Growth Management Advisory Committee

Areas proposed for reduced F A R by Growth Management

From 1997 to 2001 the Citywide Growth Management Advisory Committee (CGMAC) addressed concerns expressed by the community about future density and traffic growth, the need for more housing, including affordable units, and opportunities for public review of large projects. The Committee worked with City staff and consultants, and their work was informed by a series of public meetings, workshops, and forums. The group met twice a month for almost two years to produce zoning recommendations to address the above-mentioned issues.

The following zoning changes recommended by the CGMAC, considered by the Planning Board, were adopted by the City Council:

Citywide rezoning, including changes to amount of development allowed, creation of project review, and revisions to parking requirements - February 2001
Zoning to allow housing in all districts of the City - June 2000
Zoning to protect backyard open space - July 1999
Inclusionary zoning to require a percentage of affordable units in larger housing developments - March 1998

Rezoning Bulletins
Working and Discussion Documents
Contact

The Citywide rezoning proposals were summarized for the general public in a series of bulletins.

Working materials on a variety of topics:

January 16, 1998 Slide Presentation: Summary of the outcome to date of the various proposals included in the 1997 Cambridge Citizens for Growth Management zoning petition, including changes to the zoning ordinance and topics for further discussion
February 3, 1999 Workshop Meeting Notes: Exploring Priorities
February 1999 Workshop: Review of 1993 Growth Policy Goals
April 1999 Workshop: Discussion of Next Steps
July 6, 1999 Recommended Zoning Changes: Summarizes recommendations for zoning changes to meet the goals developed by the Committee
March 27, 2000 Council Roundtable
May 22, 2000 Council Roundtable: Overheads from presentation made to update City Council about activities of the Growth Management Advisory Committee, focusing on density, Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR) adjustments, and encouragement of housing development

Working materials from the June 2000 Workshop: District by District Approach to FAR Revisions:

Memo from May 16, 2000: Discussion of intent of proposed reductions in Floor-Area-Ratios (FARs) and the how proposed reductions were derived
Housing as an Allowed Use in Industrial Districts: Proposed Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge and Map of Districts: Includes the text of proposed amendments and a map of districts zoned for industrial use
Maps of Current and Projected Development: A series of maps distributed to at the workshop that provided information on then current conditions and projected the results of development patterns under both then current zoning conditions (i. e., the "Status Quo" Scenario) and proposed reductions in FARs discussed at the workshop (i. e., the "District by District" Scenario).

For More Information

For more information about the Growth Management Advisory Committee, please contact Stuart Dash, Director of Community Planning, at sdash@cambridgema.gov or 617/349-4640.