[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6676182,"mediaKeyId","3426525-314664b4c9d43380230fd7e6cea3acbc","parentId",3426525,"title","Cambridge planning board pauses petition to treat religious uses like recent housing zoning changes, asks city solicitor for legal opinion","audioSeconds",4205,"startMs",572000,"endMs",4777000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426525-314664b4c9d43380230fd7e6cea3acbc&start=572&end=4777","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426525-314664b4c9d43380230fd7e6cea3acbc/thumbnail_572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6676182/Cambridge-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Cambridge-planning-board-pauses-petition-to-treat-religious-uses-like-recent-housing-zoning-changes-asks-city-solicitor-for-legal-opinion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6676182-0964adafe5465a8b50b227074b4ccafc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174904&Signature=KUBGy2d6et6dYbPUko2A7gx6wsmn-v1x5DTsptwlRSPTQYqSZJbPE~xRYio2iRBrPt5bMlmEEFN6YZnyHa6Ort20d3nbJP6tEdSD3x0tHQQDG8-ZJZuPe9RJgw2HjtVDwy2ZhIyA1Rx9H~JVsZIQCDbp27vnULDKa9~sVg~e4YHGIEVOxx2wLdM-ioYBpev6yDZNKXZJSL-MgtSEiAOXY~9MDuagSpTUapJDdG5m~rV9r2UvmJ6sQ-NisR6FdMHSC8rUCrviwJ-RXPEbg0fgEcuDBGKEvhwAnbbKGAvIQ1JsUgnGBDP9pGlzJIuRn0KffbnmMVixwjDQLTcoPwcWew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cambridge, MA","date","2025-05-20T18:27:00Z","article","The Cambridge Planning Board on May 20 heard a citizen petition asking the city to amend multiple sections of the zoning ordinance to expand exemptions and dimensional allowances for religious uses so they match recent changes made for residential development.

The petitioners — represented by attorney Ben Tymon and pro bono counsel Yehuda Buckweitz — asked the board to add “religious purpose uses” to the same GFA/FAR exemptions, prior-nonconforming expansion rules, and dimensional allowances (including six‑story/74‑foot height allowances) the city recently adopted for housing. Yehuda Buckweitz told the board that “RLUOPA protects religious rights in 3 ways,” and argued the changes would reduce the risk that local zoning decisions violate the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

Why the board paused the petition

The hearing included focused presentations from the petitioners, followed by nine public commenters who opposed the change and cited concerns about neighborhood scale, loss of housing, notification, and the Dover Amendment. Opponents argued the petition would let religious institutions build larger, higher, and more intensive uses across residential neighborhoods without inclusionary-housing requirements or neighbor notice. Alan Jocelyn, a Bank Street resident, said he and hundreds of neighbors “strongly oppose this proposed zoning amendment [to] remove critical size and scale restrictions on the construction of religious use projects citywide.”

Planning staff told the board the ordinance committee had held this matter “in committee” earlier the same day and requested a legal opinion from the city law department. Multiple board members also said the questions raised were legal in nature and outgrew typical planning-only review. At the end of the discussion the board voted to continue the item and to request a written opinion from the city solicitor addressing how RLUIPA, the Massachusetts Dover Amendment, and Cambridge’s institutional-use authorities interact.

What the petition would change (as presented)

- Exempt religious uses from gross floor area (GFA) and floor area ratio (FAR) limits, as was done for multifamily housing.
- Allow additions to prior nonconforming structures for religious uses without the usual special-permit analysis of substantial detriment, mirroring a residential exemption in recent housing amendments.
- Place religious uses in the same dimensional table slot that allows up to six stories (74 feet) by right in certain residential districts, while asking that some residence‑specific provisos (for example, inclusionary-housing requirements) apply only to “primarily residential” uses and not to religious purpose uses.
- Exempt religious uses from a consultative, nonbinding Planning Board advisory process in the dimensional-footnote (footnote 37), which petitioners said could be susceptible to RLUIPA challenges.

