Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey's zoning offensive

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey's zoning offensive

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With help from Mia McCarthy

CONFLICT ZONE — Maura Healey is putting her thumb on the scale in a local zoning battle with widespread repercussions as the governor tries to get tough on enforcing the state’s MBTA Communities law.

Milton residents are voting today on whether to change the suburban town’s zoning rules to make it easier to build multifamily housing near MBTA stations — as required by the law passed under former Gov. Charlie Baker that’s now a key component of Healey’s efforts to spur housing production.

Town Meeting members already approved rezoning parts of town — including along the Mattapan Trolley line that hugs the border between Boston and Milton and got the latter classified as a “rapid transit community” under the law — before last year’s deadline. But opponents forced a referendum on it.

How Milton votes today could reverberate across the 100-plus cities and towns that have to rewrite their land-use rules over the next two years. It could also prompt legal action from the attorney general’s office .

Healey has used her official bully pulpit to press cities and towns to comply with the law. And she’s threatened to withhold state funding for school, road and bridge projects from communities that don’t.

But the governor is taking it a step further — sending out an email through her political arm prodding her supporters in Milton to vote in favor of the zoning changes.

“[W]e need you to go to the polls and vote Yes for Milton. Yes for housing that is affordable and accessible to families and older adults,” Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll wrote in the email obtained by Playbook.

A “Yes vote ensures that Milton will be in compliance and remain eligible for key state funding programs,” they continued. “We want Milton to continue to grow and thrive. But we can’t do that without your help.”

Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll are flexing their political arm — as well as using their official bully pulpit — to try to get Milton voters to pass zoning changes to comply with the MBTA Communities law. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

It’s not uncommon for governors to get involved in municipal elections. Healey and Driscoll waded into more than a dozen mayoral races last year.

But the state’s top executive expending significant political capital on a local zoning battle is seen as unusual — even given the stakes of this one.

Healey’s efforts earned her plaudits from Democratic strategists unaffiliated with her administration who commended her “courage” in engaging in a messy municipal matter to help further her housing agenda. That she’s willing to risk her standing in an increasingly liberal town she won by nearly 44 percentage points in 2022 to do so, they said, is even bolder.

Yet Healey is facing blowback from Milton residents rallying against the rezoning who are accusing her of spreading misinformation and fear about what financial resources the town could lose access to if it doesn’t fall in line with the law.

“It set the stage in an unfair way,” Denny Swenson, a former Planning Board member who is leading the “No” campaign against the zoning changes, told Playbook. “I felt like it wasn’t really respecting the Democratic process taking place in town.”

Swenson says those on the “No” side aren’t against more multifamily housing . But they want to make sure it’s done in a way that doesn’t unfairly burden one neighborhood over another and that won’t increase traffic congestion. And they argue the state should not have classified Milton as a rapid transit community because the Mattapan Trolley, while part of the Red Line, is slower and has less rider capacity.

“We don’t want to be noncompliant,” Swenson said. “But we want to hit pause and get this right.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, VALENTINES!

Roses are red,
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( lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com )

TODAY — Healey addresses the Public Health Council about her administration's plans regarding Steward Health Care at 9 a.m., headlines a fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund in Boston and chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at 11:45 a.m. at the State House. Senate President Karen Spilka unveils a new bust of Frederick Douglass at 1 p.m. in the Senate Chamber.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a Valentine’s Day celebration at the East Boston Senior Center at 12:30 p.m. Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at a Lynn Chamber government affairs meeting at 8:30 a.m. and chairs a Municipal Finance Oversight Board hearing at 10 a.m.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

DEPARTURE LOUNGE — The dean of the Senate and a longtime representative are the latest lawmakers to say they’re not seeking reelection.

State Sen. Marc Pacheco — the body’s longest continuously serving member, who has a law named after him regulating privatization of state services — said Tuesday night he won’t be running again in the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District. While recent articles suggested he would seek another term, the Taunton Democrat wrote in a letter to his constituents that “they were published without speaking directly to me.”

Pacheco also said his departure from the Senate “does not mean I’m closing the door on other existing or future electoral or appointed positions in public service.”

State Rep. Paul Schmid III also said Tuesday he will not seek reelection. The Westport Democrat thanked the members of the South Coast delegation, as well his staff and family, in a letter announcing his plans. More on both departures from WPRI’s Ted Nesi .

Meanwhile, Democrat Dennis Gallagher, the vice president of the Bridgewater Town Council, says he’s likely to run for state Rep. Angelo D’Emilia ’s seat after the Republican said he wouldn’t be seeking reelection in the 8th Plymouth District. Newton City Councilor Bill Humphrey has entered the Democratic primary to succeed retiring state Rep. Ruth Balser in the 12th Middlesex District. And The Enterprise's Chris Helms takes a look at how redistricting has reshaped the open 9th Plymouth House District that used to be entirely within Brockton.

— “How governors pick high-court justices is a ‘black box.’ Healey’s process was more close-knit than usual,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “For decades, when openings on Massachusetts’ highest court emerged, governors typically convened a wide-ranging group of seasoned attorneys to vet and recommend candidates, using a process in which debate was confidential, meetings weren’t public, and timelines were malleable. Even by those opaque standards, Governor Maura Healey’s approach for her initial picks may be more insular than most, legal observers say.”

