City Council Passes Zoning Ordinance

A zoning ordinance conceived as a compromise between business and community interests was passed at this week's City Council session--but only after a series of unexpected amendments soured the bargain for potential developers, including Harvard.

The new ordinance narrows the possible uses for land and buildings surrounding Harvard Square, and therefore could decrease their potential value.

Jacqueline A. O'Neill, Harvard's associate vice president for state and community affairs, said yesterday that Harvard's development office had supported and helped to design the original proposal. The amendments inserted at the Monday meeting, which she did not attend, caught the University, off guard, and "it's not clear yet how they would affect us," she said.

According to City Councilor David E. Sullivan, a member of the liberal contingent that proposed these amendments, "the result is going to help preserve Harvard Square" by limiting the size of future commercial and residential developments.

Harvard had joined area business leaders, neighborhood representatives, and the Cambridge Historical Commission in preparing a compromise package over the past two years.

But that compromise package was subsequently amended by proposals introduced by councilors Sullivan, Alice K. Wolf, and Saundra Graham, members of the Cambridge Civic Association.

O'Neill said afterwards that because of the amendments, "the consensus of the groups was violated."

The measure affects properties with business and residential zoning inside an "overlay district" that extends from Harvard Square roughly south and east as far as the junction of Mass. Ave. and Mt. Auburn streets.

Owners of property in the zone, which encompassed the heart of Harvard Square, must now get a special permit for construction higher than 55 feet and may build no higher than 90 feet. The new package also reversed a 1979 decision waiving requirements that developers leave a specified amount of space around each building.

The package also created a 10-member community advisory council that would review requests for the special permits. The package was amended to favor neighborhood interests over business interests in the composition of the advisory council.

The amendments also deleted language assuring Harvard that the city would not seek to include University property in a historical district. Harvard opposes such a classification because it could entail tight restrictions on its freedom to make changes.

"Good" was Sullivan's reaction when told of O'Neill's dissatisfaction with the amendments. Sullivan said he valued neighborhoods' interests above those of the financially comfortable University.