A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-127, regarding draft zoning for urban farming; Awaiting Report Item Number 19-23, regarding allowing lodging houses in Residential A1, A2 and B Zoning Districts; and Awaiting Report Item Number 19-28, regarding a timetable for updating retail and small business components of the zoning table of uses

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration KHALIL MOGASSABI Deputy Director Chief of Planning 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov TO: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager FROM: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development SUBJECT: Awaiting Report Item #18-127 regarding draft zoning for urban farming; Awaiting Report #19-28 regarding a timetable for updating retail and small business components of the zoning table of uses; and Awaiting Report #19-23 regarding allowing lodging houses in Residential A1, A2, and B Zoning Districts DATE: April 17, 2019 The Community Development Department’s work on zoning changes is currently handled by one staff person, the Director of Zoning and Development, Jeff Roberts. This includes supporting the City Council and Planning Board during consideration of rezoning petitions filed by the Council, residents, or property owners, developing zoning following up on planning processes or at the request of the City Council, and planning work related to developing zoning recommendations on topics of interest. Current zoning work under process includes the following: Rezoning petitions under consideration • City Council petition to revise requirements for Accessory Apartments • Alexandria Real Estate rezoning petition for the Grand Junction area • Petition related to hotel use regulations in the Industry B district • Petition to amend zoning on the CambridgeSide site in East Cambridge • Ware St innovation space zoning petition Zoning changes under development • Updates to green building requirements and amendments to enable exterior insulation projects • Citywide 100% affordable housing zoning Planning • The zoning and development division is managing a year-long Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force process to discuss zoning strategies for more resilient future development, with recommendations to be completed by the end of 2019 Additional zoning petitions that were adopted and/or considered With the support of the City Manager’s office, CDD is working to expand our capacity related to rezoning matters and to better address additional zoning initiatives desired by the City Council and the community. We are currently reviewing applicants for a Zoning

Page 2 of 2 Associate Planner position. Additionally, CDD’s FY2020 budget includes a new position for Senior Manager for Zoning & Development and provides funding for zoning consulting services. Having two new zoning staff on board will expand the department’s capacity related to zoning matters in 2020. We will prioritize the Council’s desired items including zoning for urban farming, zoning relative to lodging houses, and updating retail uses in the zoning use table.