— “Overflow shelter at old Cambridge courthouse receives $173K in renovations,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Gov. Maura Healey’s administration pumped $173,000 worth of upgrades into an old courthouse in Cambridge that is serving as an overflow shelter for homeless families and pregnant women, including newly-arrived migrants. The money spent on the building ... represents only a fraction of the $35 million state officials reported spending on the emergency assistance program between Jan. 29 and Feb. 8, according to a report released Monday.”

— “Hate group demonstrated outside Governor Healey’s home on Saturday; no arrests made,” by Travis Andersen, The Boston Globe: “A regional neo-Nazi group returned to Arlington on Saturday to demonstrate outside Governor Maura Healey’s home, marking at least the second time the hate group has protested outside her residence since October."

— “FEMA denies Gov. Healey's disaster declaration request for Sept. flooding,” by Jeremy C. Fox, The Boston Globe: “Federal officials have rejected Governor Maura Healey’s request for a major disaster declaration for three Massachusetts counties devastated by a September storm that caused widespread flooding and property damage, but Healey plans to appeal the decision, officials said Tuesday.”

DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE .

FROM THE HUB

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is “excited and eager” to hit the campaign trail for Joe Biden even as the president’s age and mental acuity have some voters — and elected Democrats — concerned about his reelection chances.

“I feel very confident in his ability to do the job,” Wu said during an interview on GBH . “And I also know that being in positions, especially on the executive side, is about the team that you put around you.”

PAY UP, MAYBE — Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson wants a hearing on congestion pricing in the city , and the Boston Herald’s Gayla Cawley has a number of pols and advocates weighing in on the idea.

— “Boston City Council to consider resolution supporting negotiated ceasefire in Gaza,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council is set to consider a resolution in support of a negotiated ceasefire in the war in Gaza during its meeting Wednesday, teeing up a potentially contentious debate. … Councilor Ben Weber, who is Jewish and in his first term representing District 6, is hopeful that the new resolution he filed will help the body reach accord on what has been a divisive issue.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “‘We are not the MBTA we were in 2015′: T says it was ready for big snowstorm that never came,” by Taylor Dolven, The Boston Globe: “Had snow pummeled Boston, forcing the T to send workers out to chip ice off of frozen switches and shovel platforms to keep trains running, the T would have been ready."

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DAY IN COURT

— “Judge upholds $10K fine against select board member in conflict case,” by Walker Armstrong, The Cape Cod Times: “A Suffolk Superior Court judge upheld a 2022 decision by the State Ethics Commission ordering an Aquinnah Select Board member to pay a $10,000 fine for violating the state’s conflict of interest law when he approved a payment for himself after performing work for the town.”

— “Courts preparing to give restorative justice a try,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon.

— “Federal judge dismisses lawsuit filed against Chelsea Soldiers’ Home,” by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe: “A federal judge on Monday dismissed a class-action lawsuit brought against the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home on behalf of three veterans who died of COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic, finding their civil rights were not violated.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

Reps. Seth Moulton and Jake Auchincloss join House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to push for passage of a $95 billion national security bill. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP

SPOTTED ON THE HILL — Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton among the lawmakers with military backgrounds flanking U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as he called to pass the foreign aid bill that cleared the Senate. Jeffries pledged to use “every available legislative tool” to force a vote on the $95 billion package of aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan over Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson ’s objections.

Moulton paired his plea to pass the bill with criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , our Mia McCarthy writes in.

“I don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s prosecution of this war is going too well. He's killing too many civilians" in Gaza, Moulton said. “But we also have a seat at the table because we give them aid to help them learn from the lessons, from the mistakes that we made in Iraq and Afghanistan, to get this right so that we can actually have Palestinian rights, Israeli security.”

Meanwhile, the all-Democratic delegation voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas .

ALSO SPOTTED ON THE HILL — A birthday party for Rep. Richard Neal with all of the Massachusetts delegation in attendance, according to Rep. Stephen Lynch . Neal turns 75 today.

YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Is a motel room affordable housing? This city is arguing yes,” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “In a case that shows the lengths communities will go to stop a housing project from getting built, Methuen officials are trying to leverage the state’s use of a Days Inn motel as an emergency shelter for homeless families to block a development proposal to build 300 rental units on a parcel that straddles the city’s border with neighboring Dracut.”

— “Oregon's psychedelic therapy law offers a potential guide for Mass. ballot question,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News

“Is there room for love in politics? A Brookline couple shares their story,” by Paris Alston, GBH News.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

SEND REINFORCEMENTS — Fresh off a visit to the southern border with other GOP governors, Gov. Chris Sununu is asking state lawmakers for $850,000 to send 15 members of New Hampshire’s National Guard to Eagle Pass, Texas — the city that’s ground zero for the southern state’s standoff with the federal government over border security. Both Republicans running for governor quickly voiced support for the plan.

SAY IT WITH ME — “Lawmaker seeks official pronunciation of ‘Concord,’ New Hampshire’s capital city,” by Holly Ramer, The Associated Press.

A message from McDonald's:

McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Massachusetts, contributing over $700 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 11,600 Massachusettsans and supporting an additional 2,750 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Massachusetts began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support Massachusetts through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $700,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 7,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Massachusetts. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma .

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

CONDOLENCES — to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll on the passing of her father , Fred.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Rep. Richard Neal, Medford native Mike Bloomberg, Hayley Johnson and Diana Felber.

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