Cambridge council opposes proposed Blair Road development

Cambridge councillors were at odds with a developer at a public meeting earlier this week over a project that would kick a number of residents out of their homes.

The proposed development would be built at 220-222 Blair Street in Cambridge. As planned, it would see the construction of two ‘stacked townhouse buildings’ which would hold 32 dwelling units and have a parking lot with 38 spaces.

Councillors raised several concerns including lack of parking, accessibility issues, over-densification, and destruction of neighborhood character.

“We’re not here to make money for people,” said Mayor Jan Liggett. “We’re here to build a community. This is not building a community. This is actually very destructive to the people. I’m not going to support this at all.”

As proposed, the development would require amendments to some existing bylaws. These site-specific provisions would include doubling the maximum allowable density, lowering the minimum parking rate from 1.25 per unit to 1.18 per unit, and cutting the minimum common amenity area in half.

“This really has me concerned,” said Ward 2 Coun. Mike Devine. “We’re trying to put nine pounds of sardines in a four-pound can. You can’t cut it any other way.”

The developer’s consultant, Victor Labreche of Arcadis Professional Services, responded to concerns from councillors by stating that they have approved similar developments in the past.

Michelle LaRiviere spoke at the meeting as a representative of the renters who would be displaced if the project goes ahead and their homes are demolished.

“We are a community,” said LaRiviere. “We know each other, we share green space, and we look out for each other. Until a year and a half ago, we lived here peacefully, reassured by the owner at that time that our housing was secure. All of that changed when the property was sold to a developer who plans to evict us and demolish our homes during an unprecedented housing crisis.”

LaRiviere went on to add that the residents of the lot only learned of the development last week.

Labreche said that the development is meant for first-time home buyers, built as ‘entry-level real estate’ and said anecdotally that each unit could cost between $400,000 and $600,000.