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A Zoning Petition Has been received from Tom Hartvigsen, requesting that the City Council Ordain the Zoning language set forth relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay District
⚠ This document is a scan; its text was recovered by optical character recognition and may contain errors. The original PDF is authoritative.
28 February 2020
To the Honorable Cambridge City Council:
2020 MAR 12 PM 12: 32
The undersigned registered Cambridge voters respectfully request that the City Council ordain
the zoning language set forth below relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest overlaX CHUSE ITS
Insert a new Section 20.95.5 to read as follows:
20.95.5 Additional Quadrangle Northwest District modifications. Except as otherwise set
forth in this Section 20.95.5, any project receiving a special permit under this section
shall comply with all other applicable criteria set forth in the Zoning Ordinance, and shall
be generally in conformance with the objectives, criteria, and guidelines set forth in the
Fall 2019 Alewife District Plan (Alewife Plan).
20.95.51 To encourage landowners to create spaces suitable for light industrial tenants
and other, consumer-facing tenants requiring increased floor-to-floor heights, the
Planning Board may by special permit increase the maximum Height of Building and
may exempt certain building floor area from Gross Floor Area (GFA) calculations for
any development proposal in the Quadrangle Northwest District if the Planning Board
finds that the following conditions are met:
1. Special Permit for Additional Height. Except as otherwise provided in Section
20.95.2(1).a, which limits building heights in proximity to Residential and Open
Space districts, the maximum allowable Height of Building for any non-residential
building may be increased up to eighty-five 85) feet, if the Planning Board finds that
all of the following conditions are met:
a. the building is part of a development proposal receiving an FAR increase under
Section 20.95.11.1; and
b. the building's ground floor is designed for, and will be used predominantly by, a
light industrial use(s) and/or consumer-facing businesses) requiring similar
space, as those uses are defined in the Alewife Plan, an essential characteristic of
which design is a floor-to floor height of at least twenty (20) feet; provided,
however, that the building's ground floor may also include portions with lower
floor-to-floor heights for other uses such as one or more mezzanines, back-of-
house areas, vehicle and bicycle storage areas, loading bays, utility rooms,
lobbies, circulation spaces, and other similar uses and amenities that serve the
building's upper floors; and
the building's ground floor finished floor elevation will be at or above the
projected 2070, 10-year sea level rise/storm surge flood elevation, provided that
the ground floor finished floor elevation shall not be more than four (4) feet above
the mean existing grade, in which case the allowed Height of Building shall be
increased by the difference between the ground floor finished floor elevation and
the mean existing grade. Any subsequently-enacted citywide flood resilience
standards governing ground floor elevation or measurement of building height
will apply equally to projects seeking a special permit under this Section
29.95.51.1.
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28 February 2020
2. Special Permit Exempting Gross Floor Area. Any portion of the ground floor of a
non-residential building may be exempted from Gross Floor Area (GEA) calculations
if the Planning Board finds that:
a. the building is part of a development proposal receiving an FAR increase under
Section 20.95.11.1; and
b. the exempted area(s) shall only be those areas that are limited to occupancy by
light industrial use(s) and/or consumer-facing businesses) requiring similar
space, as those uses are defined in the Alewife Plan, which uses shall have a
predominant floor-to-floor height of at least twenty (20) feet.
20.95.52
AOD-| Master Plan Special Permit. Any development proposal secking
reiief under this Section 20.95.5 that involves the redevelopment of three (3) or more
acres of land and the construction of three (3) or more new buildings shall require an
AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit from the Planning Board. For such a development
proposal, physical information may be presented in a more generalized way, subject
to more detailed approval by the Planning Board at a time and in a manner
determined by the Board in its AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit decision. Within
an AOD-1 Master Plan area, the locations of streets and open spaces, the quantities of
proposed land uses, and general building envelopes, locations, and heights shall be
indicated in sufficient detail that the Planning Board can reasonably assess the impact
of the Master Plan and its general consistency with the Alewife Plan.
