16.11

Scope. This Article regulates development within the North Point Residence District (the "District"), located as shown on the Zoning Map, as amended.

16.12

Intent. The purpose of the District is to limit as of right development due to limited road access and general traffic concerns. The intent of this Article 16.000 is to provide for use development of the area into a residential community with limited retail and office uses at a modest density through the provisions of this Article or at a higher density through the PUD process provided in Section 13.70.

16.21

Permitted Uses. The following uses are allowed in the District. All uses not listed within one of the use groups in this section shall be prohibited. All uses within the District shall comply with the environmental protection standards of Section 16.22. The provisions of Section 4.50 et seq. shall not apply to institutional uses permitted within the District pursuant to Section 16.21.5.

16.21.1

Residential Uses, Section 4.31. The following residential uses shall be permitted.

(1)

One and two family dwelling (Sections 4.31 a, b, and c).

(2)

Townhouse development (Section 4.31.d).

(3)

Elderly congregate housing (Sections 4.31.e and f).

(4)

Multifamily dwelling (Section 4.31.g and h).

16.21.2

Office and Laboratory Uses, Section 4.34. The following office and laboratory uses shall be permitted provided they are in a building in existence as of June 1, 2001 that, if vacant, has not been occupied by a residential use in the five years immediately preceding the time of application for a Certificate of Occupancy for the proposed office use, or if occupied, the current use is any office and laboratory use, Section 4.34; any retail business and consumer service establishment, Section 4.35; any light industry, wholesale business or storage use, Section 4.37; or any heavy industry us, Section 4.38. In permitting such office and laboratory uses, additional Gross Floor Area up to 10% of the existing Gross Floor Area in the building shall be permitted provided the total FAR does not exceed 1.0.

(1)

Office of a physician, dentist or other medical practitioner not located in a clinic listed in Subsection 4.33.d, as an accessory use occupying not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the aggregate gross floor area of all buildings on a lot, excluding from that calculation any Gross Floor Area devoted to parking facilities (Section 4.34.a).

(2)

Office of an accountant, attorney, or other nonmedical professional person (Section 4.34.b).

(3)

Real estate, insurance or other agency office (Section 4.34.c).

(4)

General office use (Section 4.34.d).

(5)

Bank, trust company or similar financial institution (Section 4.34.e).

(6)

Technical office for research and development, laboratory and research facility (Section 4.34.f),

16.21.3

Retail or Consumer Service Establishments (Section 4.35). The following uses shall be permitted provided they are located on the first floor of the structure, front on a public way, and occupy no more than 10 (10) percent of the total Gross Floor Area of the structure in which they are located, excluding from that calculation any Gross Floor Area devoted to parking facilities located in the structure.

(1)

Convenience Store, Merchandise Store, or Grocery Store (Sections 4.35 a-1, a-2, and a-3).

(2)

Eating and /or drinking establishment, whether or not liquor is sold or consumed, including Restaurant, Bar, Craft Beverage Establishment, Food Stand or Kiosk, Food Hall, and food commissary (Sections 4.35 f-1, f-2, f-3, f-4, f-5, g).

(3)

Fast Order or Quick-Service Food Establishment subject to the Special Permit requirements of Section 11.30 (Section 4.35.o).

(4)

Personal Services Establishment (Section 4.35 c, and similar establishments).

(5)

Bank, trust company or similar financial institution located on the first floor (Section 4.34.e).

16.21.4

Utilities, Section 4.32.g(1) and Section 4.32.g (2) by special permit subject to the following provisions: Any Telephone Exchange use [Section 4.32.g (1)] proposed having a floor area greater than four hundred (400) square feet shall only be permitted in a building in existence as of June 1, 2001 that, if vacant, has not been occupied by a residential use in the five years immediately preceding the time of application for a Certificate of Occupancy for the proposed office use or if occupied, the current use is any office and laboratory use, Section 4.34; any retail business and consumer service establishment, Section 4.35; any light industry, wholesale business or storage use, Section 4.37; or any heavy industry use, Section 4.38.

16.21.5

Institutional Uses.

(1)

All uses permitted in Sections 4.33 a, b, c, d, e, f, and g.

(2)

All uses permitted in Section 4.33 h, 1 or 2.

