Residents press council to let Cambridge Street upzoning expire as petitions head to second reading

Residents filled the council’s public‑comment docket on Monday to press the City Council to slow or withdraw a late‑term push to increase allowed heights on Cambridge Street and other corridors, while advocates for more housing urged passage.

Many speakers who live in and near Inman Square told the council they had been blindsided by last‑minute increases in proposed heights — in some locations from the six stories discussed in planning meetings to proposals permitting eight to 15 stories as‑of‑right — and warned the changes would displace small retailers, worsen parking and traffic, and cast shadows that would make rooftop solar infeasible. "This is a bait and switch," Matt Kelly, an Inman Square resident, told the council, asking members to let the petition expire and begin again with a fuller public process.

The petitioners’ critics repeatedly pointed to a pending lawsuit challenging the city’s inclusionary‑housing requirements and argued the legal uncertainty means the council should not grant broad height increases now. Helen Walker, who cited the Columbia Street LLC lawsuit, urged the council to withhold ordaining higher heights until the city can ensure any new development will secure a "significant number of inclusionary units in return." Several speakers urged explicit protections for existing neighborhood retail and for stronger open‑space and design requirements.

Not all public commenters opposed the rezonings. David Halperin and other speakers urged the council to move forward with corridor rezonings, arguing that higher, transit‑oriented housing is essential to addressing Cambridge’s housing shortage and reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions. "The city is going to change no matter what," Halperin said, urging the petitions be advanced to the next stage of review.

Council debate after public comment focused on process and trade‑offs. Staff and council members described amendments tying extra height to inclusionary requirements and to active ground‑floor retail in some corridors. Opponents pressed for more community engagement and for delaying final votes so newly elected members will have a voice; supporters said the petitions reflect long planning work and that some corridors (notably North Mass Ave) already have processes and working‑group input.

The council amended both corridor petitions and passed them to a second reading by roll call votes recorded as 6–3 on each petition. The vote preserves the option to adopt the ordinances later but does not complete final passage; the petitions remain eligible for further amendment and could still be reconsidered before the end of the term or be taken up by the next council. The petitions, as amended, include language offered by staff and by council amendment to tie any additional height to the city’s inclusionary requirements and to require active ground‑floor uses in targeted subdistricts.

What happens next: passing to a second reading is a procedural step that keeps the petitions alive for final action later in the month or in January. Council members and staff said there will be further committee review, and members urged continued outreach with affected neighborhoods. Those who want to follow or comment further can review the revised petitions on the city’s meetings portal and submit written comments to the city clerk for the public record.

Ending: The council’s procedural votes mean both the Mass Avenue and Cambridge Street corridor petitions remain in play — amended, but not yet ordained — while neighborhood opposition and legal uncertainty over inclusionary housing remain central issues going forward.