AMEND SECTION 4.50 OF THE CAMBRIDGE ZONING ORDINANCE AS FOLLOWS WITH THE INTENT OF PERMITTING THE USE OF LAND FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES AS-OF-RIGHT IN ALL ZONING DISTRICTS: RELIGIOUS PURPOSES; EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ON LAND OWNED OR LEASED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OR ANY OF ITS AGENCIES, SUBDIVISIONS OR BODIES POLITIC OR BY A RELIGIOUS SECT OR DENOMINATION, OR BY A NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL CORPORATION; AND FOR A CHILD CARE CENTER, SCHOOL-AGED CHILD CARE PROGRAM, FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME, OR LARGE FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1A OF CHAPTER 15D OF MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS. PASS TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL MARCH 2, 2026 ORD 2026-01

Proposed Zoning Amendment – Institutional Use Regulations CLEAN VERSION – Additions and Deletions Not Shown Cambridge Community Development Department December 4, 2025 Page 1 of 4 Petition: To amend Section 4.50 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of permitting the use of land for the following purposes as-of-right in all zoning districts: religious purposes; educational purposes on land owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any of its agencies, subdivisions or bodies politic or by a religious sect or denomination, or by a nonprofit educational corporation; and for a child care center, school-aged child care program, family child care home, or large family child care home as defined in Section 1A of Chapter 15D of Massachusetts General Laws. Amend Section 4.51 to read as follows: 4.51Legal Authority. This Section regulates the use of land for institutional purposes, including but not limited to uses subject to M.G.L. c.40A, §3. Additionally, the City has authority pursuant to Chapter 565 of the Acts of 1979 of the General Court, as amended by Chapter 387 of the Acts of 1980, to restrict the use of land for certain institutional purposes in residentially zoned districts which require a lot of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet or more per dwelling unit. If any residentially zoned districts require a lot of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet or more per dwelling unit, this Section 4.50 will contain the applicable institutional use regulations. Amend Section 4.56 to read as follows: 4.56TABLE OF INSTITUTIONAL USE REGULATIONS Use Categories Inside Institutional Overlay Districts Existing Lot Status Outside Institutional Overlay Districts Existing Lot Status (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) a. Religious Purposes 1. Place of Worship Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2. Rectory, parsonage Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 3. Convent, monastery Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 4. Social or recreational center Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5. Other use with religious purposes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes b. Use of Land or Structure for Educational Purposes on Land Owned or Leased by the Commonwealth or any of its Agencies, Subdivisions or Bodies Politic or by Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Proposed Zoning Amendment – Institutional Use Regulations CLEAN VERSION – Additions and Deletions Not Shown Cambridge Community Development Department December 4, 2025 Page 2 of 4 a religious sect or denomination, or by a nonprofit educational corporation c. Use of Land or Structure for Educational Purposes on Land Owned or Leased by Entities not included in Subsection 4.56b 1. Child care center, school-aged child care program, family child care home, or large family child care home as defined in Section 1A of Chapter 15D of Massachusetts General Laws Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2. Primary School SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 3. Secondary School SP4 SP SP No No No 4. College or university athletic facility, auditorium, theater or similar facility, any of which is customarily accessible to the general public on a paid admission fee or other basis SP4 SP SP No No No6 5. College or university laboratory or research facility customarily involving radioactive materials and other controlled substances, high Intensity electromagnetic radiation or chemical or biological processes potentially entailing a high level of danger to the public health and safety SP4 SP SP No No No 6. Other College or university facility1 SP4 SP Yes No No No6 7. Vocational or other schools SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 8. Dormitory, resident fraternity or sorority SP4 SP SP No No No6 d. Non-Commercial Research Facilities 1. Laboratory or other research facility customarily involving research with radioactive materials, controlled substances, high intensity electromagnetic radiation or chemical or biological processes potentially entailing a high level of danger to the public health and safety SP4 SP SP No No No 2. Private library, study center or other research facility SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 e. Health Care Facilities 1. Hospital SP4 SP SP No No No 2. Infirmary SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 3. Nursing or Convalescent home SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 4. Clinic not affiliated with any other institution SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 5. Clinic affiliated with a hospital or an accredited university medical school SP4 SP SP No No No6

