Cambridge Council Swears in Leadership

The swearing-in of new leadership and debate over development plans in the nearby Silver Maple Forest brought both celebration and contention to last night’s Cambridge City Council meeting.

Following the resignation of Vice Mayor Brian P. Murphy ’86-’87 last month, Larry Ward was chosen to fill the vacancy on the council. Councillor Sam Seidel was elected by unanimous vote of the Council—though one councillor was not in attendance—to take over as Vice-Mayor at last night’s meeting.

Both were then given the oath of office by City Clerk led by Margaret Drury.

After the ceremonies, many Cambridge residents remained to debate plans for development in the Silver Maple Forest in neighboring Belmont, what residents referred to as one of the few remaining open spaces in an urban environment.

The plans would sanction the construction of a 40B residential housing complex, intended to provide “low or moderate income” housing. Residents at the meeting said that the affected communities—Belmont, Arlington, and Cambridge—might see more harm than good come of the proposed development.

They cited potential environmental and public health concerns as reasons for the Council to pass a resolution that would put a hold on any permits requested by the developer, Pennsylvania-based O’Neill Properties.

Building on the small river floodplain forest could exacerbate the existing drainage and flooding problems of the area, said Terre Greene, an environmental health specialist from John Snow Consulting in Boston.

The flooding and contaminated water exposure would put residents at risk for mold, mildew and pest problems, which could trigger asthma and other respiratory problems, he said.

“It is a difficult issue,” Seidel said, explaining that the Council would have limited influence in the matter. “Although the project has serious implications for Cambridge, it is fundamentally a Belmont decision.”

Councilor Craig A. Kelley proposed two amendments to the resolution in an effort to secure some Cambridge input in the matter.

He requested a joint meeting of the Cambridge and Belmont Conservation Committees—which will assess the project from an environmental perspective—and called for the Belmont City Manager to report back to the City Council on any decisions on the issue.

—Staff writer Danella H. Debel can be reached at debel@fas.harvard.edu.