Cambridge, Mass., Zoning Ordinance art. 4.000, § 4.60 (2025) § 4.40

1. All uses except residential uses in Section 4.31(a)--(i) shall be subject to the following limitations:
a. Permitted nonresidential uses must be located in a building containing the above enumerated residential uses;
b. Permitted nonresidential uses may not occupy more than 40% (forty percent) of the Gross Floor Area in the building; all remaining GFA must be devoted to permitted residential uses.
c. The permitted nonresidential uses may only be located on the first floor or basement of the building.
d. No accessory parking shall be provided for any nonresidential use.
2. [Deleted]
3. [Deleted]
4. Deleted
5. [Deleted]
6. No in the Office 1 District.
7. Subject to the following provisions:
(a) Hotels and motels shall be prohibited in Residence C-1 districts;
(b) Hotels and motels shall be permitted as of right in Residence C-3A districts and in Residence C-2, 2A, 2B, and 3 districts where at least fifty (50) percent of the area of the lot upon which the hotel or motel is located, and the point of entry from a street for all vehicular access to the hotel or motel, is located within the Harvard Square Overlay District the Central Square Overlay District or the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District.
(c) Hotels or motels shall be permitted by special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) in Residence 2, 2A, 2B, and 3 districts, where paragraph (b) above does not apply. In granting such special permit the BZA shall find that the proposed location and its surrounding neighborhood is predominately institutional or commercial in use, and specifically not a low-density residential area. The Board shall further find that the physical development of the site for hotel use will be similar to, and compatible with, the existing (or potential) site development pattern on surrounding sites for other uses permitted in the applicable zoning district or districts; and that the operation of the hotel or motel, with regard to delivery of goods, the kind and volume of vehicular trips to and from the site, and the numbers of people visiting the site on foot, among other factors, is compatible with the use of adjacent properties for uses permitted in the applicable zoning district or districts. In making these findings the Board shall consider the following, among other considerations:
1. The scale of the building in the immediate neighborhood;
2. The extent of non-residential development in the neighborhood, including the size of buildings, the specific uses, the kind and number of vehicular trips generated by those uses;
3. The density of residential use on adjacent lots and within the immediate neighborhood;
4. The details of operation of the proposed hotel or motel use including the kinds and number of vehicle trips to the site, including service trips;
5. The extent of access to arterial streets that customarily accommodate or provide direct service to non-residential uses;
6. The nature of side development on adjacent sites including setbacks from property lines, location and quantity of vehicular parking, the presence of accessory activities such as loading facilities, waste storage facilities, mechanical service equipment, landscaped green spaces, etc.
8. No towers in Industry A-1 Districts.
9. Yes in a Residence C-3A District subject to the limitations specified in Section 5.31.
10. In a Business B-1 or Business B-2 District, this use shall be subject to the limitations specified in Section 4.27.
11. The Following provisions, which modify the Table of Use Regulations, shall apply to certain uses and development in the Open Space District.
1. The establishment or development in an Open Space district of these uses, and those enumerated in Paragraph (b) below, shall be reviewed in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.25
2. The following modifications to the Table of Use Regulations shall apply:
a. Except that in the Open Space district a yacht, rowing or similar club or association, related to recreational boating use on a lake or river, shall be permitted by special permit. [Section 4.33h(1)]
b. Provided, however, that the theater or hall for public gathering is operated under the aegis of a nonprofit agency or organization and is open to the general public. [Section 4.35h]
In an Open Space district the following Commercial Recreation uses only shall be permitted, by Special Permit: a golf course; yacht club or marina; boat docks, ticket offices and other support facilities for ferry services, boat rentals and boat cruises services. [Section 4.35i]
12. In all Office Districts, permitted Retail or Consumer Service Establishments shall meet the following standards, which may be modified by special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal; however, such limitations shall not apply to a cafeteria or other eating/drinking facility which is accessory to permitted uses in a building or associated group of buildings in the same ownership and which is intended primarily for employees of those uses and their guests:
(a) Retail or Consumer Service Establishments shall be located within buildings or on lots or Development Parcels containing other permitted office and/or residential uses;
(b) Retail or Consumer Service Establishments shall occupy no more than 25% of the total Floor Area Ratio or Gross Floor Area permitted on the lot or Development Parcel;
(c) Retail or Consumer Service Establishments shall be located at and/or below the Ground Story with entrances accessible to pedestrians directly from public sidewalks; and
(d) all permitted Retail or Consumer Service Establishments in Office 1 Districts shall require a special permit.
