Photo: "Lechmere with no buses" by Mark Jaquith

By now if you haven’t heard that the MBTA has a huge operating deficit and is proposing steep fare increases and service cutbacks that still won’t solve the problem in the long term, then stop reading and go back to the TV. Most of the coverage of this mess has concentrated on the impacts on T riders. Very little has been said about what it might do to cities like Cambridge. Certainly, cutbacks will reduce ridership, and that will negatively affect access to education, employment, commerce, and recreation. These reason alone should be enough to worry you, with the associated economic, social and environmental impacts. But wait, there’s more. read more...

For a year or so now the Chestnut Hill realty Corporation has been trying to pass amend the zoning law in Cambridge to allow them to convert the basements of their large apartment buildings into apartments. Also note that the Zuker family who owns Chestnut Hill Realty is a major contributor to several of our city Councillors’ campaign funds. Councillor Decker being the major beneficiary of their largesse. read more...

Approximate extent of proposed Fawcett Oil development.

At the City Council meeting of October 17th Councillor Decker and other Councillors accused the supporters of the Bishop Petition of a “cynical attempt” to force the Council to vote on it before the election on Nov. 8th.

The Bishop Petition is a zoning amendment that would reduce the scale of development in the SD-2 district, which includes the Fawcett Oil property in North Cambridge. The neighbors are worried about Fawcett’s plan to build one hundred four housing units on the site that lies between the Minuteman Bike Trail (AKA Linear Park) and several small, tight, and already difficult streets. They think that the added traffic, density, and the proximity of large structures to the trail/park will lessen the quality of life in their neighborhood. read more...

Rooftop mechanicals and telephone building on Bent Street.

Something woke me up at about 4:30am today, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. Why? Mostly because there was a noise coming in my window that sounded like a 747 was taxiing down the next street over. My family lives on a quiet residential street (Hurley) in East Cambridge that’s as nice a place as any city dweller could wish for. Our neighborhood abuts a mixed-use and industrial area that is home to many square blocks of telephone switching machinery, bio-tech and other R&D facilities. Over the years, my neighbors and I have tried and tried to get the city’s various governmental bodies to help us enforce the noise ordinance and zoning code provisions that are designed to protect residents from the negative impacts of excessive noise. There has been a complete failure to address these issues. read more...

Cambridge seems to love farmers’ markets. During the growing season, there’s one every day, some days more if you are willing to cross the line into Somerville. After the first frost, though, they pack up and we have to wait for spring. There is a growing (no pun intended, really) trend that is helping some of us fresh and local food junkies get through the cold and darkness. That is the winter farmers’ market. read more...

Our City Council is poised to up-zone all residential areas of Cambridge. For example, the Armenian Church
on Brattle Street could become up to 30 apartments, including 5 affordable, and possibly some commercial
space. Current zoning does not allow multi-family housing in one- and two-family zones, but that would
change. Commercial and institutional uses, like offices and preschools, would also be allowed everywhere
under the revised Section 5.28 of the zoning law, which rules conversion of non-residential buildings to
housing.

Cambridge Day has an extensive article on this zoning change (see http://tinyurl.com/CambridgeDay528).
Here are some highlights:

Councillor Kelley regarding the city accepting the proposal for apartments at North Cambridge Catholic:
“I don’t understand how one can be clearer than saying no. When I talk to my kids and I say ‘No,’ it is a ‘No.’
When I say ‘No, maybe tomorrow,’ it’s a ‘No, maybe tomorrow.’ But ‘No’ in any reasonable discussion read more...

Perennial favorite, the North Cambridge Family Opera opens its 2011 season with "Space Opera" on Saturday April 3, at the Peabody School on Rindge Avenue in North Cambridge. "Space Opera"is a musical adaptation of "Star Wars" by Cambridge's own David Bass. Local performers of all ages will singing parts as rebels, stormtroopers, aliens, droids, villains, and heroes. All of your favorite characters from the first movie will entertain and enchant you. If you live anywhere in or near Cambridge, you will likely know someone in the show. There are two separate casts to accommodate all the talent that is at Bass's disposal, and there are even four singers for one prominent part. If you know someone in the show, you can go to the NCFO website and find out who is performing when. read more...