Chatting Charrettes with Brian Herrmann
Brian Herrmann, the Director of Planning for the City of Cambridge, chats with ESLC about Cambridge’s new comprehensive plan, how it affects residents, and how residents can be involved in the updating process. This week, the City of Cambridge, assisted by the firm Able City, is hosting a week-long charrette to gather community feedback and inspire new visions for the future of Groove City. A charrette is an interactive workshop where people can voice their opinions about the state of a town or city and work together to develop plans and visions for the future, including everything from transportation to flood protection to fisheries, affordable housing, tree plantings, and walkable neighborhoods. Cambridge’s charrette is free and open to the public! It’s a great way to get involved and improve the quality of life for the entire community. Another great way to get involved is by filling out Cambridge’s comprehensive plan online survey.
Why is Cambridge updating their comprehensive plan? And why now?
The current Comprehensive Plan was passed in 2011. State law requires the City to either update or write an entirely new Comprehensive Plan after a ten-year period. Covid and a couple of changes to the City’s Administration caused some delays. Therefore, the process that should have occurred in 2021-2022 is taking place now. This will be an entirely new Plan that complies with the State of Maryland Planning Act.
What are the key goals or priorities guiding this comprehensive plan update?
This “long-range planning document” outlines our community’s vision for its future and the steps needed to achieve them. It will serve as the overarching policy document that directs the city in the implementation of consensus-based goals, objectives, and strategies over the next 10 years, and ultimately through the year 2045. State mandated topics (chapters) will be addressed. These include:
- Land Use and Development
- Municipal Growth
- Sensitive Areas
- Water Resources
- Mobility and Transportation
- Housing
- Natural Resources
- Community Facilities
- and Fisheries
In addition, the City has conveyed a desire to also address Community Design and Historic Preservation, Cultural Resources, Health, Economic Development, Tactical Improvements (pop-up solutions to longer term issues) and Coastal Resilience.
Cambridge has hired a “new urbanist” consultant team. We hope to promote a “new urban” influenced plan that prioritizes “walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods” as opposed to “conventional suburban sprawl.” Such neighborhoods will infuse the tenants of new urbanism as part of a “place-based” approach to the planning process. This approach focusses on the challenges and opportunities of specific neighborhoods – as opposed to a “one size fits all approach” that is common to many Comprehensive Plans.
If we do our job well, the plan will “pop” for a 14 year old and they will want to read it as opposed to putting it down. That means that it must include a creative means of engagement (the community charrette), illustrative master plans, renderings, and other visualizations that spark one’s interest.
How will this new comprehensive plan affect day-to-day life in Cambridge?
The goal is for this plan to establish the foundation and standards from which all of the City’s regulations (Unified Development Code) are based. Ideally, the City hopes to re-write the current land development code soon after the Comprehensive Plan is passed and adopted. This will be a “City-wide form-based” code. Currently, the City has a “form-based” code for its downtown, although it lacks some of the qualities that typically define such an ordinance.
In addition, new and upgraded stormwater practices will be infused, as will improved parking, signage and lighting provisions. The City will convey programs that address first floor and upper-story infill within downtown, creative ways to navigate the building code, and the promotion of “Missing Middle” housing typologies.
Finally, the Comprehensive Plan will lay a course of action for addressing improvements to the public realm; including: street and intersection design, “on street” parking, sidewalks and crosswalks, street tree plantings, public and private signage, civic spaces and parks, and alleyways.
Cambridge’s proximity to nature is strongly tied to its charm, history, and economy; how will a new comprehensive plan help to preserve Cambridge’s open spaces and natural resources?
The Comprehensive Plan will have several “chapters” that either specifically address open spaces and natural resources (Sensitive Areas, Natural Resources, Community Facilities, Fisheries, and Coastal Resilience) or those that touch on items that may impact these (Land Use and Development, Municipal Growth, Water Resources, Cultural Resources, Economic Development, Tactical Improvements). Therefore, these issues will be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan.
The exact means by which these events are tied to nature (be it charm, history, or economy) have yet to be celebrated or expanded upon. However, they will certainly be addressed, as Cambridge is a waterfront city with a significant history of waterfront industries.
