Election day is one week away. When you vote for the next city council on Tuesday, November 3rd, we hope you’ll use ABC’s candidate ratings and questionnaire as a guide.

Our city is at a critical crossroads.  Cambridge, with its many virtues, has become an increasingly attractive place to live. Coupled with our underproduction of housing for the last decade, this demand has also made Cambridge more attractive to developers seeking to maximize profit. This reality brings with it many challenges to the character of our city and to the diversity of our community.

We believe this reality also provides an opportunity that can be leveraged to preserve our diversity and build a more vibrant city for all residents.

In September, ABC hosted a public discussion with three experts in affordable housing and development to understand the challenges and opportunities facing Cambridge. The consensus was clear: Cambridge must add substantially to the current housing stock in order to meet demand and slow the precipitous increase in housing prices:

• We must be certain that this increase in housing produces as many affordable units, including middle income and family housing, as is economically feasible.

• With affordable units required by inclusionary zoning and subsidized by market rate rents, together with units produced by the city working with our housing nonprofits using city parking lots and increased linkage fees, we can make substantial inroads in providing affordable housing.

• Building more housing in areas with substantial public transportation, transportation that needs to grow as our region grows, close to large areas of employment will create transit oriented communities. These communities, where people can shop, work, play and live with the least amount of car usage, are the future of a sustainable Cambridge.

Facing both a climate crisis and a housing crisis, the time for Cambridge to embrace this future is now.

These are the issues that guide the ABC city council candidate questionnaire and ratings -- A higher rating demonstrates a candidate’s alignment with the ABC goals and priorities. With these issues in mind, we hope these ratings will be an important tool in your decision about who to vote for next Tuesday.

These ratings are our best attempt at a fair assessment but there is always an element of subjectivity in ratings. Judge for yourself by reading full text of the candidates responses.

If you find these ratings useful, we urge you to share with friends, family, neighbors and colleagues.

In an effort to help Cambridge voters make informed choices in the upcoming city council election, ABC is pleased to announce our 2015 city council candidate ratings. These ratings are based on a comprehensive questionnaire distributed to all 23 candidates to measure their level of agreement with key ABC priorities and goals. Higher rated candidates demonstrate a strong understanding of the complex housing and development challenges facing Cambridge today. They are best prepared to make Cambridge a more affordable and livable city for all residents, especially low-income families.

With a total maximum score of 45 points, the ABC candidate ratings are:

 Candidates not listed above did not respond to the ABC candidate survey.

* As of October 26th, John Sanzone has withdrawn as a candidate for City Council.

I am writing today to ask you to take final actions to help ensure City Council approval of the proposed Mass+Main mixed-income residential district that includes an unprecedented 47 new affordable housing units in Central Square.

In recent weeks the Ordinance Committee of the City Council and the Planning Board have both sent positive recommendations on the proposed Mass+Main zoning to the full City Council. Next Monday, May 18th the City Council will vote whether or not to implement these proposed zoning changes. 

We need you to take action in the coming week:

• Send an email to the City Council describing your support for the project. Feel free to use information from our past Action Alerts on this issue. Personalized messages are powerful, but short messages still go a long way to making sure the City Council knows the broad-based support this project has in our community. Even if you've emailed the council on this issue in the past, it's a good idea to reinforce your past support. 
  • Send your message to [email protected] and be sure to copy the City Clerk at [email protected].
  • Emails received by this Friday, 5/15 Thursday, 5/14 at 5pm will be included in the public record for Monday's meeting.

• Attend the next City Council meeting to speak publicly in support of this important project - the Council Council meets Monday, May 18th at 5:30pm in the Sullivan Chambers at Cambridge City Hall.
  • You can sign up to address the City Council by calling the City Council office starting at 9am next Monday (5/18): 617-349-4280.

A Better Cambridge stands in full support of the Mass+Main zoning, primarily for it's inclusion of 20% affordable housing, including 40 units for low-income families and 7 units for middle-income families. In addition, we endorse other key benefits of the proposal, such as its inclusion of family-sized 3 bedroom units, an innovative approach to reducing parking demand generated by the development, a commitment to making commercial rents affordable to local businesses, and creation of a public market. 

Don't just take my word for it. Last week, the Cambridge Chronicle featured three letters from community members detailing why they believe Mass+Main is the right project for Central Square at this time.

• Ellen Shachter is a Cambridge resident and attorney who has represented low-income Cambridge residents in housing matters for the past 25 years. She believes 47 new affordable housing units is critical for Central Square. Read her letter here.

• Carolyn Fuller is an ABC member whose home is directly adjacent to the proposed development. Despite some challenges the development may pose for her property, she supports the project because of the greater benefits it will bring to our community. Read her letter here.