(3)

Any institutional use not referred to in subparagraphs (1) and (2) above, but only by special permit from the Planning Board pursuant to Section 10.40.

16.21.6

Bus, Transit or Railroad Passenger Station, Section 4.32.a. Any such facility operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any of its agencies, subdivisions, or bodies politic.

16.21.7

Registered Marijuana Dispensary, Section 4.35 s, permitted by special permit from the Planning Board only within the Medical Marijuana Overlay Districts pursuant to the requirements of Section 20.700.

(Ord. No. 2021-3, § xvi, 6-7-2021)

No activity shall be permitted in the District unless it shall conform to the following standards for environmental protection:

16.31

All dust, fumes, odors, smoke or vapor shall be effectively confined to the premises or disposed of in compliance with applicable environmental laws.

16.32

Any noise, vibration or flashing shall not be normally perceptible without instrument measurement at a distance of one hundred (100) feet or more from the premises.

16.33

All development proposals shall comply with the Federal and State air pollution and water pollution control regulations, City of Cambridge Ordinances, and other applicable environmental laws.

16.34

Except during construction activity on the lot, all refuse and other waste materials shall be stored within buildings prior to collection and disposal.

16.41

Lot Density Limitation. For each lot within the District, a permitted floor area ratio (as defined in Article 2.000) of 1.0 is hereby established for non-residential uses on each lot, and shall not be exceeded. The area of the lot to be counted in determining the floor area ratio shall include land dedicated (after adoption of this Article 16.000) by the owner or former owner of the lot, whether in fee or by easement, deed restriction, covenant or comparable legal instrument enforceable by the City of Cambridge or other public entity, as a public way, private way open to the public use, or public open space.

16.42

Building Height Limitation. The maximum building height for all portions of buildings containing non-residential uses within the District shall be forty (40) feet. The maximum building height for all buildings or portions of buildings containing residential uses shall be forty (40) feet or the applicable height limit in the Residence C-1 district, whichever is greater.

16.43

Open Space. Publicly beneficial open space, as defined by this ordinance, shall be provided on every lot and shall in the aggregate equal at least twenty (20) percent of the area of such lot.

16.44

Other Dimensional Regulations. There shall be no requirement with respect to minimum lot width. Minimum front, side or rear yards shall be as required in the Residence C-2 District.

(Ord. No. 2025-1, 2-10-2025)

16.51

Parking and Loading Requirements. Off-street parking and loading requirements shall be the same as currently specified in Article 6.000 and in the Schedule of Parking and Loading Requirements applicable to the Residence C-3, Office 3, Business B and Industry B districts, except as modified below.

16.51.1

Parking facilities may be located on the lot they serve or, by special permit from the Planning Board under Section 10.40 or Section 13.70, may be located in whole or in part in one or more pooled private or public parking facilities located anywhere within the North Point Residence District. The Planning Board shall not withhold a special permit permitting such a pooled parking facility so long as the limitations of the maximum amount of parking provided in this Section 16.50 are observed with respect to all affected lots, in the aggregate.

16.51.2

Maximum Parking Requirements: Accessory off street parking shall be provided as follows:

(1)

Residential Uses: 1.5 spaces per unit maximum.

(2)

General Office Use: 1 space per 625 gross square feet maximum.

(3)

Technical Office for Research and Development Uses: 1 space per 840 gross square feet maximum.

All other uses shall be subject to the requirements of Article 6.000

16.51.21

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 16.51.2 above, the total number of parking spaces serving non-residential uses in the North Point Residence District shall not exceed 2,500 spaces, allocated to each lot in the district at the rate of 1.2 spaces per 1,000 square feet of lot area.

(Ord. No. 2025-1, 2-10-2025)

16.61

The sign regulations of Article 7.000 applicable to Retail, Office and Industrial Districts shall be applicable in the District.

In reviewing any special permit that may be required for development in the North Point Residence District, the permit granting authority shall find that any development proposal is generally consistent with the policy objectives set forth in the Eastern Cambridge Plan and the guidance provided in the Eastern Cambridge Design Guidelines. Any development permitted as-of-right is encouraged to be consistent with these Guidelines.

16.81

Where this Article 16.000 specifies some standard or establishes some other requirement contrary to or inconsistent with a requirement elsewhere in this Ordinance, the provisions of this Article 16.000 shall control.