Conservation districts do not give automatic standing to non-profit groups to appeal decisions, making it more likely to be approved by the council.

There are currently three conservation districts in Cambridge--in Mid- Cambridge, Half Crown and Avon Hill.

Councilor David P. Maher said the re-wording was necessary because a historic district did not appear to have the needed votes for approval.

"There was a feeling that there was not the support for an historic district, and before shelving the entire proposal, they would take a look at this aspect of it, and report back," Maher said.

But the re-filing confused councilor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, who said not enough was known about the idea of a conservation district to consider the idea. He criticized City Manager Robert W. Healy, who he said was unable to answer questions about the matter.

"What is this all about?" Reeves said. "We had a proposal for an historic district. We could have voted on it. We're apparently not voting. Now there's this apparent ghost of the neighborhood conservation possibility."

"It's unclear to me what it is, and with the responses given here, it seems to be a mystery to the city manager too," he added.