• Mark Boyes-Watson is a Cambridge resident and an architect who has spent most of the past 30 years designing housing in Cambridge. He believes development like Mass+Main can help stabilize the high cost of housing in our city. Read his letter here.

 
Thanks for your support!

As an advocate for a diverse Cambridge, I am hoping you can take action this week to support the creation of more affordable housing in Central Square.

Last November, Normandy Partners/Twining Properties submitted a zoning petition to create a higher-density, mixed-income and mixed-use zoning district near Mass Ave. and Main St. in Central Square. While A Better Cambridge expressed our support for key elements of the proposal, we called on Normandy/Twining to increase the number of affordable units in the project to 20%.

Our advocacy worked, and last week Normandy/Twining announced that they would increase the affordable housing percentage to 20%. This includes 17% of all units for low-income families and 3% for middle-income families. In total, this means 47 new permanently affordable and privately subsidized housing units could be built in Cambridge.

Now we need you to take action to make sure this affordable housing is built!

• Attend this Wednesday's City Council Ordinance Committee hearing to publicly testify in support of this proposal:
  • Wednesday, 4/1 at 4:00 P.M. in the Sullivan Chambers at Cambridge City Hall

• If you cannot attend the meeting on Wednesday, email the Ordinance Committee beforehand to let them know about your support for this proposal. Even if you can attend, consider sending an email to reinforce your support:
  • Address to Vice Mayor Benzan and Councilor Carlone, Co-Chairmen of the Ordinance Committee - be sure to email [email protected] AND City Clerk [email protected] to get your message on the official record.

Finally, I invite you to join us for the next ABC general meeting this Thursday to hear about other opportunities to be involved with our advocacy work:

• Thursday, 4/2 at 7:00 P.M. at the Cambridge YWCA. Please click here for more information and to RSVP.

I hope to see you this week!

Late last week I emailed to remind you about this evening's Planning Board hearing on the Normandy/Twining proposal for Central Square. 

Again, I encourage you to take time this evening to attend the meeting and let the Planning Board members know that  Cambridge residents support higher density development that bring more affordable and family housing, local business opportunities, and innovative parking solution to Central Square:

• Planning Board: Tuesday, 2/24 at 7:00 P.M. in the  Second Floor Meeting room at 344 Broadway

• If you cannot attend the meeting, email the Planning Board by Tuesday to register your support for this proposal. Even if you can attend, consider sending an email to reinforce your support:
  
  

  • Address to Chairman Theodore Cohen and send it to [email protected] who will pass it along to the Chairman and other Planning Board members.

In addition to tonight's Planning Board hearing, the City Council Ordinance Committee will meet on Thursday, to receive public comment on the Normandy/Twining proposal. It is important to make your voice heard at this meeting because the severe weather in February made the process exceed the statutory time frame, making the original hearing no longer count:

• City Council Ordinance Committee: Thursday, 2/26 at 5:30 P.M. in the School Committee meeting room at CRLS - 459 Broadway

• If you cannot attend the meeting, email the Ordinance Committee by Thursday to register your support. Even if you can attend, consider sending an email to reinforce your message:

• Address to Vice Mayor Benzan and Councilor Carlone, Co-Chairmen of the Ordinance Committee - be sure to email [email protected] AND City Clerk [email protected] to get your message on the official record.

Thanks for your continued support.

TONIGHT: Planning Board public hearing on Carlone Petition to give City Council exclusive authority grant special permits for certain large developments.

Tuesday, August 5th at 7:00 P.M.
Second Floor Meeting Room - 344 Broadway, Cambridge

ABC opposes this petition because it politicizes the administration of law in Cambridge. Read this important column by ABC member Seth Zeren to learn more.

Can we count on you to take the following actions and express your opposition to this proposal?

1. Send a letter expressing your opposition to the Carlone Petition to Chairman Hugh Russell and members of the Planning Board by emailing [email protected] who will then forward your letter on to the board. You might consider copying the City Councilors at [email protected].

2. Attend the Planning Board meeting and make voice your opposition directly to the Planning Board members: Tuesday, August 5 at 7pm in the Second Floor Meeting Room at 344 Broadway.

ABC opposes the Carlone Petition, currently before the Planning Board, which would give the City Council exclusive authority to grant certain large Special Permits for development in this city. We are concerned that it could seriously hurt our ability to create new housing at the scale needed to meet the needs of all Cambridge families.

Can we count on you to take the following actions and express your opposition to this proposal?

1. Send a letter expressing your opposition to the Carlone Petition to Chairman Hugh Russell and members of the Planning Board by emailing [email protected] who will then forward your letter on to the board. You might consider copying the City Councilors at [email protected].

2. Attend the Planning Board meeting and make voice your opposition directly to the Planning Board members: Tuesday, August 5 at 7pm in the Second Floor Meeting Room at 344 Broadway.

