According to Murphy, items on the table include building height, use and density as well as affordable housing.

City Councillor Henrietta Davis, a member of the Ordinance Committee, said she would like to see at least part of the Mahoney’s site used for open space.

“It’s pretty clear to me that’s going to have to be part of a successful agreement,” she said after the hearing.

Carlson said he would support several alternatives, including keeping Mahoney’s on the site, using the land for a neighborhood park, or building a one or two story housing development.

He added that if Harvard showed a willingness to compromise, it would go a long way towards creating good will in the neighborhood.

“It could really do wonders for town-gown relations,” he said.

—Staff writer Jessica R. Rubin-Wills can be reached at rubinwil@fas.harvard.edu.