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Mike Gintz submitting comments re: #202853, Union Sq zoning.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
I'm sure you're getting a lot of mail today so I'll try to make this brief.
My name is Mike Gintz and I've been living in Somerville, in the Union Square area for 12 years - I'm now a homeowner in Ward 2, on Park Place, and I love being here.
In my time in Somerville, I've seen a lot of change in Union Square as gentrification has reshaped our community. The development currently under consideration could be the booster rockets of gentrification if it's not managed carefully. A few points on that issue:
1) The process has not been adequately democratic.
The SRA who approved the MLDA to US2 was an appointed body, not an elected one. Their votes are not the votes of the public.
2) US2, the developer, has not acted in good faith so far.
They claim to have taken community input but they characterize all requests for a CBA as a demand for a "separate agreement... that excludes the other groups in the neighborhood and the constituencies that they represent." I'm using their words there. I'm not a member of Union United, but I know this is untrue. The CBA that Union United (and their partners) have been working towards is one that takes its cues from an elected body called a Neighborhood Council that is currently forming and that is not exclusive to Union United. Representing it this way is inaccurate at best and intentionally misleading at worst.
In addition, US2 "astroturfed" at least one Somerville meeting - the MLDA hearing. What this means is that they brought in people who don't live in Somerville to wear buttons and speak as proponents of US2's plans. They did this intentionally and strategically to take seats and voice away from Somerville residents. Evidence confirms this - direct reports by people who were there, and emails from US2's business partners recruiting non-Somerville residents to the cause.
This is the group that now asks us to pass zoning and rely on their good faith, already established to be lacking, in a still-to-be-negotiated CBA that they've only committed 3.7 million dollars over 30 years to funding.
3) You can be pro-development and still object to the way this project is going.
Proponents of this project have tried to claim that people who aren't pleased with this process so far are anti-development. That's not true. I want more development. Everybody I've ever spoken to on both sides of this issue sees the tremendous opportunity in Union Square and wants to make something special happen. But some people want to make it happen without caring for the community that already lives there.
4) Zoning seems to be the only roadblock that could prevent US2 from steamrolling an already vibrant community.
The only arguments I've heard in favor of passing the zoning now revolve around a "if we don't do this, they'll walk" fear. I'm not sure where that fear comes from. Somerville is an awesome place to be. Developers want to be here. US2 stands to make untold sums of money from this project. Why are we so scared that they'll run away if we demand that they negotiate a proactive agreement with the community they are poised to disrupt?
I don't want a for-profit developer to hold my city hostage and to make my elected representatives dance to their tune via threats, subterfuge, and unethical behavior. That's not partnership and that certainly doesn't bode well for how negotiations with US2 would go once they've already gotten everything they want and aren't bound to any commitment.
At today's zoning vote, I hope you'll stand up for Union Square residents and demand that US2 truly, genuinely engage with our community before they get to push their massive project forward.
Thank you very much.
-Mike Gintz