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.
Democracy Center landmarking
Historical Commission, 6 p.m. Thursday. A resident petition to initiate a landmark study returns from the July 11 meeting, picking up a conversation about the fate of the former Democracy Center at 43-45 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square. The addresses include an 1846 double house and 1928 clubhouse addition; the owner, the Foundation for Civic Leadership, closed the meetinghouse and rented office space to prepare for eventual renovations, but members want to hear more about what that entails and need to understand their powers since changes to rules about neighborhood conservation districts. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Bye, boba, hello to more bowls
Board of Zoning Appeal, 6 to 11:30 p.m. Thursday. It looks like the boba tea wave may have crested, as members are being asked to support replacing the Tiger Sugar drink shop in 776 square feet of the Abbot building at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square. The replacement? A smoothie bowl joint run by SoBol, a chain with about 70 locations (and a “formula business” needing a special permit to operate). The closest SoBols are nowhere near – Beverly, Duxbury and North Andover – but Cambridge already has Life Alive locations, Kwench, Playa, Vitality, Beraka, Gypsy Place and Mother Juice, and a Zoe Acai Bar & Juicery closed in Porter Square in early December after being unable to attract enough business. The Tiger Sugar lasted less than two years, having opened in November 2022. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Central Square history tour
Central Square rezoning walking tour, 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. The Central Square Rezoning Project team and Historical Commission explores the square’s past and present to better understand and plan its future (which gets a third community meeting Sept. 12). The mile trip – its rain date is the next day at the same time – meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square.
Second life for Boomerangs site
License Commission, 10:30 a.m. Monday. Good news for people missing the Boomerangs secondhand store since it closed in June: An operator under the business name More Than Words is applying for a license to deal in secondhand goods, junk and/or antiques at the same 563 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, location. Also, romance bookstore Lovestruck Books wants to offer wine, beer, cordials and liqueurs as well as the printed word at 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, for up to 132 people at a time with hours as late as 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; Che Empanadas plans to take over the space left empty at 808 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport, when the Subzero Ice Cream concept closed quietly; and there are what look to be behind-the-scenes changes at The Kendall Hotel in Kendall Square; Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe in Harvard Square; and the Chalawan restaurant near Porter Square. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
A look at safety around trucks
Neighborhood & Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebration Committee, noon to 2 p.m. Monday. This committee run by city councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler discusses truck safety after the deaths of two bicyclists in June from trucks turning in intersections. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Software for library safety
City Council, 5:30 p.m. Monday. The agenda of this meeting wasn’t available at press time save for one technological item that must be discussed under the city’s antisurveillance law: Installing a “patron incident tracking system” to keep a record of which patrons cause incidents and get banned or must be watched – particularly of interest as Somerville libraries cut hours in response to teen trouble and Cambridge librarians lack a contract. The council meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Central Square rezoning
Central Square rezoning community meeting, 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12. The final of three meetings to discuss potential zoning updates. A Community Development Department team leads residents through issues of expanding boundaries of what’s considered “Central Square” and where proposed rules will apply, dimensional standards such as height limits and “incentivized uses,” meaning encouraging uses such as housing and cultural spaces. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
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