The Ordinance committee meeting took place this Thursday. It was suppose to start at 5pm, but delays in photocopying the final version of the petition and other related documents, pushed the start to 5:30pm or so... The room was crowded. Today more then last week. Residents showed up... This time the room was divided somewhat evenly... 50% residents, 50% parties with direct interest in ARE petition's success.

Before I continue, quick aside. It was an intense meeting, both in content and drama. I wanted to updated you yesterday, but I was torn... not sure what to make of the updated proposal. So, I took the day off to think about it... Hopefully it was useful... you be the judge... And be prepared this blog entry is long.... i'll try to keep it entertaining...

A couple of notable facts, ARE did not speak during the meeting, city councilors are funny birds... Always very interesting to watch... these facts might have nothing to do with one another but for some reason they stuck to my mind... and made me smile.

Something else, yeah I know lots of side notes... I tried to obtain e-copies of all the documents that were issued: Alexandria Rezoning Summary Benefits, Commitment letter and Revised Rezoning petition, so anyone could check them out online... called (yesterday morning) the city, left messages with CDD (community development) and city council office, nada... I could scan and put them up... it's a lot of work... and big files... not really worth it... i'll just give you my opinion, it's much better anyways...

So, let me get on with it... The meeting started, councilor & co-chairs Maher led us through a "bran new" and updated version of the ARE Rezoning Petition: (city council vote is Monday the 9th). Here is a summary of Community Benefits, in the handout, the cost of these benefits to our community are conveniently omitted, this was prepared by Ordinance committee.

1. Open Space
   
   • 2 acres park (roger st) + triangle park + $9.5Million for construction + deed to city
   • for every sqft above 1 million sqft of commercial space build $12/sqft to a fund for open space for Eastern Cambridge neighborhood
   • my take:
     This one looks real good ... although I really have to wonder why it only applies to commercial space build and not also housing & retail. The timing is also off... seeing more open space always brings tears to my eyes... Also wonder where the city is going to buy more open space... really curious to see... will they use all that money in East Cambridge... doubtful...
2. Housing (they really being very nice
   
   • 220,000 sqft of housing to be developed through the course of project in max 8 years after start of project (special permit)
   • +-20% middle income housing -- +-15% low income housing.
   • my take:
     Again sounds really good...except timing... why is it that no benefit comes to fruition upon deliver of first Certificate of Occupancy... still don't get that one... CDD tried to explain ... but I'm thick... I would like to see families move into our neighborhood... Not transient... I don't see that in the plans... and I'm not sure middle or low income families want to live in large appartment complexes... hey but that's me...
3. • Retail:
     
     20,000 sqft and drum beat...unveiling... ARE will have a 'PLAN'!...to activate ground floor... Wow...amazing...they'll have a plan... ;) couldn't resist... and they will have to report to CDD once a year... Wow, they'll be accountable... really!... and they'll have incentives for activation... this is too cool...
   • my take: Sincerely this could be the right path but something more solid and with some teeth would have been, well, much better... you have to keep your sense of you humour, this one was the funniest... at least in its description
4. Community Space:
   
   • if their was a surprise tonight, this was it... The Foundry Building will deeded to the city for municipal and community use
   • my take: Well it was about time... why has this been so long in coming...? Caveat emptor: only kicks in 2012... Caveat emptor: community use to be decided by city councilors... Caveat emptor: East End House which is one of the oldest non profit of its kind and a integral part of our neighborhood is never mentioned... Although this could good, really good,... it left a sour taste in my mouth... the devil is really in the details...
5. Sustainability:
   
   • Leed Silver or higher standards adapted in future by City for building over 50,000 sqft...
   • my take: Wow... and Wow again... Cambridge, which so often prides itself, the funny birds I was talking about earlier often sing this song, for being forward looking in green development ... on this one, you wimped out... just impose Leed Gold for god sake... ARE if you intend to build for the future set higher standards for yourselves!

     Looking to the future has become a chorus line? To build for the next 50-100 year (according to developer) and only Leed Silver is proposed, or whatever the city could come up with that was better... come on... Leed Gold, it's already there... should be a minimum... this one's a dud!

   • Traffic/Parking/Urban Design:
     
     • my take: laundry list, more needs to be done... specifically a more thorough traffic and parking study... the impact of such large development on infrastructure was never done... For such an important and costly topic... an amazing omission...
   • Noise:
     
     • Rooftop mechanical will not be perceptible 100 feet from source and they will be made accountable...( very fuzzy )
     • my take: take your compass... check out how much housing is within 100 feet of proposed lab space buildings... well new housing proposed is well within 100 feet... existing buidling, such esplanade, housing on Bent and Rogers...well within 100 feet... how much noise will they hear...? This one, although full of good intention, misses the mark too...
   • Economic Impact:
     
     • $9-12 Million for the city per year...+ 3000 permanent new jobs... we promise
     • my take: Politician... they always promise... anticipate... hope... oops, I love hope... shouldn't have put it here... considering the timing of the whole project, when will those job come on the market...? 10 years.... wow then lets give ARE its rezoning...

