 30% |
Bus. B |
4.0/7.0 | none |
none | none | none | none | none | 80 | none |
Bus. C |
2.0/5.0 | none |
300 | none | none | none | 20 | 55/65 | none |
* The second numbers in the FAR and Max Height columns can be used when the additional allowances over the first numbers are used to make housing. Buildings taking advantage of these relaxed restrictions must either put housing on the first floor or active commercial space.
Harvard Square Overlay District
- Increase as of right height to 80 feet, or 90 feet by special permit, when the additional height is used for housing
- Increase FAR to take advantage of this allowed additional height
Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District (Mass. Ave between Harvard and Alewife)
- Increase FAR and height when additional space is used for housing
Central Square Overlay District
- Increase as of right height to 90 feet, or 120 feet by special permit. In both cases when the additional height is used for housing
- Increase FAR to take advantage of this allowed additional height
Change Log
- Corrections and simplifications
- Add text to explicitly suggest use of mansard roofs
- Reduce increased height in Central Square to 120ft to 90ft as-of-right for housing, and only allow 120ft by special permit
- Updated section 5.34.2(g) to remove dangling reference to zone BC-1, which doens't actually exist
- Removed circular reference by removing sections 5.30.11(c - d), 5.31.4(e), and updating section 11.207.5.2.2(a).
NOTE: Although this amends the text of the AHO, it DOES NOT effect how or where the AHO applies. It is simply a different way of writing the same thing and has no practical effect. The base zoning residential FAR was increased, so the threshold for the AHO also had to be increased.