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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
By Jack Connolly
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)
It’s been a little over six months since I’ve stepped down from over three decades of public service as the Ward Six Alderman and an Alderman at Large, having fallen victim to the “Our Revolution” ouster effort that knocked out to longtime native Somervilians, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston, Ward 3 Alderman Rob McWatters, as well as myself and East Somerville native-born Alderman At-Large Dennis Sullivan, off of the BOA.
The leftist political group and self-professed Socialist-leaning progressive Democrats group known as “Our Revolution” employed a masterful social media campaign in order to entice recent arrived millennials and left-over “Bernie Bros” to change the political landscape as it existed, and it worked, with five rookie aldermen elected.
As a result, the good ship Somerville has certainly taken a hard-course “left” out of the comfy confines of Massachusetts Bay, and appears to be heading for open and likely more troubling waters, as the City of Somerville craft appears to be steering towards more socialist shores.
After over three decades of achieved progress through the collective efforts of Mayors’ Ralph, Brune, Capuano, Gay, current Mayor Curtatone, and cooperative Boards of Aldermen, a largely rookie Board of Aldermen this year has divided the Somerville community much like the tough times of the 70’s, when rent control was in its heyday (now outlawed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), over the issue everybody’s talking about, the much ballyhooed “affordability” crisis.
The primary focus of this Board thus far has been to try to implement a transfer tax, that with the approval of the Commonwealth through a Home Rule Petition, would allow the city to impose a 1% tax on property sales, to be deposited into a city affiliated Affordable Housing Trust Fund with an as yet undefined structure or clear administration to handle the proceeds of this new tax.
Despite fierce opposition from Somerville taxpayers and property owners, a Home Rule Petition was recently passed by the Board of Alderman, signed by the mayor within minutes of adoption by the Board of Aldermen, and sent to the State House, where the proposal now lays dormant in a committee, likely to die a quiet death by the end of this current session on July 31.
In the meantime, many Somerville citizens wonder where the priorities of this Board and the city are, what with citywide zoning reform languishing in the Land Use Committee. This much-needed reform of the last revision in 1990, has been kicked to the curb to the dismay of city planning and zoning officials, who are valiantly trying to update and improve dated regulations much in need of significant improvements to conform to the goals of the city long-term planning document, SomerVision.
Also adding to the confusion is an attempt by the Board of Aldermen to craft changes in what is known as the Demolition Delay Ordinance. First crafted in the early 2000’s, a proposed building project that might require a structure being demolished would have to wait for a period of nine months, if the structure had some type of possible historical significance.
Reformers of the new draft that would replace the current older version maintained that the current ordinance was often manipulated by developers who would allow the nine months to expire, and then move forward with demolition. The new proposal would prevent demolition (and possible renovations) to occur for up to 24 months.
In a recent well-attended Public Hearing back on July 9, many questions and concerns were raised by property owners, bankers, real estate agents, and developers, and especially by Somerville Planning Director George Proakis.
As a result of detailed criticisms and concerns raised at this meeting, the replacement Demolition Delay Ordinance was delayed and left in the Legislative Matters Committee, where extensive and careful review is all but necessary. Nobody disagrees with the notion of preserving significant relevant and historical properties that should remain to be viewed by future generations and historians. The key question now is why wait until a property owner begins remodeling, or start renovations to determine historical significance?
Rather than be a reactive process, why not city and possible volunteer folks, maybe student interns, determine what buildings are significant now, to accompany those structures already designated? Just because a building is old doesn’t necessarily make it historic and in need of exterior preservation.
Somerville has been in existence for over 175 years as a city, and by this time it should be fairly easy for officials, administrators, and preservationists to determine the most historically significant properties in the city. After all, hundreds of homes and buildings have already been identified as stand-alone, or buildings in local historical districts.
Perhaps it’s time to look at the Somerville Historic Commission (now in existence for around three decades), and how it’s preservation identification efforts can be improved, such that property owners will be well-aware of the historical significance of their property prior to seeking renovation and/or demolition permits.
From my humble perspective, it certainly makes sense to discuss this issue and to deal directly with the much-needed citywide zoning procedure rewrite first, currently hibernating in a BOA committee. Will this be a priority this fall? Stay tuned.
