A zoning petition has been received from the Friends of Observatory Hill Village, to establish the Observatory Hill Village Overlay District. (1000+ additional signatures for this zoning petition are on file in the City Clerk's Office.)

Introduction to Observatory Hill Village District Overlay Petition

PM 2:52 The Observatory Hill Village is a small-scale mixed business/residential community, in which a close and caring relationship exists between residents, business-owners and the surrounding neighborhoods. Many of the proprietors and their employees are T3 Cambridge residents. This unique village atmosphere must be retained as the area undergoes redevelopment of recently purchased properties. For such a busy thoroughfare, Concord Avenue has two narrow lanes of traffic with parking on only one side of the street.

Sidewalks are narrow as well, so that buildings facing each other across the street are quite close. In keeping with this ambience, new buildings and streetscapes should have a scale, urban design, and mix of uses that strengthens the village character while also respecting the area's historic character.

Goals: • Promote the village atmosphere of the Observatory Hill Village area: • retain existing mix of local retail/restaurants, community oriented uses (library, cates and yoga studio), and two and three-family housing. • enhance the scale of the village: • widen sidewalks for pedestrian safety, significantly healthier tree growth and outdoor café dining • maintain building heights at 35 establish front setbacks of 5' for commercial properties and maintain 10' for residential dwellings; mixed use buildings' first floor non-residential 5' and second floor residential 10' • protect the residential abutting neighbors with appropriate rear and side yard setbacks • preserve the current parking density that allows residents, their visitors, and their contractors to park and provides some short-term parking for businesses • encourage and accommodate small local businesses and ensure that new buildings include space for much desired community-oriented commercial uses • Create village design guidelines and a local review process similar to Harvard/Central Square Advisory Committees oversight and recommendations to the Planning Board • promote Village architecture and scale develop public meeting places preserve existing architectural features • slow traffic and reduce truck impact ensure new construction fits existing character NOTE: Proposed dimensional requirements and related footnotes for the overlay district follow on page 2.

Variations from the existing base district are highlighted in bold type. 1 Table 5-1. Table of Dimensional Requirements - Residential Districts with Proposed Overlay Notes: Only footnotes relevant to the petition are included below. Residential B dimensions are included because it immediately abuts the proposed overlay. (2) (4) (3) (6) (1) (7) (5)

Minimum Yard in Feet

Maximum Min. Ratio of Minimum Min. Lot Area Max. Ratio of Floor Area to

Lot Size

for Each D.U.

Lot Width

Height Private Op. Sp. in Sq. Ft in Sq. Fl. District

Lot Area

Rear

Front Side

to Lot Area 0.75 1,500 Res. G1 30% Proposed Overlay 0.75 1,500 30% #4. (aHL (2) 25 (o) 7-5" 15 Res. B 0.50 () 2,500 0) 36% 25 (c) 35 (sum of 20) Footnotes (a) Measured from the centerline of the street, but in no case may a building be nearer the street than ten (10) feet. (c) In no case may a building be nearer the rear lot line than twenty (20) feet in Residence C-2, C-2B, G-2A, C-3, C-3A, C-3B districts. In Residence C and C-1 districts, no building may be nearer the rear lot line than twenty (20) feet plus one additional foot of rear yard for each four feet that the depth of the lot exceeds 100 feet, up to a maximum of thirty (30) feet. In Residence A-1, A-2, and B districts, no building may be nearer the rear lot line than twenty-five (25) feet plus one additional foot of rear yard for each four feet that the depth of the lot exceeds one hundred (100) feet, up to a maximum of thirty-five (35) feet. For purposes of this Footnote C, the lot depth shalt be that distance measured along a line perpendicular to the front lot line and extending to that point on the rear lot line most distant from the front lot line. (o) Rear yard setback shall consist exclusively of green area as defined in Section 2.000. Table 5-3. Table of Dimensional Requirements - Business District with Proposed Overlay Note: For purposes of brevity, only footnotes relevant to the petition are included below. (2) (1) (5) (3) (4) (6) (7) Min. Lot Area Max. Ralio of

Minimum Yard in Feet

Maximum Min, Ratio of Floor Area to for Each D.U.

Lot Width

Lot Size

Private Op. Sp. Height District

Lot Area

in Sq. Ft. in Sq. Ft. Rear Front Side to Lot Area 25(c) Bus. A-1 1.0/0.75 1,200 none Hal (a) Proposed 1,200 Overlay 1.0/0.75 (u) 5 (4)(г) none (s) 25 (t) Footnotes (a) In no case may a building be nearer the rear lot line than twenty (20) feet. (4) Given the narrowness of existing sidewalks in the district the setback shall be an extension of the sidewalk, (r) Upper floors above a non-residential first floor shall be setback ten (10) feet.

(S) A seven foot six inch (7-6") side yard setback shall be required when the neighboring property consists of a free-standing structure existing as a single or multifamily residence as of October 15, 2016, (t) Rear yard setback shall consist exclusively of green area as defined in Section 2.000. (u) Open space requirements for a lot shall be determined by the percentage of mix of uses on the lot: The residential portion shall be based on Res C-1 requirements.

2 20.x00 OBSERVATORY HILL VILLAGE OVERLAY DISTRICT 20.X01 Establishment and Scope. There is hereby established the Observatory Hill Village Overlay District, herein referred to as the district, which shall be governed by the regulations and procedures specified in this Section 20.x00.

It is the intent of this section that these regulations will apply to the area described generally as Business A-1 zoning district located at the intersection of Concord and Huron Avenues extending to the intersection of Concord and Walden Street. 20.x02 Purpose.

It is the purpose of this Section 20.x00 to augment base zoning regulations in the district in order (a) to protect and promote the existing retail, service and residential ecosystem, (b) to create a more harmonious and consistent village image for development in the district and adjacent areas, to encourage good building design and site development which enhances the pedestrian amenities in the district, (c) to ensure that changes in the district are compatible with the scale, character and close proximity of the abutting neighborhoods, (d) to encourage the retention of existing buildings of historic value and uses which serve the abutting neighborhoods, and (e) to discourage new development inappropriate in both scale and design.