That the City Council go on record in opposition to the site owned by Eversource on Fulkerson Street to have a substation and that the City Manager be and herby is requested to urge Eversource to reconsider its acquisition of the property

City of Cambridge O-3 ORIGINAL ORDER IN CITY COUNCIL April 22, 2019 COUNCILLOR TOOMEY COUNCILLOR MALLON MAYOR MCGOVERN COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI WHEREAS: In May 2016, representatives of 135 Cambridge Street LLC appeared before the East Cambridge Planning Team (ECPT) to present a proposal for a three story 40-unit residential building at 135 Fulkerson; and WHEREAS: In June 2016, Jay Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes filed a special permit application with the Planning Board seeking approval to construct the residential project at 135 Fulkerson; and WHEREAS: After a series of public hearings attended by the East Cambridge residents in the summer of 2016, the Planning Board approved the special permit in September 2016; and WHEREAS: In less than four months later, without providing any notice to ECPT or the City of Cambridge that it did not intend to develop the residential project it had spent six months advancing through the special permit process, the developer sold the property to NSTAR Electric Company; and WHEREAS: According to the deeds on record at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, the property was sold to NSTAR on January 17, 2017 for $12,929,000.00, less than two hours after it was sold by the longtime owner for $6,635,000.00 to the developer; and WHEREAS: Nearly a year after acquiring the property representatives from Eversource appeared before ECPT for the first time only after being requested by ECPT President to meet with neighbors and inform them of their plans; and WHEREAS: Eversource representatives indicated at that time that the company was unable to share any plans or discuss the scope of its project because it had not yet determined what, if anything, it intended to build at the property and that anything that was planned for the property would not be constructed for several years; and WHEREAS: Siting an electrical substation in a residential neighborhood across the street from an elementary school and a public park is completely inappropriate and could present a serious health and safety risk to the residents of East Cambridge and the Wellington- Harrington neighborhood; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That this City Council go on record opposing this site for a substation; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record urging Eversource to reconsider its acquisition of the property and to offer it for sale; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to make such a request to Eversource on behalf of the entire City Council.