A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number PO #2025-16, regarding permissible height increases under the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) in the Zoning Ordinance

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department MELISSA PETERS Acting Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Chief of Admin/Operations 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager From: Melissa Peters, Acting Assistant City Manager for Community Development Megan Bayer, City Solicitor Date: March 6, 2025 Subject: Response to Policy Order POR 2025 #16 dated February 10, 2025 regarding permissible height increases under the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) in the Zoning Ordinance The recent citywide multifamily zoning amendments, which increased the allowable heights for residential uses, also amended the allowable heights under the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO). In Residence C-1 districts, the AHO now allows building heights up to nine stories above grade for buildings that meet the AHO’s requirements and standards for 100% affordable housing. Councillors expressed concern that an existing provision of the AHO (Section 11.207.5.2.1, Paragraph e.), adopted in 2023, would allow increases of up to 3 additional stories if certain conditions are met, including no increase in the allowable floor area and preservation of existing open space on the lot. However, the City Solicitor advised that amending that provision might be a change to the fundamental character of the multifamily zoning petitions because it was not originally advertised. Therefore, City Council asked for a draft amendment that could be advanced as a new petition. Attached to this response is a set of proposed amendments to the AHO, as recently amended through the multifamily zoning amendment, which would make the additional height allowance not applicable in Residence C-1 districts, except in AHO Corridors and Squares where it would continue to apply. If the City Council wants to consider this amendment, it could be adopted as a City Council Zoning Petition and referred to the Planning Board and Ordinance Committee for hearing and report. Staff have also suggested edits that make no substantive change, but help to clean up the zoning text and reduce potential confusion by removing references to provisions that were deleted in the multifamily zoning amendment, such as the Townhouse and Multifamily Special Permit procedures and limitations on residential FAR and minimum lot area per dwelling unit. These additional edits could be included or not included in a petition.