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ORD 2026-1

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

OrdinanceMunicipal Code 4.50
What happened
Mar 23, 2026 · ⚖️ Became law, 8–1. The Council ordained the amendments over one councillor's objection. (Ordained)

Voted yes (8)

  • Ayah Al-Zubi
  • Burhan Azeem
  • Marc McGovern
  • Patty Nolan
  • E. Denise Simmons
  • Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
  • Cathie Zusy
  • Sumbul Siddiqui

Voted no (1)

  • Tim Flaherty
Roll call of Mar 23, 2026 · from the council’s minutes · photos: City of Cambridge
What’s next
Entered the Municipal Code: became Chapter 4.50 as ordained in March 2026. The Code can be amended at any time; its current text is the authority on what’s in force today.
Passed to a second reading (voice vote, 9…Mar 2, 2026
Ordained, 8-1-0Mar 23, 2026

The item's path through the council, every recorded step. How the request pipeline works

The document Agenda item attachment · 1 page
🏛 The city's agenda for this meeting: Mar 2, 2026the city publishes no page for a single item: this one is a row on that agenda📄 Download original PDF

ORDERED: 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. In City Council March 23, 2026. Ordained by a yea and nay vote:-

Yeas 8; Nays 1; Absent 0.-

Attest:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane

Interim City Clerk

🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Mar 2, 2026
Agenda item attachment1 page📖 readable here
Section 4.50 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance4 pages📖 readable here
Institutional Use Regulation Zoning Ordinance 2026-01 - Final Publication5 pages📖 readable here

ORD 2026-01

Public Comment (1)

1 written comment received (2026-04-13). Letter-writers are named in the city's own agenda and are not republished here, by policy.