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.
Indigenous names now on signs
Indigenous Street Signs Project, 2 to 3 p.m. Friday. The city and members of the local Massachusett tribe will unveil street signs in East Cambridge presented in the Massachusett and English languages, a project funded through a Participatory Budgeting process. The new signs go from First to Eighth streets; a municipal website will introduce the project and serve as an explainer and landing page for programming. At Third and Binney streets, in East Cambridge at Kendall Square.
Fire company’s 150th birthday
Cambridge Fire Engine Co. No. 5’s 150th anniversary party, 11 a.m. Saturday. Celebrate 150 years of service by Cambridge Fire Engine Co. No. 5 at the Inman Square Fire House, 1384 Cambridge St.
Faro Cafe challenge among items
License Commission, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday. A long but indifferently interesting agenda features items such as The Porter Square Hotel adding music and the Bon Me eatery in North Point opting not to renew its liquor license. There are a few disciplinary issues as well, including that Faro Cafe, 5 Arrow St., Harvard Square, facing charges of operating over its licensed capacity and providing entertainment without a license on Oct. 18. Plenty of people will hope this European-style haven comes through well. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Updating bike lane deadlines
Ordinance Committee, 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday. This committee run by vice mayor Marc McGovern and city councillor Paul Toner takes on the formal matter of amending Cycling Safety Ordinance language to reflect a change of deadline for bike lanes on Main Street, Cambridge Street and Broadway to Nov. 30, 2026, from the original timeline of May 1, 2026, a decision voted by the full council Oct. 21. It is forced by work on zoning that allows off-street parking to replace on-street parking lost when lanes are installed. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
More on multifamily zoning
Ordinance Committee, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. This committee run by vice mayor Marc McGovern and city councillor Paul Toner continues a public hearing from Nov. 19 about two multifamily zoning petitions: one ending districts intended only for single-family or two-family homes and allowing multifamily structures and townhouses citywide; and another making changes around such things as open space and to keep an advantage for construction under the rules of the city’s Affordable Housing Overlay. The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Jersey Mike’s for Central
Central Square Advisory Committee, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The group mulls allowing a Jersey Mike’s sub shop at 675 Massachusetts Ave., in the Leader Bank building – permission needed because the maker of grinder sandwiches is a “formula business” with trademarked logos and a standardized color scheme, and local zoning is supposed to favor nonchain businesses. The closest Jersey Mike’s is in Watertown, and this location’s nearest competition is another chain: The Subway at 4 Central Square, about a block away. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Park renovations in Highlands
Rafferty Park virtual open house, noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 5. The city is renovating Rafferty Park, 68 Griswold St., Cambridge Highlands, behind the Sancta Maria nursing home at 799 Concord Ave., and will show and talk about the plans at noon on Zoom (get in using the password “b3412H”).
A stronger
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