There is so much going on in Cambridge right now that I’m taking the risk of sending you a long Action Alert on a Monday morning.
This email contains information on three important and timely items we need you to take action on:
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Support New Homes at Volpe - Make your voice heard at Planning Board & Ordinance Committee meetings Tuesday & Wednesday
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Support Affordable Housing in Porter Square - 1791 Mass Ave development presentation on Tuesday
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Submit your questions (then attend) ABC City Council Candidate Forum on September 19th.
I hope that you’ll read this full email for complete details on each item above.
1. YES TO MORE HOMES AT THE VOLPE SITE IN KENDALL SQUARE
Please take action this week to let the Planning Board & City Council Ordinance Committee know that you support the creation of abundant housing opportunity in Kendall Square.
A Better Cambridge broadly supports MIT’s proposal to build at least 1,400 homes on the Volpe site. In particular, we’re excited that the plan will produce at least 280 below market rate homes – more than any other new development in the city - and give many families the opportunity to stay and live in Cambridge.
Anyone who wants a more affordable Cambridge should be working with MIT and the community to see these new units built as soon as possible. We encourage MIT to further increase the number of housing units it will provide at the site, if at all possible.
Click here to read ABC’s full statement on this proposal, including additional questions and areas of concern we have.
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Planning Board: Attend the hearing on Tuesday, September 12th, 6:30pm, at 344 Broadway. If you cannot attend please email your statement to [email protected] and she will forward you message on to the Planning Board members.
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Ordinance Committee: Attend the hearing on Wednesday, September 13th, 2:30pm at City Hall. If you cannot attend, please email your statement to all nine city councilors at [email protected] and copy city clerk [email protected] to make sure your comments get on the official record.
2. YES TO 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PORTER SQUARE
Take action to support a critical affordable housing development proposed in Porter Square.
At the same time the Planning Board holds their hearing on Tuesday, Capstone Communities invites community members to a presentation on their development at 1791 Mass Ave. Capstone - a developer with a track record creating below market rate housing in Cambridge - has proposed the creation of a transit-oriented, 100% affordable family community in Porter Square.
- 1791 Mass Ave Presentation: Attend the developer's public meeting on Tuesday, September 12th, 7:00pm at North Cambridge Community Center, 2050 Mass Ave.
3. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS (THEN ATTEND) ABC CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM
What do you want to ask City Council candidates about housing and sustainable development issues in Cambridge? Submit your questions for the ABC Candidate Forum next week.
ABC invites community members to submit questions for candidates in advance of our City Council candidate forum on September 19th. The ABC elections committee, and our moderator former City Councilor David Sullivan, will review and select questions to be asked on the 19th:
Click here to submit your questions!
- City Council Candidate Forum: Attend our candidate forum and learn where the candidates fall on these critical issues facing our community on Tuesday, September 19th, 6:30pm at the Broad Institute, 415 Main Street in Kendall Square.