City Council Considers Parking Space Rentals

Legislation inquiring into the legality of renting parking spaces in apartment garages was among the most contested issues discussed during Monday night’s City Council meeting, as Councillors related the matter to the larger issue of government regulation.

The order called on the City Solicitor to clarify whether the owners of parking spaces in apartments garages can rent those spaces out to car owners who are “unrelated to the property.”

According to Councillor Minka Y. vanBeuzekom, current zoning ordinances stipulate that apartment buildings allot a certain number of parking spaces per housing unit.

“Car ownership has gone down, and that’s the capacity that’s sitting there,” said vanBeuzenkom, adding that several residents had told her that they would rent out their unused parking spaces if not for uncertainty about the legality of such actions.

When the vanBeuzenkom introduced the legislation, many of her fellow Councillors initially reacted with confusion.

Councillor Timothy J. Toomey Jr. was concerned that the parking order proposed Monday would not ease but rather exacerbate the problems caused by the city’s current parking strictures.

“I think we’re over-regulating here,” said Toomey. “I think this could affect private driveways once we start moving in that direction.”

Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves ’72 said he was surprised by the discussion at hand.

“Back in capitalist America, it seems to me that the owner of the spaces would have the right to rent them at all times,” said Reeves.

At the suggestion of Councillor Leland Cheung, the Council voted to send the legislation back to the Subcommittee on Transportation, Traffic and Parking.

Cheung pointed out that for an issue such as the one being discussed, “There’s a lot beneath the surface.” He noted that the number of questions and comments on the parking spaces order made sending it to the subcommittee for further exploration a necessary step.

The City Council also spent a significant portion of the Monday night meeting approving a series of the City Manager’s budget appropriations. The Council approved the transfer of funds from the Cambridge Housing Authority to non-profits providing services for the homeless. The Council also approved funding for the Cambridge Community Learning Center’s Bridge to College Program and for the replacement of a heavy-duty rescue truck.

—Staff Writer Sonali Y. Salgado can be reached at ssalgado@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @SonaliSalgado16.