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Petitioner asks Cambridge BZA to withdraw Clinton Street appeal after design changes; vote not recorded
Summary
A March 10 letter read at the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals’ March 13 meeting asked to withdraw continued case 114242018 (Clinton Street) without prejudice, saying design modifications were made to conform to the recently amended city zoning ordinance; the transcript records a motion to withdraw but not the vote result.
The Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals on March 13, 2025, heard a March 10 letter from petitioner Sarah Ratigan requesting withdrawal without prejudice of a continued appeal identified as case 114242018, Clinton Street. Chair Jim Monteverdi read the letter into the record and put a motion to withdraw before the board for a vote.
The letter, read aloud by the chair, stated, "we hereby request a withdrawal without prejudice of the above reference case," and said further design modifications had been made "in order to conform all aspects of the Cambridge zoning ordinance as recently amended." The letter added that the petitioner believes "no relief from this board will be required subject to final review by city staff."
The matter was presented as the first agenda item of the evening after routine opening remarks, a statement that remote participation is authorized under chapter 2 of the acts of 2023, and a roll call confirming board members were present. Monteverdi said the board would "see how, if any other cases go away that were pending in front of us because of the new ordinance," signaling that multiple pending appeals might be affected by the zoning changes.
Monteverdi moved to withdraw the Clinton Street case "without prejudice" and asked for the board's vote; the meeting transcript ends as he calls for a vote and does not record whether the motion carried or the tally. The transcript also does not record who formally moved or seconded the motion or any further deliberation on the motion.
Procedural notes read at the start of the meeting indicated that all participants must state their names before speaking, that meetings are being recorded and broadcast on local channel 22, and that public commenters are generally given up to three minutes when public comment is opened. No public comment on the Clinton Street item is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
Next steps recorded in the transcript: the chair asked staff to take attendance, verified members were audible, and put the withdrawal motion to a vote. The transcript does not include the board's vote tally or any staff determination following the referenced "final review by city staff."
