General Urban Cambridge Updates and Rumours

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"The maximum building height allowed under the zoning bylaw is 11 storeys, but the developer is proposing two apartment towers rising 24 and 30 storeys."

What's the point of a City spending the time and energy of its politicians, staff and citizens to create a zoning bylaw if the expectation is that anyone can come and propose to double (or in this case more) the proposed height just because they think that it is a good idea? Presumably politicians, staff and citizens supported the 11 storey limit for a good reason in the first place?

I've asked staff this question. The answer is apparently that the zoning is set very conservatively, because for anything that complies with it the city has basically no control over the project. Provincial law restricts what cities can zone for, and it excludes a lot of things they'd like control over.

However, when it's an exception to the zoning, then it's a negotiated agreement and the provincial restrictions don't matter. The city can't require a good looking building in zoning, but they can also say they won't change the zoning unless the building looks good.

I think it's generally dumb, as it creates a false expectation for neighbours. It also makes it far too easy for NIMBYs to oppose projects. I also think it incentivizes building crap, as it's generally easy to build boring generic suburban buildings under the zoning, while good urban buildings require a year long zone change process. 

Regardless of what I personally think though, the exception process is definitely intended to be used, and the storey limits shouldn't be thought of as what the city consider the maximum acceptable density.