A proposed amendment to the Ordinance entitled "Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge" as amended by the Planning …

AN ORDINANCE

In amendment to the Ordinance entitled “Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge” In Article 20.000 entitled ”Overlay District” by amending 20.100 North Mass Ave Overlay District as follows: The proposed amendment would expand the requirements of the North Massachusetts Avenue Subdistrict (Section 20.110) to apply generally within the portions of the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District (MAOD) zoned Business A-2 (BA-2).

In summary, Section 20.110 requires retail or active office use at the ground floor of any new building fronting Massachusetts Avenue otherwise containing residential uses, with relief available under limited circumstances, and allows a total maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.75 and height of 50 feet for such mixed-use buildings.

The proposed amendment would also make minor modifications and clarifications to requirements applicable within the BA-2 portions of the MAOD, including the following: Require all new buildings in the BA-2 District south of Porter Square to have a 5' front set back from the sidewalk line, even if adjacent buildings do not, unless waived by Planning Board special permit; Clarify that ground level structured parking within a 40-foot depth of a building’s frontage on Massachusetts Ave. is prohibited; Require ground floor commercial establishments in the BA-2 District south of Porter Square to be no more than 2,500 square feet at the ground level, exclusive of basement or upper floor square footage; Require that building heights allowed to 50 feet may only exceed 45 feet to the extent that the ground floor height exceeds 10 feet.

Passed to a second reading as amended at the City Council meeting held on August 1, 2016 and on or after August 15, 2016 the question comes on passing to be ordained. ATTEST:-

Donna P. Lopez

City Clerk