 PART THREE -- Strawberry Fields Forever We see another fine new YIMBY example in the western part of the city in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood. Cushing StreetA property that was practically screaming off realtor websites on February 18 and 19, 2025 was a Strawberry Hill property on Cushing Street, advertised boldly as: ” strategically located to take full advantage of recent zoning changes…. this property offers tremendous potential for redevelopment, including the option to build two luxury townhomes, each featuring off-street parking and approximately 3,500-4,000 sq. ft. of living space. With an estimated sellout of $6M based on comparable sales… this is an extraordinary investment opportunity. Alternatively, by-right zoning allows for the construction of 4-6 units, making it a prime buy-and-hold asset. For those looking to capitalize on the increased land value.” (emphasis added). The listing price for this duplex now under construction is a whopping $2, 649,900. In short it is in the ball park of the many $2.5 million NEW, SPOTLESS, READY-TO-GO luxury homes now going up around the city. There is no doubt about it, the selling point for this Cushing Street property, which was built 100 years ago in 1925, is that someone with sizable financial means will be able to make a significant profit. It sits on a 5,000+ SF lot and has 6 bedrooms and 2 baths. The listing of this property on February 18, 2025 makes this clear: As of 3:45 PM on February 19, 2025, the day it was posted, the Reddit site listing had been viewed by nearly 2,000 people. It was listed on February 18 by the real estate agent for a whopping $2,649,900. At 5,000+ SF, this new Cushing Street project could go to 6 stories in height, provided it includes 10 or more units (20% of which would be inclusionary/affordable). Yet none of these new homes will be affordable. The realtor suggests this might be a 4 or 6 unit structure if an investor wanted this. In short these will be luxury units, likely to go for $2 million or more. None would be affordable to Cambridge librarians, police officers, or public school teachers. Lots of people have eyes on this property, whether as serious prospective buyers, as simply as gawkers. The realtor who posted the property and both its price and interest to for wealthy investors captured the interest clearly.  This property, currently a duplex, is located in the once moderate-income area of Strawberry Hill, the neighborhood to the far west of the city named, perhaps for the large number of wild strawberries that once grew here. Strawberry Hill has many deep yards, and is one of the neighborhoods most at risk in this YIMBY up-zoning, in danger of demolitions to create even larger single family homes, duplexes and condos.  What are the plans for this property? Time will tell. But quite possibly it will be taken down and instead an even larger VERY EXPENSIVE home (or homes) will replace it, perhaps a duplex or even an investors' dream 4-6 unit luxury condos.  Since this duplex is already owned by a developer/investment team, it looks as if they may be looking at another developer or investor team to take the next step, cognizant of what new potentials the recent up-zoning offers. The realtor who posted this property had no reason to believe this would include any "affordable units" - in short, it would not go close to the 10 units needed to require inclusionary. What we do know however is that there will be no design oversight and no means of legal appeal if things go terribly wrong. It is a good thing, however, that the owners of this development property also are local. One is a Marketing Director for a company that seeks to scale-up companies, with innovative deal structures, investment and tax strategies. The other is a real estate attorney with a global technology focus, who is highly skilled in global mobility, international corporate law, compliance, risk management. We wish the current owners well in selecting a new owner to create one or more new beautiful home(s) here, and hope that the new owners who will move into this wonderful neighborhood and be participants in it. 31 Thingalla Avenue (newly listed February 26, 2025)This is a two family home listed for $2,495,000 and intended for an investor, here suggesting two luxury condos in place of the current 1928 two family home. It was last sold in 1996 and the current assessed value is $1,337,500.  As the ad on Zillow indicates: "Exciting Investment and Development Opportunity in the Strawberry Hill area of Cambridge! Discover the potential of this prime location currently designed to build two luxury townhouses, each boasting over 2,400 sq ft of living space. These townhouses present an unparalleled chance to capitalize on the thriving market for high-end residential properties in Cambridge. Moreover, recent zoning changes unlock an array of possibilities, presenting the opportunity for innovative redevelopment and potential expansion into additional housing units. This is the perfect time to invest in the future of Strawberry Hill and shape the neighborhood's landscape with your unique vision. Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity to create something extraordinary!"  There are a number of row houses along with other duplexes in this neighborhood, but it most likely will not be refashioned into a larger project with 10+ units (along with 20% inclusionary ones). STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER On Sunday, February 23, 2025 Boston Globe posted a "bold call" for action by their YIMBY housing proponent and staff writer, Andrew Brinker. In this article titled “A bold call on housing to end the single-family” Boston Globe staff reporter, Andrew Brinker addresses the Ma. state commission on housing production as it targets single-family housing and other sweeping reforms. The title is a rather strange by weirdly appropriate one, since the commission’s interest would appear to NOT be to “end the single-family” as the title explicitly states, but rather change single family zoning regulations state wide. Alas this proposal (and Cambridge's new ordinance, will indeed increase difficulties single-families themselves may have staying together, with two partners and their children living together in the same place in a home that is affordable and in viable commutable distance from their respective work sites. We get that editorial errors sometimes happen, even on the Sunday edition above the fold title, but this is about more than that one mistake, or even the "Brain freeze?" that portends a disastrous near future for Cambridge and the Boston area in terms of new federal policies that will hit our city especially hard because of the importance of science money and federal workers her. The "Brain freeze?"commentary by Shirley Leung is an especially important and timely one to read now. And it is important to support local journalism, and at least some of what passes for thoughtful writing.  In this article on the state commission recommendations, Brinker cites "...a statement responding to the commission’s recommendations, the Massachusetts Municipal Association said it “would have significant concerns about many of the proposals.” We agree with them, but generally not for the same reasons. What we are seeing in Cambridge is the sizable impacts of this zoning ordinance increasing the costs of housing even further, and pushing even more properties into the real of unattainable for any but the most affluent residents and outside investors. "The proposed tying more municipal funding - like school and highway funds - to state housing goals so that 'communities will have stronger incentives to adopt pro-housing initiatives" is even more appalling in light of what is happening here, and the ways in which our housing policies (both luxury-market rate and "affordable") are pushing us into a set of increasingly segregated public schools in the city. The state commission also points to ending parking minimums as was done in Cambridge, without any seeming understanding that without a viable, inexpensive and sustained public housing transportation system here and throughout the state, some city and state residents no longer will be able to get to work, go to the doctors, or pick up groceries. We have found that decreasing parking minimums have only a minimal impact on the actual reduction of parking spaces, since as every market rate housing developer knows it is far easier (and more lucrative) to sell housing if there is on site parking as part of the project. Brinker then goes on to quote, and also to highlight visually the words of commission member, Jesse Kanson-Benanov, who happens to be a former Cambridge resident, a co-founder of the pro-developer political group, A Better Cambridge, and Executive Director of the pro-housing development group (Abundant Housing) on which Cambridge Councillor Burhan Azeem sits on the Board.  Far more soul-searching indeed indeed is in order, as well as fact based analyses. But pro-YIMBY groups in their celebration over Cambridge's great success, and the Globe editorial board and staff writer Andrew Brinker should step back and do real reporting on what the hard rightwing, libertarian, neo-liberal "move fast and break it YIMBY mentality has already started to do in Cambridge. The lyrics of the famous Beatle Song, Strawberry Fields Forever, alas are under copyright. But let is be said that they refer to a place where "nothing is real" and there is nothing to be hung up about, "...living is easy with eyes closed/Misunderstanding is all you see." For good measure here is a link to the Beatles Strawberry Fields video HERE The whole is sounding very much to us like YIMBY Cambridge (and Massachusetts' Commission") perspectives on adding more, far larger and more expensive luxury housing.  Beatles from Promotional video. Fair Use. Creative Commons Note: Updated to include a discussion of the Feb 23, 2025 Boston Globe article by staff writer Andrew Brinker along with an engagement with the Beatles' hit by this name. READ PART FOUR -- HERE
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