Left In Lowell

Well, at least the part of the city that’s good for certain developers, or at least that’s what many of you out there have said. This Lowell Sun article gives a lot of perspective from the point of view of Zaharoolis, and the opposing viewpoints are all deferential and lukewarm. Why is it that there are lots of people in this city (including people like Dick Howe) who see cronyism and the cozy relationship with developers as the main problem with the Planning Board and its chair, and not one quote is from any of those? Shameful, but only to be expected from the Lowell Sun, unfortunately.

Here’s some quotes:

Zaharoolis said he treats builders and residents equally. Some developers and attorneys may receive better treatment, but he said there is a reason: They are more prepared and have better plans.

He said the key issue is whether a development plan meets the city’s zoning guidelines, and added that any plans that stray are rejected.

“You’ve heard me say to these people, ‘It’s a lousy plan,’ “ he said.

“Everybody’s in the pot. If you talk to some of the attorneys and some of the other contractors, you’ll find that I’m as hard on them on certain things and maybe harder because they’re the people that should know and have the technical expertise to understand the zoning.”

He questions the wisdom of imposing term limits, saying it would deprive the city of much-needed expertise.

“It’s a bunch of words,” he said. “What does it actually mean? They want someone in the position they can control. That’s the long and the short of it.”

Uhhhhh, yeah. Since you’re an employee of the city, and of taxpayers, damn right there should be some oversight and control.

Zaharoolis also is active in local Democratic politics.

A former ward chairman in the city’s Highlands neighborhood, he now sits on the Ward 6 committee, which covers the city’s Pawtucketville section. Ward committee members concentrate on keeping up party membership and registering new Democratic voters for state and federal elections.

Well, that makes sense. Seeing as the old guarde Democrat machinery in this state is half the problem. Any of you out there should be thinking about joining the Democratic Town Committee in whatever form or fashion you can. We need to take back the city - and the Party - from the machine, people. It’s all related. Reform starts in our towns and cities.

Cox has not reappointed Zaharoolis. Nor has he reappointed Vice Chairman Thomas Linnehan, whose term expired in November 2003, or member Richard Lockhart, whose term expired last September. The council would be asked to approve any nominees.

That’s interesting, seeing as Zaharoolis’ term expired September 13th according to the Sun. Are they waiting til after the elections, so the sitting City Councilors who are running for reelection don’t have to vote on this appointment and risk pissing off a few voters? Hmmmm. Sort of like that whole flap over the reassessments of property values, eh?

Fellow board member Joseph Clermont said Zaharoolis does his homework for every project that appears before the board and runs an efficient, fair meeting.

“Everyone gets the opportunity to say their piece,” he said. “He doesn’t want a lot of back and forth and that sort of thing.”

Yes, because you know, real democracy is real messy and stuff. Better leave off all that actual debate and discussion. Yikes!

Zaharoolis acknowledged that he can be curt with some speakers if they meander from the subject. But he said he can be just as gruff with developers, too.

“I’m not out there to hurt anyone,” he said. “But I am out there to make sure that the meeting is run in an orderly fashion, and if I step on somebody’s toes, it’s got to be for a reason. If you don’t stay focused on the particular project and we get into personalities of developers, personalities of neighborhoods that are not relative to the subject, then I have to move on.

“OK, I’m harsh,” he added. “But am I fair? I’ve been fair to every one of them.”

OK, you all tell me. Has he been fair “to every one of them”?

[PS: think about writing a letter to the editor on this one. The Sun’s readers should be allowed to read about points of view that the Sun seemed to miss.]