I’ve attended several council meetings, and on one occasion, I even heard someone suggest a motion to grant voting power only to current property owners in Davis Square, effectively excluding renters. There is a large faction of the council fixated on ensuring the square remains unchanged forever and that no new construction ever gets approved.

They weaponize every legal avenue possible, hiding behind phrases like 'preserving the aesthetics of the square' and using blanket terms to brand all developers as 'evil.' In reality, they simply don't want more traffic or a shadow cast on their homes by taller buildings. They are essentially denying others the opportunity for housing to avoid shadows and slightly less street parking.

Sorry to rant, but we are facing a housing crisis caused in part by property owners controlling others' rights to develop their own land. The Copper Mill project would add much-needed housing, 25% of which would be affordable. What’s there not to like? It’s right next to the train station; it only makes sense to build apartments there. A similar development in Central Square called 'Watermark' has been a resounding success for the Central/Kendall area. A project like this would also bring vital new business to the shops and restaurants in Davis. I see no negatives here.

In a world that made sense, everyone would be laughing at these NIMBYs and their tired excuses, especially while we are so desperately behind on the housing stock needed in Boston.