Former City Councilor Deb Crossley will serve in the Zoning Board of Appeals for the next year.
Crossley’s appointment came after a lot of debate. Last week, several members of the Zoning and Planning Committee, which she once chaired, objected to her appointment due to her advocacy for last year’s village center zoning overhaul.
On Monday night, that debate was taken on by the whole City Council.
Crossley was a champion of the Village Center Overlay District plan—which was passed and brought the city into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act but may have cost Crossley and a few other city councilors their seats in the 2023 local election—and some city councilors cited that as motivation for their opposition for her appointment to the ZBA.
Councilor Randy Block accused Mayor Ruthanne Fuller of nominating Crossley to provoke controversy.
“Does our current debate remind you of anything?” Block asked. “To me, the debate in ZAP and the expressions of support and opposition that we’ve received from the public remind me of the rancor and divisiveness of display during the last city council.”
Councilor Becky Grossman pushed back on that.
“I don’t think there is anything manipulative about nominating someone who served this city honorably, respectfully, responsibly, intelligently and with an unbelievable work ethic for—if I have it right—more than 16 years,” Grossman said, noting Crossley’s work on the Land Use Committeee and expertise in architecture and environmental design as well as Crossley’s work in upgrading the city’s water, sewer and stormwater plan. “I think that she demonstrated her intelligence and deep care and passion for the city in so many ways over the course of her time.”
Councilor Alison Leary said the ZBA could use an architect as a member and added that zoning reform was always going to be contentious.
“Sometimes effective people can also rub people the wrong way,” Leary said.
City Councilor Leonard Gentile said that he couldn’t think of any appointment he’s ever voted against, but he would vote against this one due to Crossley’s support for what he calls “overdevelopment” in the city.
“There are many, many, many positions and ways that former Alderman Crossley could provide a very helpful role. There’s no doubt about it,” Gentile said. “This is probably the only one that I think is not a good position for her.”
Because the appointment failed to get approval in committee (four out of eight Zoning and Planning Committee members voted against it), the motion on the table for the full City Council Monday night was whether to follow the committee’s recommendation (refusal) or not.
So, a “yes” vote was to deny Crossley’s appointment, while a “no“ vote was to approve it.
The vote was 9 yes, 13 no, two absent.
Joining Block and Gentile in opposing the appointment were City Council President Marc Laredo and councilors Stephen Farrell, Rena Getz, Alan Lobovits, Julia Malakie, John Oliver and Pam Wright.
“The item fails, and therefore, the appointment is approved,” Council President Marc Laredo noted, for clarity.