Featured Items on the June 30, 2025 Cambridge City Council Agenda
Starting next week, incumbents and challengers will be pulling nomination papers for City Council and School Committee and transforming into salesmen and saleswomen. Here are some of the interesting agenda items before the snake oils sales commence:
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update and the Law Department will provide an update on relevant court cases. (CM25#177) [text of report]
pulled by Sobrinho-Wheeler; comments by Yi-An Huang, City Solicitor Megan Bayer, Asst City Solicitor LaBianca; Placed on File 9-0
There are 27 court cases listed in this report.
Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the 2024 Transportation Demand Management Program Report. (CM25#179) [text of report]
pulled by Nolan; comments by Nolan, Brooke McKenna (TD), Ryan McKinnon (TD), Zusy, Azeem; Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-30, regarding a review of barriers to housing production, a timeline for next Inclusionary Housing Study, and the feasibility of additional development incentives. (CM25#180) [text of report]
pulled by Azeem; comments by Azeem, Simmons, Melissa Peters (CDD), Chris Cotter (HD), Toner, Nolan, Yi-An Huang, McGovern, Zusy, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson; Placed on File 9-0
In addition to the Cotter report, you may want to also take a look at these two articles by Patrick Barrett:
1) Urgent Legal and Policy Concerns Regarding Cambridge’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (May 2, 2025)
2) Follow-Up Memo on Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Concerns Under MBTA Communities Act Compliance (June 14, 2025)
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-36, regarding a request that the language of the Welcoming Community Ordinance be amended to clarify that City employees shall not participate in federal immigration enforcement operations and that the sole role of City employees during any action by ICE is only to protect public safety, and be amended to clarify that if Cambridge Police Department Officers respond to the scene of ICE action, CPD Officers should document the actions of ICE including their badge numbers. (CM25#181) [text of report]
pulled by Sobrinho-Wheeler; comments by Sobrinho-Wheeler, Megan Bayer, Nolan, Siddiqui, Simmons, Supt. Pauline Carter-Wells (CPD); Referred to Ordinance Committee and Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on the first half of 2025. (CM25#183) [text of report]
Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the 2025 Goals and Metrics for the Annual City Manager Performance Review. (CM25#184) [text of report]
pulled by Wilson; comments by Wilson, Yi-An Huang, Siddiqui, Nolan; Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Florrie Darwin, Scott Kyle, and Michael Rogove; and the reappointments of Chandra Harrington, Joseph Ferrara, Kyle Sheffield, Gavin Kleespies, Paula Paris, Elizabeth Lyster, and Yuting Zhang as members of the Cambridge Historical Commission. (CM25#185) [text of report]
pulled by Sobrinho-Wheeler; comments by Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Simmons, Charles Sullivan (Hist. Comm.), Azeem, McGovern; Substitute Order Appointments Adopted 9-0; Placed on File 9-0
Committee Report #2. The Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 to discuss term limits and appointments to Neighborhood Conservation Districts and the Historical Commission, CM25#145, CM25#146, and CM25#147. The Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee voted favorably to forward CM25#145, CM25#146, and CM25#147 to the full City Council with no recommendation. [text of report]
Taken up early along w/Mgr #8; All Appointments Approved as Amended; Report Accepted, Placed on File as Amended 9-0
Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to explore creative solutions that reduce car dependency, while expanding access to parking options nearby Broadway. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zusy, Councillor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled by Simmons; comments by Simmons, Nolan, Zusy; Order Adopted 8-1 (Simmons – No)
File this under “Adding Insult to Injury”. These councillors are apparently incapable of listening to the actual concerns expressed by affected residents.
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the City Solicitor to ensure that the wording for the proposed amendment to Section 5.40 Footnote #2 is in line with the City Council’s intention to continue to include the inclusionary requirement for any nonreligious use property that is going above four stories, and to strike “except for religious purposes” used from Section 5.40 Footnotes #1 and #37. Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0
Yet another example, of this City Council’s “Break It First, Then Pick Up The Pieces” philosophy.
Order #3. That the Mayor is hereby appointing a committee, to be announced in the coming days, to screen applicants for the position of City Clerk. Mayor Simmons, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Toner
Order Adopted 9-0
Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to continue to work with stakeholders in the area including Harvard University and the Harvard Square Business Association to pursue options for pedestrianization on Lower Bow Street and to report on the option for automatic bollards for Winthrop and/or Bow Street. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to prepare an interim report on demolition requests and building permit applications, in order to facilitate a discussion on the outcomes observed during the first six months of the new Multifamily Housing Zoning. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem
pulled by Nolan; comments by Nolan, Zusy, McGovern, Azeem; Order Adopted 9-0
Yet another example, of this City Council’s “Break It First, Then Pick Up The Pieces” philosophy.
Order #6. That the Human Services and Veterans Committee hold a meeting in Fall 2025 and extend an invitation to the Superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools and the School Committee to discuss the progress and future direction of the Cambridge Preschool Program. Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Wilson, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled by Zusy; comments by Siddiqui, Wilson, Zusy, Nolan; Order Adopted 9-0
Community Benefits for Whom?
