Councillor Marjorie C. Decker said at last night’s meeting that she would always be “suspicious of the University’s motives,” but she said the deal in Riverside was an encouraging sign.

“This has given me hope that there is an opportunity to do more work. We are laying the seeds of trust here,” she said, addressing Harvard’s representatives. “You have given me hope that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced working [with you].”

Decker and Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio took an active role in meeting with residents in recent weeks, and Galluccio said they played the role of the “bullpen coming in to give it a little push.”

Before the vote last night, each of the councillors thanked the residents, their colleagues and the city’s legal and community development staff for their long hours putting together the deal, and several of them thanked Harvard officials for coming to the table.

Calling it a “historic day in Cambridge,” Maher said the final deal reflected the earlier concerns that the neighbors had raised about Harvard’s development.

“This petition that we’re voting tonight really has gone a long way to address many, many of the issues we have heard,” he said.

“We should savor the victory,” said Mayor Michael A. Sullivan.

Timeline: A Tale of Three Zoning Petitions

Early 2000: The University unveils plans to build a new modern art museum on the site along the Charles River currently occupied by Mahoney’s Garden Center. The neighborhood residents strongly oppose this idea. At the time, the site’s zoning allowed buildings of up to 120 feet tall.

Fall of 2000: The residents obtain a building moratorium from the City Council to block all construction in the area. The city manager appoints the Riverside Study Committee, made up of residents and a representative from Harvard, to create a new zoning plan for the entire neighborhood.

Spring 2002: The study committee wraps up its work, deciding to cut the maximum allowed height for buildings on the Mahoney’s site from 120 feet to 24 feet.

Summer 2002: The Planning Board begins its review of the study committee’s results. Neighbors say they fear the board will undo their work.

September 2002: In a effort to circumvent the planning board’s version, the study committee submites its zoning petition—dubbed the Carlson petition after its first signger, Cob Carlson—directly to the City Council.

January 2003: The city planning board submits an alternate petition allowing heights of up to 45 feet and leaving room for the University to obtain special permits for taller buildings.

June 2003: Both petitions expire and are re-filed with the Ordinance Committee, requiring another round of public hearings.