Dear Mark (cc Attorney Shapiro, Attorney Rosen, and The Somerville News Weekly),
Just before you hung up on me (you have quite a temper), you indicated that you were not inclined to change the date of the Deceptive Demolition Review Ordinance…..but that you were going to talk to some others about it before deciding the matter.
You indicated that you did not want to change the date because you “want to get it done.”
I said it has not been a transparent process, and you said it has been. And I said it is deceptively named, so people don’t know what it is at all, so it can’t be transparent.
It is clear that you greatly desire this ordinance to pass before we can organize against it.
That is pretty shady of you….since it blocks the political process.
First you misname it, and then you rush it through? Shameful.
Please respond to me with your decision to postpone or not at your earliest convenience.
Please also be aware that we will fight this in the courts if needed…..Joel and David know each other well at this point….and neither needs the extra work.
It seems entirely reasonable to just postpone it, and let people have the opportunity to organize their voice…..is that so unreasonable?
Disappointed in your unprofessional and perhaps illegal behavior,
Mouhab Z. Rizkallah
Seriously, you would think an investigative reporter would be interested in this story of what’s happening here in Somerville. All these initiatives designed to give the city control over peoples personal property. The transfer tax, downzoning to devalue peoples property, and the tenants right with the suspicious ‘right-to-assign’ – this is a strategic plan designed to give the Housing Trust Fund a back door to purchase multi-family housing and at a discounted price. Downzoning is a ‘taking’ of property without notification. The property owners affected by this new zoning are unaware and the city refuses to notify the people who own property about the devastating effect on the value of their property. The City does not have the interests of renters at the forefront as ‘taking’ property to transfer it into affordable unit will deprive the general renting public of inventory. The downzoning – eliminating hundreds and more likely thousands of rental units that could be built by right, combined with the city’s strategic ‘backdoor’ plan to get their hands on multifamilies – and for a lower price after they downzone – both of these methodology damage rental inventory for the general public. By eliminating units that could be built, built quickly and more cheaply than having the expense of first purchasing land, and by transferring existing units into ‘affordable’ units. I plan to reach out to reporters – these initiatives are monumentable in their purpose and effects on property owners – and the City refuses to do even one direct mail explaining what these proposals mean for property and property rights.