These are just some of the municipal meetings and civic events for the coming week. More are on the City Calendar and in the city’s Open Meetings Portal.
Earth Day cleanup at Alewife
Alewife Brook Path Earth Day cleanup, 10 a.m. Saturday. Bring gloves, water and a garbage picker if you have one and event host Save the Alewife Brook will provide bags to spruce up the path. Members will also show where combined sewer overflows result in millions of gallons of raw sewage dumping into the brook every year (as well as advice on how to help make it safer). Meet at Bicentennial Park, Massachusetts Avenue and Route 16.
Getting rid of unwanted meds
Medication Takeback Day, 1 to 3 p.m. Monday. Turn in unwanted or unused prescriptions, over-the-counter meds and vitamins (but not sharps, liquids, creams or ointments) at an event hosted by the city’s Public Health Department, police and Council on Aging at the Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge.
Affordable Housing Overlay law
Ordinance Committee, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. This committee run by vice mayor Marc McGovern looks at a council zoning petition that would change the Affordable Housing Overlay to limit allowable height increases in Residence C-1 districts, get rid of obsolete references in the law and clarify what departments are responsible for enforcement. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
East Cambridge lab project
Planning Board, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to looking at updates to city flood plain zoning, which will change how people can build and be insured in parts of the city most likely to flood in extreme weather, the board looks at the BioMed Realty proposal to develop a four-story lab building at 320 Charles St. in East Cambridge and improve its immediate surroundings. A Friday amendment to the “East Cambridge Community Enhancement Zoning Petition” includes such things as limits of three stories or 50 feet, whichever is less, on parts of the property closest to neighboring residential streets, and it spells out a minimum 20 percent open space for the project. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Updating flood plain building
Ordinance Committee, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. This committee run by vice mayor Marc McGovern looks at changing zoning law around permitting development in the city’s flood plain and updating references to the most recent federal maps to stay in compliance with a national flood insurance program. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Replacing the MCAS test
People’s Forum on Graduation Readiness, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The first of six forums statewide to help figure out what will replace the MCAS standardized test, which was voted out in November. Discussion will hit on such topics as: What should high schoolers know and be able to do by the time they graduate? How should students show they’re ready to graduate? What should high school look like to prepare students for new recommended graduation requirements? Hosts include the Cambridge Education Association, the Somerville Educators Union, Cambridge Retired Educators United, Citizens for Public Schools. Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge.
City manager goals and reviews
Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee, 1 to 3 p.m. May 1. This committee run by vice mayor Marc McGovern will discuss the city manager’s current annual goals and review process. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Peter Valentine home demolition
Historical Commission, 6 p.m. May 1. The nonprofit developer Just A Start comes to propose taking down the three-story 1907 property lived in by the outsider artist Peter Valentine until his death in 2022 and once known as Cosmic Moose & Grizzly Bear’s Ville. Per the family’s wishes, the plan is for the property to become affordable homes; Just A Start bought the site imagining between a dozen and 15 units. We wrote about it here. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
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