After years of planning and input from thousands of neighbors, plans for more housing and vibrant retail near Cambridge St. is down to the wire on Monday. Unfortunately, a small, vocal group is trying to kill the proposal. City Council need to hear your voice loud and clear -- read on for more info on how you can weigh in.
The Cambridge St. zoning petition expires next week. If it does not pass on Monday night, nothing will happen for at least six months, and likely longer. Why does that matter?
Because that would mean putting gas stations and parking lots...
...over people struggling to stay in Cambridge.
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The images above are just a few of the auto-oriented sites up for rezoning. If the zoning petition passes, it will clear the way for hundreds of new homes by allowing residential buildings up to 8 stories on Cambridge St., up to 15 stories near Lechmere, and up to 12 stories in Webster Street/Windsor Street industrial triangle. If it doesn't pass Monday, the parking lots and tow shops are there to stay. The neighborhoods near Cambridge St. are under huge displacement pressure. With a new green line station 10 minutes away, and thousands of high-paying jobs moving into Boynton Yards and Union Square just across the Somerville border, competition for limited homes will intensify. Now City Council needs to decide: will it maintain the "character" of gas stations and tow lots? Or will it reform outdated rules to enable new homes when those parking lots get redeveloped -- and keep Cambridge St. a place where new and old can live side by side? What you can do now:
Here's a sample email you can send to City Council: Dear Councillors, I am a local resident/renter, and I’m writing to express strong support for the proposed Cambridge Street zoning and for your leadership in advancing housing solutions in our community. Like many Cambridge residents, I feel the effects of our severe housing shortage every day: rising rents, limited options, and neighbors being forced to leave the neighborhoods they love. The root of this crisis is simple: we do not have enough homes. The proposed Cambridge Street zoning will directly address our housing shortage by transforming a corridor with direct access to transit into hundreds of new homes, including many more permanently affordable inclusionary homes. Thank you for your continued support of housing that meets the needs of Cambridge residents. Sincerely, [Your Name] After you contact City Council, there are two great events to put on your calendar for next week:
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Book Talk January 27 |
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Monthly Social January 29Come in from the cold and join us for a drink and some fries. The first ABC social of 2026 will be on Thursday, Jan. 29, starting 6pm, at Cambridge Common (1667 Mass Ave). We picked this location to celebrate the passage last month of a major rezoning on northern Mass Ave! The plan starts at the Common and covers Mass Ave through Porter Square and all the way to the Arlington border. Under the strong version that was passed (defeating a proposed amendment to lower heights), hundreds of new homes are projected for the corridor by 2040. Just this week, we get even more good news nearby: Cambridge Housing Authority bought three parcels on Mellen St. from Lesley University and plans to create 90 to 110 housing units for low-income families. The Baldwin neighborhood (where this social will take place) has one of the lowest percentage of affordable housing in Cambridge, so these CHA properties will support an integrated, mixed-income community.
We hope you stay warm and check-in with your neighbors over the cold, snowy weekend. Thank you for all that you do! A Better Cambridge |