Policy Order Seeking Development Analysis

O-3 FIRST IN COUNCIL October 17, 2022 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS COUNCILLOR TONER COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN COUNCILLOR AZEEM WHEREAS: In recent years, the City has worked to address a number of different, critical issues that impact the wellbeing of our community and our planet via a number of different policies and initiatives that are tied to the development of new commercial and residential buildings; and WHEREAS: From increasing the linkage fees that developers must pay into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to increasing the mandatory amount of inclusionary units in new residential buildings of ten units or more, to our Net Zero policies, to the proposed BEUDO amendments, to the Affordable Housing Overlay, to the possibility of eliminating parking minimums, there have been a number of new or refreshed initiatives enacted by the City over the past half decade; and WHEREAS: While each of these policies addresses a very real need, it would be prudent for the City to take a moment to request that an analysis be conducted to determine what impact, if any, all of these combined policies have had upon local commercial and residential development, and what impact may yet be felt by these combined policies in the near term, before the City looks to enact further policies or initiatives related to development; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department to conduct an assessment and analysis of the impacts of the combined, above-referenced policies upon local commercial and residential development over the past half decade, and the anticipated impact of these policies over the next half decade, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.