City Council
Council passes policy order supporting sex workers
Cambridge City Council stopped short of calling to completely decriminalize sex work, but its policy order Monday night asked City Hall to act to create a safer environment for sex workers in Cambridge. The order directed the city to establish a crisis help line, anti-poverty measures, and support for LGBTQIA+ youth, who are disproportionately vulnerable […]
Councillors send inclusionary zoning report to ordinance committee
During Monday night’s city council meeting, councillors signalled that they planned to act quickly on policy proposals from the Community Development Department (CDD) to spur residential development along major corridors. Read more Storm sent 1.5 million gallons of wastewater into Mystic River At issue is whether the city’s inclusionary zoning requirement is too large and […]
Huron Avenue bike lanes to go forward
An attempt to delay plans that will add a bike lane to the upper portion of Huron Avenue failed during Monday night’s city council meeting, as a 6-3 majority of councillors opted to keep the project moving toward completion. Read more Cat tour draws hundreds of ‘CATabridgians’ to Cambridgeport The issue first made council’s agenda […]
Council approves tax increase, warns of difficult budget season ahead
During Monday night’s city council hearing, councillors voted unanimously in favor of the proposal put forward by City Manager Yi-An Huang to raise property tax rates by 6.9 percent for fiscal year 2027. The new rate is a smaller increase than in previous years, but with net combined property values decreasing for the second year […]
Zoning update may see major changes
After protest and some drama, Cambridge councillors advanced the first set of proposed revisions to the citywide multifamily housing zoning passed last year. The changes aim to preserve more open space, protect trees and discourage projects that use the new zoning to build much larger homes without adding many units. Read more CRLS Sports: Girls’ […]
Cambridge, champion at red tape, tries to cut through some of it
During an often heated city council meeting, housing actually provided some harmony, as Cambridge officials presented a long-anticipated report on how to streamline the city’s permitting process. Read more Jehlen endorses Barber in 2nd Middlesex District While big policy changes like the multifamily housing ordinance relaxed many site requirements for residential buildings city-wide, developers could […]
City recommends changes to multifamily housing ordinance
Feelings were mixed in city hall on Thursday, as the City of Cambridge Community Development Department proposed changes to Cambridge’s Multifamily Housing Ordinance (MFHO) that would increase the overall amount of setbacks, require more ground-level green space, and prohibit tall buildings with units that average more than 2,000 square feet. Read more Are we losing […]
City Council tries to ground AirBNB, rental algorithms
City Council on Monday took aim at two kinds of technology it thinks has caused upward pressure on rent, one being short-term rental platforms, the other pricing algorithms used by large residential property owners. The council accepted a new ordinance petition intended to crack down on unregistered short-term rentals advertised on booking companies like AirBnb […]
Outcome of turf war over Ahern Field was predetermined
Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang and Deputy City Manager Kathy Watkins appeared before Cambridge City Council Monday not to debate whether Ahern Field should have artificial turf but to explain why it will. Read more Norton Award winner Ken Urban on bringing tough topics to the stage “We have been moving forward with a plan […]
Seeking efficiency, Cambridge city councillors set limits
Three hours into last Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui faced a tricky task when presiding over Cambridge councillors: reining in debate. Read more Taste festivals return to Cambridge and Somerville “I don’t want to hear from anyone anymore,” she said dryly. The sense of irony was strong in the room. Councillors were discussing […]