Unfinished Business #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a revised draft of the “Eastern Cambridge Community Enhancements” Zoning Petition. [Placed on Unfinished Business, June 9, 2025] (CM25#153)
No Action Taken, Votes Expected Aug 4
Unfinished Business #6. An Ordinance has been received from City Clerk, relative to East Cambridge Community Enhancement Overlay District (“ECCE Overlay District”), which is governed by the regulations and procedures specified in this Section 20.1200. It is the intent of this Section that these regulations will apply to land within the ECCE Overlay District. [Passed to 2nd Reading, June 9, 2025] (ORD25#10)
pulled for discussion (JSW); comments by Yi-An Huang, Zusy, Simmons, Megan Bayer, Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern, Wilson, Siddiqui, Toner, Azeem, Nolan; No Action Taken, Votes Expected Aug 4
There is a brewing controversy associated with this zoning petition and, more specifically, the proposed community benefits agreement tied to the petition that would, in particular, greatly benefit the East End House (~$20 million). I suspect this may be the featured item during Public Comment.
Original BioMed Petition Text (Mar 17) Petitioner Revisions (Apr 18) CDD Memo (Apr 24)
Planning Board Presentation (Apr 29) Planning Board Report (May 19) – original document Ordinance Committee Agenda (May 20)
Ordinance Committee Report (June 9) DS,MM,SS,AW Reallocation Memo (June 9) Order #3 (PO25#96) (June 23)
Cambridge Community Center 6/26 message (“URGENT! Ask City Council to delay the inequitable disbursement of over $20 million”)
Follow-up CCC 6/29 message (“Our Collective Response to Representative Mike Connolly’s Letter to the City Council”)
[I haven’t yet seen Connolly’s letter to the City Council, but I’m sure it is characteristically ill-informed.]
Joint Response from CCC, CAC, CEOC, and The Dance Complex
This controversy reminds me of what then-City Manager Robert Healy reportedly said when informed of the gift of the Foundry building to the City in conjunction with a zoning petition then being sought: “This is going to be a problem.” Indeed, there was competition almost immediately among councillors for their pet projects that might be located in this windfall building. In the end, the cost associated with retrofitting the building for its current use was, I believe, well in excess of the value of the gift. I am also reminded of how the provision of ARPA funds turned into a competition among many interested parties and their City Council sponsors – including the Rise Up Cambridge local welfare program that then-Mayor Siddiqui incessantly associates with her own name. I may have some of the timeline confused, but I am also reminded of then-Councillor Sam Seidel’s effort to come up with an equitable way of distributing benefits derived from “contract zoning” – more often than not in and around East Cambridge (or, as Heather Hoffman often describes it, “the eastern sacrifice zone”).
I have been to many events held at the Cambridge Community Center on Callender Street in the Riverside neighborhood, and each time I am there I have taken note of the deterioration of the building – and the window frames and sills in particular. It is abundantly clear that this important building needs some love. Perhaps Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds could be used for this purpose, but the Affordable Housing Trust would likely oppose that. The public policy question is whether (and how) revenues derived from projects in one part of the city should be appropriated that is fair to all residents of the city but at the same time primarily benefits those neighborhoods most affected by this new development.
I am not convinced that the current City Council is particularly skilled at answering these questions. Their approach in recent years has become more imperious and less concerned about the impacts in areas and along streets most affected by their “progressive” policy decisions.
The ECCE Overlay District Petition expires August 18. Though it is expected to be voted on June 30, it could be delayed until the Midsummer City Council meeting on Aug 4.
Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 to continue the discussion on a Zoning Petition by Mushla Marasao, et al. to amend the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance in Sections 5.28.21, 8.22.1, 8.22.2, and Table 5.1 with the intent to remove gross floor area (GFA) and floor area ratio (FAR) limitations for religious uses, permit conforming additions to nonconforming structures without limitation for religious uses, and permit religious uses with the same dimensional limitations as residential uses except that in a Residence C-1 district permeable open space would not be required, buildings would be permitted up to 6 stories and 74 feet above grade without meeting inclusionary housing requirements, and buildings taller than 35 feet and 3 stories above grade would not be required to notify neighbors and hold a meeting. The Ordinance Committee voted favorably to forward the Mushla Marasao, et al. Zoning Petition to the full City Council with no recommendation. [text of report]
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0; Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Resolution #8. Congratulations to Joseph Grassi on his retirement from the Cambridge Police Department. Councillor Toner, Councillor Wilson, Mayor Simmons
Resolution #18. Congratulations to Officer Robert P. Reardon on his promotion to the rank of Sergeant with the Cambridge Police Department. Councillor Toner, Councillor Wilson, Mayor Simmons
Resolution #20. Congratulations to Superintendent Pauline Wells on being awarded the 2025 Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement Organization Heritage Award. Councillor Toner, Councillor Wilson, Mayor Simmons
Resolution #24. Congratulations to Donald “Ducky” Down on his retirement from the Department of Public Works. Councillor Toner, Vice Mayor McGovern
Note: The meeting was preceded by a tribute to Charles Sullivan for his 51 years of service (and counting) to the City of Cambridge. Later in the meeting there were extensive comments of heartfelt thanks and farewell to retiring Deputy City Manager Owen O’Riordan.
This week’s agenda is dominated by several City Council Orders meant to address (or navigate around) the contentious issue of whether the proposed separated bicycle lanes, removal of most of the existing parking, and loss of curb access should proceed on Broadway as currently mandated by the Cycling Safety Ordinance. This is not really a matter of safety so much as political clout. Some straightforward analysis using the current registered voter list indicates that those who want the street reconfiguration to proceed as planned are approximately 25 years younger than those who have signed the petition opposing the reconfiguration. It is also anecdotally clear that there is also a large gap in socioeconomic status. Basically, young professionals are well-represented among those wanting to remove the parking, and those in opposition include far more seniors, people with mobility issues, and people who need their motor vehicles for work and chores.
