Council Passes Landmark Zoning Law

After a bitter three-year struggle between business and neighborhood groups, the City Council voted unanimously early this morning to approve a comprehensive rezoning ordinance for the Cambridgeport area.

The ordinance strikes a compromise between business and neighborhood interests. It designates a light industrial zone for commercial use as well as an affordable housing zone and a park.

The new zoning ordinance affects an 80-acre area adjacent to MIT and will permit the university to build additional housing for its students and faculty.

The region, bounded by Brookline and Sidney Streets, is predominantly commercial and industrial district now.

"I think the neatest thing is that there's going to be a park in Cambridgeport," said Vice Mayor Edward N. Cyr. "[The neighborhoods] wanted a place for kids to play."

The new law's specifications are closest in substance to a neighborhood petition--known as the Lynch Petition--which sought affordable housing, an industrial park and an area of open space and low floor-space to area ratio.

The Burke petition, which represented the business interests, had the same goals but sought to protect the business community by preserving high floor-to-area ratios and height limits.

Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 said the compromise between business and private interests is important for the city of Cambridge.

"This is an extraordinary moment because it sends a message to the business community that we can get zoning done in a cooperative and collaborative way," Reeves said.

Reeves also hailed the agreement as a milestone of cooperation between rival Cambridge Civic Association and Independent councillors.

The agreement was the result of a four-day marathon debate which began Thursday after the Cambridge Community Planning Board split 2-2 on the Lynch Petition.

"Saturday night we were here until four in the morning," said Councillor Jonathan S. Myers.

Myers said the extra effort put in to reach a consensus is a sign of how "the new city government" will conduct business.

Reeves also said the new city council--composed of the same nine members as last year's council--would be marked by cooperation.

"The council really rallied together to work on providing a zoning solution for this area," he said. "The '92-93 council has determined that business is to be done differently... with the combined efforts of CCA and Independents."

The ordinance is the most comprehensive zoning legislation passed in Cambridge in more than three years.