Petition-related context cited at the hearing

Petitioners said the proposed changes would benefit any religion citywide and would reduce litigation risk; they noted a specific project filed for the BZA (Bank Street) with a hearing scheduled June 12. Staff said the petition was filed by a resident group (at least 10 registered voters) and that several related zoning petitions (affordable housing overlay, height amendments, floodplain amendments, cannabis amendments) recently cleared first readings or were before the City Council. Speakers also referenced Cambridge’s prior Home Rule legislation that had made the city exempt from aspects of the Dover Amendment and the city’s institutional-use regulations.

Board action and next steps

Planning Board member Ted Cohen moved and Carolyn Zurn seconded a motion that the board continue the hearing and request a written legal opinion from the city solicitor on the interaction of RLUIPA, the Dover Amendment, and Cambridge’s institutional regulations. The roll-call vote was 6–0 in favor (Ted Cohen, Mary Liedecker, Diego Macias, Ashley Tan, Carolyn Zurn, and Tom Sanovich voting yes). The board will reconvene the matter after the law department provides the requested legal analysis.

Community views and outstanding issues

Speakers opposing the petition repeatedly raised housing-loss and neighborhood-scale concerns, citing specific local impacts they anticipate (for example, the Bank Street project’s effect on existing dwelling units). Other commenters asked the board to wait for the outcome of the petitioners’ ongoing litigation and the city solicitor’s advice before transmitting a recommendation to the City Council. Petitioners and their counsel emphasized RLUIPA’s protections and said the amendments would avoid future federal claims and would be consistent with state law principles.

The board and staff flagged several specific legal questions to the law department, including whether RLUIPA would preclude particular dimensional or notification requirements, what kinds of regulations remain permissible in the service of compelling government interests (for example, public safety or flood-resiliency requirements), and whether adopting the petition would unintentionally broaden institutional exemptions to nonreligious educational institutions.

The petition remains open. The planning board did not adopt or recommend any zoning change at the May 20 hearing; it voted to pause and solicit the city solicitor’s written opinion before further action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cambridge - May 20, 2025 6:30 PM - Planning Board - Planning Board Meeting - May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Cambridge Planning Board on May 20 heard a citizen petition asking the city to amend multiple sections of the zoning ordinance to expand exemptions and dimensional allowances for religious uses so they match recent changes made for residential development.","taxTitle","Cambridge City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",3771,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6676172,"Planning board approves special permit to convert 350 Massachusetts Ave. to lab with ground-floor retail; board conditions design review",4081,4793000,8874000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426525-314664b4c9d43380230fd7e6cea3acbc&start=4793&end=8874","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426525-314664b4c9d43380230fd7e6cea3acbc/thumbnail_4793000.jpg","/articles/6676172/Cambridge-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Planning-board-approves-special-permit-to-convert-350-Massachusetts-Ave-to-lab-with-ground-floor-retail-board-conditions-design-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6676172-41da9efbb252cd7eb7b14d099e4f60ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174904&Signature=PwpD7WcriyxHpBi1K5fPnpfKIyWogAP56q5GOpBeDbE6Z5CaCCXb4-Ur8bo3xYJf1Nz7UTizE8m8AAnSOHFIaz--aGPG~sssBFnMQT3rorGD64N1I6l1Z9Zf-8s14enLePLtk6azjpPolBCPPoVc1TgdYD~Tp-DWeMmQiFIpmkU~oI~6-IWYVyJkUDqHrimENoLzy5MyzydL6N2kFbh1JqMz56~9yLg4E-GNpqpXXG2EgqFi8hNkRl~tdo89dz7W0OowAWPKc-xyzYpLz4cseqpAUMv2LQpP5iSGYchJrIktTi5T-2qnzvCQqnx9fuWiCU8PeScEZkRO1JdC-~TtbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cambridge Planning Board voted May 20 to grant a project-review special permit for 350 Massachusetts Ave., a five‑story office building that Biomed Realty will renovate and convert to lab space with ground-floor retail.

