Build the new Union Square for the people
A commentary by Matthew McLaughlin

(The commentaries of The Somerville News do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

City officials unveiled an artists rendition of their hopes for the future of Union Square during a Nov. 20 community meeting.  The picture featured tall condominiums and characters straight from an episode of ‚ÄúFriends,‚Äù that were slightly transparent, to symbolize what the square can be.
If the smiling see-through faces were meant to display the spirit of things to come, why am I the one who feels like a ghost?

   Perhaps it is because of the past two meetings where the grand architects of the new Union Square tried to downplay the demands for affordable housing in the city‚Äôs beloved cash cow.  My fellow members of Save Our Somerville listened as speakers praised the positive impacts of gentrification and downplayed the role affordable housing should have in preserving the culture that made Union Square great to begin with.
   When the meeting was finally opened to the floor, the moderator attempted to avoid questions from fellow SOS member Yann Kumin.  They could not, however, ignore the dozens of hands that raised united to demand that Yann be heard.
   Yann received a rousing applause for his demands that affordable housing be a major consideration for the square ‚Äúrevitalization.‚Äù But while people agreed and
officials shook hands, nothing changed.  There was no acknowledgment that current Somerville residents will not be able to afford to live in the new square.
   There was no promise to take anything into consideration.  All we received was a patronizing smile and a nod while officials prayed they could get through the re-zoning process without dealing with the masses.
   I‚Äôm over 1,000 miles away and I can hear the whispers already: ‚ÄúThey fear change.  They don‚Äôt realize what a great benefit this will be for the city.  Why don‚Äôt
they just step aside and let us work?”
   It isn‚Äôt change we fear.  We realize what a benefit rebuilding the square can be. But who will benefit from this change?  It won‚Äôt be the working class families of Somerville who will never be able to afford to live in the luxurious apartments.  My friends and I won‚Äôt benefit from the Green Line extension when we are living in Fitchburg.
   A lot of people stand to profit from this development. All we ask is they consider the people they will profit off of.  Current zoning requires developers to set aside 12 percent of their apartments for affordable housing.  We simply ask they bump it up to 15 percent.  We could make a lot of unreasonable demands to turn back the hands of time, but all we want is for the city to preserve what little we already have.
   There are two things politicians understand: dollars and people.  We don‚Äôt have the dollars, so we are calling on everyone who cares about the way our city is heading to join us at city hall for the Board of Aldermen‚Äôs meeting Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.  and demand that the city stop ignoring the people that made this city great.  We are not ghosts yet.

Matthew McLaughlin is a lifelong Somerville resident and president of Save Our Somerville, a non-profit organization.  He is currently deployed to Iraq with the United States Army.