Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

THIS IS CAROLYN. SORRY, TED, THIS IS CAROLYN. SO MOVED.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted a little bit of clarification. I believe in the staff memo there was, I think I alluded to maybe there was another similar proposal in the works. Did I read that correctly? And if so, What's the status of that? Is it meant to be parallel run or separate process or whatnot? Thank you.

Thank you. So I have a question for the board. As the... still newest board member who joined after the overlay was adopted and the design review process was changed. And we have now a much more advisory role than a approval role on projects of a certain size. I'm curious how you all feel about that and kind of where, if you think that that's, I mean, I will say broadly, you know, I believe that we should not hold up the process and that more housing is better. And I don't think, you know, we want to add additional steps and overregulate. but I am thinking about an AAHO project that came befor

Well, I'd say two factors. The one is when special permit was required for everything. It really put the proponents at great risk. I live near the Beach Street buildings that was made and took 10 years from when we approved it to when all the litigation about it was resolved. And so if it's if it's purely discretionary on the board, Yes, we seem to have more power because we can say no to something, but even if we don't do that and say yes, it butters and other people can challenge it and it just drags on for a long, long time. I think we have a tremendous housing crisis. and that that was one

Thank you. And I was just going to add, you know, when the proposal first came up, I don't remember, was it last year, two years ago, I was concerned that there was going to be a segment of project sizes that are, you know, between the sizes that we would review and versus what would not be reviewed. But I think it's been reassuring to know that You know, the projects are like halfway in between. They still go through staff review and, you know, once in a while I do walk around the neighborhood and then these projects are by pre this project. But, you know, there are projects I see I don't rec

I think I'll add some perspective on the affordable housing overlay and multifamily zoning change that I experienced because I kind of came into the planning board when those two changes were happening. And they each seemed like such long processes of like, you know, city staff presenting us with documents. really long documents a lot of public input and there were a few few meetings of them and then I remember just researching past meetings with City Council about each of those changes and then I think this has happened before we get a petition to change it and it seems so sudden so when I lo

Yeah, there's no question that there went through many, many months and years of discussions. And I guess my feeling about this petition is that it's really too soon, that we haven't had enough time. From what I've seen, being built so far I've been happy with. And, you know, I like tall buildings, but I think, you know, we have such a housing crisis that we can't stand still. And this petition feels to me like it's a rollback. um you know many years ago when i first got on the board i thought six stories all along mass ave from one end to the other would be great i don't think six stories is

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess first of all, thank you, Mr. Brown for your proposal. I appreciate how you do listen to the community. You know, this summer actually has been a hard one for me. I've recently learned of three or four friends who are in that group. we call maybe missing middle their musicians their teachers one friend is a social worker and one is um the handyman and they've all decided to leave the city because either the landlord is selling or because um it's just too hard to find parking after work and they need a car for work um on the other hand like ted was saying i you know

THANK YOU. FIRST, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR RESPONSES AND FEEDBACK TO MY EARLIER QUESTION. THANK YOU MR. BROWN FOR THE PROPOSAL AND TO ALL THE COMMENTERS. I am in Ted's camp. I think we should let the city, let the existing zoning play out a little bit longer. Let the city respond as they get feedback. I know they are getting feedback regularly. And, you know, I mean, I think that there's... Potentially you know room to kind of tweak and but to think about it comprehensively and to really understand what the implications are before we before we start kind of chopping this thing up. And I think th

Chair. I would just like to add my two cents to thank Mr. Brown. He has appeared before us numerous times, and I served with him on the Climate Committee, and I know his heart is... to do what is the best thing for the city and what is the best thing for his neighborhood and all of Cambridge. And I really applaud what he has done in the past and what he's continuing to do. And I thank him for that. We may not always agree, but he always comes before us with very thoughtful thoughts. ideas and engenders very thoughtful discussions, I think. So, Doug, thank you. Thanks, Ted.

I would so move the motion as you've laid it out.

Yeah, thank you. The question is about the dentist's office. Could you go back to the slide which would say show to further back? I just want to see. So this is Parcel JK?

And the dentist's office would be on the left-hand side. Okay, great. And then my other question is, what does HIPAA actually require?

And a follow up to that, if you are a patient inside, can you see out through the film or it's going to be opaque from both directions?

Thank you. So just to stick on this while we're talking about it, I think what you submitted, the documentation you submitted showed that it would be just a blank white covering on those windows. Is that right?

Okay, great. And then a question going back to the Parcel 1C. I think I saw something about city staff asking about bollards being installed and I think maybe John Maxon coming back and saying that bollards aren't safe for pedestrians and cyclists and so I'm curious both about on both sides of that one is there kind of staff reacting to any Evidence that cars do turn down that that pathway and two There are tons of bike paths that have bollards at intersections. I'm surprised to hear that that's a safety issue for pedestrians or cyclists, and I'm curious to hear more about that.

The first question was for city staff, yeah, about just kind of what if there is any evidence that cars are going down there.

That's okay. I don't need a follow-up from you on that.

uh just to also say yes to the mural I think it's a great idea and uh yeah and I'm also concerned about the uh the screen and I know you're gonna go with the city staff review the the film but I'm pro like environmental graphics on that and making it more lively um I don't think that we should not allow the dentist office to be there because I think it's good to have something there as opposed to being vacant.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I third the mural. And also my comments are more towards the dentist office. I do think it's a good use, good way to activate the space. But, you know, in order to really activate a space and a frontage, having an opaque space you know, glazing is not the best. I just wanted to throw out a suggestion. I recently did see a dental office I really liked. What they did there was They used a mix of, it was an older building, so they had a mix of glazed windows. But on the front, they had planters and shrubs, which did a lot of the covering without making it look like just one

Thank you. Yeah, I think you'll get unanimous support for the mural. And I like all the plans. I'm supportive of the plans for 1C, though I think a bollard's on either end of that. are probably a pretty good idea. So I'd push back on any concerns about safety on that. And I love Ashley's idea about the plantings in front of whatever screening is on the windows. But having something that I'm glad you'll have something there. Generally, I'm supportive of the use and appreciate all that you guys are doing.