Last week, ABC member Seth Zeren wrote in the Cambridge Chronicle:"I have worked for a municipality where the legislative branch had taken on the power of granting special permits. The system was so problematic that there were active attempts to move away from it."

With Seth's experience in mind, we need your help to make sure Cambridge doesn't move toward a system that:

• Increases the politicization of development, 
• Relies on the opinion of City Councilors who are not experts on development, zoning, or city planning,
• Increases uncertainty in the planning process, which will help ensure only large, wealthy developers can pay to build in our city -- and likely result in new developments that don't meet the needs of our diverse community.

Your action will be critical to helping stop this misguided and potentially disastrous proposal for Cambridge families. I hope we can count on your support.

We need your help to protect the fair and impartial administration of zoning law in Cambridge.

A few weeks ago I wrote to you about a petition submitted by one City Councilor that would shift the Special Permit Granting Authority for certain large developments from the Planning Board to the City Council. This is an arcane proposal, but could seriously hurt our ability to create new housing at the scale needed to meet the needs of all Cambridge families.

Please join A Better Cambridge in speaking against this proposal at tomorrow’s City Council Ordinance Committee meeting (PLEASE NOTE that the meeting will be held in the School Committee Meeting room at CRLS due to renovations in City Hall):

A Better Cambridge is steadfastly opposed to this proposal because:

• It politicizes the administration of our law by subjecting applicants for project review special permits to the will of elected officials, rather than to the expert-informed analysis of an appointed administrative planning board;

• It favors insider deal-making, rather than good urban planning, by encouraging developers to negotiate the details of projects with individual City Councilors in order to ensure they win the councilor's support and ultimate approval;

• It risks Cambridge’s legal obligation to administer the zoning bylaw impartially and consistently, and may open our city up to litigation by applicants who feel they were treated unfairly by the council during the permitting process;

• It increases uncertainty in the Cambridge planning process and may encourage developers to go with “safe-bet” large, luxury developments -- rather than engage our community in discussions that lead to the creation higher density developments that can provide affordable housing for all families in our community.

For more information check out this letter from ABC member Seth Zeren, an urban planner with experience working in a local community where the Special Permit Granting Authority is controlled by elected officials.

If  you cannot make it to tomorrow’s meeting, I encourage you to send your comments directly to all members of the city council:[email protected]. Please address your comments to the Ordinance Committee co-chairs: Vice-Mayor Benzan and Councilor Carlone, and be sure to note your opposition to the “Carlone petition for City Council Special Permit Granting Authority.”

Note: This letter was written for submission to the Cambridge Chronicle by ABC member Seth Zeren, a City Planner with experience working in a town where Special Permit Granting Authority was administered by elected officials. We reprint it here to help you become better informed about this complicated proposal. Click here to take action against designating the City Council as the exclusive special permit granting authority for Project Review Special Permits.

Dear Editor:

The City Council is discussing a zoning petition filed by Councilor Dennis Carlone that would take the authority to grant special permits from the Planning Board and give it to the City Council. I understand that some are frustrated with recent decisions made by the Planning Board; with 90 years of hindsight, few in the planning profession would suggest that the typical Planning Board process is perfect. There are many ways that we could improve it—for example, requiring early community meetings before a developer spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on a complete design, or making better use of online forums to expand the number of voices who can weigh in on projects.

I have worked for a municipality where the legislative branch had taken on the power of granting special permits. The system was so problematic that there were active attempts to move away from it. The underlying problems were:

Housing Now! Sign our petition calling on the City Council to act on the Central Square Advisory Committee Recommendations!

Dear Friends,

A basic tenet of our democracy -- the fair and impartial administration of the law -- is under attack here in Cambridge, and we need your help to protect it.

A petition has been introduced to the City Council which would grant the council exclusive authority to grant project review special permits, and eliminate the Planning Board's role in this process.

This proposal for City Council politicizes the administration of our law. It will subject applicants for special permits to the will of elected officials most accountable to voter turnout never more than two years away, rather than to the expert-informed analysis of an appointed administrative planning board.

Please join ABC in speaking against this proposal at tonight's City Council meeting (NOTE: tonight's meeting will be held at the School Committee room at CRLS - 459 Broadway).  You can call first thing Monday morning (617.349.4280) to get your name earlier in the speaking order. You should also send your thoughts to all the the City Councilors ([email protected]) or to their individual emails that are available at http://www.cambridgema.gov/ccouncil/citycouncilmembers.aspx.  Please note that, if you wish your communication to be on the official Council record, you need to cc: City Clerk Donna Lopez ([email protected]) and note that it's for the record, or give the clerk a written copy of your remarks at the meeting.