June 28, 2006 GAC Update

The Council met on Monday for the last time until a Special Summer meeting on August 7.  The Council passed the Concord-Alewife Zoning Petition, thanked Robert Healy on the anniversary of his 25 years as City Manager and discussed the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.  The Ordinance Committee will meet tonight on an amendment to the Parking and Traffic Demand Management (PTDM) Ordinance.

State Representative Marty Walz gave a presentation on the State’s new Health Care law at yesterday’s GAC.  A full report on that discussion will be the focus of the July 12 GAC Update.  Next week’s update will include a report on tonight’s Ordinance Committee hearing and some smaller items from this week’s City Council meeting.

Upcoming GAC Events

The 2006 Government Affairs program is sponsored by Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

No GAC meetings until September.  My plan for the first meeting of the fall, which is scheduled for Tuesday September 26^th, is a discussion among those of you active in the GAC about the direction of this committee for the next couple of years.    I will work on a draft agenda in the next several weeks.  Please send your thoughts on this matter to me at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org

June 26, 2006 City Council Meeting

This was the last City Council meeting until a Special Meeting scheduled for August 7.  The Council passed an amended version of the Concord-Alewife rezoning petition on a 7-1-1 vote.  The Council also thanked Robert Healey on the occasion of his 25 years of service as City Manager and discussed the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

Concord-Alewife Petition Passes
The City Council voted to approve amendments to the Zoning Ordinance in the Concord-Alewife area.  The vote was seven in favor, one opposed, and one absent.  The amendments to the Zoning Ordinance passed included a number of changes from the original proposal rezoning including:

• The maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for commercial development allowed by Special Permit was raised to 1.5 throughout the Quadrangle.  The petition originally reduced FAR as of right for Commercial from 1.5 to .75 and by Special Permit to 1 or 1.25.
• The language regarding Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) were changed in a number of ways including limiting the increased FAR by 20% using TDR.
• Changes in the language to allow for use of bonus provisions provided in the zoning amendments to encourage public improvements and other public policy goals.  Under the original language development bonuses could be earned that could not be used.
• The area eligible for bonus for bike and pedestrian bridge across tracks connecting the Quadrangle and the Triangle was expanded.
• A number of changes in the amendments related to water retention, water quality, stormwater management and permeability to clarify language and insure better management of water in the area.
• Require retail as part of the commercial mix in the Shopping Center but limiting the size of retail to limit the possibility of so-called “big box” retail.
• Additional design guidelines addressing issues like compliance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, use of site design to reduce shadows on others buildings, streets, parks, open spaces, and plazas and design residential units to include units of various sizes including three or more bedroom units.

The sole vote against the petition was Councillor Kelley who said he would have preferred a petition that included the costs for buying easements and building infrastructure to address transportation issues in the area.  Councillor Decker was absent.

I have a substantially complete copy of the substitute language included in the final amendments to the Zoning Ordinance.  If you would like a copy please send me an e-mail at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org.  The original amendments are available at Concord-Alewife Rezoning.  The Ordinance Committee Reports from the June 13 and 14 meetings are available at June 13, 2006 Ordinance Committee Report and June 14, 2006 Ordinance Committee Report.

Happy 25^th Bob
The City Council thanked City Manager Robert Healy for his 25 years as City Manager.  The Council granted the Manager a new three year contract earlier this year.  The Chamber joins the Council in thanking the City manager for his 25 years as Manager and for his continued service to the people of Cambridge.

Continued Discussions on the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program
At the June 21 meeting the Council filed an Order asking for an update on the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program and asked the City to continue to take applications for program and to place youth on a waiting list who wish to work this summer.  At Monday’s meeting the Council received a report on the Program.  According to that report the City has identified 750 jobs and 803 youths applied for the Program by the May 19 deadline.

The report also states that names were taken for two weeks following the deadline and, in response to the Council Order of last week letters were sent to all eighth inviting informing those who missed the application deadline but were interested in summer jobs to call the Department of Human Service Programs to put their names on a waitlist. The letter informed the students that because we already had a waitlist of on time applicants, being on the waitlist did not guarantee a job but that should jobs be available they would be contacted.

Several Councillors expressed dismay that names were being taken when jobs had not been secured for all who applied by the deadline.  City staff responded that the list was being created at the direction of the Council.

The Mayor’s Program primarily serves 14 and 15 year olds.  For many this is their first job.  Over the past several years the City has focused on providing well supervised and meaningful jobs through this program.  The number of jobs has increased from 500 eight years ago to at least 750 this year.

A copy of the report is available at City Manager Agenda Item 11.  The Council also adopted an Order asking the City Manager to secure additional positions for the Mayor’s program.  A copy of the order is available at City Council Policy Order 12.

Ordinance Hearing on PTDM

The City Council’s Ordinance Committee meets today at 4:00 to discuss amending the Parking and Traffic Demand (PTDM) Ordinance to eliminate the “Sunset” clause in the ordinance.  Under a Sunset clause the City Council is considered to recertify an ordinance by some set date for it to continue to be in effect.

In 1998 the Chamber was instrumental is developing this unique and groundbreaking regulation and viewed the Sunset clause, which originally required recertification in 2001, as an important piece of the new ordinance.  In 2001 the Chamber again supported maintaining the Sunset clause, which was then set at five years.

Over the past several weeks I solicited and received comments from Chamber members on the implementation of the PTDM Ordinance and two weeks ago Chamber President Kelly Thompson Clark and I met with City staff to discuss those comments.  Tonight I will reiterate the Chamber’s support for the Sunset clause because this provides an opportunity to review the effectiveness of what still is, after only eight years, a new piece of regulation.  Our meeting with City staff and tonight’s meeting of the Ordinance Committee would not likely have occurred were it not for this clause.  For this reason alone it is useful to maintain the Sunset clause.

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