(1) Application Contents. At a minimum an application for an AOD-1 Master Plan
Special Permit must contain the following components:
(a) Site Development Plan - describing how the Master Plan area is divided into
distinct building sites, streets, and open spaces and their development
characteristics, including potential uses and Gross Floor Area;
(b) Site Massing Plan — illustrating the height and massing of building volumes
for each proposed building site, and including studies of anticipated shadow
impacts resulting from buildings;
(c) Parking and Loading Plan - identifying the locations of all vehicle parking
facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and facilities for loading or other vehicular
service functions, and the number of spaces proposed at each location, and the
parking ratio for each of the proposed uses;
(d) Connectivity Plan — illustrating all pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular
circulation routes within the Master Plan area, their connections to nearby
public circulation routes and destinations outside the Master Plan area, and
approximate locations of access and egress points on each building and
parking facility within the Master Plan area:
(e) Open Space Plan — illustrating and quantifying the areas of all proposed open
space;
(f) Ground Floor Tenanting and Activation Plan — illustrating the conceptual
arrangement of functions such as light industrial uses, consumer-facing
businesses requiring similar space, other retail establishments, and other
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28 February 2020
active uses, residential and office lobbies, and utility spaces at the ground
floor of each building in the Master Plan area;
(g) Housing Plan . providing the approximate number and mix of housing unit
types proposed on each residential site;
(h) Phasing Plan - describing the anticipated project phases;
(i) Sustainability Plan — describing: (1) how the sustainability requirements set
forth in Section 22.20 will be met; (2) expected greenhouse gas emissions
from the development and strategies employed to improve energy efficiency
and support renewable energy production; and (3) expected vulnerability of
the development to the effects of climate change, including increased
precipitation, flood risk, temperature, and urban heat island effect, and
strategies to promote resiliency within individual building sites and at a large
levelopment proposal-wide level, including natural stormwater management
systems, increased vegetation and shade, and measures to withstand and
recover from extreme climatological events.
(i) Transportation Plan — incorporating: (1) a Transportation Impact Study
required by Section 19.20; (2) a description of the development's relationship
to future regional rail, bus, pedestrian/bicycle, and other transportation system
connections in the area; and (3) a Transportation Demand Management and
Mitigation program describing measures to offset or mitigate the development
proposal's impacts on transportation systems.
(k) Environmental Comfort Plan — describing or showing screening, building
elements, or other site improvements designed to reduce impacts from wind
and shadows, provide adequate lighting for safe use while minimizing
excessive light, mitigate urban heat island effect, and control noise generated
by mechanical systems and by truck traffic.
(1) Architectural Character Plan — describing general approaches to the design of
buldings, landscaped areas, streets, and pathways, identitying the type of
visual character that the development will aim to achieve, with the expectation
that specific designs of individual buildings and spaces will be reviewed in
further detail as they are developed.
(2) Review Criteria. The Planning Board's consideration of a development proposal
requiring an AOD-I Master Plan Special Permit shall be governed by the
following criteria:
a. An AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit development proposal may include
multiple lots, including noncontiguous lots, and will be considered a single lot
for purposes of calculating allowable GFA and GFA bonuses, Floor Area
Ratio, dwelling units, and open space requirements.
Front yard setback requirements of the underlying zoning district shall not
apply. Other dimensional requirements such as side and rear yards, lot area,
lot width, and building spacing shall apply to the individual buildings of a
development proposal and, except as provided in Section 20.95.31(1) and (2),
may be modified or waived as part of an AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit.
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Minimum off-street Parking and Loading Requirements of the underlying
zoning district shall not apply.
d. The Planning Board may include as a condition to an AOD-1 Master Plan
Special Permit a time limit of ten years or longer for completion of the entire
master plan, which deadline may be extended by the Planning Board upon a
showing of good cause, and may include conditions attached to different
phases.
e. Before granting an AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit, the Planning Board
shall find that the development proposal provides benefits to the City which
outweigh its adverse effects; in making this determination the Planning Board
shall consider the following:
i
Quality of site design, including integration of a variety of land uses,
building types, and densities; preservation of natural features;
compatibility with adjacent land uses; provision and type of open space;
provision of other amenities designed to benefit the general public;
ii Traffic flow and safety;
il Adequacy of utilities and other public works;
iv Impact on existing public facilities within the city.
f.
