BZA Case No. 1225403 Mount Auburn Street Hotel Variance
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.
- What: a variance petition by 17 Story LLC to reduce front yard setbacks along Mount Auburn Street and Story Street and to increase commercial side setbacks on the first three floors, to normalize the footprint of an allowed hotel use in the building.
- Where it stands: continued on 2026-10-15 to November 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. The presentation and public comment were heard at an earlier hearing; the board was ready to deliberate.
- Next: the petitioner asked for the continuance to return with a clearer visual presentation answering questions the board sent on the Friday before the meeting.
The continuance
- The petitioner's representative said a list of requested modifications and clarifications arrived the previous Friday and the holiday weekend cut into the design team's time.
- All five members present agreed to November 19: Wendy Leiserson, Virginia Keesler, Daniel Hidalgo, Miranda Cecil (alternate, per the roll call) and Steven Ng.
- Conditions: change the posted sign to the new date and time; sign a waiver of the statutory hearing deadline and return it to Inspectional Services (failure means an adverse ruling by default); file any new drawings or statements by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the hearing.
Sources
- 2026-10-15 - Board of Zoning Appeal BZA Agenda (video and transcript)
- City agenda portal: https://cambridgema.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingId=2858
Discussion time
About 5 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 - Board of Zoning Appeal BZA Agenda | 5 |
Log
- 2026-09-22 - Planning Board Meeting - Planning Board discussed the variance ahead of the BZA hearing, was more comfortable with the Mount Auburn Street change but raised concerns about the narrow Story Street sidewalk, and voted 5-0 to send comments to the BZA on urban design and public realm.
- 2026-10-15 - Board of Zoning Appeal BZA Agenda - Continued to November 19, 2026 at the petitioner's request, with the standard sign, waiver and filing-deadline conditions.
- 2026-09-24 - Board of Zoning Appeal - Heard with support from abutters and the Harriet Jacobs Legacy Committee and opposition from the Harvard Square Neighborhood Association; the applicant's attorney asked to withdraw, but the board continued the case 5-0 to October 15, 2026.
- 2026-09-10 - Board of Zoning Appeal - Petitioner requested a continuance to first present to the Harvard Square Advisory Committee; the board continued the case 5-0 to September 24, 2026 with the standard conditions.