City Council - Regular Meeting

October 6, 2025
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Cambridge City Council Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: October 6, 2025 Governing Body: Cambridge City Council Meeting Type: Regular Meeting Attendees: City Councilors Burhan Azeem, Marc McGovern (Vice Mayor), Patricia Nolan, Sumbul Siddiqui, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Paul Toner, Ayesha Wilson, Catherine Zusy. Absent: Mayor Denise Simmons.

Executive Summary

The Cambridge City Council convened for its regular meeting on October 6, 2025. Key discussions included significant public comment regarding the Gold Star Mother's Park soil contamination and proposed zoning changes related to solar panel setbacks. Residents expressed concerns about public safety and the impact of development on affordable housing and environmental goals. The Council also addressed the safety of Alewife paths and the process for appointing members to the Cambridge Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. The meeting was temporarily recessed to accommodate a public hearing on the tax rate classification.

Agenda Items

Public Comment

Sixteen individuals signed up to speak, each allotted three minutes.

  • Catherine Ahern (13 Seventh Street, East Cambridge):

    • Expressed gratitude for the city's transparency and swift action regarding Gold Star Mother's Park soil testing.
    • Highlighted alarming levels of toxins found in the Gold Star Playground, including lead (8,200 ppm vs. 1,000 ppm recommended limit), cadmium (210 vs. 25 recommended limit), arsenic (100 vs. 25 recommended limit), and PBCs (68 vs. 1 recommended limit).
    • Questioned why the playground, designed less than 20 years ago with an elevated construction to insulate from historical land uses, showed such high contamination.
    • Urged the city to test other playgrounds, such as Silver Park and Kennedy Longfellow Playgrounds, given the unexpected results at Gold Star.
    • Key Quote: "If officials thought the playground test would come back okay, and then they most certainly did not, what other playgrounds may not be safe for our families, despite our current assumptions that they are?"

  • Suzanne Blier (Five Fuller Place):

    • Spoke on Policy Order #4 (Zoning Code related to Institutional Use Regulation Compliance with State Law) and Charter Right #2 (Solar Panels).
    • Advocated against allowing non-profit institutions and universities to acquire more city land, citing concerns about the impact of the February 10th up-zoning on the Dover Amendment.
    • Requested a resolution to take to the State House to preserve residential and commercial land.
    • Expressed concern about the impact of up-zoning on solar panels, urging the return of residents' ability to add solar panels without being thwarted by taller buildings.

  • Patrick Barrett (907 Main Street):

    • Spoke on the policy order regarding solar panel setbacks and building heights.
    • Argued that the proposed setbacks would negatively impact projects, particularly those with inclusionary units, making five and six-story buildings unviable in C1 zones.
    • Stated that the change would effectively prevent new inclusionary housing projects from moving forward.
    • Key Quote: "If you vote this in the affirmative tonight, you're effectively saying no to every project I represent."

  • Sharmell Modi (271 Cambridge Street):

    • Urged rejection of proposed additional fifth and sixth-story solar setbacks for new residential buildings.
    • Stated that setbacks would cap residential construction at four stories, especially on mid-sized lots (5,000-10,000 sq ft), due to economic and construction realities.
    • Suggested incentivizing rooftop solar in six-story buildings or compensating existing installations rather than imposing setbacks.
    • Key Quote: "If this council truly wishes to see more residential units built in the city of Cambridge, this proposal unquestionably runs exactly counter to that goal."

  • Lisa Burke (20 Castle Park, Alewife Study Group):

    • Thanked Councilors Nolan, Wilson, and Toner for Policy Order 2025-142 (Agenda Item #5) concerning Alewife paths.
    • Highlighted increasing safety concerns on paths near the IQHQ site, Russell and Como playing fields, and the MDC pool area, including used needles, human feces, encampments, and campfires.
    • Commended the city's "Wednesday collection of used needles" program, which recovered 3,500 needles in four weeks.
    • Emphasized the need for coordination among multiple property owners (Cambridge, MBTA, DCR, Arlington) to address safety issues.

