Planning Board Meeting

• Governing Body: Cambridge Planning Board
• Meeting Type: Regular Meeting and Public Hearing
• Date: August 04, 2026
• Time: 06:30 PM
• Chair: Tom Sieniewicz
• Attendees:
  • Board Members Present: Tom Sieniewicz (Chair), Mary Flynn (Vice Chair), H. Theodore Cohen, Mary Lydecker, Diego Macias, Ashley Tan, Carolyn Zern.
  • Board Members Absent: Dan Anderson (Associate Member).
  • City Staff: Jeff Roberts (Director of Zoning and Development), Swathi Joseph (CDD), Elliot Veloso (Deputy City Solicitor), Cindy Wright (Assistant City Solicitor), James D'Angelo (ISD), Peter McLaughlin (Commissioner of ISD).

• Schedule: The Board will take a summer recess, with the next meeting scheduled for September 15, 2026.
• City Council Actions:
  • The Mass Ave and Cambridge Street active use zoning petitions passed to a second reading.
  • The Doug Brown et al. zoning petition failed to pass to a second reading and is no longer under consideration.
  • A new petition has been received from Alexandria Real Estate.
• Board Vacancy: Associate Member Joy Jackson has moved from Cambridge. The City Manager's office is drafting a posting to fill the vacancy.

• Action: The Board reviewed transcripts from the meetings held on June 30, 2026, and July 14, 2026.
• Motion: To accept the transcripts as meeting minutes.
• Mover: Diego Macias; Second: Mary Flynn.
• Vote: 7-0-0 (Unanimous).
  • Roll Call: Ted Cohen (Yes), Mary Flynn (Yes), Mary Lydecker (Yes), Diego Macias (Yes), Ashley Tan (Yes), Carolyn Zern (Yes), Tom Sieniewicz (Yes).

The Board held a public hearing on a City Council petition to amend Section 4.60 of the Zoning Ordinance regarding short-term rentals (STRs).

Key Provisions of the Petition:

• New Definitions: Adds definitions for "Booking Agent," "Platform," "Primary Residence," and "Autonomous Unit."
• Categorization: Establishes three STR types: Operator-occupied, Owner-adjacent, and Autonomous units.
• Registration: Requires booking platforms to register with the city and verify unit registration before collecting fees.
• Caps: Proposes a 90-day per calendar year limit on certain STRs.
• Enforcement: Authorizes the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) to investigate complaints and issue fines of $300 per violation per day.

Staff Presentation Highlights:

• There are currently 716 STRs in Cambridge, but only 216 are registered.
• A city survey of 928 respondents showed 59% support for some form of day limits on whole-unit rentals.
• Legal language regarding ISD authority: "The commissioner of inspectional services shall have the authority to promulgate regulations, carry out and enforce the provisions of this section 4.60 short-term rentals and its subsections."

Seven members of the public spoke, primarily opposing the 90-day cap:

• Daniel Palin (52 Kinnaird): Stated a 90-day limit would "effectively outlaw" owner-adjacent units and impact middle-class homeowners.
• Quinn Charbonneau: Healthcare worker and legal operator; argued that "restricting legal registered Airbnbs will worsen housing access by pushing middle-class families... out of Cambridge."
• Jody Westerman: Travel coordinator for academics; suggested adding the word "each" to Section 4.62G to prevent competition between private room and whole-home rental limits.
• Rick Barry (45 Cottage St): Retired resident; noted that STR income is essential for his ability to stay in his home.
• Shelly Evans (181 Fairweather St): Argued the city should focus on the 500 unregistered units before penalizing legal operators with a cap.
• Shaolin Yin (12 Sycamore St): Immigrant family using STR income to afford a mortgage and host elderly parents; stated the cap might force them to move.
• Janice Yee (16 Surrey St): Stated her family relies on STR income to support the high mortgage on their three-family building.

• Discussion Points:
  • The 90-Day Cap: Members expressed strong skepticism regarding the 90-day limit. Ted Cohen noted it was a "solution in search of a problem" for registered operators. Chair Sieniewicz noted the cap could negatively impact the city's academic culture and visiting scholars.
  • Enforcement: Members supported giving ISD more power to target the ~500 unregistered units.
  • Zoning vs. General Ordinance: Ashley Tan questioned why administrative details were in the zoning code rather than a general ordinance, suggesting it limits ISD's flexibility.
  • Primary Residence: Members discussed the definition of primary residence, noting the state tax standard is 183 days.
• Action: The Board voted to send a favorable recommendation to the City Council for the petition, with the specific recommendation to remove or significantly increase the 90-day cap.
• Motion: To transmit a favorable recommendation with comments regarding the time limits.
• Mover: Mary Flynn; Second: Ted Cohen.
• Vote: 7-0-0 (Unanimous).
  • Roll Call: Ted Cohen (Yes), Mary Flynn (Yes), Mary Lydecker (Yes), Diego Macias (Yes), Ashley Tan (Yes), Carolyn Zern (Yes), Tom Sieniewicz (Yes).