City Council Updates: MFH, Coming Up this Fall, Summer Recap, AHT Updates & More!

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August 31, 2026

Dear Fellow Cantabrigians,

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful summer! I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in Australia, where I explored their fabulous public transportation and extraordinary and plentiful green open spaces. They have parks everywhere.

Back to work now and focused on documenting the outcomes of the MFH Ordinance, while advancing amendments to improve it. In addition, we must strengthen tree protections and storm drainage regulations and require better oversight for demolitions. There are three massive holes where homes once stood within a block of me. I hear regularly from residents about new properties selling to developers. 138 MFH projects are noted on the Tracker (https://cambridge-redev-tracker.pages.dev/) with 25 on the watchlist—yet to make the City databases.

Contact me if you know of unlisted projects. You are our greatest source for info about projects. We check City databases, but there is often a long delay before projects show up.

To learn about which specific properties have received permits, go here: cambridgehousingmap.org. A new feature allows you to sign up for weekly emails that list new projects and their updated permit and construction status. (We hope to set up automatic permit updates soon on the Tracker.) Neighborhood notification meetings are listed here: https://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/zoninganddevelopment/developmentreview/residentialneighbornotification.

I hear about demolitions gone wrong—the five that most recently come to mind:  9 Wyman (W. Cambridge, asbestos), 30 Dudley (N. Cambridge, asbestos), 270-272 Sidney St. (Cambridgeport, asbestos), 5-7 Rockwell (Cambridgeport, property collapsed) and 66-68 Kinnaird St. (Riverside, little oversight). Residents report about gardens, paths and private roads along property lines that are caving in due to poor soil retention measures (15-17 Fairmont St. (Cambridgeport), 96 Jackson St. (N. Cambridge) and 214 Allston St. (Cambridgeport). At 214 Allston abutters on nonconforming lots (less than 5’ from property lines) found areas of soil along their foundations had sunk over a foot. Residents write about rat infestations, about mature trees coming down on development sites and trees compromised by developers’ excavating along lot lines that have cut roots of abutter and City trees. These trees don’t necessarily die immediately. It sometimes takes 3-7 years. See this short new video about demolitions: “The Hole of Cambridge.” ( https://www.instagram.com/p/DcmEC6Hjgoe/. ) Be sure to have the sound on.

On Wednesday, September 16 @ 11am the Council will return to discussing amendments to the MFHO. at the continuation of the June 25 Neighborhood and Longterm & Housing Committee meeting. There will be no public comment, but you can stream the meeting here (https://cambridgema.primegov.com/public/portal) and review CDD’s powerpoint, posted two days before the meeting. CDD’s June 25 PP is listed at the same website.

What can you do?

  1. Meet with City Councillors about the zoning, point out what must change. —We need six councillors to amend it. 
  2. Email comments to the Council, City Clerk and City Manager here: City Council <[email protected]>,City Clerk <[email protected]>,City Manager <[email protected]>.

A Busy Fall Ahead

Over the next months, the Council will be discussing: 

  • Increased tree protections 
  • Stronger short-term rental regulations
  • Whether to renew the Historical Commission’s Mid-Cambridge Conservation District 
  • Whether to change the CHC’s demolition delay
  • Whether to grant parking permits to new residents of transit-proximate development
  • Whether to accept our City consultant’s recommended inclusionary zoning percent rate as well as incentive zoning tax rate
  • Whether to upzone Central Square. (Take the Central Square Rezoning Community Survey here now. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PZBXLJX)

The City is strengthening its stormwater regulations. Submit comments regarding draft regulations by Sept. 12 here: https://www.cambridgema.gov/departments/publicworks/initiatives/stormwatermanagement. 

Our next Council meeting is Monday, September 14, 2026

Summer Meeting Recap

During our August 3 Council meeting:

  • I was happy my two policy orders passed unanimously: for better tracking trees impacted by development, and for requiring the City to better coordinate and communicate development projects. 

Report on Streamlining Permitting

In response to Councillor Azeem and my PO, the City is focusing on flagging incomplete and inaccurate permitting data, which can profoundly slow down the process. Staff identified the following pain points: unclear regulations, unclear steps, and unclear communications. Their goal is for clearer, simpler, more flexible requirements, while streamlining reviews and reducing submission errors. Staff is focused removing redundancy and improving flexibility. Efficiency needs to be balanced with the City’s needs for increased housing, fire safety, sewer/stormwater capacity, traffic mitigation, tree canopy, green space, flood resilience and residential impacts. The City identified short, medium and long-term actions. See pp: 290-307of the 8.3.26 Council Meeting Packet.

N. Mass Ave. & Cambridge Street Zoning Advanced

The North Mass Ave. Zoning Petition has moved forward along with the Cambridge Street Zoning. Both streets now have active use requirements on the ground floor: for buildings above four stories on N. Mass Ave. between the Cambridge Common and Porter Square, while above eight stories between Porter and Arlington. On Cambridge Street, active use on the ground floor will be required for buildings above three stories. It’s extraordinary that this passed. Councillor Azeem had been pushing for retail on buildings above four stories and had hoped to increase the height of the street to seven stories. (Now most of it will be six stories—still too high in my mind, especially without setbacks.) 

Shotspotter Reinstated for 90 Days

Mayor Siddiqui and Councillor McGovern introduced a policy order bringing Shotspotter back for 90 days with a Citizens Assembly to decide whether we should use this acoustic gunshot detection system. In the end, I supported this because it seemed clear that the Council didn’t have the courage to make this controversial decision. 