  • Anne MacDonald (Columbus Ave, Whittemore area, North Cambridge):

    • Spoke on Policy Order #142 regarding Alewife paths.
    • Described personal experiences with unsafe conditions, including needle pickups, raw sewage smell, overflowing trash, and tent encampments.
    • Thanked the care team, Casper Outreach Program, and DCR for their efforts.
    • Expressed frustration with jurisdictional complexities, where issues often fall between different entities (Cambridge, MBTA, DCR, Arlington).
    • Supported the policy order's intent for Cambridge to take a leadership role in coordinating safety efforts.

  • Joel Nodrick (94 Clifton Street):

    • Founding member of the Alewife Study Group.
    • Thanked Councilors Wilson, Nolan, and Toner for Policy Order #5 and Deputy Manager Kathy Watkins for walking the paths.
    • Noted a significant increase in needles, open drug use, unhoused individuals, and encampments over 33 years.
    • Urged the city council to support the ordinance, which requests information collection and reporting from the city manager.
    • Advocated for the city to play a coordinating role with community groups and property owners to find long-term solutions.

  • James Zoll (203 Pemberton Street):

    • Spoke against the policy order on zoning changes for solar panels.
    • Argued that rooftop solar panels are not the most efficient way to generate electricity and that better alternatives exist for energy efficiency and climate change.
    • Stated that the proposal would negatively impact housing near jobs, leading to more traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
    • Key Quote: "This proposal, as CDD has pointed out, would result in slices being taken out of housing units to maintain solar panels when there are far better ways to do this."

  • Ned Melanson (163 Alston Street):

    • Spoke against Policy Order #137 (zoning changes related to solar panels).
    • Described the proposal as "down zoning in green clothing," arguing that reducing available square footage on top floors effectively eliminates those floors.
    • Suggested that community solar is more efficient for generating renewable energy.
    • Expressed concern that the proposal sacrifices needed housing supply for rooftop solar and effectively reverses the multifamily housing up-zoning.
    • Also commented on ICE incidents, commending the city's response but expressing concern about information sharing and anecdotal evidence of ICE sightings.

  • Edward Stewart (146 Huron Avenue):

    • Opposed the proposed setbacks for fifth and sixth floors.
    • Shared a personal anecdote about selling a property with a vacant lot where a developer plans an apartment building with 20% affordable units.
    • Stated that the setbacks would make the project unviable, leading the developer to withdraw and potentially result in four luxury townhouses with no affordable housing.
    • Key Quote: "I don't think the trade off for solar panels is worth that."

  • Rafi Freeman (Prospect Street):

    • Expressed opposition to the solar panel setback policy order.
    • Provided context from his professional experience in large-scale solar projects and personal experience with residential solar.
    • Calculated that residential solar in Cambridge provides only 0.1% to 0.2% of the city's power production, calling it "not that impactful."
    • Argued that restricting structures near solar panels would cut 10% to 30% of developments made possible by multifamily housing zoning.
    • Key Quote: "Residential solar is not a meaningful path to climate change mitigation in Cambridge. The roofs are just too small and the capacity factors are too low."
    • Stated that the environmental benefits of building more housing outweigh the loss of solar production from shading.

  • Lance Green (29 Fairfield Street, North Cambridge):

    • Realtor, born in Cambridge.
    • Expressed concern about Policy Order #137, stating it would hinder inclusionary housing development.
    • Argued that solar optimizers can mitigate shade effects on solar arrays.
    • Warned that builders might shift focus to luxury townhomes if the item passes, reducing affordable housing options.
    • Key Quote: "I support the continued development of inclusionary and diverse housing options in Cambridge with a non-change to the new zoning for at least two years."

