Cambridge City Council
Planning Board supports short-term rental regulation, with an asterisk
A 90-day annual limit on short-term rentals drew concern from Planning Board members and rental operators alike at Tuesday’s board meeting. The cap is part of a City Council zoning petition meant to prevent abuse of existing regulations by some owners of Airbnb-style properties. Read more Murphy says eighth grade algebra report not correct The […]
Cambridge City Council asks city to advocate for later alcohol service
When the city of Cambridge’s licensing commission loosened –then proposed tightening– its alcohol service policies earlier this summer, it faced criticism over the mixed messages it was sending to the public. Was Cambridge a fun and thriving place to go out with friends? Or was it a strict and overbearing nanny state, not just for […]
ShotSpotter returns, at least temporarily
On Monday Cambridge City Councillors voted 6-3 to temporarily re-activate ShotSpotter, an acoustic gunshot detection software that was used by the Cambridge Police Department for over a decade until its use was discontinued earlier this summer. The issue, which has divided councillors and community members for months, resulted in a compromise: ShotSpotter will be reactivated […]
City Council delays ShotSpotter vote during special meeting
Despite four dozen public commenters and hours of debate, Thursday’s special meeting of Cambridge City Council meant to address public safety concerns ended with no action when Councillor Ayah Al-Zubi used her charter right to delay a vote on a policy order to reinstate ShotSpotter. Read more Planning Board, Ordinance Committee pan Brown petition Her […]
Planning Board, Ordinance Committee pan Brown petition
A controversial zoning petition proposed by Cambridge resident Doug Brown looks unlikely to stand after meetings of Planning Board and Ordinance Committees. On July 14, the Planning Board’s five members voted unanimously to submit a negative recommendation for the petition back to the city council. A week later, the Ordinance Committee, which includes all city […]
Cambridge councillors right to stop ShotSpotter
Cambridge Day does not endorse candidates or positions. Views expressed in this column are those of the writers. Read more Hire Full-Service Movers Across The USA The killing of Xavier Bautista has shaken Cambridge communities, and as Cambridge residents we grieve alongside his family. Too many neighbors, particularly in Cambridge’s Black and brown communities, have […]
Community members criticize city officials in meeting following Bautista’s death
Cambridge residents demanded that city officials take accountability and improve public safety in the Port neighborhood following the shooting of Xavier Bautista, a Cambridge resident and Department of Public Works employee, at a July 8 meeting. Read more Goodbye for Charlie’s? Beer garden is cleaned out Over 200 attendees packed into a meeting room in […]
ShotSpotter debate reignited after July 4 shooting
A fatal shooting early in the morning on July 4 has added heat to a smoldering debate over whether Cambridge should have kept a gunshot detection surveillance system in place. That system, ShotSpotter, had been in use by the city since 2014 until it was discontinued after a City Council vote May 18. Read more […]
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 […]