Cambridge panel advances multifamily zoning setback changes, 4-1
Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Cambridge zoning committees advance multifamily setback and open-space changes despite affordability fears. The joint Housing and Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning committees voted 5-0 and 4-1 to recommend Policy Order 2026-123, directing the city manager and Community Development Department to draft language increasing setbacks and discouraging larger, fewer-unit buildings under the 2025 multifamily ordinance. Staff said the roughly 150 projects filed since adoption have produced only 30 income-restricted units among 49 permitted so far.
Councilor Sabrina Wheeler said she would back no change that shrinks a pipeline she counted at "more than 160" affordable homes, while Councilor Al-Zoubi cited a developer estimate of a 25 percent cut to buildable lot area. Chair Zussi's amendment exempting inclusionary projects from the stricter standards passed 3-2 and 4-1 over Councilor Flaherty's objection that larger buildings need more open space, not less. The measure heads to the full City Council around September 28.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,842 words
Source: the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 14-day free trial
Subscribe to Cambridge News to keep reading this post and get 14 days of free access to the full post archives.
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news