Lastly, one of the most talked about major topics of Somerville community concern is the plan for a likely year-long closing of the Ball Square bridge on Broadway. Surely, a major inconvenience not only for vehicles, but also to the Ball Square day-to-day business economy. Where is the outrage of the city administration and the Board of Aldermen over this major disruption in daily life and commerce here in the city? Who is involved in this decision, and when? Are city officials, planners, and transportation folks involved in this decision? if not, why not? Will the City of Somerville’s officials have community meetings to inform residents and businesses of the alternate transportation plans?
Oh, by the way. don’t tell me it’s on the city website. Much broader circulation of information via traditional news media and cable television should be employed detailing this sure to be log jam for months to come, especially during the winter months.
Perhaps Mayor Joe should take the helm on the good ship Somerville, and do his best to pilot the ship away from the rising tide of dismay and distrust, looming dead ahead on a murky horizon voyage to socialist shores.
Born, raised, and lifetime resident of Somerville. St. Clement High School graduate; BA (Cum Laude) and M. Ed from Boston College; Attended Tufts Univ. and Harvard Univ. JFK School of Government; Licensed Insurance Broker and award-winning Small Business Owner (WCC Insurance Agency Inc.) 19 College Ave. Davis Sq. Somerville MA since 1996. Ward Six Alderman eleven terms 1984-2005, Alderman At-Large; 1 special election and five terms 2007-2017, and the distinction of being the longest serving Alderman in Somerville History.
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Bravo Jack! We miss you, Dennis, Bob and MaryAnn. Thank you for staying involved and holding this bunch accountable. All the momentum Somerville had just a short 8 months has sailed, now we have a divided community, which is truly sad. The 5 new BOA members are socialist wrapped in ignorance.
Jack, you did not “step down”-you were voted out of office by the voters. That’s democracy in action.
Thank you for these important reminders, Mr. Connolly . . . Reminders of why I didn’t cast any of my 4 At-Large votes for you.
Jack was of course “ousted” by voters, who don’t want him to be Alderman anymore, which I’d say is a pretty sure sign he doesn’t speak for the people who live in Somerville. The “property owners” he refers to in opposition to the Transfer Fee are of course also a minority faction – As such it’s no wonder an elected body won’t do their bidding. Obviously Jack will be running again next year. Let’s remember this editorial in which he promotes the interest of the landed minority over the will of the voters, as expressed at the ballot box.
Hey Jack, rather than gripe about the Broadway bridge closing, how about making some positive suggestions? Lots of other people are doing just that. I find it hard to believe you are complaining about a lack of publicity or information about the closing. Between the GLX community working group, the regular GLX community meetings, the emails/posts from GLX, from the city, and from our elected aldermen it’s hard not to know what is going on with the project. Check out the schedule of GLX tables over the next two months with info and people to answer questions – ArtBeat, Magoun Sq, SomerStreets, Ignite, Ball Sq, Riverfest, Rock & Roll Yard Sale, Fluff Festival and the Hip Hop Festival. Unless you’re living under a rock it’s hard to miss.
I sat through a lot of the testimony on the proposal to modify the historic preervation review process. The number of Somerville citizens testifying in favor and against was about equal. However, both were outnumbered by developers, real estate agents, real estate lawyers and investors from outside Somerville whose interests were clearly focused on how they can make the most money, not on the welfare of the community.
Democracy in action????? It was a slate that needed a visit from Bernie to get elected from our revolution that endorsed a guy who likes 12 year old booze and 12 year old women.
The Bernie Bros have it coming for them. I hope the ward 3 Alderman is prepared for the skeletons that are posing on the front steps ready to leap forward next election. 😉
It is so outrageously sweet and delightful for someone who was voted out of office claim that he stepped down! You will never be elected again, no matter how many meetings you whine at.
The community is divided thanks to the newbie BOA and their socialist views. They lack common sense leadership…for example, the transfer tax will increase rents. How is that going to help affordable housing? The Demolition Delay Ordinance will deter buyers, developers and contractors. Communication lines need to be improved. The current BOA members are sneaky and need to be monitored closely. How sad to see this great city is divided coming from a third generation lifelong resident.
The community is divided because of decades of political leadership that has allowed developers to suck massive profits out of our city while making it unaffordable for all but the most highly-paid and least-indebted to live here, work hard, and raise families. The hard work of organizations and candidates that motivated unprecedented voter turnout last year was an important step in strengthening our city’s democracy. For Jack Connolly and a couple of his friends on this comment thread, this is apparently a bad thing.
