Cambridge Planning Board unanimously approves special permit for Winter Street residential building

CAMBRIDGE -- June 16, 2026, Cambridge Planning Board approves six-story, 23-unit residential building at 8 Winter Street in unanimous vote. The board voted 6-0 Tuesday to grant a special permit to developer Saeed Jaffrey for a transit-oriented building at the corner of Third Street and Monsignor O'Brien Highway, resolving a case complicated by two successive zoning changes, the city's multifamily housing amendments and the subsequent CAM6 Cambridge Street district adoption in January 2026, that left a steel-framed structure already under construction out of compliance on ground-story height and setback standards. Adviser Patrick Barrett told the board the project "fell short by 2.43 feet" on the required 15-foot ground-story height and said redesigning would require scrapping an existing steel frame and elevator shaft. Four abutters and area residents testified, with direct neighbors on Linehan Court, the private way serving as the project's loading access, raising concerns about driveway blockage, snow removal, and trash logistics, while one commenter said the building replaced a 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts that "had hundreds or thousands of cars every day." The board also heard a five-year progress report on the Affordable Housing Overlay, which has generated 16 projects and roughly 1,000 units since its 2020 adoption, with developments now in eight of the city's 13 neighborhoods.