Councilors Reintroduce Linkage

Just when real estate developers thought it was safe to build on the sreets of Cambridge again, the City Council announced its intention last night to file a new inclusionary zoning ordinance within the next three months.

Proposals for inclusionary zoning--which would require major real estate developers in the city to provide affordable housing with each construction project--circulated in Cambridge for almost one year before falling victim to a legislative death on March 4.

Twenty percent of Cambridge's landowners, including Harvard and MIT, signed a petition in opposition to the so-called linkage proposals, which eventually brought about the measure's defeat.

Responding to developers' criticism that they were not involved in formulating the original proposals, City Councilors Francis H. Duchay '55 and Saundra Graham sponsored the measure which calls on municipal officials to consult with the local business community in a second effort.

In an attempt to convince both MIT Harvard to join in the effort to create a satisfactory linkage proposal. City Councilor Alfred E. Vellucci asked the city to create a blue ribbon panel, composed of all nine city councilors and subject to open meeting laws to discuss Cambridge housing issues.

"How could a college be against a proposal submitted by citizens to provide housing for the poor?" asked Vellucci, a 39-year veteran of Cambridge politics.

"Let's give them the opportunity to talk without jamming anything down their throats," Graham said, adding that such a committee would gauge local Universities' interest in a linkage proposal.

Assistant City Manager for Community Development Kathy S. Spiegelman, who will head the new effort, said last night that she will try to convince "elements in the development community that there's something in the linkage package for them."

Spiegelman added that she hopes to begin discussions on inclusionary zoning within the next month.