LAWRENCE ADKINS, president of the Riverside Neighborhood Association, addresses the City Council last night, just before the council struck a deal with Harvard.

The Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted a landmark agreement between Harvard and the city over the University’s development of the Riverside neighborhood last night, receiving a standing ovation from a group of residents and accolades from Harvard officials.

Although some residents said they felt rushed during the marathon last-minute negotiations, they largely threw their support behind the plan last night and expressed hope that it would signal the start of better relations between Harvard and a neighborhood that has historically fought the University’s expansion.

“I do see this as setting a precedent,” said resident Alan Joslin. “We hope we can keep a dialogue open so the fragile trust that we’re hoping can be brought from this agreement can be maintained.”

According to the terms of the agreement, several Harvard-owned properties in Riverside—the neighborhood along the Charles that extends from Harvard Square to Central Square—will be placed under new zoning regulations that will allow the University to construct taller buildings than residents had originally wanted.

In return, the neighborhood will receive benefits worth about $15 million, including a 34,000-square foot public park along the river, 30-34 units of affordable housing for city residents, and a $50,000 donation to community organizations.

“It has been a long and winding road, but I think the destination we’ve arrived at is one we can all be proud of,” said City Councillor Brian P. Murphy ’86-’87, one of the leaders of the negotiations with Harvard.

Kathy A. Spiegelman, the University’s top planner, said the agreement would allow Harvard to meet its goal of constructing housing for graduate students and faculty in the neighborhood.

“The team from Harvard feels very good about it,” Spiegelman said after the meeting. “We’re very proud of the package.”

The council’s vote came after a two-hour recess of their regular council meeting, as Riverside residents met behind closed doors with councillors to discuss the agreement while Harvard officials huddled in the hallway.

The councillors were under time pressure to hammer out the fine points of the deal before tomorrow night, the expiration date of a neighborhood-developed rezoning petition for the Riverside area.

The neighborhood’s petition, known as the Carlson petition, would have set stringent height limits on Harvard’s property, and Councillors Murphy and David P. Maher frequently met with Harvard officials this fall to try to strike an alternative deal.

According to Murphy, going to the negotiating table with Harvard made it possible for the community to receive benefits from the University—including the park and affordable housing—that zoning alone could not have provided.

After spending the entirety of yesterday working on the agreement, several residents told the council during public comment period that they felt it was a good compromise.

“We’ve got something to feel good about today. We have struck the best deal possible,” said Lawrence Adkins, president of the Riverside Neighborhood Association, adding that he felt positive “even though I’ve been here since 8 a.m. this morning and I’m sure I look like it.”

The broad outline of the agreement is similar to a draft the community received last Thursday.