Proposed Zoning Amendment – Institutional Use Regulations CLEAN VERSION – Additions and Deletions Not Shown Cambridge Community Development Department December 4, 2025 Page 3 of 4 6. Clinic connected to a community center SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 7. Other health care facility SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 f. Social Service Facilities 1. Social service center SP4 Yes Yes No SP SP5 2. Community Center SP4 SP SP No No No6 g. Local Government2 1. Administrative office SP4 SP SP No No No6 2. Fire or police station SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 3. Museum SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 4. Municipal service facility SP4 SP SP No No No 5. Public park, playground, or public recreation building SP4 Yes Yes SP4 Yes Yes 6. Municipal Library Yes8 Yes8 Yes8 Yes8 Yes8 Yes8 h. Other Governmental Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes i. Other Institutional Uses 1. Club, lodge, or other fraternal or sororal meeting facility SP4 SP Yes No SP SP5 2. Museum or noncommercial gallery3 SP4 Yes Yes No SP SP5 3. Cemetery SP4 Yes Yes No Yes Yes 4. Institutional use not listed in any other category SP4 SP SP No SP SP5 FOOTNOTES TO TABLE OF INSTITUTIONAL REGULATIONS 1. Other college or university facility shall include administrative offices, faculty and staff offices, teaching and research facilities not included in Subsection 4.56c(4) or c(5), libraries, museums, dining halls and service facilities including facilities listed in Subsection 4.56c(4) which are not accessible to the general public. 2. Local government shall include all nonresidential facilities and activities of the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Housing Authority, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and their component agencies, but shall not include public schools. 3. This use designation shall include facilities for cultural and ethnic heritage appreciation. 4. The Board of Zoning Appeal shall grant a special permit for this use only if the applicant demonstrates that he will act to replace indefinitely the dwelling units removed from the lot or converted to institutional use with an equivalent number of units, not previously on the housing market, at another location or locations within the City of Cambridge, before the units are removed or converted, and only if the applicant adequately provides at his own expense for the relocation of the occupants of the existing units to comparable units within the City of Cambridge. In every case, this replacement housing shall include units suitable for and available to low and moderate income households in an amount equal to ten (10) percent of the total number of units to be replaced. The remaining replacement units shall be comparable to the units removed. Comparability shall be determined by dwelling unit mix in terms of number of bedrooms, special facilities (such as handicapped access or common areas), amenities, including those existing in the surrounding neighborhood and range of price/rent levels. The Board of Zoning Appeal may require that the applicant submit whatever evidence

Proposed Zoning Amendment – Institutional Use Regulations CLEAN VERSION – Additions and Deletions Not Shown Cambridge Community Development Department December 4, 2025 Page 4 of 4 it deems necessary to determine that the replacement units will be comparable and the applicant is bound to provide such units. Otherwise the special permit will not be issued. Replacement units shall be available for occupancy before the existing dwelling units are removed or converted and shall remain available as low and moderate income and comparable units unless otherwise authorized by the Board of Zoning Appeal. No building or demolition permit for the proposed institutional development shall be issued until the replacement units are available for occupancy and the occupants of the existing units have been relocated. 5. This use is allowed as of right if the pre-existing institutional use of the lot is in the same use table category in Subsection 4.56, otherwise a special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal shall be required. Such special permit shall be granted only if the Board determines that the use will have fewer adverse impacts on the neighborhood than the pre-existing institutional use. In making this determination, the Board shall consider and comment on the physical attributes of the use, including those evaluated in the Cambridge Institutional Growth Management Plan. The Board may require the applicant to submit whatever documentation it deems necessary, to assist it in making said determination. 6. This use may be allowed upon issuance of a special permit by the Board of Zoning Appeal if the pre- existing institutional use of the lot is in the same use table category in Subsection 4.56 or if the Board determines that the use will have fewer adverse impacts on the neighborhood than the pre-existing institutional use. In making this determination, the Board shall consider and comment on the physical attributes of the use, including those evaluated in the Cambridge Institutional Growth Management Plan. The Board may require the applicant to submit whatever documentation it deems necessary to assist it in making said determination. 7. Subject to the provision of Section 11.20. 8. Any dimensional or other relief from the provisions of this Ordinance required to construct or locate a municipal library use shall be permitted by grant of a special permit from the Planning Board. In granting such a special permit, where the library is proposed to be located within an Open Space zoning district, the Planning Board shall, in addition to the criteria set forth in Section 10.43, find that there will be no substantial reduction in the recreational and/or open space use, excluding parking areas and roadways. Where the Board does find there will be a substantial reduction in the recreational and/or open space use the special permit shall be granted upon assurance by the City Manager that he will offset such reduction by increased recreational and/or open space uses at another location, subject to necessary appropriations.