Will you sign my petition asking the Cambridge City Council to declare a minimum one-year moratorium on up-zoning in Kendall Square, Lafayette Square, Central Square and Alewife Brook Overlay Districts, until a comprehensive study assessing the impact of all the proposed development is presented to the neighborhood groups and brought to the City Council for a public discussion?
Why is this important?
I am an affordable housing advocate who has lived in Cambridge, MA for over 30 years, and I am deeply worried about the future of my home town. Big real estate developers like Forest City are asking the Cambridge City Council to change zoning laws to allow much taller and bigger buildings all over Cambridge, so the developers can make more money.
I think allowing high-rise office, lab, and market-rate apartment buildings in Kendall Square, Central Square, Alewife, and Northpoint will continue to drive rents and housing prices up.
The tens of thousands of additional auto, bus and truck trips per day will intensify traffic congestion, worsen air quality, and make the streets less safe. High-rise buildings threaten to create shadows and wind tunnels, block sky views, increase noise pollution, and remove green space.
The city of Cambridge does not have a current and complete Master Plan to guide equitable development.