Ideally, City staff hope to come out of the Comprehensive Planning process having refined our Public and Civic Spaces. For example, a strong form-based code would clearly depict the full range of civic and open spaces, from Regional and Community Parks to Greenways, Greens, Squares, and Plazas to Pocket Parks, Playgrounds, and Natural Preserves. This is why community input is so critical to this process!
How will the plan guide future housing development, especially in terms of affordability and diversity of housing types?
Great question. Housing will be a big part of the plan. Specifically, we want to promote “missing middle” housing types in our neighborhoods. In many cases, they are not currently allowed. These building types include: duplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, townhouses, triplexes (stacked), multi-plexes (6-12 units), courtyard buildings, and live/work units. They provide diverse housing options and support locally-serving retail and public transportation options. They are referred to as “missing” because they have often been illegal to build based on our zoning code. They are referred to as “Middle” because they sit in the middle of a spectrum between detached single-family homes and mid-rise to high-rise apartment buildings. This is in terms of form and scale, as well as the number of units. In the diagram below, the Missing Middle types are shown in yellow, providing many housing options in between the single-family homes and higher intensity apartment buildings, both shown in white.
Today, young couples, teachers, singles, professional women, and baby boomers are among those looking for ways to live in a walkable neighborhood, but without the cost and maintenance burden of a detached single-family home. “Missing Middle” Housing helps solve the mismatch between the available U.S. housing stock and shifting demographics combined with the growing demand for walkability.
The City has also started an “affordable housing program” that is aimed at buyers that are similar to those found at Habitat for Humanity. The City is working with contractors to build new houses. This program should eventually be expanded to include “missing middle” housing types.
Finally, the City is in the process of starting a Land Bank. This will allow the City to acquire properties and then sell them without years of red tape. Once established, it should greatly benefit the City.
The Comprehensive Plan will address all of these items and lay the groundwork for future steps.
How will the plan address climate resilience, especially concerning sea level rise and flooding?
Larry White is overseeing several grants aimed at doing just this. The most significant of these is a 3-4 foot seawall that will be built along the banks of the Choptank River in order to stop significant flooding from breaking through. If built, this will be a gamechanger for flooding in the City and will serve as an example for other waterfront communities. In addition, a study was done to identify potential stormwater sites. All of this work will be cited in the Comprehensive Plan.
What kinds of activities or input opportunities will be available at the charrette?
The Community Charrette consists of three gatherings. The night of Monday August 18th, the community is asked to attend a “Hands on Design Session” at 6 pm at 447 Race Street. Citizens will respond to various questions and draw on maps while sitting with other residents at a table. A tremendous amount of information will be gathered.
Tuesday August 19th, the charrette team will locate at a different facility, 322 Gay Street. This will serve as their home for three days (Tuesday through Thursday). Specific meetings to address topics related to the chapters found in the Comprehensive Plan will occur here. On Wednesday August 20th at 6 pm the public can come in and check out where things stand.
Friday August 22nd at 6 PM the final opportunity for input will occur at the Elks Lodge at 618 Pine Street. The team will give a “work in Progress Presentation.” It is by no means the final opportunity for public comment, but rather a wrap-up of the week’s sessions. Those in attendance will be able to see first-hand all of the work that has taken place and still needs to take place. They will also be given an opportunity to vote on how the team is progressing.
What advice do you have for someone planning to attend the charrette?
Be prepared to give your comments. That is what we want – Citizen Comments – on anything related to the City!
If you can, it would be great if you could give us two hours on Monday evening (447 Race Street) and two hours on Friday evening (Elks Lodge). I am certain that you will feel the energy and will be glad that you did!
If you want to check out how things are progressing, a one-hour “mid-week” session will be held on Wednesday evening at 6 pm at 322 Gay Street.
The City will benefit from your attendance and you as a citizen will benefit as well! If you can give up a few nights of the summer for the City, these are the nights to do so!
What will happen after the charrette? How can residents stay involved?
You can sign in at any of the events. The Charrette team will keep you abreast of the various activities and events. In addition, we will provide updates on the City of Cambridge’s website and the official website for the event: Plan Cambridge OR https://www.plancambridgemd.com
Top image c/o Boston Public Library