North Walden Neighbors is a group of Cambridge residents who advocate study of the safety of the Walden St/Mass Ave intersection, reduction in size of the proposed building at 2072 Mass Ave, and inclusion of setbacks for the project.
This website was created by a member of North Walden Neighbors to inform the community about the proposed 2072 Mass Ave construction project and to request signatures for the NWN safety petition.
Building Site
The location of the proposed construction is at the intersection of Walden St and Mass Ave in North Cambridge. Since 2010, this site has been occupied by the Darul Kabab restaurant and its parking lot.
The restaurant and its parking area are outlined in red in the photograph below; the total size of the small lot is 8,514 square feet. The footprint of the proposed building would cover nearly all of the outlined area.
The building to the left of the proposed site, at 2050 Mass Ave, includes the Russell Apartments (affordable housing for senior and disabled residents) and the North Cambridge Senior Center (a learning and recreational facility).
Building Proposal
At the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) meeting on Dec. 10, 2020, the for-profit developers presented their proposal to construct a 9/6-story building containing 49 affordable housing units, with 1 elevator, for 150-200 residents. Parking was restricted to 3 automobile spaces and 51 bicycle spaces. The proposal contained a request for many waivers to Cambridge zoning regulations and codes.
The BZA did not grant approval and asked the developers for a reduced version of the project. After two continuances requested by the developers, the presentation of the slightly revised project to the BZA occurred on May 20. The BZA again did not vote approval, asking for a further reduction in height of the proposed building; see the Updates section for details.
Safety Considerations
Traffic congestion and safety near the intersection of Walden St and Mass Ave have been problematic for years, mainly because Walden St is a busy cross-Cambridge route that splits into three narrow lanes at the Mass Ave end. (The restaurant at the site generates minimal vehicular traffic.)
For an indication of longtime community concerns about public safety at this location, see these SeeClickFix registered complaints from neighbors and commuters.
See also the City of Cambridge report on neighborhood complaints about dangerous congestion on Mead/Cogswell.
A comprehensive, valid study should be conducted of this problematic intersection in order to assess the effect on traffic flow and safety from the additional movement of 150-200 residents and their guests. It is questionable that the slight widening of Walden St proposed by the developers and the City would offset the added congestion and alleviate safety problems at the site for prospective residents and their visitors, for neighbors, and for commuters.
NWN and 2072 Mass Ave 