13. No in the Business B-1 and Business B-2 Districts.
14. [Deleted]
15. [Deleted]
16. [Deleted]
17. [Deleted]
18. Where not an accessory use, and no repairs, servicing, or sale of gasoline is carried out.
19. Unless explicitly stated to the contrary elsewhere in this Ordinance, all bulk, height, yard, lot area, setback, open space, parking, sign and building coverage requirements shall be considered reasonable regulations under Section 3, Chapter 40A, G.L., and shall apply to the uses in this Subsection 4.33a.
20. Noncommercial research facilities shall include laboratories and other research facilities or educational institutions which supply services for a fee to persons other than enrolled students. No manufacturing shall be permitted on the premises unless the noncommercial research facility is located within a district that would customarily permit such manufacturing under the provisions of Subsection 4.37 or 4.38 of the Table of Use Regulations.
21. May include related teaching facilities and offices for its medical staff not to exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the gross floor area of the hospital.
22. Where facilities are primarily used by faculty and students and where the public is admitted on payment of a fee.
23. [Deleted]
24. [Deleted]
25. [Deleted]
26. [Deleted]
27. [Deleted]
28. [Deleted]
29. Provided that, in Business and Office Districts, all animals are kept indoors and that no noise or odors are perceptible from adjoining lots.
30. [Deleted]
31. [Deleted]
32. [Deleted]
33. Provided that no such article exceeds two hundred (200) pounds in weight and provided that no manufacturing or processing is carried out.
34. Provided that the following restrictions shall apply.
(a) in Industry A, A-1, A-2, and B-2 districts any fully assembled product regularly produced shall not exceed two hundred (200) pounds in weight.
(b) in Industry A, A-1, A-2, B-2 and C districts no process shall involve coating with rubber,
(c) all dust, fumes, odors, smoke or vapors are effectively confined to the premises or disposed of so as to avoid air pollution and,
(d) any noise, vibration or flashing is not normally perceptible without instruments at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the premises in Industry A-1 districts, at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from the premises in Industry A, A-2, B-2, and Industry C districts or at a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the premises in Industry B and B-1 districts.
35. Provided that such products are made from purchased paper or purchased paperboard and that there is no manufacture or process of pulp, waste paper or waste paper products.
36. Provided that all work is carried out inside the building.
37. Provided that in Business, Industry A-1 and Industry C districts all servicing and repairs are carried out inside the building.
38. Provided that the area so used is surrounded by a six foot high wall or tight fence.
39. Provided that all dust incident to storage or handling is effectively confined to the premises or so disposed of so as to avoid air pollution and that the area so used is surrounded by a six foot high wall or tight fence.
40. Subject to the Building Department and Health Department regulations and further provided that
(a) all dust, fumes, odors, smoke or vapor are effectively confined to the premises or so disposed of as to avoid air pollution, and
(b) any noise, vibration or flashing are not normally perceptible without instruments at a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the premises, fifty (50) feet from the premises in an Industry A-1 district or one hundred (100) feet from the premises in an Industry A-2, Industry B-2 or an Industry C district.
41. Except such processing as may be conducted by the City of Cambridge.
42. Storage of flammable liquids or gas permitted by the Building Code.
43. Except that in Residence C-1 districts this use shall be subject to the regulations of Section 4.50 , Institutional Use Regulations.
44. Unless explicitly stated to the contrary elsewhere in this Ordinance, all bulk, height, yard, lot area, setback, open space, parking, sign and building coverage requirements shall be considered reasonable regulations under Section 3, Chapter 40A, G.L., and shall apply to all uses and facilities which have educational purposes and which are protected by said statute.
45. This use designation shall include all uses and facilities listed in Subsection 4.56(c)4, 5, and 6.
46. Any dormitory, fraternity, or sorority which is not exempt by statue shall not be allowed in the Office 1 district and shall require a special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal in the Office 2 and Industry B districts. Such uses shall only be permitted as part of a planned unit development (PUD) in the Industry C district.
47. Local government shall include all nonresidential facilities and activities of the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Housing Authority, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and their component agencies, but shall not include public schools.
48. This use designation shall include facilities for cultural and ethnic heritage appreciation.
49. But not including a tower facility as a principal use, serving multiple operators, or as a freestanding structure on a lot.
In reviewing a special permit application for mobile communications facilities in particular, the Board of Zoning Appeal shall consider the following in reaching its determination:
1. The scope of or limitations imposed by any license secured from any state or federal agency having jurisdiction over such matters.
