January 3, 2007 GAC Update

We start the New Year with a new sponsor, Genzyme, of the 2007 Government Affairs program. Sponsorships help the Chamber continue its progressive and relative programming. Thank you to Genzyme and we look forward to a great year.

The first GAC event of the New Year will be a GAC meeting and luncheon with Cambridge Vice Mayor and State Representative Tim Toomey on Tuesday, January 23 at noon.

Changes in government begin today with Michael Sullivan's inauguration as Middlesex Clerk of Courts at 5:30 at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium. At 6:30 Gerry Leone will be inaugurated as Middlesex County Prosecutor at Harvard’s Saunders Theater. Deval Patrick will be sworn in as Governor of the Commonwealth tomorrow at noon.

Here in Cambridge,it is the start of a local election year. Council and School Committee elections will be held on November 6. Issues coming up in the Council in the near term including a proposed rezoning of some business districts, the hiring of a new Police Commissioner, and banning trans fats in Cambridge restaurants. The first Council meeting of 2007 is scheduled for next Monday, January 8.

About Genzyme

One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with serious diseases.  Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with more than 9,000 employees in locations spanning the globe and 2005 revenues of $2.7 billion.  Genzyme has been selected by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for” in the United States. 

With many established products and services helping patients in more than 80 countries, Genzyme is a leader in the effort to develop and apply the most advanced technologies in the life sciences. The company's products and services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease, orthopaedics, cancer, transplant and immune diseases, and diagnostic testing. Genzyme's commitment to innovation continues today with a substantial development program focused on these fields, as well as heart disease and other areas of unmet medical need.

Upcoming GAC Events

The 2007 Government Affairs program is sponsored by Genzyme.

Vice Mayor and State Representative Toomey Guest at January GAC
Cambridge Vice Mayor and State Representative Timothy Toomey, Jr. will address the January GAC meeting and luncheon on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at noon in the Chamber of Commerce Board Room. Vice Mayor Toomey was first elected to the City Council in 1989 and to the State Legislature in 1992. He is in his first term as Vice Mayor. Prior to his election to the Council he served two terms on the Cambridge School Committee.

Please e-mail tsmith@cambridgechamber.org or phone (617) 876-4213 if you plan to attend.

2007 is an election year for both the Council and the School Committee.  Issues to be on the agenda early in 2007 include a proposal to change the zoning in Business A, Business A-1, and Business A-2 districts, the hiring of a new Police Commissioner, and trans fats in local restaurants. 

Proposed Rezoning Business A, Business A-1, and Business A-2 Districts
The Council has submitted a proposal to decrease the proposed development threshold for large project review from 50,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet in districts designated as Business A, Business A-1, and Business A-2.  In Business A-2 districts side lot setbacks would increase to 20 feet from 10 feet and maximum heights would be reduced from 45 feet to 35 feet where a building in a business district is with 50 feet of a residential district.

Several property owners affected by this change have contacted the Chamber and expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed changes on their properties and on preserving commercial development in these districts. The affected areas are scattered throughout the City and include Cambridge Street in East Cambridge, much of Massachusetts Avenue btween Harvard Square and the Arlington line, River Street, Huron Village, and the Star Market on Mt. Auburn Street. The zoning map is available at Cambridge Zoning Map.

The Council’s Ordinance Committee met on this matter on December 13 and there was no opposition to the proposed change. This change is on the January 16 Planning Board agenda.  Please contact Terry Smith, the Chamber’s Director of Government Affairs, at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org or by phone at (617) 876-4213 if you have questions about this matter. Full disclosure, Terry’s home is in one of the districts affected by this proposed change.

A copy of the Council Order is available at October 30, 2006 Council Order 22.  Note that the on-line copy of the order does not include the attached changes. Contact Terry if you would like a copy of the attachments.

Search for a New Police Commissioner
Cambridge Police Commissioner has announced he will retire in March and the City Manager has started the process of selecting his successor. The Council has made it clear that they want their views included in the hiring process within the limitations established by Sate Law and the City Charter. The Manager is also putting together a citizen committee to assist in this process.

Trans Fats
In response to New York City’s recent announcement that all trans fats will be banned at restaurants the Council has begun discussing such an action in Cambridge. The Department of Public Health is discussing this issue with members of the restaurant community.

For a listing of public meetings, visit the Public Meetings link or the Public Meeting Notices area of the City of Cambridge Web site.