It’s almost as if the developer is deliberately picking a fight with neighbors. In what Cambridge Day is describing as the first development controversy following the city’s adoption of a landmark housing reform measure, a developer is proposing to knock down an existing four-unit brick structure and replace it with a more modern, six-story, 29-unit housing building in the middle of an historic area of the city. … No surprise, neighbors aren’t happy. … And I can’t believe I’m going to side with the NIMBYs yet again, but here goes: I’m siding with the NIMBYs on this one. I really like the fact that the city is trying to sweep away zoning rules that were deliberately designed to make new housing construction almost impossible. The city’s recently passed zoning rule is clearly a good-intentioned effort at such reform. But the city went overboard by allowing four- to six-story multifamily housing buildings to be constructed as a right in all residential areas. It was almost inviting controversy, particularly in historic neighborhoods. And now there’s indeed controversy, right out of the reform starting gate. …

What to do? I’m not quite sure. But leaving a flawed reform in place is just asking for trouble. Maybe tweak the law to allow only three-story structures by right? Prohibit tear-downs in some circumstances? … Housing reformers need to find more of a common-sense balance moving forward. They can’t cave to NIMBYs, but they can’t entirely ignore them either.

Btw: Below is a Google Street View photo of the existing four-unit residential building at 60 Ellery Street in Cambridge that a developer wants to replace with a six-story, 29-unit housing building. As you can see, it’s a somewhat handsome building. Does it make sense to tear down an already existing multifamily structure in the name of new housing? Is this what the new law is about?