Cambridge’s Resiliency Program could be headed toward a significant redesign after a public hearing brought objections to portions of the current plan and City Council members pressed for alternatives. The council voted 5-0 to extend the FEMA hazard-mitigation grant period through August 2028, preserving the city’s opportunity to pursue up to $16 million in federal funding while making clear that the vote did not approve the existing design.
Grants Coordinator Tara Felts said the extension “does not constitute an opinion or decision on project design, scope, construction, property owner participation, or any other aspect of flood resiliency.” Ward 1 Commissioner Brett Summers then pushed for BayLand Consultants & Designers to develop an alternative, saying, “We can’t just keep going down the same road.”
City Manager Glenn Steckman said additional design work could cost roughly $100,000 for BayLand alone, while the city currently has only five signatures from approximately 15 or 16 affected property owners. Ward 2 Commissioner Shay Lewis-Sisco said the next presentation should reflect concerns raised by council members and the public: “When this comes back, we’re not being presented the same exact information.”
The city is also working against a tight schedule. Felts said permitting and FEMA review could take six to nine months, with December discussed as a practical target for settling on a design that could still be completed before the grant expires in August 2028.
Utility bills could rise
Cambridge residents could see monthly water and sewer bills rise by roughly $5 to $10 within the next six months. The issue came up after Ward 1 resident Shanae Ramsey asked when previously discussed increases might take effect, prompting Steckman to warn residents to prepare for higher bills.
“I would be prepared for anywhere between a five and ten dollar a month increase in your water and sewer bill, probably in the next six months,” Steckman said. He also said portions of the city’s stormwater system are undersized and that at least three locations apparently still combine stormwater and wastewater in a single pipe.
Sign ordinance raises Blue Ruin issue
The council also reviewed a major rewrite of Cambridge’s sign ordinance, which Planning Director Bryan Herman said needs to be updated to meet newer legal standards requiring content-neutral sign regulations. The proposal would prohibit new billboards, reduce allowable window and door sign coverage and move many routine approvals to administrative review.
The discussion returned to the earlier Blue Ruin mural/sign dispute, with council members questioning how the new ordinance would distinguish between murals, business logos and commercial signage. Herman acknowledged that portions of the proposed language may need refinement before the ordinance returns to the council.
Watch the full meeting here