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Variances approved for Cambridge condominium project
Cambridge, MA – October 30, 2007 - The City of Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal has unanimously approved two variances for a new condominium project at 22 Water Street in East Cambridge. The proposed 400,000sf, 392-unit residential building is designed by SMMA with Arquitectonica and owned by Catamount Holdings LLC. The Water Street project is located in NorthPoint, a former rail yard and industrial zone being converted to a mixed-use residential district. One variance grants additional height, while the other grants an increase in building square footage to accommodate at-grade structured parking. This zoning relief allows the design team to better fit the building to the site and the surroundings, increases the marketability of the units, and meets the City’s goals for the emerging multi-modal and pedestrian-focused district.
The complicated 2.4-acre parcel is bordered by an active rail yard and proposed public bike trail on the north, an MBTA right of way to the south, the site of a proposed new MBTA Green Line station to the east, and the tightly-knit East Cambridge residential neighborhood. The additional height granted by the first variance reduces the building footprint to accommodate public open space and a pedestrian zone on the site.
The second variance, by granting an increase in overall building gross square footage, will allow space for an at-grade structured parking level located on the building’s north side. The parking will buffer the building’s residences from the MBTA right of way, mitigating the visual, acoustic, and vibration impacts of the proposed rail extension. The building itself is also placed to mitigate the busy rail yard’s acoustic impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.
The site’s redevelopment is part of the City of Cambridge’s vision for a new mixed-use, resident- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood – a significant change from the current industrial and commercial environment of the area. 22 Water Street will offer views to the area’s planned park, feature varied massing and interconnected open spaces, and complement the east/west boulevard concept that will organize the emerging North Point neighborhood.
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