The Democratic Socialists and the Black Response opposed this surveillance technology. Many residents of color, however, were in favor, believing that it made for a safer community. CPD was also in favor. The Citizens Assembly will solicit the opinion of a broad and random spectrum of the Cambridge community, including many residents of color. The City will also continue to do a comprehensive overview of its public safety work: of both the Cambridge Police and the Community Safety Departments.

The Federal Funds Keep Flowing

Despite the Trump Administration’s attempts to end the HUD Continuum of Care program, due to Federal judge rulings, we just received $6.8m in funding to house the once unhoused.

Zero Waste Master Plan Ordained!

See: https://www.cambridgema.gov/departments/publicworks/news/2026/08/cambridgeadoptsnewzerowastepoliciestotakeeffectin2027

After years of advocacy, the City will reduce waste by keeping food waste out of the trash and engaging large residential and commercial buildings in developing Zero Waste Plans. This will save money and reduce rats. Going forward plastic bags will be prohibited at checkouts and restaurants will only provide plastic utensils for carry out orders by customer request.

Freer Flowing Liquor

Bars loved looser liquor laws that extended drinking hours until 3am during the World Cup. They claim fewer restrictions will result in a more vibrant City. We passed several POs exploring this. The Council also voted to support a Home Rule Petition to allow Ferro’s Foodtown at 336 Rindge Ave. to receive an all-liquor license. I was the one hold out vote on that one—I voted present. While it is essential that Rindge Ave. has a proper grocery (it was argued that w/o this full liquor license the grocery would fail), I don’t think that Home Rule Petitions, requiring a vote of the State Legislature, should be for the benefit of one business, especially one that already has a malt and wine license. This creates a problematic precedent.

Support for Feasibility Study re Digital Kiosks

At first, concerned about sidewalk clutter, I opposed this, but then realized that if limited and placed appropriately, they could provide a boost for local businesses, nonprofits, visitors and residents.

AI Roundtable 

The August 6 discussion focused on how the City uses AI and could use it to interact with the community. Communications currently uses AI to do translations; CDD uses it to draft content for applications; IT uses it to develop software, review code and troubleshoot; and DPW uses LiDAR data to identify potholes. Perhaps one day we’ll use it to match innovators to empty lab space? Or allow for AI searches of Cambridge databases? boston.gov has AI-generated searches. We have City usage policies and staff have access to Gemini, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. The City is providing AI trainings to the general public at the library and to small businesses.

Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) Updates

MassDOT Reid Overpass Alternatives (https://www.mass.gov/reid-overpass-project

July 29th MassDOT shared two alternatives to replace the rotary at the BU Bridge: 

1. an at-grade and grade-separated four-way intersection, and 

2. a tight diamond intersection with a 2-lane overpass. 

See illustrations and descriptions here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/reid-overpass-replacement-concepts-for-review-8626/download. MassDOT hopes to select a preferred concept soon and to move it into formal design by the end of this year. Funding may be an issue.

Police Shooting

64-year old Watertown resident William Woodworth was shot last Friday night when he pointed a gun at CPD officers in a parking lot off of Temple Street at Central Square. The District Attorney’s Office has issued a protective order barring the City from releasing any body-camera video footage until they’ve completed their judicial inquest into whether the shooting was justified.

Around Town

Aide Natalie and I have been meeting with leaders of various workforce development programs and, on Monday, shadowed Community Safety. I attended the Cambridge Public School Colloquium, which featured not only an amazing CRLS band (4 Cats, a Dog & a Pelican), but national family engagement expert Dr. Shadae Harris. She spoke of community engagement not as a goal but as a strategy and the importance of “the gaze,” real curiosity and “staying in” to build trust and transform lives.

We met with residents concerned about the elimination of38 parking places on Lower Huron Ave. (beside the golf course, Fresh Pond, the Russell Community Center, VFW Hall, 2 baseball fields and a tennis court) due to the installation of bike lanes and I continue to meet with residents concerned about the negative impacts of the MFH O.

City staff has been hard at work this summer. A quick shout out to the Dept. of Youth and Families Services, which has:

  • engaged about 1200 children in daily summer camp 
  • employed about 1000 teens in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program
  • served about 40,000 summer food meals
  • distributed about 2000 books via the Book Bike
  • engaged about 400 children and teens in summer basketball and hockey leagues
  • brought together about 600 families at the Center for Families’ Family Fun Day

The Drought Isn’t Over Yet!

We remain in a Level 2, “significant” drought. Here are the current rules and restrictions:

  • Outdoor Water Ban: All nonessential outdoor water uses prohibited by City ordinance.
  • Also prohibited: Running private residential sprinklers, filling pools, washing cars, and pressure washing sidewalks or patios.
  • Allowed: Essential uses like health and safety, growing food in vegetable gardens, and using hand-held hoses or watering cans during specific off-peak times.

Check updates on the City of Cambridge Drought Status page.

Back in action and committed to a better, more balanced Cambridge!

Grateful for your partnership!

Cathie
City Councillor
https://linktr.ee/cathie.zusy

Summer! Yoga at Magazine Beach

Summer! Migrating elephants inspire community & the human race to share space (thegreatelephantmigration.org)

Appreciating the work of the Community Learning Center

Appreciating our teachers at the CPS Colloquium

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