Cambridge City Council
DPU Orders Mass. Gas Companies to Cut Bills by 5 Percent
The companies have until Feb. 24 to file their proposals for adjustments, which will take effect on March 1. The move will afford residents some respite, with lower bills expected for the “peak season” months of March and April.
City Council Plans To Put Proposed Charter Changes on 2025 Ballot
The Cambridge City Council set a tentative timeline for residents to approve changes to the city’s charter in a Nov. 2025 ballot measure — more than three years since the city voted to update the charter on a regular basis.
In ‘Landmark’ Vote, Cambridge Ends Single-Family Zoning
The Cambridge City Council voted 8-1 to approve a proposal eliminating single family zoning city-wide in a meeting Monday night, capping off over a year of laborious dealmaking between activist residents, experts, and councilors.
City Council Approves Surveillance Technologies Despite Resident Pushback
The Cambridge City Council narrowly approved the Cambridge Police Department’s request to obtain two surveillance technologies amid fierce pushback from residents, but postponed voting on the purchase and use of drones by city police.
Chabad, Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals Schedule Mediation Resolution Hearing
The long-running legal dispute between Harvard Chabad and the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal has entered a new phase as both parties prepare for an alternative dispute resolution hearing scheduled for Feb. 12.
Residents Call for Increased Communication in City Meeting to Address Gun Violence
Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow, Mayor E. Denise Simmons, and City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 faced heated questions from residents over the Cambridge Police Department’s response to an unsolved fatal shooting in North Cambridge at a Tuesday night community meeting.
City Council Moves Forward with Multifamily Zoning Proposal, Despite Attempt to Amend
After dozens of Cambridge residents spoke in favor of preserving the city’s current multifamily zoning proposal, the Cambridge City Council voted to reject an amendment that would allow developers to build fewer stories without affordable housing units.
‘A Complicated Marriage’: Cambridge Calls on Harvard to Increase Optional PILOT Payments
The city of Cambridge called on Harvard to increase their optional municipal payments at a city council meeting Monday night — after failing to reach a new agreement with the University by the end-of-year deadline.
Ordinance Committee Advances Upzoning Proposal to Full City Council
The Cambridge City Council’s Ordinance Committee voted Thursday to advance a proposal to eliminate single-family zoning across the city, leaving the measure just two votes of the full City Council away from passing.
CPD Begins Body Camera Purchases as Residents Mark Anniversary of Faisal Killing
The City of Cambridge has begun the purchasing process for body-worn cameras as residents commemorate the two-year anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Sayed Faisal.
One Year After Launch, Cambridge Preschool Program Reports 84% Satisfaction Rate
Nearly a year after its launch, the Cambridge Preschool Program boasts a high satisfaction rate among enrolled families — and applications continue to increase.
Harvard and MIT Urban Planning Experts Weigh In on Proposed Zoning Overhaul
A panel of Harvard and MIT Urban planning experts said Cambridge city leadership must include resident input when deliberating on upzoning legislation — but disagreed on the timeline.
Cambridge City Council Asks for Report on Amended Upzoning Proposal
The Cambridge City Council requested on Monday that City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 prepare a report on amendments that pare back the scope of Cambridge’s multifamily zoning proposal.
Harvard, Cambridge Fail To Reach New PILOT Agreement by End-of-Year Deadline
Harvard and the city of Cambridge have missed their end-of-year deadline for renegotiating Harvard’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, which replaces a portion of the property taxes that the University is otherwise exempt from paying.
Committee Reduces Proposed Height Limit in Contentious Upzoning Proposal
Following months of contentious debate, the Cambridge City Council’s Ordinance Committee presented a set of amendments to the proposal to allow multifamily housing citywide — significantly reducing the proposed maximum height and density requirements.
Cambridge Planning Board Punts on Proposal to End Single-Family Housing in Final Vote
After hours of back-and-forth, the Cambridge Planning Board voted on Tuesday not to take a stance on a hotly contested proposal to allow six-story apartment buildings, instead passing a general statement of support for multifamily housing to the Cambridge City Council.
Cambridge City Council Gives High Marks to City Manager Huang, Seeks Contract Renewal
The Cambridge City Council gave City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 largely positive feedback in his second annual performance review released last week, praising him as “a collaborative leader who has a strong work ethic” in its final report.
Cambridge Will Consider Restoring Two-Way Traffic Along Garden Street
The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a policy order Monday asking the city to devise a plan to restore Garden Street to two-way automobile traffic while retaining its two-way bike lanes by April 2025.
Cambridge Is Nearing a Massive Zoning Overhaul. Here’s What That Means.
Cambridge officials are considering a dramatic change to the city’s zoning code in an effort to spur housing development and address what local politicians and advocates have described as a severe and far-reaching housing shortage.
City Council Requests Update to Cambridge Bicycle Plan
The Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted a policy order on Monday to request that the city update the Cambridge Bicycle Plan, a report on cycling trends and policy affecting bike lane infrastructure, for the first time in four years.
Cambridge Residents Slam Reappointment of Inflammatory Blogger to City Committee
More than a dozen residents and a City Councilor criticized the reappointment of civic blogger Robert Winters to the Central Square Advisory Committee at a Council meeting Monday, citing his history of offensive social media posts.
City Manager Says He Met Most Goals But Failed to Form Reparations Commission
Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 said he had met nearly all of the City Council’s goals for him in the second annual City Manager Performance review, but conceded that he had failed to establish a commission for reparations to the descendants of enslaved people.
Cambridge City Council Takes First Step Toward Eliminating Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council took the first step in forcing landlords rather than tenants to pay broker fees, unanimously voting at a Monday meeting to hold a future hearing to discuss its feasibility.
Cambridge Residents Celebrate Opening of Binney Street Park
Cambridge residents and city officials gathered Friday morning to celebrate the opening of Binney Street Park — the last of three new green spaces developed in East Cambridge.
Cambridge City Councilors Float Proposal to Force Landlords to Pay Broker Fees
The Cambridge City Council will discuss a proposal to force landlords, rather than tenants, to pay broker fees at its next meeting on Monday, according to the Council’s meeting agenda.