Communication to the City Council · From Donna P. Lopez City Clerk · Jul 30 2018

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE RELATIVE TO ZONING That the Zoning Ordinance be amended in Section 20.70 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance entitled “Flood Plain Overlay District” and to create a new Section 22.80 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance entitled “Green Factor.” The following is a summary of changes that are proposed: Enlarge the Flood Plain Overlay District to include, in addition to all flood hazard areas designated as Zones A and AE on the Middlesex County Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), all areas designated as Zone X on the Middlesex County FIRMs and all areas identified by the 2015 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Part 1 Report or the 2017 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Part 2 Report as subject to flooding by the 1% annual chance flood for precipitation events, or the 0.2% annual chance flood for storm surge and sea level rise events, respectively; Create additional criteria for the granting of a special permit by the Planning Board, as set forth in the full petition, which is required for any erection, construction, expansion, substantial improvement, or movement of a building and for any dumping, filling, excavation, transfer or other alteration of earth in the Flood Plain Overlay District; Require, in addition to engineering reports currently required by Section 20.70, a site hydrology report, soil and groundwater report, storm water plan, emergency plan, and tree study, as set forth in the full petition; Establish new development standards applicable in the Flood Plain Overlay District pertaining to the elevation of finished floors and other building elements relative to the highest identified 500-year flood elevation, as well as setbacks, open space, permeable open space, tree canopy, building access, flood protection, cool roofs, parking, flood barriers, hazardous materials and waste, critical facilities, site access, emergency plans, flood markers, and removal of lands from the Flood Plain Overlay District, as set forth in the full petition; Allow new construction to be exempt from applicable height requirements upon the granting of a special permit by the Planning Board if the other standards of Section 20.70 are met; and Establish a “Green Factor” scoring system for projects, to be calculated for all projects subject to a Project Review Special Permit, and for which a minimum score is proposed to be required for projects in the Flood Plain Overlay District, as set forth in the petition. In City Council July 30, 2018. Failed to pass to a second reading on a yea and nay vote: Yeas 4; Nays 5; Absent 0. Attest: - Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST: - Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk