Ball of Confusion – December 15, 2025 Cambridge City Council meeting
Since it is proposed to cancel the Dec 29 meeting, this should be the next-to-last meeting of this City Council term, and next week’s meeting will likely see the rushed ordination of two massive upzonings of Cambridge Street (Inman Square to Lechmere) and N. Mass Ave. (Cambridge Common to the Arlington Line, including Porter Square). Some people (including me) are opposed simply because of the severe scale of the upzoning, and others are opposed because of the potential disruption to the rigged economics of the current iteration of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO 2.0). Be careful what you wish for. In all likelihood, the latter concern will only result in an even more massive upzoning meant to re-rig the economics of the AHO.
In my view, this current City Council has absolutely no idea what they are doing – other than delivering potential development projects to their political friends. Rigging the economics based on low information has only created a poker game with ever-increasing wagers. Increasing hunger for lost tax revenue is countered by more calls for encumbered development which then creates even more need for revenue. And so on.
Here are some of the featured items on this week’s agenda:
Boarding & Baiting
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of five members to the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). [text of report]
Appointments Confirmed 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following people as members of the BEUDO Review Board. [text of report]
Appointments Confirmed 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Sue Walsh as a member of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee. [text of report]
Appointment Confirmed 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Rushing to get those reports in before the end of the term and Wednesday’s Special Meeting to review the City Manager’s evaluation
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-66, regarding a dedicated position or function focused on triaging and directing senior residents to appropriate services and supports. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-64, regarding poison ivy control at Fresh Pond. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-57, regarding body-worn cameras. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-54, regarding review of current crisis prevention protocols and deployment of mental health professionals. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-49, regarding development of a policy for future private development. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-40, regarding updates to the Community Benefits Ordinance. [text of report]
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR#25-65, regarding Connectivity North of Rindge Ave. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Road Rage
Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, regarding proposed parking fine increases. text of report]
Placed on File 7-1-1 (Wilson NO; Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on the Roadway Safety Audit Program. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, transmitting an update on federal grant funding. [text of report]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Azeem Absent)
I’ll see your 6 stories and raise you 12 stories
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Community Development Department to reduce the recommendations for the Massachusetts Avenue subdistrict (MAS-12) from a maximum of 12 stories to 11 stories with ground floor active use/retail as consistent with the recommendation of the Mass Ave. Planning Study. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zusy, Councillor Wilson
Charter Right – Siddiqui
Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Community Development Department to reduce the recommendations for the Inman Square zoning sub-district (CAM-10) from a maximum of 10 stories to 8 stories with ground floor active use/retail as consistent with the majority of the Cambridge Street corridor. [Charter Right – Sobrinho-Wheeler, Dec 8, 2025]
Order Adopted 7-1-1 (Sobrinho-Wheeler NO; Azeem Absent)
Unfinished Business #5. An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 3.000, 17.000, and 19.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Cambridge Street corridor. [Passed to 2nd Reading, Dec 8, 2025; Eligible to be Ordained Dec 22, 2025; Expires Jan 28, 2026] [Revised][Published]
Unfinished Business #6. An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 2.000, 3.000, 4.000, 5.000, 6.000, 11.000 17.000, and 20.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Massachusetts Avenue corridor. [Passed to 2nd Reading, Dec 8, 2025; Eligible to be Ordained Dec 22, 2025; Expires Jan 28, 2026] [Revised][Published]
151 Communications – mainly from the usual ABC and CCC partisans worked up over the upzonings. Frankly, I don’t understand why anyone even bothers to write letters or speak at Public Comment, because nobody is listening. I also firmly believe we would all be better off if A Better (Bigger) Cambridge (ABC), the Cambridge Citizens Coalition (CCC), the Cambridge Residents Alliance (CResA), Cambridge Bike Safety (CBS) and most of the other self-serving partisan organizations in Cambridge would close up shop. They’re not helping. – RW
Late Resolution #13. Condolences on the death of Roger O’Sullivan. Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toner