September 26, 2007 GAC Update
The Council met on Monday and received a report from the City Manager on the tax rate for the current fiscal year. The Council also received a report on Green Roofs and a recommendation from the Planning Board regarding the proposed Green Building Requirements amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. The Council also passed orders regarding casino gambling in Massachusetts and liquor licenses in Cambridge.
The Council’s Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on the proposed Green Building Requirements amendment to the Zoning Ordinance last Wednesday.
The Government Affairs Committee met yesterday, Tuesday, September 25. Our guest was State Representative William Brownsberger
Attorney General Martha Coakley will address an October GAC/Executive Speaker luncheon on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Next week the Council will hold a special roundtable meeting with the School Committee rather than a regular Council meeting. The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for October 15.
Upcoming GAC Events
The 2007 Government Affairs program is sponsored by Genzyme.
October 24, 2007
GAC Executive Speaker Luncheon
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley will address the Cambridge business community on her efforts to maintain and enhance a strong business climate in Massachusetts, including development of her Business, Technology & Economic Development Division. She will discuss specific plans and coming efforts to ensure that Massachusetts continues to be a great place to do business and will address concerns affecting business such as cyber-security.
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge
40 Edwin Land Boulevard
Cambridge
Members: $40.00, Non-members: $80.00
Prices require registration and payment at least two business days in advance.
$10 additional thereafter
Registration and more information about our Speaker
November 27, 2007 TBA
State Representative William Brownsberger Addresses GAC
State Representative William Brownsberger was the guest speaker at yesterday’s Government Affairs Committee meeting. He gave a brief description of his background, including eight years on Wall Street, his work as an attorney and his service on the Belmont Board of Selectman. He said that the three issues he believes will be the focus of the State legislature in the next few months will include work on an energy bill, criminal justice reform and, the major topic in the news of late, casino gambling.
Participants asked a number of questions regarding the casino gambling proposal. State Representative Brownsberger said that no formal proposal has yet been filed. Regarding energy he stressed the importance of moving forward to reduce energy use and improve efficiency.
He was asked about legislative action regarding the Supreme Judicial Courts decision that impacted the North Point development and he said that the House and Senate have passed very different bills that are now in a Conference Committee and that action should be expected in the next two months.
The Chamber appreciates Representative Brownsberger taking time from his busy schedule to meet with the GAC and looks forward to continuing to work with him.
September 24, 2007 City Council Meeting
The Council met on Monday and received a report from the City Manager on the tax rate for the current fiscal year. Both residential and commercial rates are down. The Council also received a report on Green Roofs and a recommendation from the Planning Board regarding the proposed Green Building Requirements amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. Further action on both will require more work. The Council also passed orders regarding casino gambling in Massachusetts and liquor licenses in Cambridge.
Tax Rates Down
The City Council received a report and recommendations from the City Manager regarding the property tax rate for the current Fiscal Year (FY08). Residential rates will be $7.36 per thousand dollars of valuation, a reduction of 1.6% from FY07, and the Commercial rate will be $17.24 per thousand dollars of valuation, a reduction of 5.8%. Reductions are possible due to a number of factors including growth in the commercial real estate market and the City’s ability to use Free Cash.
Most Cambridge homeowners will see a reduction in their taxes from last year. Increases in commercial property taxes will be the result of increased valuation. The City has also seen a steady growth in receipts from the Personal Property tax due to increased valuation of taxable equipment.
Commercial taxpayers will account for 65% of taxes this year, up from 63% last year.
The report is available at City Manager Agenda Item 1.
Green Roofs and Green Building Requirements
The Council received a report from the City Manager regarding the feasibility of green roofs on Municipal buildings. The report provides a good overview of the advantages to using green roofs including reduced energy use, better storm water management, and improved air quality. The Manager reports that the City will conduct an inventory of municipal buildings to determine which roof systems are suitable for a green roof. The Manager also notes that the Task Force on Green Building requirements recommended by the Planning Board would be a useful venue to discuss other incentives for green roofs. The report is available at City Manager Agenda Item 5.
The Council received a report form the Planning Board recommending a task force in response to the Council’s proposal that the Zoning Ordinance be amended to include Green Building Requirements. The Planning Board also asks several statutory questions regarding the legality of the proposed action. The Council has asked the Law Department for a review of legal issues and is planning a meeting of the Ordinance Committee, Planning Board and other interested parties to review issues related to the proposed amendment. See the report from the Ordinance Committee below for additional information on this issue. The report is available at City Manager Agenda Item 8.
