In First Major Vote, New City Council Passes Development Moratorium

Monday night's marathon City Council meeting featured yelling, heated debate, impassioned pleas and a campaign to save the white geese of the Charles River.

What was missing was the expected third round of the mayoral elections. The election was the fifth item on the council's list of unfinished business, but by the time the meeting finally adjourned seven and a half hours after it started, the council still hadn't gotten around to choosing its first leader of the 21st century.

Instead, the council spent several hours deliberating before they approved, with four amendments, the Larkin petition, which will put an 18-month moratorium on development in East Cambridge.

The petition, circulated by resident Shannon Larkin, aims to slow the commercial construction boom in the Kendall Square area. Petition signers say the encroaching firms eliminate green space, push out smaller stores, and bring unwanted traffic.

At last night's meeting, City Manager Robert W. Healy also committed to funding a planning study which will take place in conjunction with the moratorium.

The three Planning Board amendments to the petition passed without opposition. One will exempt housing developments from the moratorium, which halts construction in an area bordered by the Somerville-Cambridge line, First Street, Main Street, and Windsor Street.

The other two will exempt a Southern Energy project site and a proposed office building at 286 Third St.

After Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio proposed a fourth amendment which could allow for the construction of two proposed telecommunications projects, however, things heated up.

Councillor Timothy J. Toomey Jr., who represents East Cambridge, said overdevelopment is a major problem in his district.

"It's just about over in our part of the city," Toomey said. "If this fails tonight, there's nothing left except to pave the Charles River."

Councillor Marjorie C. Decker said she will work on comprehensive long-term planning for the entire city, not just East Cambridge, in upcoming months.

"The rest of this city needs this kind of planning and needs this kind of funding," Decker said.

Born gave an impassioned speech attacking Galluccio's proposed exemption, saying that it would put to "non-use" a place that could have affordable housing, schools, artists' studios or any number of other uses.

"The economy in Cambridge is changing, the population is changing," Born said, adding that the Larkin petition was the first step for the council to create a new vision for the city that valued quality of life in addition to commercial developement.

Deputy City Solicitor Donald Drisdell added that the amendment may not be legally sound.

Decker, however, urged the council not to delay any further, as the petition needed to be passed before any more development occurs.

"It's a lose-lose," she said. "It's how much do we lose, and I think we're both trying to figure that out at this time."

Finally, Galluccio's amendment was amended itself to encourage development of housing of 20 or more units on the site, and the petition finally passed at about 12:30 a.m. Councillors David P. Maher and Michael A. Sullivan voted against it, but the motion squeaked through with the necessary seven votes.

Davis said last night's meeting was an example of the often-rancorous process behind municipal politics.

"It was a lot like making sausage," she said. "You don't want to see it."

Davis added that the council did not vote for mayor because of the late hour.

Though a mayoral election did not take place Monday night, the possibilities are still wide-open.

So far, Born has four votes (hers and those of Braude, Davis and Decker), Sullivan has three (his and those of Maher and Reeves), and Galluccio has two (his and Toomey's).

Local political analyst Glenn S. Koocher '71 said there are some "interesting scenarios," one of which includes first-time Councillor Braude being elected mayor.

Koocher said that Reeves is "obviously having a problem" voting for fellow progressive Born, and he might not be averse to voting for newcomer Braude.

"Reeves doesn't have a history with Jim Braude, so he doesn't have a reason not to like him," Koocher said.

Koocher said Braude is not encouraging the possibility, but it would allow the five progressives on the council--Born, Braude, Davis, Decker and Reeves--to stick together.

"No one would be embarassed if he emerged as a compromise candidate," Koocher said.

As always, the wild-card remains Reeves. As the council's senior member and acting mayor, he is now running the so-called "Ken Reeves Show" as he leads council and School Committee meetings, Koocher said, adding that Reeves dominates the discussion and takes a long time "to get from A to B."

Koocher indicated that Reeves will keep the voting process going as long as possible.

"I don't think there's two people in the city of Cambridge who think Ken Reeves would stick with Michael Sullivan if Sullivan got four votes," he said.

Furthermore, Koocher said there is a "serious legal question" whether any member of the city council--besides an elected mayor--has the right to sit on the School Committee.

"Expect a suit, and expect a challenge, unless Reeves is elected mayor," Koocher said.

The city's high school, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, is currently trying to finalize an important redesign of its internal "house"--or school-within-a-school--structure for next year.

The next time the council will have a chance to vote for mayor is its Jan. 31 meeting.