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North Massachusetts Avenue Improvement Study

What's Happening Now

The third public meeting for the North Mass Avenue Improvement Study was held on June 22, 2010.  This meeting reviewed and discussed draft recommendations for improving North Mass Ave that came out of discussions and input from the first two public meetings, as well as next steps.

Study Description

The City of Cambridge Community Development Department will be starting a study to explore ways to improve the character of North Mass Ave from Beech Street to the Arlington line. The goal is to develop recommendations for improvements that address zoning and urban design objectives, design guidelines, streetscape improvements, and enhancement of the retail environment.

Reconstruction of Massachusetts Avenue is not anticipated; therefore changes to roadway components such as the median and curb lines are not expected to be a part of this process.

The process will include a series of public meetings beginning in winter 2010. To be included on an email list or mailing list for issues related to this study please contact Taha Jennings at tjennings@cambridgema.gov or by phone at 617/349-4603.

Background

In addition to being the primary transportation and retail corridor through North Cambridge, North Massachusetts Avenue between the Porter Square and the Arlington line is a gateway into the City with a unique mix of land uses and characteristics.

In the 1980s, due in large part to the addition of Red Line MBTA stations at Porter Square, Davis Square, and at Alewife, new planning issues emerged on Massachusetts Avenue in the area.

The North Massachusetts Avenue Urban Design/Land Use Study and the Urban Design Guidelines Handbook were created in 1986 and resulted in the establishment of the North Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District and the BA-2 zoning district. Recent changes to the BA-2 district, which is located along most of Massachusetts Avenue in this area, lowered the threshold for a special permit requirement from 50,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet on new development, lowered the height allowed for new development within 50 feet of a residential district from 45 feet to 35 feet, and established a 20 foot setback requirement where a lot abuts a residential district.

Resources

Some of the following documents are in PDF format and require use of the free Adobe Acrobat viewer.

For More Information

Please contact Taha Jennings at tjennings@cambridgema.gov or by phone at 617/349-4603. The Community Development Department TTY line is 617/349-4621.

 

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