In the late stages of a campaign, we're going to see misinformation, confusion, and attacks. So let me be absolutely clear that I remain staunchly pro-housing and that I continue to strongly support upzoning near transit. I’ve been out there all year talking about this in conversations with the community and the media, including an interview with WGBH yesterday and in the recent interview with The Boston Globe editorial board that led to them endorsing our campaign.

My thoughts on the potential Copper Mill proposal and development in general are exactly the same as they've been all along: the Copper Mill project as it stands has almost no details, no community benefits agreement, and only a verbal promise of a project labor agreement. And the development would only be at the minimum 20% affordable of inclusionary zoning. That’s why when asked to give a Yes/No response to that proposal or a similar proposal during the October 20 mayoral forum, I answered No.

It’s irresponsible to say Yes to something like that. That would be selling out the community. Developers have to earn that Yes with a worthy project that gets the support of the community. The Davis Square Neighborhood Council deserves the chance to negotiate a community benefits agreement. Until then, no public official should come out in support of a project like this because it would completely undermine the community and the public process.

I’ve been shown a flyer circulating by a group opposing the potential Copper Mill proposal that highlighted my No response in that debate. The flyer is not affiliated with my campaign in any way and it does not accurately reflect my views on current or future development in Davis Square. 

As I have said repeatedly this year, we need a completed Davis Square Commercial Area Plan, as it’s absolutely vital to have these strategic plans in place to avoid doing development on a haphazard, one-off basis. Finishing that Davis Square plan will be a priority for my administration so we can move forward with a holistic approach for making much better use of land at transit stations than one- and two-story buildings.

The City Council controls zoning. And as I told Somerville YIMBY last year when I met with them about their citywide upzoning proposal, there’s nowhere near the required level of council support for that approach to make that happen. I look forward to working closely with the City Council next term as Mayor to continue the transit-oriented upzoning work we’re currently doing in the Land Use Committee.

I remain the housing candidate in this race with concrete plans to create the kind of housing we need in Somerville: affordable housing of different sizes located close to transit.