Biomed Realty representative Ashley Maslinski described the proposal as a reuse of a mostly vacant 1998 office building to “revitalize the ground floor space” and improve the pedestrian experience on Massachusetts Avenue. The application requests conversion to roughly 100,000 square feet of lab use with about 4,000 square feet of retail at grade; no additional vehicle parking is proposed and the project includes 30 new bicycle parking spaces.

Why the project needed a special permit

City staff explained that a change of use above 50,000 square feet in the Cambridge Port Revitalization Development District triggers the Planning Board’s project-review special-permit requirement. The project team said the design preserves most of the existing structure and brick, targets a LEED-equivalent green building approach, and aims to reduce embodied carbon by reusing the building envelope rather than constructing a new building.

Key design and operations elements discussed at the hearing

- Ground-floor activation: the applicant proposed deeper arched openings, movable glazing and multiple retail entrances on Mass. Ave. and Blanche Street to encourage retail variety and spill‑out activity. Developer and architect emphasized flexibility for future retail tenants. Ashley Maslinski said the plan would add “new retail along Massachusetts Avenue, as well as redesigning the lobby and making the pedestrian experience that much more friendly.”
- Flood resiliency: the parcel lies within flood-risk contours; the team described designs that protect critical infrastructure with a concrete ring wall, raise vulnerable interior areas and route expected floodwater into recoverable spaces. The team showed a 10‑year and a 100‑year flood-event strategy for protecting building systems.
- Mechanical penthouse and roofscape screening: the design places taller mechanical equipment away from Massachusetts Avenue and Sydney Street and uses cornice elements and a stepped screen to reduce visible massing; staff and board emphasized continued attention to sight lines and screening.
- Loading, deliveries and outdoor activity: the project retains two loading bays; board members and the project team discussed truck turning radii and operations, concluding that deliveries typically occur outside dining hours and can be managed operationally. The team proposed using Blanche Street for flexible, temporary outdoor activation and event programming while recognizing its service function.
- Sustainability and electrification: the applicant said it would achieve a 25 percent electrification level at occupancy (primarily via air-source heat pumps covering the bulk of heating needs) with the ability to move toward full electrification over the building’s life. The project team said it would meet Cambridge Article 22 green-building requirements and expected a substantial embodied-carbon reduction versus new construction.

Public testimony and community support

Speakers from the Central Square Business Improvement District, local artists and several nonprofit and community groups spoke in support of the redevelopment, highlighting Biomed Realty’s prior event partnerships, community programming, and the potential for new retail and artist space. Michael Monastine, president of the Central Square BID, said he was “calling in tonight to express my strong support for the proposal to repurpose 350 Mass Ave.” Several community organizations advocated for local retail opportunities and art activation.

Board findings and vote

Board member Mary Liedecker moved to grant the requested project-review special permit; Diego Macias seconded. Before voting, the board discussed outstanding design refinements staff should track — including roof screening, flood-resilient first-floor details, bike-room transparency and art-box curation, activation and temporary seating strategies on Blanche Street, and additional street-tree/streetscape work with city departments.

The board made the required findings for a project-review special permit and approved the permit on a 7–0 roll-call vote (Ted Cohen, Mary Liedecker, Diego Macias, Ashley Tan, Carolyn Zurn, Joy Jackson, and Tom Sanovich voting yes). The board’s approval includes continued coordination with CDD, DPW, Transportation, and the city’s sustainability reviewers to finalize details and the applicant’s commitment to the described flood‑resiliency and electrification approach.

Next steps

The project will proceed to final permitting and design review with staff to resolve the remaining streetscape, mechanical-screening and operations details described during the hearing. The developer said it expects the reuse to boost activation in University Park and Central Square and cited existing community partnerships such as festival activations and artists’ studios used in the building.","The board granted a special permit to convert the existing five‑story building at 350 Massachusetts Ave. to approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of lab space with 4,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail after design review and conditions addressing flood resilience, roof screening, bike parking, and streetscape activation.","actionData","errors"]

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Cambridge planning board pauses petition to treat religious uses like recent housing zoning changes, asks city solicitor for legal opinion

Planning board approves special permit to convert 350 Massachusetts Ave. to lab with ground-floor retail; board conditions design review