2. The extent to which the visual impact of the various elements of the proposed facility is minimized:
(1) Through the use of existing mechanical elements on a building's roof or other features of the building as support and background,
(2) Through the use of materials that in texture and color blend with the materials to which the facilities are attached, or
(3) Other effective means to reduce the visual impact of the facility from off the site.
3. Where it is proposed to erect such a facility in any residential zoning district, the extent to which there is a demonstrated public need for the facility at the proposed locations, the existence of alternative, functionally suitable sites in nonresidential locations, the character of the prevailing uses in the area, and the prevalence of other, existing mechanical systems and equipment carried on or above the roof of nearby structures. The Board of Zoning Appeal shall grant a special permit to erect such a facility in a residential zoning district only upon a finding that nonresidential uses predominate in the vicinity of the proposed facility's location and that the telecommunication facility is not inconsistent with the character that does prevail in the surrounding neighborhood.
In granting a special permit the Board of Zoning Appeal shall set forth in its decision under which circumstances or procedures, if any, the permittee shall be allowed to replace and upgrade its equipment without the necessity of seeking a new special permit.
50. Subject to the requirements of Section 4.28.
51. Permitted in the Industry B-1 district as the use would be permitted as of right or by special permit in the Business B district subject to the following limitations:
(a) The retail use is located on the ground floor or in the basement of a building containing other uses,
(b) The retail use constitutes no more than 25% of the GFA of the building in which it is located, exclusive of GFA devoted to parking uses,
(c) The retail use fronts on a public street and has a direct public access to that street, and
(d) No separately leased establishment may exceed 10,000 square feet in GFA.
52. Uses so permitted in existence as of July 1, 1988 may continue and expand, within the dimensional limits of Section 5.34, without the granting of a special permit.
53. No in Business C-1 districts.
54. Any dimensional or other relief from the provisions of this Ordinance required to construct or locate a municipal library use shall be permitted by grant of a special permit from the Planning Board. In granting such a special permit, where the library is proposed to be located within an Open Space zoning district, the Planning board shall, in addition to the criteria set forth in Section 10.43, find that there will be no substantial reduction in the recreational and/or open space use, excluding parking areas and roadways. Where the Board does find there will be a substantial reduction in the recreational and/or open space use the special permit shall be granted upon assurance by the City Manager that he will offset such reduction by increased recreational and/or open space uses at another location, subject to necessary appropriations.
55. The provisions of Article 5 and Article 6 of this Ordinance shall not apply to the construction or location of a municipal police or fire station.
57. Subject to the provisions of Section 22.70 .
58. Subject to the provisions of Section 11.800 , Cannabis Uses.
59. In Residence C-1, C-1A, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, and 3B Districts, certain Retail and Consumer Service Establishments identified in the Table of Use Regulations may be allowed by special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal, subject to the criteria set forth in Sections 10.43 and 10.43.1 of this Zoning Ordinance, if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) The proposed use is located within the Ground Story of a building;
(b) the use is proposed to occupy a space that was originally built for non-residential use and has been previously occupied by one or more non-residential uses in the past;
(c) the use is proposed to occupy a space that has not contained a residential use at any point within the two (2) years prior to application for a special permit;
(d) the special permit shall be valid only for the entity to which the special permit was issued, and shall not be transferrable to a new entity unless a new special permit is granted; and
(e) the special permit shall be valid for a time period of ten (10) years after its date of issuance, subject to reissuance upon application to the Board of Zoning Appeal at the end of that period, or the Board of Zoning Appeal in its discretion may set forth a longer or shorter time period in the conditions of the special permit decision based on the lease duration or other considerations.
60. A Craft Retail and Production Shop shall be permitted as-of-right in a BA, BA-1, BA-2, BA-3, or BA-4 District if it occupies no more than 2,500 square feet of Gross Floor Area, including storage areas, and does not involve the use of equipment that produces dust, fumes, odors, smoke, vapors, noise, vibration, flashing, light trespass, or glare outside of the premises.
61. No special permit is required for Temporary Outdoor Retail or Consumer Service Uses on municipal-owned land.
62. For development within the Central Square Overlay District, see Section 20.304.5.
63. Provided, however, that no more than two (2) Publicly-accessible, Privately-owned Electric Vehicle Charging systems shall be permitted on a lot.
64. Except as provided in Section 6.25 Flexible Parking Corridor Regulations.
65. Permitted as-of-right on a lot owned by the City of Cambridge.