Cambridge Infill and Small Developments

[Smuttynose]

View attachment 72410
That one is ... ambitious. Neighbors appear to just love the idea of putting this on a 6-house cul-de-sac.

Stop9Wyman.com

www.stop9wyman.com

This is just dumb and greedy and risks spurring the kind of backlash which endangers the entire MF housing zoning overhaul. It’s a 7500 square-foot lot and they’re proposing a 6-story building that nearly goes up to the lot lines of the neighboring homes on Wyman. Build a nice 4-6 unit building that adds density but also plays nice in a SF cul-de-sac, not something that’s going to blow it up.

 

[jklo]

Cambridge tho. Could ditch the parking and still be able to attract enough interest to be able to rent it out at the 3k and up it'd have to be.

 

[sm89]

This is just dumb and greedy and risks spurring the kind of backlash which endangers the entire MF housing zoning overhaul. It’s a 7500 square-foot lot and they’re proposing a 6-story building that nearly goes up to the lot lines of the neighboring homes on Wyman. Build a nice 4-6 unit building that adds density but also plays nice in a SF cul-de-sac, not something that’s going to blow it up.

This building will actually face the Huron Ave side of the lot too. They were asked to change the address to Huron Ave for clarity.

 

[Longfellow]

This is a building that would be hugely better with a single stair

 

[RandomWalk]

35 Cherry. This is a 100% affordable 10 unit project by Just A Start. The lot was the long vacant one owned by MIT.

 

[Javier]

 

[Equilibria]

8 Winter Street (apparently already under construction): https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media...tsadvisory/sp411/sp411_applnvol2_20260511.pdf

This is the kind of project you don't need AI for. Microsoft Excel probably designed this.

 

[bigpicture7]

8 Winter Street (apparently already under construction): https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media...tsadvisory/sp411/sp411_applnvol2_20260511.pdf

This is the kind of project you don't need AI for. Microsoft Excel probably designed this.

View attachment 72875

At least when you use Excel, the windows end up aligned

 

[RandomWalk]

This one currently looks like an over built erector set

 

[Charlie_mta]

8 Winter Street (apparently already under construction): https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media...tsadvisory/sp411/sp411_applnvol2_20260511.pdf

This is the kind of project you don't need AI for. Microsoft Excel probably designed this.

View attachment 72875

The big white stripes slapped all over the place look ugly. Also, the multiple shades of grey rectangles from the doorway to the roof in the last photo don't help either.

 

[bigpicture7]

This is the kind of project you don't need AI for. Microsoft Excel probably designed this.

The big white stripes slapped all over the place look ugly. Also, the multiple shades of grey rectangles from the doorway to the roof in the last photo don't help either.

If they are in need of a marketing name for these new residences, I think "The Spreadsheet" works

 

[Arenacale]

If they are in need of a marketing name for these new residences, I think "The Spreadsheet" works

They should name it 1-2-3 Lotus Court in honor of the spreadsheet from the company that called Cambridge home.

 

[stick n move]

I figured it was another one of those bad reclads but apparently not.

 

[RandomWalk]

270 Sidney is getting the tent and vent treatment for demolition. Not sure what is going to be built here, but I’m guessing housing.

NB: Cambridge uses OpenGov for online permitting, but they don’t make it searchable by address. It would be nice if they could get over themselves and enable that.

 

[Javier]

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

1826/40 Massachusetts Ave - across the street from Porter Sq.

“100 affordable homes in a pair of buildings, there could be a park, community room and retail center to replace two underused parking lots near Porter Square.”

Not even affordable and transit oriented housing by a non profit developer escapes nimby wrath. Quotes from the neighbors:

“You’re going to reduce the value of my property, no question about it,”

“you’re trying to do a lot of units on what really isn’t that much space, and especially on what is essentially a small side street,”

“The park – and the park looks to me like a parklet, seems like a good word – seems likely to end up as a hangout for teenagers, or other people sort of just hanging out on the corner somewhere near Porter Square,”

Amid opposition to a project with 100 affordable homes for families, even a new park draws fire - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

Along with 100 affordable homes in a pair of buildings, there could be a park, community room and retail center to replace two underused parking lots.

csindie.com

 

[393b40]

“You’re going to reduce the value of my property, no question about it,”

Bring back the guillotine.

 

[Longfellow]

We want property values to go down. I'm not sure why this is even controversial. Rent is never gonna come down unless property values flatline or crash.

Plus all this talk of home affordability for home buyers - in order for people to "afford" homes, the homes need to be cheaper. This is one of the hugest areas of dissonance in the US right now even among YIMBY people.

 

[Charlie_mta]

1826/40 Massachusetts Ave - across the street from Porter Sq.

View attachment 73766

Quotes from the neighbors:

“You’re going to reduce the value of my property, no question about it,”

Property values? LOL. I remember back in the early 1960s, homes going for $10,000 in that particular neighborhood. I grew up right next to it and we personally knew people who bought homes there at the time. Now those same homes are worth well over a $ million or two. Cambridge has some of the highest property values in the country. So, cry me a river about these sky high values dropping ever so slightly.

 

[stick n move]

bump