That the City Manager instruct the Community Development Department to draft zoning amendments requiring special permits be required for research and development, laboratory and research facilities in the districts noted in the attached memorandum to ensure a robust community process

Dennis Carlone Cambridge City Councillor Zoning Petition Outline: Limiting Technical Offices (R&D), and Laboratory & Research Facilities March 27, 2021 1 Proposed Cambridge Zoning Petition Outline Technical Offices for Research and Development, and Laboratory and Research Facilities Overview: Zoning districts that allow Technical Offices for Research and Development, and Laboratory and Research Facilities are found in the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance, Article 4.30, Table of Use Regulations. These technical facilities are presently allowed in 22 of the city’s 34 base zoning districts as per 4.34, Office and Laboratory Use, f, and in most overlay districts and special districts. The only exceptions are our 12 residential districts. All other uses listed under the above category 4.34, Office and Laboratory Use include: a. Office of physician, dentist, or other medical practitioner, b. Office of an accountant, attorney, or other non-medical professional, c. Real estate, insurance, or other agency office, d. General office use, e. Bank, trust company, or similar financial institution Although these uses, a-e, offer relatively benign impacts to surrounding properties especially compared to technical offices, technical offices, labs and research facilities are allowed to be in the same zoning districts. Unique Characteristics: Technical offices, labs and research facilities have unique characteristics that are very different from uses a-e. These include the following impacts on neighboring properties including: • Twenty-four-hour on-site activity (all night light pollution) • Thirty-foot tall rooftop mechanical equipment which adds significant building height casting greater shadows and blocking of sunlight • Noise and chemical odors generated from extensive exhaust systems • Limited manufacturing on site allowed (up to 60% of gross floor area) as an accessory use • Extremely large floor plates inconsistent to most surroundings These impacts are particularly harmful to public open space and low-density residential district inhabitants and their property value. As the construction of technical offices, laboratories and research facilities continually expand throughout Cambridge, it is time to focus their development in areas most appropriate. Basic Principle: No technical office or research and development, and laboratory and research facility shall be within 250-feet of a low-density residential district or publicly-owned open space. Proposed Zoning Changes: 1. Remove technical offices and labs from the following districts: • Bus-A/1.0 FAR: Inman Square and Cambridge Street • Bus A-1/1.0 FAR: Neighborhood centers plus Mt. Auburn near Watertown line • Bus A-2/1.0 FAR: Mass Avenue (Harvard Square to Porter Sq. and Porter to Arlington line) • Bus A-3/0.75 FAR: River Street and Western Avenue

Dennis Carlone Cambridge City Councillor Zoning Petition Outline: Limiting Technical Offices (R&D), and Laboratory & Research Facilities March 27, 2021 2 • Bus B-1/1.50 FAR: Mass Avenue (between Harvard and Central Squares) • Bus B-2/1.50 FAR: Mass Avenue (between Harvard and Central Squares) • Bus C/1.25 FAR: Porter Square Note: Bus A-4/2.0 FAR and Bus C-1/2.75 FAR districts could not be located on the zoning map. Proposed Special Permit: will be required for Technical Offices and Labs in the following district: • Bus B/2.75 FAR: Central and Harvard Squares, former and present County Courthouse and Mass Avenue (across from MIT) Proposed Special Permit Requirements: • Not within 250-feet of a low-density residential district or publicly-owned open space. • Maximum building height of 65-feet. • The majority of the mechanical equipment is either below-grade in the garage levels or enclosed in a ‘penthouse’, which has insulated walls with concrete exterior panels and an insulated concrete roof slab to keep mechanical sounds from escaping. • Cooling towers and generator to be located in a roof well, fully surrounded by walls, to reduce any transmission of noise. • All louvers and exhaust stacks on the exterior will have sound attenuation (‘silencers’) to control any noise output. • Garage exhaust fans to be low- speed and have carbon monoxide sensors so that the fans only turn on as needed. Sound attenuators will also be on these exhaust fans. • Fully enclosed loading dock. • Deliveries are limited to 7am-6pm. • There will be window shades that are controlled by the building management system. The shades will automatically close as the sun is setting to control light spillage from the interior lighting out to the exterior. • The exterior design is broken down in scale and character to architecturally fit into its surrounding context. As-of-right districts will continue to be the following: • Ind A-1/1.25 FAR: East Cambridge, North Point, New Street • Ind A-2/2.75 FAR: Miscellaneous locations • Ind A/1.25 FAR: Miscellaneous locations • Ind B-1/1.5 FAR: Miscellaneous locations • Ind B-2/0.75 FAR: Alewife Quadrangle • Ind B/2.75 FAR: The Port, Wellington-Harrington Note: Ind C/1.0 FAR: Could not be located on the zoning map. Note: Overlay districts and special districts shall not be affected except by the basic principle of no technical office or research and development, and laboratory and research facility shall be within 250- feet of a low-density residential district or publicly owned open space. Dennis Carlone