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A Zoning Petition Has been received from Arvind Srinivasan regarding zoning language relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest overlay

APP 2020 #39·Council meeting Oct 19, 2020·7 pages·📄 Original PDF (city portal)

⚠ This document is a scan; its text was recovered by optical character recognition and may contain errors. The original PDF is authoritative.

14 October 2020 To the Honorable Cambridge City Council: The undersigned registered Cambridge voters respectfully request that the City Council ordain the zoning language set forth below relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest overlay district: 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 uses and consumer-facing businesses 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 (FA) 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 makes finings that each of the following conditions is met: the building is part of a development proposal receiving an FAR increase under 3 Section 20.95.11.1; and be the building's ground floor is designed for, and will be used by, a light industrial 'uüse(s) and/or consumer-facing businesses) requiring similar space, as those uses ware described in the Alewife Plan, an essential characteristic of which design is a FIC floor-to floor height of at least twenty (20) feet; provided, however, that the 2020 OCT 14 PM 2:44 building's ground floor may also include portions with lower floor-to-floor heights for other uses such as mezzanines, entrances/exits, lobbies, circulation, utilities, loading, and other functions serving upper-story uses or the building as a whole; and c. 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 pre-construction grade; if the building's ground floor finished floor elevation is placed above the mean pre-construction grade to comply with this requirement then the maximum allowable Height of Building shall be increased by the difference between that finished floor elevation and the mean pre-construction grade; and
14 October 2020 d. the building's ground floor finished floor elevation will comply with any subsequently-enacted citywide flood resilience standards governing ground floor elevation or measurement of building height then in effect. 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 (GFA) calculations if the Planning Board makes findings 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 business(es) requiring similar space, as those uses are described in the Alewife Plan, which areas shall have a floor-to-floor height of at least twenty (20) feet. 20.95.52 AOD-1 Master Plan Special Permit. Any development proposal that involves the redevelopment of three (3) or more acres of land or the construction of Three (3) or more new buildings in AOD-1 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, and showing the locations and conceptual designs of streets and open spaces including cross-sections and elements such as paving, plantings, grading, and other major site features; (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 -2m
14 October 2020 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, including pedestrian ways providing connectivity to the bicycle/pedestrian bridge across the railroad right of way; (1) 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 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 general sequence for the detailed design and construction of all major project clements, including buildings, landscaping, streets, and utilities, and the anticipated timeline for the completion or conveyance of any public infrastructure or property interests; (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 larger development proposal-wide level, including natural stormwater management systems, increased vegetation and shade, and measures to withstand and recover from extreme climatological events. 0) 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 buildings, landscaped areas, streets, and pathways, identifying 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. -3-
14 October 2020 (2) Review Criteria. The Planning Board's consideration of a development proposal requiring an AOD-1 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. b. 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. The Planning Board may by special permit increase the maximum allowable Height of Building for structured parking, whether freestanding or part of another building, to eighty-five (85) feet, measured from the mean pre- construction grade to the highest point of the upper parking deck. c. 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 Pennit, 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 shail consider the following: i Quality of site design, including integration of a variety of land uses. building lypes, 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; i Traffic flow and safety; i Adequacy of utilities and other public works; iv Impact on existing pubiic 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. -4-
14 October 2020 Changes in the timing or sequencing of the detailed design and construction of major project elements that are not otherwise categorized as major changes under Ordinance Section 12.37.3 shall be treated as minor amendments. g. 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 Alewile Plan, and shall grant such special permits only after making findings that, to the extent applicable 10 the project and the special permit(s), the devclopment proposal is generally in conformance with: a. the objectives, criteria, and guidelines set forth in the Alewife Plan; and b. the Land Use Recommendations set forth in page 107 of the Alewife Plan; and c. the Open Space Recommendations set forth in pages 112-113 of the Alewife Plan: and d. the Urban Form Recommendations set forth in pages 118-123 of the Alewife Plan; and e. the Mobility Recommendations set forth in pages 128-129 of the Alewife Plan; and f. the Climate and Environmental Recommendations set forth in pages 138-143 of the Alewife Plan; and g. the Housing Recommendations set forth in page 146 of the Alewife Plan; and h. the Economy Recommendations set forth in pages 148-153 of the Alewite Plan; and i. 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 permits) 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) or (d). Replace Section 20.95.11.1 with the following (leaving unchanged Section 20.95.11.2): 1. (a) Construction of a publicly accessible bicycle/pedestrian bridge connection across the railroad right of way between the Triangle District and (i) the Quadrangle Northeast District or (il) 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 bicycle/pedestrian bridge connection; or -5-
14 October 2020 (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 bicycle/pedestrian bridge connection; or (d) contribution of significant funds and/or services toward the construction, ongoing operation, maintenance, or repair of such a bicycle/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.
14 October 2020 Respectfully submitted by the undersigned registered Cambridge voters: Name Address ~ Arvind Srinivasan 123 Oxford St, Apt 3 slames Kearns 66 Dudley St, Apt 2 Eric Claflin 64 Frost St, Apt 2. V Jake Mashburn 59. Howard St, Apt 3 53 Lincon St Andrew Palmer 53 Lincoln St Lily He 33 Bowdon St /Alex. Astesano Brian Smith 25 Lambert St, Apt B 305 Elm St - Max Monn 305 Elm St Hannah Varner Bailey Werner 427 Broadway -7-