Jury Is Out

Cambridge Vice-Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, a rent control supporter, said the city council is under no obligation to ratify C 1/2 if it finds the terms attached by the state unsatisfactory--though he would not comment on whether or not he now intends to oppose the petition.

"I think the jury is still out," said Reeves. "I won't be satisfied until it is passed in a form that I think could be helpful."

Other local C 1/2 supporters said they were displeased with the amendments, but added that they can live with the changes if they help gain swift passage of the petition.

"What we're trying to do is protect affordable housing," said Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55. "I think the amendments are unfortunate but basically acceptable to get the bill through."

C 1/2 was first passed in 1981 as an amendment to the city's 1979 removal law which prohibited the conversion of rent control apartments to condominiums.

Last November, the Massachusetts Supreme Judiciary Court struck down C 1/2 arguing that it gave the city powers which were not implied in their initial home-rule petition 20 years ago.

On December 18th, to get legal power to reinstate C 1/2, the city council passed a home rule petition which eventually failed. Barrett said he was unable to get signatures from all the legislators representing Cambridge in support of the petition before the legislative term came to a close.

But the city council passed another home-rule petition on January 29th, and Barrett said he has marshalled the requisite local backing.

"I feel I've got the support of the entire Cambridge delegation," said Barrett. "I hope to move it quickly."

"I could see it done in a week to two weeks," said Rep. Peter A. Velucci (D-Cambridge). Velucci, who supports C 1/2, said work on the petition will be sped up by going to the Senate first. "[The local affairs committee] figured it might get bogged down over here [in the House] because our priority now is taxes," Velucci said.

Rep. Alvin Thompson (D-Cambridge) said he was a bit more cautious in terms estimating a date for getting C 1/2 passed, saying that with a holiday weekend coming up, he didn't expect to see action this month. "By the middle of May, it should be back in Cambridge," Thompson said.