In granting an AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit, the Planning Board may
incorporate criteria and additional guidelines for future design review of
individual building sites and open spaces in support of its findings. The
special permit may identify specific modifications to the Master Plan that may
be subject to future approval by a written determination of the Planning
Board. Otherwise, in considering requests to amend an AOD-1 Master Plan
Special Permit, the Planning Board shall be guided by Ordinance Sections
12.37.1 through 12.37.3 governing the amendment of approved PUD plans.
The commencement of construction of any single building approved in an
AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit shall constitute exercise of the special
permit for purposes of Chapter 40A and Ordinance Section 10.46.
20.95.53
Conformity with Fall 2019 Alewife District Plan. In reviewing
applications for special permits under Section 20.95.51 and 20.95.52, the Planning
Board shall be guided by the recommendations set forth in the Alewife Plan, and shall
make findings that the development proposal is generally in conformance with:
a. the objectives, criteria, and guidelines set forth in the Alewife Plan;
b. the Urban Form Recommendations set forth in pages 118-123 of the Alewife
Plan;
c. the Open Space Recommendations set forth in pages 112-113 of the Alewife
Plan;
d. the Mobility Recommendations set forth in pages 128-129 of the Alewife Plan;
e. the Economy Recommendations set forth in pages 148-153 of the Alewife Plan;
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28 February 2020
f. the Zoning Recommendations set forth in pages 156-159 of the Alewife Plan.
20.95.54
Transportation Infrastructure Fund. Any development proposal receiving
a special permit(s) under this Section 20.95 shall contribute $5 per square foot of new
commercial gross floor area to a transportation infrastructure fund for the Alewife
District unless the project is receiving an FAR bonus under 20.95.11.1(a).
Replace Section 20.95.11.J with the following:
1. (a) Construction of a publicly accessible pedestrian bridge connection across the
railroad right of way between the Triangle District and (i) the Quadrangle Northeast
District or (ii) that portion of the Quadrangle Southeast District within 300 feet of the
railroad right of way or (iii) the Quadrangle Northwest District; or
(b) incorporation of structural elements into a building's design that include or would
permit future construction of such a pedestrian bridge connection; or
(c) the conveyance (in a form acceptable to the City) of the necessary fee or easement
property interests in land that would permit access to such a pedestrian bridge
connection; or
(d) contribution of significant funds and/or services toward the construction, ongoing
operation, maintenance, or repair of such a pedestrian bridge connection(s) and/or access
thereto.
In each instance the additional FAR, available for any use, shall be 0.25 applied to the
entirety of the lots) that is the subject of the special permit.
And make such other clarifications, simplifications, and re-numberings as the City Council may
deem useful.
Respectfully submitted by the undersigned registered Cambridge voters:
Name
Address
OLVIAWHEELER
02138
48 LAKE VIEW AVE. CAMBRIDGE, MA
DK Brdge @MIT. edu /5 Jayst Aped t2 0r139
[email removed]
X Dan Killige
V-Tar Harturnse
12 Vassal Lane Cambridge. MA 02133
VAvinel Srinivare
123 Oxford st, Apt 3, Cambridge MA 02140
X Dan Wilbariks
46 Porter Ra, Apt 2, Cambridge, MA, 0Z140
V. James Kearns
6e Dudky St, Aet 2, Cambridge Ma 02140
VERIC CLAFUN
64 FROST ST ART a CAMBRIPGE, MA OLIGA
V Jake Mashburn
59 Howard St APT3 cambridge, MA, 02139
X Howard Kim
2022 Massach wetto Are, Contre MA 02140
V. Andrew Palmer
53 Lincoln st Cambridge, MA 0Z141
53 Linion st Cambrige, MA 02141
V. Lily He
7I BLANCHARD RD, CAMBRIDGE 0213?
X ERIK FAUARDO
Biltis H. Dugla
362 Rindge Ave, Cambridge,ma
Hex Astesane 33 Bouler st Castrie, MA ous
Gregg Mae X 25 Fairteld st Cantridye, MN 02140
Brian Smih 25 Lambert st Apt B. 02141
02139
305 Elm st Cantrige
Hannah Varer t
02139
305 Elm
st Cumb.nitge
Max Monn U