Cambridge, MA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing instrument
- Zoning Ordinance, Table of Use Regulations
- District
- Open Space District
- Approval required
- Special Permit (Planning Board)
- Grouped uses
- Golf course, yacht club/marina, boat docks
- Review standard cited
- Section 4.25
- Ordinance supplement
- Supplement No. 8, January 2026
Summary
In Cambridge's Open Space District, boat docks are not allowed by right. The Zoning Ordinance's Table of Use Regulations permits them only as a Commercial Recreation use approved by Special Permit from the Planning Board, alongside golf courses and yacht clubs or marinas.
In an Open Space district the following Commercial Recreation uses only shall be permitted, by Special Permit: a golf course; yacht club or marina; boat docks, ticket offices and other support facilities for ferry services, boat rentals and boat cruises services. [Section 4.35i]
Full Breakdown
Cambridge's Open Space District sits along the Charles River and covers the city's parks, playgrounds, and riverfront open land, where waterfront commercial uses are tightly limited. 33a) carries a set of numbered notes that modify the base use table for specific districts, and Note 11 addresses the Open Space District directly. 35i. 35h) also allows a yacht, rowing, or similar recreational-boating club or association on a lake or river in the Open Space District, but only by special permit as well. 40 special permit standards before any dock use begins.
Outside the Open Space District, the Table of Use Regulations governs boat dock use through the district-specific entries in Article 4, so a waterfront parcel in a different zoning district is evaluated under that district's own use table rather than this Open Space note.
Violations & Fines
Operating or constructing a boat dock in the Open Space District without first securing the required Special Permit is an unpermitted use under the Table of Use Regulations. The Inspectional Services Department can issue a cease-and-desist or withhold occupancy/use approval for the site, and the Planning Board can deny or condition any after-the-fact special permit application. A denied or unpermitted commercial recreation use, including dock operation for boat rentals or cruise services, must cease until a permit is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a private boat dock in Cambridge's Open Space District?
Who approves a boat dock special permit in Cambridge?
Does this rule cover private residential boat docks outside the Open Space District?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
Compare Cambridge to another location·View the Massachusetts environmental rules overview
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