Lubavitch has said it needs more space to serve its growing congregation; it now must serve some meals to members - part of its religious ceremonies - in a tent outdoors even in winter.
The approval reversing the previous decision was also part of the settlement, city officials said. The complete agreement between Lubavitch and the city has not been made public, though pieces such as the $540,000 payment are dribbling out. City spokesperson Jeremy Warnick said Thursday the settlement won’t be disclosed until it is "final," and that won’t happen until Lubavitch wins a building permit for its project.
Earlier, Yehudah Buchweitz, a lawyer for Lubavitch, also said the agreement isn’t final and Cambridge must do "several things" in the "coming months" before it is complete. He wouldn’t say what the city must do except that enough meetings must be scheduled to act on a separate zoning ordinance amendment filed by Lubavitch that would exempt all religious organizations in Cambridge from many space, density, height and other zoning restrictions, similar to what the city’s groundbreaking multifamily housing ordinance did for homebuilding.