This Ordinance shall be known as and may be cited as the "Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge", hereinafter referred to as "this Ordinance".

This Ordinance is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and amendments thereto, hereinafter referred to as the "Zoning Act". Certain provisions of this Ordinance are also adopted pursuant to Chapter 565 of the acts of 1979, as amended by Chapter 387 of the Acts of 1980.

It shall be the purpose of this Ordinance to lessen congestion in the streets; conserve health; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other danger; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to encourage housing for persons of all income levels; to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water supply, drainage, sewerage, schools, parks, open space and other public requirements; to conserve the value of land and buildings, including the conservation of natural resources and the prevention of blight and pollution of the environment; to encourage the most rational use of land throughout the city, including the encouragement of appropriate economic development, the protection of residential neighborhoods from incompatible activities and including the consideration of plans and policies, if any, adopted by the Cambridge Planning Board, and to preserve and increase the amenities of the City.

This Ordinance and subsequent amendments to it shall be, and are hereby declared to be in full force and effect from their date of adoption by the City Council which shall be the effective date. The status of nonconforming uses, structures and lots with respect to regulations existing prior to the effective date of this Ordinance or subsequent amendments to it shall not be invalidated by such adoption, but shall be governed by the applicable provisions of Section 6, Chapter 40A, G.L., as amended, and by Article 8.000 of this Ordinance, as amended.

1.51

The City Council of the City of Cambridge may from time to time amend this Ordinance or a district boundary indicated upon the Zoning Map in the manner prescribed in Section 5, Chapter 40A, of the General Laws and all amendments thereto.

1.52

No proposed amendment to this Ordinance which has been unfavorably acted upon by the City Council shall be considered on its merits within two years after the date of such unfavorable action unless such an amendment is recommended in the report which the Planning Board is required to make to the City Council. The granting of "leave to withdraw" after a proposed amendment has been advertised for a hearing before the City Council shall be considered as constituting unfavorable action. Failure of the City Council to take action on a petition for a zoning amendment within ninety (90) days after the City Council's hearing on said petition shall render the petition inactive. Such failure to act shall not be considered unfavorable action but shall require another Planning Board public hearing, in accordance with the requirements of Section 5, Chapter 40A, G.L., prior to any subsequent City Council action on the petition.

1.53

A person making application to the City Council for a change in this Ordinance shall pay to the City Clerk at the time of filing of such application the filing fee set forth in Section 2.24.050 entitled "Fee Schedule" in Chapter 2.24 of the Cambridge Municipal Code, entitled "City Clerk Department."

Where the application of this Ordinance imposes greater restrictions than those imposed by any other regulations, permits, easements, covenants or agreements, the provisions of this Ordinance shall control.

Should any Section or paragraph of this Ordinance be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, that decision shall not effect the validity of the Ordinance as a whole or any part thereof, other than the portion so declared to be invalid.

1.81

To further the purpose of encouraging housing for persons of all income levels, and the specific objective of encouraging the construction of multifamily housing, including income-restricted affordable housing, in every neighborhood of Cambridge, the City Manager shall provide updates to the City Council on the state of housing production in the city generally as follows.

1.82

Annual Housing Report. Beginning in 2026, an annual housing report will summarize changes to the housing stock that have occurred within the previous year, including both market-rate housing and housing with affordability restrictions.

1.83

Five-Year Housing Evaluation. Beginning in 2030, a five-year housing evaluation will analyze longer-term trends in the city's housing stock, including overall growth and changes in affordability, as well as other public planning objectives that may be impacted by housing growth such as open space, tree canopy, public infrastructure, and resident services, and will recommend potential changes to zoning policy that would further the purpose of this Zoning Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2025-2, 2-10-2025)