Casinos and Liquor
The Council passed an amended order regarding casino gambling in Massachusetts. The amended order calls for the legislature to engage in open-minded scrutiny of the proposal in a number of areas specific to impacts on individuals and communities. The original order called for the Council to state its opposition to any additional gambling. A copy of the Amended Order is available at Policy Order 4.
The Council approved an amended order asking the License Commission to provide data on the number of noise and nuisance complaints over the past two years with particular attention to the complaints at establishments that have received additional hours or seating. The original order asked simply for information on additional licenses, seats and hours over the past three years rather than information on the impacts of those changes. A copy of the Amended Order is available at Policy Order 5.
Ordinance Committee to Meet on Proposed Green Building Requirements
The City Council’s Ordinance Committee met last Wednesday night to discuss the proposal to add a new section to the Zoning Ordinance adding Green Building Requirements for projects of 25,000 square feet or larger. The Chamber made a presentation similar to the remarks presented at the September 4 Planning Board meeting. The major addition was that the Chamber agrees with the Planning Board recommendation that this proposal requires further and thorough study. On Monday the Council received the Planning Board recommendation that a task force be assembled to review the proposal.
At the Ordinance Committee it was suggested that a task force was not necessary. One Councillor said that a task force is unnecessary because, in the opinion of this Councillor, Boston has already gone through such a process. This member of the Council would prefer a quick process.
Following last week’s Ordinance Committee hearing the Chamber began a review of the work of the Boston Green Building Task Force posted on the Boston Redevelopment Authority website and spoke to individuals who had involvement in and experience with the process in Boston. From this preliminary review it can be said that Boston did a good job assessing the decision to amend the Boston Zoning Code pursuant to Boston goals and under Boston’s regulatory framework. It is not clear that the work Boston did is transferable to Cambridge or any other city.
A primary concern of the Chamber is that the Boston Redevelopment Authority process for reviewing and approving development projects differs from Cambridge. The BRA serves as the body that writes, interprets and enforces the zoning ordinance and the statutory authority for the Boston Zoning Ordinance is Chapter 665 of the Acts of 1956 as amended. The Cambridge’s Zoning Ordinance, like the zoning ordinances in most Massachusetts Cities and Towns, was adopted pursuant to Chapter 40A of the General Laws of Massachusetts. Before the City of Cambridge adopts anything based on actions of the City of Boston a clear understanding of how Cambridge and Boston are similar and different in regulating land use is necessary. This is one of the several issues the Council has asked the Law Department to review.
Beyond the issue of regulatory authority, it is unlikely the Boston Green Building Task Force addressed fundamental questions related to Cambridge’s adoption of the proposed amendments including:
- Is the draft amendment to the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance necessary given current practice in Cambridge
- Are the goals the LEED rating systems were designed to address well aligned with larger Cambridge goals
- Does Cambridge have the resources and expertise necessary to adequately manage and monitor the proposed requirements
- Does use of the LEED rating systems get to a result the City desires based on City goals
It is also important to note that Boston did not adopt a requirement of LEED Certification, only that a project be certifiable based on review of a LEED checklist by the BRA under Article 80 Development Review and Approval of the Zoning Ordinance. The Cambridge proposal has similar language but the different regulatory processes in the two cities may create difficulties in Cambridge unanticipated in Boston. Further, the Planning Board has required completion of the LEED Checklist for any project of 50,000 square feet or larger for several years.
Boston also added specific additional credits, called Boston Green Building Credits, to meet goals specific to Boston. These include a credit for combined heat and power systems in areas where electric distribution load constraints exist, historic preservation and transportation demand management. These additional credits may or may not be appropriate to Cambridge. There may be other additional credits Cambridge may wish to add. None of this is possible without a thorough review of the proposal specific to Cambridge which may be accomplished through a Task Force as recommended by the Planning Board.
The Chamber is interested in any comments, suggestions, etc. regarding the Chamber’s work to serve you as this issue moves through the City’s political and regulatory process as well as specific information about the Boston Green Building Task Force please pass that along. Feel free to contact the Terrence Smith, Director of Government Affairs, at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org or by phone at (617) 876-4213.