If 2017 was surprising to people, it shouldn’t have been: Candidates running on ideas that speak to the majority in Somerville left behind by our city’s developer-friendly leadership. Campaigns and organizations bursting with volunteers willing to do the hard work of talking to their neighbors about those candidates and ideas.
There is no economic study of the many transfer taxes implemented across the country and the world indicating that such taxes — at the low level proposed for Somerville — have any significant effect on rents. This tax also has no effect on Somerville homeowners. All are exempt. There is overwhelming evidence that such taxes provide resources for city governments to actually do something about a crisis of affordability.
Wow. These comments make it easy to see why the city is so divided. So sad that people can do nothing but denigrate someone who has worked hard for many years to make this city what it is today. Jack was a big part of making Davis Square the hip place you folks enjoy. How much work have you put in to make a positive impact in this city?
As it understand it, closing the various bridges gets us the Green Line sooner and on budget, though I care mostly about the sooner part. Seeing that I’ve been waiting two decades for the state to do this project, I’m not going to gripe now that they’re actually doing it. Bring it on, I’ll work around it.
What do you know about decades of past leadership? You’ve only been in Somerville for a cup of coffee. While Somerville was reinventing itself as a desirable place to live you had a silver spoon squarely planted in your privileged mouth while attending a 40k/yr private elementary day school in wealthy, white, Rockville, Md.
You no nothing about struggle, only what you’ve read in books. You’re a fraud with zero credibility.
Jack, you and Bob McWaters should run again. The Bernie bros will all stay home since Bernie won’t be on the ticket and weed is legal now. Run an old style campaign, incorporate some new digital media and let these new BOA members … just be themselves. You guys will stomp them.
I will miss a few of them as this new BOA is pure comedy gold. Seriously, Will Mbah? LOL. Good guy to drink a few with, but I wouldn’t trust him to paint my barn. He has no clue. Has he yet figured out where the hopper is in the BOA chambers? Same with Ben Ewen-Campen and JT Scott. Clueless.
People are starting to see that the our revolution gang is a bunch of entitled, snot-nosed rich kids trying to live some bohemian dream here in Somerville. A bigger bunch of morons will not be found anywhere (maybe… Sf and Oregon).
I did say that transfer tax would die at the state level, so the question is “Why did the BOA waste taxpayer’s money and time for an initiative that had no chance of passing.” It was probably the most divisive issue in a generation – since rent control. These clowns are too young/dumb to remember how bad rent control was, but that is their ultimate goal. The only good thing we got out of it is that we had some serious nitwits come flying out of the socialist closet to make complete fools of themselves, Now we know who they are and where they stand, but sadly some of them have managed to snake their way into positions of influence.
And mayor Joe is useless. We all knows he’s crooked as a barrel of snakes, but to completely hand over control of the city to this socialist bunch? Even I didn’t think he was that low.
Citizen Connolly seems unable to grasp that the view of the populace could have diverged from his own – perhaps that’s why they voted him out of office this last cycle.
He seems impressively unconcerned with the fact that public support (from the entire community, not his echo chamber) was significantly in favor of the transfer fee. All our Aldermen voted in favor of it, and our full state house delegation supports it.
An interesting question would be why, when the populace and elected officials are in favor of this, has he, as he openly admitted at the public testimony, lobbied other district’s representatives to kill the transfer fee? It seems Citizen Connolly only likes democracy when it lines up with his personal beliefs.
This is some awful sour grapes, right here. I regret voting for you, Jack.
I support the transfer tax. Our community is changing rapidly from a resident community to a transient one. The tax is minimal and would somewhat limit aggression by developers and ‘flippers’ who erode neighborhood fabric. We get offers to buy our house for cash about once a week and I am sure the plan would be to demolish our home and fill up the garden with a whopping condo building, then sell it off. No more garden or trees. By the way Somerville needs to require more space for planter boxes, benches, greenery and the like instead of these bloated buildings that make you feel like they’re pushing you off the sidewalk into the streets.
I agree that picking up the zoning overhaul should be a top priority in the fall. That’s the only thing that Jack Connolly and I appear to agree on.