Council Puts Off Bicycles, 121A

In its annual midsummer's meeting, the Cambridge City Council referred to other bodies two important items on bicycling and the controversial 121A tax relief clause.

The council decided to let its finance committee analyze a report on 121A from City Manager Robert W. Healy, while sending to the bicycle commission a citizen's complaint about those who ride the vehicles on sidewalks.

The council's move on bicycles followed an impassioned speech by city resident Marjorie Francis.

Francis said she walks on the sidewalk "in trepidation" of those who bicycle recklessly.

"I walk on the sidewalk...in fear of my life," Francis said." If we note the word, it says side walk."

Francis said present regulations are either inadequate or unenforced.

"Why do they do it? They do it because they can get away with it," Francis said about bicyclists who ride on the sidewalks. "And somebody is going to get killed."

Council members expressed sympathy with Francis' fear.

Councillor Francis S. Duehay '55 said he and two friends had each been hit on separate occasions by bicyclists who were riding illegally.

The council decided to refer the problem to the bicycle commission.

121A Clause

The 121A clause allows the city to award a temporary tax break on a parcel of land in order to attract companies to build there.

The report in the finance committee will analyze the pros and cons of the city's use of 121A relief.

The 121A clause was the focus of a heated special meeting of the council in June.

The council had agreed to award a 47 percent tax break under the 121A clause to Biogen, Inc., a Cambridge biotechnology company. Biogen received the special treatment to undertake a construction project in Kendall Square.

Local 40, the carpenter's union, had originally objected to the tax break. But Mark Erlich, the Local 40 manager, said the union changed its mind when he reached a verbal agreement with Biogen's subcontractors that only union labor would be hired.

With the support of Local 40, the council unanimously approved 121A status for Biogen.

The agreement Erlich claims he had with Marshall, however, was never put into writing, and the subcontractors have hired non-union labor.

A horde of Local 40 representatives stormed the June council meeting and asked the city to repeal the 121A arrangement.

But despite the controversy, Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 said yesterday that 121A does have its merits.

The 121A arrangement "can be used to attract businesses," Reeves said at the meeting yesterday. "It will go to the finance committee, because it deserves real discussion and the full understanding of citizens."

In other business, the council refused to reconsider two orders submitted by Councillor William H. Walsh.

The items dealt with citizens living on the border between Cambridge and Somerville. One order pertained to residential exemptions, while the other applied to the question of who iseligible to vote in Cambridge.

Walsh said present arrangements essentiallyforce Cambridge taxpayers to subsidize individualswho don't live in the city.

But Councillor Jonathan S. Myers referred tothe orders as "mean-spirited," especially "to theextent that it is something that might be directedat one person."

Both orders failed to receive reconsideration,the first by a vote of three yeas and five nays,the second by a vote of four yeas and four nays.Councillor Timothy J. Toomey was not present foreither vote.

Yesterday's meeting, the council's first inmore than a month, was held in the cafeteria ofthe Cambridge Ringe & Latin School.

The elevator at City Hall is presently underrepair, rendering the chamber in which the councilusually meets inaccessible to many disabledcitizens

Walsh said present arrangements essentiallyforce Cambridge taxpayers to subsidize individualswho don't live in the city.

But Councillor Jonathan S. Myers referred tothe orders as "mean-spirited," especially "to theextent that it is something that might be directedat one person."

Both orders failed to receive reconsideration,the first by a vote of three yeas and five nays,the second by a vote of four yeas and four nays.Councillor Timothy J. Toomey was not present foreither vote.

Yesterday's meeting, the council's first inmore than a month, was held in the cafeteria ofthe Cambridge Ringe & Latin School.

The elevator at City Hall is presently underrepair, rendering the chamber in which the councilusually meets inaccessible to many disabledcitizens