'DigBoston' Puts Somerville in Crosshairs

Politically minded folks in Somerville have been waiting months for a series of investigative articles into the city by former Boston Phoenix writer Chris Faraone.

Well, the first in what will be a "multi-part DigBoston series about the intersection of politics, development, and power in the City of Somerville" is in this week's issue of the snarky-voiced weekly publication, which you can pick up for free around Boston. You can also read the article online.

Faraone was said to be digging into Somerville City Hall while writing for the Phoenix, and the alt-weekly newspaper was supposedly moments away from publishing when it closed in March, leaving Somerville readers in limbo.

Tom Nash, who people may know from his work at Post Somerville, Scout Somerville and MuckRock, wrote the article with Faraone and Adam Vaccaro, a former Patch and Scout Somerville writer.

As for the article, it begins like this:

"For the gobs of attention drawn to Somerville for marquee events like the annual Fluff Festival—or for its plethora of trendy features like cool coffee shops and bars—something appears to be rotten at the core."

It continues:

"Many of these troubles trace back to a tight circle of high-level officials and their cronies, the lot of whom appear to constitute a well-greased small city political machine."

The first article in the series has already started an interesting conversation on Davis Square LiveJournal.

The article deals primarily with two development projects in Somerville: the controversial Beacon Street redesign and plans for a hotel at 371 Beacon St.

In regard the hotel proposal, the article says, "It appears that the ZBA threw the rules in a wood chipper" when reviewing the project, referring to the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals.

In regard to the Beacon Street redesign proposal, it says, "At the heart of the Beacon Street debacle is the issue of a city that seemingly does whatever it wants, where it wishes—often in ignorance of regulations, and in spite of public outcry—when a project fits [Somerville Mayor Jopseph] Curtatone's vision of adding thousands of residential units around the city, along with all the chic urban accoutrements necessary to attract upwardly mobile buyers."

The next article in the series, which Nash said should be published in two weeks, is supposed to take "a look at the long history of political corruption in Somerville, and [trace] the roots of today’s troubles to past indiscretions."

On Davis Square Live Journal, some commenters have dismissed at the article.

One commenter wrote, "Don't get me wrong, it's interesting, to the extent that local politics is always interesting for those who live in said city, but there's nothing here beyond the usual intra-city pissing matches you find in any sort of city politics, especially construction work."

Another commenter disagreed, saying, "The point here is not pro- this project or anti- that project, but that this is not transparent government and not the way things should be done, whether you want something built or you don't want it built."

Some may ask if the article is one-sided. Many support the city's Beacon Street redesign project; the hotel proposal would spruce up the site of a derelict vacant gas station at an important intersection near Porter Square; many applaud efforts to add thousands of residential units to a city and region where housing costs are driving out the middle class.

Some may think asking questions and sparking discussions about these things is a good thing.

You can read the article here.