February 2022

At the end of last month, SKA presented three projects to the Cambridge Zoning Board in one night. One was approved—although it had been continued from December. The second was continued for a second time on a technicality, which interpreted a law differently for a detached house versus an attached house. The third, although having unanimous support from the neighborhood, was a request for a hardship variance that was continued because the board did not feel enough evidence was presented to argue for a hardship. In the last 18 months, we have worked to get 20 projects in Cambridge approved with either a special permit, variance, or both, but it’s not always an easy process, and they don’t all get approved.

Cambridge zoning hearings were a lot to sit through when they were conducted in person back in the 2010s. You had to sit silently in the YMCA in Central Square until your project was called, and then you would move up in front of the board and present your paper drawings, have letters of support or objection read into the record, and any neighbors that came down to the hearing in person could speak in support of or in opposition to a project. 

Now with zoning hearings being conducted via Zoom, it makes it much more palatable to wait your turn when you can be muted and hold a conversation separately from your home or office and present PDFs on a shared screen. I do miss the in-person interactions, but I hope when the pandemic finally ends that we can go to a hybrid model where presentations can be made in person or via Zoom, and board members can attend either in person or via Zoom. I believe this model facilitates the quorum that is needed by the board to conduct a hearing. Even if a board member is traveling or unable to make a hearing in person, he or she may still be able to attend virtually. 

If you have never sat through a zoning hearing, I highly recommend it. Get a glass of wine, some popcorn, turn on the meeting, and watch impassioned citizens speak on behalf and against projects. It is local reality TV. Especially if you are planning a project that might require zoning relief, I would suggest that you go to a hearing to see how this process goes before you find yourself in front of a board trying to answer questions yourself. It can be an intimidating and exposing process that, at times, can feel like an inquisition.

 If you have a project that may require relief from your city, plan ahead so you can account for the extra time and money that is needed to get through these hurdles. A variance or special permit can add months onto a project’s timeline. It can also cost more in fees, both from your architect and a zoning attorney, if you choose to hire one. If you have questions about this process, or want to review what would or wouldn’t need a special permit or variance, please reach out to us.