Zoning Proposal

Lesley University filed a zoning petition with the Cambridge City Council on March 2, 2009. The proposed Lesley Porter Overlay District reflects months of conversation with and input from neighbors, business owners and the city-appointed Lesley Neighborhood Working Group.

• Lesley Porter Overlay District [pdf]

Current Conditions

At present, along the entire length of Massachusetts Avenue - from the Harvard Bridge at MIT to the Arlington town-line - the site of the former North Prospect Church is one of only two places zoned for residential development only, the lowest density zoning in the City (the other site is at the Arlington line). All other sites in Porter Square, including University Hall (the former Sears-Roebuck building) to the north and properties immediately across the street are zoned for business use.

Lesley University owns five properties that comprise its Porter Campus: University Hall and its rear parking lot; a three-story building at 815 Somerville Avenue used for administrative offices; two parking lots directly across the street from University Hall; and the former North Prospect Church property.

Numerous discussions with neighbors have prompted the University to consider the future of all properties, particularly vacant lots, in the context of a long-term plan. The zoning proposal is designed to provide a mechanism for both the construction of AIB as well as a vision for the Porter Campus in future decades.

Current zoning allows both lots on the western side of Massachusetts Avenue to be built out to become 55 foot high residence halls.

Current zoning prohibits the construction of any buildings on the parking lot behind University Hall, consigning its future as a surface-level parking lot.

Current zoning does not allow any institutional use on the site of the church building as a matter of right; only residential construction is allowed. The church itself was grandfathered for religious use during a re-zoning in 1982.

Part 1: Extending the Business-C District

Lesley’s application for zoning change includes two changes to zoning in Porter Square. The first is a request to extend the Business-C District to include the site of the former North Prospect Church.

The Business-C District in Porter Square ends at Roseland Street on the eastern side of Massachusetts Avenue, and at Oxford Court on the western side. The change would allow an institutional use on the site, which is not permitted under current zoning.

Part 2: Creating a Lesley Overlay District

The second component of Lesley’s zoning application is the creation of an overlay district that would include Lesley’s Porter Square properties south of the MBTA tracks: the church site, University Hall and its parking lot, and the two lots on the western side of Massachusetts Avenue.

Overlay districts exist elsewhere in the City of Cambridge to manage the overall development of an area and provide a mechanism to reduce building size on one lot in order to transfer development rights to a site more fitting within the district. Once the district is created, any project within the district requires a special permit before a building permit is issued. The special permit process requires public hearings and final approval by the Cambridge Planning Board.

Under the overlay district terms, any and all building within this district incorporates a public process and Planning Board approval. Issues related to traffic, parking, public amenities, as well as those related to the architecture and design of specific buildings, are addressed in the special permit phase.

In response to public comment, Lesley’s proposed overlay district would reduce the height of future buildings on the lots across from University Hall from the currently allowed 55 feet down to 45 feet, eliminating the incentive for residence halls, require first floor retail to enhance the commercial vitality of Massachusetts Avenue and replace existing parking capacity. The excess building capacity from those lots would be transferred to the church site to accommodate the underground space needed for the new Art Institute.

The remaining building capacity within the overlay district would allow Lesley to eventually transform the parking lot behind University Hall. Current zoning does not allow any future construction on this site, and although Lesley has no immediate plans, the university has begun thinking about future enhancements to the site in response to neighborhood wishes to redevelop the parking lot to create more of a “campus feel.” The building capacity under the overlay district would allow for 89,000 square feet of building on the site, leaving room for a thoughtful approach to achieve quality green space.