A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Planning Board to adopt the Petition to change the floor area ratio (FAR) for hotel use in the Industry B (IB) district from 2.75 to 4.0

NOVIS CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS PLANNING BOARD CITY HALL ANNEX, 344 BROADWAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 Date: March 19, 2019 Petition to change the floor area ratio (FAR) for hotel use in the Subject: Industry B (IB) district from 2.75 to 4.0. Recommendation: The Planning Board RECOMMENDS adoption. To the Honorable, the City Council, The Planning Board held a public hearing on this petition on February 26, 2019. The Board heard a presentation from the Petitioner and testimony from one member of the public, and received a report with background information from the Community Development Department. The IB district, which covers a single contiguous area near Kendall Square, is the least restrictive zoning district in the city. Before 2001, the maximum FAR for all uses in the district was 4.0. The most recent Citywide Rezoning in 2001 established a lower FAR limit of 2.75 for non- residential uses, which explicitly included hotels. The proposal seeks to change the FAR for hotel use from 2.75 to 4.0, with no changes to the other dimensional requirements, with the stated intent to incentivize hotel development on the few undeveloped smaller parcels in the zone. The Board noted that since most of the large parcels in this district are already developed as higher-intensity non-residential uses such as offices and labs, opportunities for hotel uses would more likely occur on the few smaller lots. The Board finds this to be a reasonable proposal, and given that there has been little residential development in the area, hotel uses would be a rational use of those smaller parcels in the district where they are feasible. Moreover, considering the n there had we void bearinal character of hotel uses and the limited area of the proposal, the Board does not foresee any significant adverse impacts. Respectfully submitted for the Planning Board, Shan Putan only, Catherine Preston Connolly, Chair. Page 1 of 1