  • James Williamson (203 Pemberton Street):

    • Spoke about proposed appointments to the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners.
    • Alleged that the City Manager violated the law regarding the process for selecting the tenant representative.
    • Cited the legal requirement for the manager to notify legitimate tenant organizations within 10 days of a vacancy and for those organizations to submit a list of candidates after 60 days.
    • Claimed the manager attempted to appoint a non-tenant applicant to a tenant seat and later advertised for applicants directly, bypassing tenant organizations.

  • Nicola Williams (8 Brewer Street):

    • Expressed condolences for the passing of Mr. Red T. Mitchell.
    • Spoke on the Policy Order for solar roofs from Health and Environment.
    • As an environmentalist, generally supports efforts to decarbonize and promote solar panels.
    • Suggested that the proposal warrants further discussion and should move to the appropriate City Council committee due to the complexities of the city's zoning.

  • Justin Safe (259 Hurley):

    • Argued that the solar protection policy order was brought in "bad faith" and out of "nimbyism."
    • Stated it would likely increase carbon pollution by encouraging suburban deforestation and development of large single-family homes.
    • Claimed it would block "greenest possible residential construction" (passive house standard, all-electric) in Cambridge.
    • Noted that setbacks blocked housing in Somerville until they were removed.
    • Urged testing of all East Cambridge parks for heavy metal contamination.

  • Charles Franklin (162 Hampshire Street):

    • Spoke in favor of setbacks, though not necessarily the specific proposal.
    • Argued that protecting solar installations and maintaining sky visibility are important.
    • Stated that new zoning, even with setbacks, would still result in more housing.
    • Cited Paris, New York, and Chicago as examples of cities with density and setbacks.
    • Key Quote: "Maybe the numbers on this proposal need to be adjusted, but let's at least take this next step and keep the conversation going."

  • Heather Hoffman (213 Hurley Street):

    • Expressed skepticism about the "bad faith" argument against solar panel setbacks.
    • Criticized the Council for not considering consequences of up-zoning and institutional use regulations earlier.
    • Called for a linkage nexus study for inclusionary zoning.
    • Regarding the zero emissions transportation plan, questioned efforts to improve public transit and pedestrian infrastructure, especially for those with mobility issues.
    • Raised concerns about asbestos at Russell Field, stating that 500 truckloads of dirt would be removed for the MBTA Highline tunnel, urging the city to test all parks.

Public Comment Closure

  • Motion: Councilor Zusy moved to close public comment.
  • Vote:
    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)
  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

Recess for Tax Rate Public Hearing

  • The Council recessed the regular meeting to move to the tax rate classification meeting.

City Manager's Agenda

  • Councilors pulled the following items for discussion:
    • Items #1 and #2 (Councilor Wilson)
    • Items #4 and #6 (Councilor Zusy)
    • Item #7 (Councilor Toner)
    • Item #8 (Councilor Nolan)
  • Motion: To approve the remaining City Manager's Agenda items (not pulled for discussion).
  • Vote:
    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)
  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

Communications

  • Motion: Councilor Toner moved to suspend the rules to bring forward communications.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

  • Motion: Councilor Toner moved to place all communications on file.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

Resolutions

  • Motion: Councilor Toner moved to suspend the rules to bring forward resolutions.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

  • Motion: To adopt Resolutions #1 through #6 unanimously.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

  • Resolution #7: Condolences on the death of Kate Frank.

    • Vice Mayor McGovern requested to be added as a co-sponsor, noting Kate Frank was a long-time friend.

  • Motion: To adopt Resolution #7 as amended.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

Communications and Reports from Other City Officers

  • Motion: To suspend the rules to bring forward communications and reports from other city officers.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

  • Motion: To place on file Communication and Report from Other City Officers, Number 1.

  • Vote:

    • Yes: Councilor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councilor Nolan, Councilor Siddiqui, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Toner, Councilor Wilson, Councilor Zusy (8 votes)
    • No: 0 votes
    • Absent: Mayor Simmons (1)

  • Outcome: Motion passed (8-0).

Last updated: Oct 11, 2025

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