After the presentation... It was our city Councilors' turn to ask questions, to both clarify and understand better what was going on... how could the provision be implemented... what were the safeguards in place... Funny birds I tell you... they all were complimenting themselves and us ( a very courteous breed )... and congratulations were going around... it was like a Monty Python Flying circus sketch... Really funny... sorry honorable city Councilors, Councilor Toomey was even amazed by the mitigations, never would he have imagined it possible (no wonder we're where we are), no disrespect meant... The co-chairs were clearly happy with the document ... a no brainer they called it... a role model for future development... a beautiful example of participatory democracy... I wish it was on tape... such a youtube moment... it would have gone global in an hour...

Ok back to the serious stuff... It was now time for Public Comments. As usual labor union were first... this time I came early to make sure I would speak in the top 10... just so I felt I wasn't just talking to my fellow neighbors... they've heard me... Funny enough, they came with members who actually live in our neighborhoods... savy politics... at least, this time, they recognized our fight, even if only very backhandely... thx guys...

They were followed by the voices for bio-safety (no level 3 labs...too big, too toxic). A group, organized by a fellow neighbor, I haven't ask so wont mention names... who has a running petition, with already more than 100 signatures, against the rezoning petition and any level 3 lab spaces in Eastern Cambridge... They are very worried about this... and I would like to voice my support... Well this one turned out ugly... Council Maher was accused of conflict of interest... (not justfied... i think ...) but that's how they feel the game has to be played... shout and scream ensued... between Councilor Maher and the accuser... it was real drama... lots of excitement... everybody gathered into the room... threats of expulsion were made... wow... crazy... I personally don't agree with these type of tactics (from either side) but I understand how frustration can turn into anger, especially when you don't feel listen too... and nowhere, ever was the issue of bio safety mentioned... so finger wagging to you city councilors... finger wagging...

For my part, I went up and submitted the first 106, I think that was total count with online signatures, of the petition . I'll be able to update it Monday during city Council. So it's not over... I abstained from commenting on current proposal as time for review had been ... well...NONE... I also voiced my support for the East End House... seems to be one big elephant in the room never to be mentioned...
Lots of fellow neighbors spoke... all of them either opposed, asking for more time for review or skeptical, the devil is in the details... I unfortunately had to leave around 8pm ... Had a dinner invitation...

MY FINAL TAKE:

I was very surprised by the new stuff in the petition... all good stuff, on the surface... all along the lines of what the neighborhood had been asking... but, yes Big BUT... (I feel humourus today... sorry if i'm not..) a more thorough reading later ... and it doesn't look good...

What is the impact of the development ? ... I walked down Bent, Roger, and Charles street canvasing for the petition and the only thing I could see looking south...(toward binney) was an ugly wall of buildings... the only 2 holes... between 2nd-3rd and between 5th-6th street... soon "the wall" would be completed ... that's not good... (height people, height!)

What exactly is going to be the traffic/parking impact of such large development and influx of people...? Will the $9-12 Million dollars tax revenue (which some suggest might be optimistic)... be enough to cover the impact...? What will the cost be to the city...? What will be the noise, fumes pollution?
(Since, the Mr. Healy's Public Safety Facility opened, the traffic on 6th street has substantially increase, and that's one small building...)

Noise issue ... just not enough is being done... measure propose is quite weak... no real enforcement, nothing really new here... Same for retail... housing... and sustainability.. WEAK, no teeth

The only addition a week after (last Ordinance Committee meeting), 4 days prior to the vote, is the gift of the Foundry building to the city (it now feels a little bit like a bribe). A substantial gift, I'll admit, but also an obvious one... I think ARE was keepin it up its sleeve... last minute card to be played (bribe?)... showing they were willing to give... this should have been on the table much earlier... much much earlier... I'm not biting, ARE did the same with the park... The omission of East End House altogether and the unwarranted remarks against the organization and its patrons: not cool... not cool at all... Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me

The devil is in the details... Floor Area Ratio (FAR) way, way, way above ECAPS, and since I'm no zoning expert, it's hard to say by how much... but to give you an idea ECAPS is 1.5 and we're looking at something of the order of 4-5 here... if not more... that is everything included... cause ARE has still added the housing retail foundry gift... on top of the 1.5 Million sqft they are asking for. To make it clearer, let me quote a better educated neighbor:

"This was conveniently left out of all summaries of the provisions of the petition, both written and oral. All of the construction required to be housing (220,000 square feet, or nearly five acres), is excluded from the definition of gross floor area. That means that it does not count toward the floor area ratio, making the maximum FAR more than the already questionable 3.0. The 20,000 square feet of retail space was also excluded in the previous version, but I couldn't find that exclusion in this version, even though I'm pretty sure I saw it last night."

Same can be said of building heights...

The fact that the revision and new proposition were introduced so late, four day prior to the vote, in a matter of fact, denying the community a proper review... is just unacceptable.

I will keep on gathering signatures against the proposed rezoning and hope the city Council, in it's wisdom, will give itself, and us, more time to review the details of this petition. If it is truly as amazing as portrayed by the co-chairs, it will have no problem surviving the review and improvements... and should be approved with the support of a good majority.

"LA LUTTE CONTINUE!"

It is no time to drop the ball.

This Sunday and Monday a copy of the ARE rezoning petition and letter of commitment will be available for your review @ the "1369 Cafe" at 1369 Massachusetts avenue, next to city hall, from 8:00am to 8:00pm. The petition against the development will also be there, check them out, decide if you are for or against... sign our petition!

Thx again for reading...
Thx for taking part... it's your city...your neighborhood... your future...

PS: Hubris indicates overweening pride, self-confidence, superciliousness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution.