All candidates running for contested seats in the upcoming election were invited to submit a post in support of their candidacy to Village14. This is Brenda Noel’s
In November 2017, the residents of Ward 6 elected me to the Newton City Council. Together we won the Ward 6 seat on a vision of an inclusive city that represents the values that matter to us most.
In 2019, I was honored to be re-elected by my Newton Centre, Highlands, and Thompsonville neighbors to serve as City Councilor for Ward 6. I am seeking a third term and ask for your support.
Representing my neighbors in Ward 6 and throughout Newton is a profound honor. It’s a role in which I feel I can truly serve my community and actively fight for basic equality. I know that sounds lofty for local government, but local government is where the rubber meets the road on housing, income inequality, and who has access to the resources they need to live a life of dignity and purpose.
A little bit about me- I am a first-generation college grad, a social worker by training, with over 25 years’ experience working for mission-driven organizations. For the past 3+ years, I have served as the executive director of Pathway To Possible, a Newton organization that provides housing and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As City Councilor, I have had the opportunity to act on our shared values, fighting against discriminatory housing practices, advocating for police reform, and working to ensure our policies and practices truly reflect the progressive values I represent in Ward 6. My work as Ward 6 Councilor includes making a difference in the daily lives of Newton residents and businesses. A few recent examples include:
- Pushing to provide funding so the Newton Public Schools can operate safely.
- Getting crosswalks and safety lights installed so our city is safer for walking and biking.
- Advocating for policy changes for expanded outdoor dining so our local restaurants can stay in business — and so we can support them while enjoying each other’s company safely outdoors. I spearheaded the Restaurant Platform Project, so residents with mobility challenges can access outdoor seating.
- Working with my colleagues to support development that provides housing at different price points and supports our Climate Action Plan.
- Fighting in the budget process against school bus fees, ensuring our budget reflects our values and goals of the Climate Action Plan.
- Supporting the recommendations of the Newton Police Task Force, supporting the new Police Chief, Chief Carmichael, and adopting the policies of 21st Century Policing.
I am a tenacious advocate for the people I represent. Recently I collaborated with my Ward 6 Colleagues to ensure the Levingston Cove proposal, which would include access to Crystal Lake for those with disabilities as well as fortify the lake from continued erosion, would pass. It was approved unanimously by the entire City Council, 24-0.
My decision to run for re-election in 2021 is predicated on the fact that the work isn’t done. The pandemic has deeply impacted our city in a myriad of ways- our small businesses and restaurants struggled, our schools suffered, and the pandemic further highlighted our underfunded infrastructure — specifically our roads, sidewalks and fields.
Our quality of life as a community is affected not only by fundamental infrastructure issues, but also by the ways we demonstrate our commitment to our collective core values and long-term goals such as climate change, income equality, transportation, and sustainable housing.
The City Council is charged with addressing all these things — and I am committed to continuing to advocate for what matters to us most. I am grateful to serve and ask for your vote–through early voting at City Hall on Friday (8:30am-5:00pm) and Saturday (8:30am-noon) or in-person on Election Day, November 2nd.
What is your role in the false accusations against Lisa Gordon and Berry Bergman that they filed a “lawsuit” against the city to stop the Lexington Cove project. Why didn’t you correct the false email that was sent out?
Extremely pro development, yet her own website does not advocate for thousands of affordable high density housing in her OWN ward.
Is that too much ink to spill for something you believe in?
Or does it imply building density in someone elses backyard?
I believe this is a very honest and valid question.
Brenda has been a champion of many causes I care about deeply — safe streets, affordable housing, responsible development (yes, including some projects in Ward 6) and supporting our local businesses to name a few. She’s a great listener and one of the most responsive elected officials to constituent concerns. I’m looking forward to voting for her again.
@Bugek, thrilled to hear you’re in favor of more affordable housing. A lot of folks, including myself, would love to see the Centre triangle developed into some sort of mixed use other than remain a parking lot with strip malls. A lot of effort was invested years ago in planning. Maybe the rumored sale of Walgreens will be a catalyst to restart that conversation. That would be a perfectly legitimate question to ask ALL Ward 6 candidates, as I think at least one strongly opposed that project last time around.
Thanks Brenda for the post! You are an inspiration to us young folks (I’m 16) as a strong advocate with a determination to improve our city for all of its constituents. We need more people like you in the council and ward six is lucky to have your representation!
@Jackson Joe, Lisa Gordon and Garry Bergman did, indeed, sign onto an appeal to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection concerning essential modifications to make Levingston Cove (not Lexington Cove) fully accessible for all, including people with disabilities. Although not a lawsuit, their appeal was nevertheless a legal proceeding, intended to delay or prevent making Levingston Cove fully accessible. Their attempt to obstruct these modifications was despicable. Kudos to Brenda and her Ward 6 colleagues, Vicki Danberg and Alicia Bowman, for getting their colleagues to unanimously support this important project.
@bugek, as a longtime affordable housing advocate in Newton and a longtime member and current chair of the Newton Fair Housing Committee, I can assure you that Brenda supports housing affordability throughout Newton, including in her own ward, through her support of individual affordable housing projects as well as eliminating overly restrictive zoning that prevents the creation of multi-family housing in and around village centers. There. I shot your paper tiger.
Brenda is an extremely hard working city councilor who takes the time to listen to and respond to her constituents. She has knocked on my door each and every time she has run for election in Newton, as she has knocked on every door in Ward 6. She was at the Harvest Fair in Newton Centre all day meeting with constituents and voters. Where was her opponent? Every candidate promises that s/he will have office hours and be accessible to their voters, Brenda has proven for 4 years that she shows up for Newton.
She led the effort to bring accessible outdoor dining to Newton Centre during COVID. I don’t mean that she came up with the idea. She devised the solution, rounded up donors to provide the materials ($0 cost to the city or the restaurants), then showed up to help build the platforms that enable mobility challenged individuals access to dining in their community. I don’t need another city councilor who hides like Oz behind his curtain. Give me someone who isn’t afraid of real work. Any. Day. Of. The. Week.
Ted,
One typo — Barry Bergman — and a huge helping of truth.
@ Ted – Then why didn’t they correct the record. You are just muddying the waters like usual when you call it a “legal proceeding”. Here is the definition of legal proceeding in case you don’t remember it – action taken in a court to settle a dispute.
WHAT YOU STATED IS A DELIBERATE FALSE STATEMENT, which is worse than the original false statement that could’ve been cleared up with a simple apology to the voters.
It’s despicable that you continue this false narrative instead of clearing the record with the truth.
For the record they want the cove to be 100% fully accessible.
I also am excited to be supporting Brenda again. She is a proven advocate for our local businesses and her support of initiatives like increased outdoor dining and building outdoor seating platforms helped produce tangible, immediate benefits for many local restaurants. I am also impressed by her clear headed approach to the challenges Newton faces around the lack of affordable housing and broader income disparity. It is sound and proven planning to locate housing and community services around village centers and transportation hubs. In addition to providing a broader variety of housing opportunities, these methods have the additional benefit of making our villages more vibrant and diverse while also increasing economic vitality. Thank you, Brenda for continuing to guide us in the right direction.
To everyone who has questions about Brenda’s positions on issues and past actions: Have you asked her directly? Because Brenda is the most accessible and engaging elected official in the city. Come to her office hours, you’ll see that she listens to constituents with an open mind and is herself an open book. Brenda puts the “candid” in candidate.
One goal I think we can all agree on is preserving the vibrancy of our village centers. When the pandemic struck and threatened businesses of all kinds, Brenda took action to help provide several local restaurants with precious outdoor space to continue safely serving customers. She raised funds and gathered volunteers (including me) to build platforms to increase available seating. This helped sustain businesses and preserve jobs. In a broader sense, it also helped maintain our villages as places to spend leisure time. If we want restaurants and shops instead of banks, this is how it happens.
I don’t know why there’s negativity in the comments here. Brenda works hard and believes in a vision for Newton that I think the vast majority of us would agree with.
Ted,
Until councilor Noel advocates in writing on her website the desire for thousands of affordable high density in her own ward… one can assume she means in someone elsed backyard
Infact, a tweet would ve sufficient, will only take a few minutes. Nothing vague, simply a vision of thousands of affordable high density housing throughout her ward.
… not holding my breath
Brenda supported the now approved apartment building in front of the Highlands T station, and has expressed support for dense development in Newton Center. This whole “someone else’s back yard” argument people keep using here is utter nonsense.
Brenda is a superb ward councilor. She is easy to reach and quick to help her constituents. She pushed for safe and prompt re-opening of the schools. She is a strong advocate for the village centers and for affordable housing, in Ward 6 and elsewhere.
Newtoner,
If councilor Noel is proud of her stance, why not quantify it with a tweet or bullet point on her website. Leave no doubt.
No vague terms such as “more units”, “increased units” but THOUSANDS of affordable high density housing in her ward.
This is something to be proud of, wht not shout it from the roof tops and quantify it
It’s not on her website (maybe it will be), but on Facebook and Instagram, Councilor Noel posted a video about how important the development at 1151 Walnut Street — across from Newton Highlands T — is.
https://fb.watch/8WQqEEPNeX/
Of course, it’s not “thousands of units” but I’m quite sure there’s not a project that big being proposed in Ward 6.
@Bugek, your paper tiger is dead. Go home.
Ted, You are wrong. I wrote the following to the City Council:
Lisa Gordon and I are signatories on an appeal (not a lawsuit as some have claimed) to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asking it to review the plan for a cantilevered fishing deck at Levingston Cove. We signed on to this appeal because some neighbors of Crystal Lake expressed concern that environmental damage to the lake would result from the construction of the cantilevered deck. They feel that they are not being heard. We want them to be heard and we want an ADA compliant design that everyone feels comfortable with.
As someone with multiple sclerosis who uses two canes to walk for distances, I want full ADA compliant access to the fishing wall. But I also don’t want any environmental damage done to the lake.
In the independent living disability community, there is a saying: “Nothing for us without us.” My wife Susan (a physiatrist with over 40 years of experience treating patients with complex disabilities) and I have taken a close look at the plans and believe that the separate walking path, although aesthetically pleasing, limits wheelchair maneuverability getting around the fishing deck and in getting access to the fishing deck.
Weston & Sampson reduced the original height of the railings to the 34” maximum height allowed for a fishing deck. It may actually be easier for those fishing from a wheelchair if the railing height was lower. More details on the ADA regulations for fishing docks can be found at https://www.access-board.gov/ada/guides/chapter-10-fishing-piers-and-platforms/.
I would like to see the successful completion of this project. All interested parties need to work together to address the environmental and ADA compliance issues to assure that we get the best project possible. That is why I am asking the City Council to delay making a decision until these issues are addressed.
Barry,
You say that the some folks are not being heard. In what way are they not being heard? Very specifically, please. There were plenty of meetings. The opponents of the plan had the opportunity to make their arguments. Their arguments did not carry the day.
I’m tired of public officials and aspiring public officials who claim to be on the side of those who “don’t feel heard” when what you’re really doing is enabling folks who just plain didn’t get their way. You’re just enabling delay.
And, if you take exception to having your appeal to a state agency about a legal matter being described as a lawsuit, …
Two questions.
1. Where in the federal and state code based on the Fair Housing Act says that a city council can not consider the impact of development projects on our schools as you claim? I can’t find it.
2. Does my advocacy for preserving single family zoning make me a racist?
Bruce,
I don’t think the question of whether or not you have racial animus really matters. LBJ was a life-long racist, by all accounts, but recognized the need for social justice so accomplished some profound legislative victories for civil rights.
I urge you to read the Color of Law and other resources that discuss the intent to segregate behind single-family zoning and the impact that single-family-zoning has had on opportunities for people of color. If you read these materials and think that social injustice is an acceptable price to pay to ensure that your neighbors don’t live in a duplex or triplex, then I think others are entitled to consider your commitment to social justice (and also to economic justice and environmental justice).
I for one do not care what you feel in your heart. That’s between you and your maker. I’m interested in what the social (and economic and environmental) impact of your policy preferences is. Single-family zoning is bad policy.
Somebody’s going to say, but just eliminating single-family zoning isn’t going to right the wrong. Newton will still be expensive. I’ll concede the point. But, the fact that eliminating a Jim-Crow law doesn’t unravel its decades-long impact is not an argument for preserving single-family zoning. It’s an argument for eliminating single-family zoning and then doing a hell of a lot more. Eliminating the Jim-Crow law is the right start.
Ted,
Sorry, seems like I was asking too much for councilor Noel to quantify per position in writing.
It would really help bridge the north / south “perceived” unfairness if she commits to thousands of affordable high density units in her ward.
As of now, its not perceived.. we have today several hundreds units north of the pike with no one banging the table for similar quantities in councilor Noel’s ward. Help us heal the situation..
Or does a tweet require too much effort to show leadership?
I would love Newton to be more diverse. The reason I chose to live here is because it is more diverse than so-called W towns. I don’t for one second believe practically speaking that getting rid of single family zoning so that developers can tear down old houses to build McMansions and luxury townhouses will make Newton more affordable or more diverse. Instead it all sounds more like development agitprop disguised as virtue signalling.
BTW I have read The Color of Law.
Bruce,
You mistakenly equate getting rid of single-family zoning with McMansions and McMiniums. It’s disinformation.
First, getting rid of single-family zoning, in and of itself, would have zero impact on those who want to teardown a home and replace it with a McMansion. Zero.
Second, those of us who are in favor of less or no single-family zoning argue for dimensional controls — limits on the size of units — so that the multi-family housing will provide alternatives to larger, more expensive homes. In plain terms, add the ability to add more homes, but disallow large, expensive new homes.
Third, if eliminating single-family zoning won’t make Newton more affordable or diverse, the answer is to do more, not less. What would you propose we do to make Newton more affordable and more diverse — that doesn’t rely on Jim-Crow regulations?
Fourth, I’m beginning to doubt your commitment to social justice.
Bugek,
City Councilors don’t build residential units. Developers do, almost always after they own the property where said units would be built.
Let’s revisit this when there are actual proposals for thousands, or hundreds, or tens of units in Councilor Noel’s ward.
@Sean Roche The single best solution to inequality in society is Georgism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgism
If there’s going to be another zoning discussion on V14, maybe it can be in yet another thread, leaving this one to focus specifically on Councilor Noel as intended?
Sean………If you don’t know the difference between an appeal to a state agency and a lawsuit, I’d suggest that we can refer you to a lawyer that can explain it to you.
Why don’t you admit that you really don’t care one iota about ADA rules and just want to shove the possibly flawed plan down everyone’s throat because it was championed by your candidate?
If the state deems the plan compliant with ADA rules it will go through as currently configured and if it’s not compliant it will have to be revised to ADA standards. I guess you call that anti-development or racist or something ridiculous like that.
You have always been a stubborn person unwilling to see other points of view. That is your reputation and you are showing your true colors this campaign
BTW was LBJ more of a racist than the 41 signers of the Declaration of Independence who were slave owners?
Sean,
There was a delay during Covid where there were no hearings open to the general public. You say there were plenty of hearings. Maybe that’s true. I don’t know. I do know that a group of residents didn’t feel they were heard. Why can’t there be one more hearing? I know that the Commission on Disability didn’t fully vet the plans. Why would they need to? It is a supposedly ADA compliant plan and it is for the most part. However, there is an unnecessary split between the fishing deck and the walking path. It is certainly fine to build it as designed. But do we want the deck reworked in 5 years because wheelchair users are finding it difficult to maneuver getting around the deck and dealing with the access to the deck? Just have another meeting with everyone including Weston & Sampson and put these issues to rest. It is better to be safe than sorry.
By the way, an appeal to the DEP is not a lawsuit.
Barry:
You are correct that an appeal to the DEP is not a lawsuit. How about we call is a legal proceeding, which is what it is. Or a legal regulatory appeal? Doesn’t it involve lawyers and legal documents? Maybe we should use the proper term, an adjudicatory appeal (Notice of Claim) established via 310 CMR 1.01(6)? That’s correct, but I’d have trouble saying it 6 times real fast.
I don’t really have a dog in this particular fight, but I find the dispute over the definition of a lawsuit a sure sign that we are close to election day.
Fig…. From Merriam Webster……………..Definition of legal proceedings
: actions taken to settle an argument in a court of law. Why not call it what it is instead of making up names that give different connotations? Why is it soooo hard for people and candidates to admit that they misspoke or made a mistake? I give you credit because I’ve seen your postings where you retract things if you see something in a different light. I think you could teach some of the current councilors a lesson on humility and civility
Jackson Joe:
So sue me. ;-)
I actually gave you the cite from the form used to filed the appeal. This isn’t my fight or my issue. I just find it funny that folks are fighting about it.
And honestly, I’d say a legal proceeding is a bit broader than your definition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_proceeding
It is an administrative hearing. Or a regulatory hearing. But if it involves the law and a body that is to rule on that law, that’s a legal proceeding. Wikipedia agrees! I’m saved. Huzzah.
But you missed my entire point. Why are we arguing about this? We’ve entered silly season for sure.
As for changing my mind, I try to listen to everyone’s posts and correct mine when I’m wrong. I should learn not to post when I’m hungry or tired. I’m often both hungry and tired.
Also, sometimes my kids tell me I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can’t be the only parent who is all of the following: (1) uncool, (2) unfunny, (3) not smart, (4) annoying, and (5) provider of all things money related. My kids now steal my old concert t-shirts, but they say that just means I was cool 20 years ago, and even then, not so much. (I was never cool).
fig – I think your kids are just trying to keep you on your toes, and saving you money on their wardrobe needs. You might not be cool but your kids sound all right
@fig – my son has never been so mortified as when his college friend heard me tell about something from my college days and exclaimed “That’s so cool! You have the coolest mother!”
Speaking of outdoor dining when does it end? Parking spots are lost, revenue from meters is gone, and traffic is a mess at times.
I wonder if Councilor Noel still goes to Wholefoods. Councilor Noel did not respect the rights of people to legally collect signatures for the Northland Ballot. So much so if I recall correctly she threatened to never come back to Wholefoods if they allowed the petition signing to continue.
In fact surely it was covered here https://village14.com/2019/12/20/resident-newton-councilor-noel-said-signature-gathering-at-store-is-illegal-it-wasnt/
Mike,
From the very beginning of V14, we deliberately decided not to police the comments for fidelity to the post. Commenters “hijacking” the comments has been a source of enormous frustration on some of my favorite posts. Please just get back to my topic! But time and time again, these tangents have produced some of the most interesting and thoughtful discussions of city issues.
Please sit back and enjoy the journey. Or, not. But, please don’t insist that folks adhere to a rule we don’t have.
Sometimes the tangents take up completely unimportant topics, like how uncool your children think you are.
Also great.
Jackson Joe,
I guess I wasn’t clear. Yes, as a former attorney, I understand the difference between a lawsuit and an appeal to a regulatory agency.
My point is that nobody cares what one calls it. He used a legal action to delay bringing the process to closure, frustrating the intent of the larger group on behalf of a noisy minority.
Calling it one thing or another doesn’t change that.
@Sean
Over 300 people signed a petition to request Levingston Cove go back to committee for further evaluation. What exactly is a “Noisy Minority”?
Simon,
Unless there are 599 people in Newton …
Barry,
Let me see if I have this straight. Some people complained that they hadn’t been heard. So, you signed onto an official legal proceeding (which, stipulated, was not a lawsuit), without even checking into what the process had been.
Speaking of good judgement, do you intend to say, “No, thank you,” to Save Nonantum’s endorsement?
@Sean
You are the one suggesting the majority of people want this project to move ahead. Where is the evidence? Seems to be you just a couple bureaucratic votes.
Simon,
Representative government.
@Sean
Are you suggesting a petition signed by local folks should just be ignored by “Representative government”
Simon,
Look, people who are frustrated by the outcome of a process are free to do whatever they want. But, I think that it’s incumbent on elected officials — or those who aspire to elected office — to respect the process, unless there’s been some obvious flaw. As Barry himself said, he didn’t even bother to investigate the process that was at the heart of the complaints of not being heard.
In 20 years of civic advocacy, I’ve been on both the winning and losing ends of a bunch of battles, probably more often the losing end. I gave it my shot. And, on those occasions when I’ve lost, I have never (as far as I can recall) complained that I haven’t been heard, simply because I didn’t get my way. I was heard, I just failed to persuade a sufficient number of elected officials to prevail. I just have to do better the next time.
What Barry has done is join a pattern of behavior that makes it more difficult to get things done in the city. Maybe you prefer that. Generally, delay helps the side that favors the status quo. But, Barry, by his own account of his participation, seems particularly unprincipled.
@Sean
How much did this “Representative government” do just that? Do they have 300+ signatures representing an alternative view?
Simon,
We don’t have referenda on every issue. That’s the point of representative government.
We seem to have to got off topic. How about Councilor Noel calling fellow councilors cowards https://vimeo.com/533349248#t=34m40s
Simon,
Great question. I’d be interested to hear from Barry or Barry’s supporters on this one. Would he have gone outside the rail to vote on this particular item?
I’d be delighted to provide the context for this one, but not tonight.
I was at that meeting and heard Brenda live. She made me extremely proud to be a constituent and a supporter.
A point about words. It may be a quibble, but Brenda did not call anyone a “coward,” though she did question John Oliver’s and others’ courage for ducking the vote on the issue at hand.
@Barry Bergman thank you for clarifying your support for an ADA compliant design to make Crystal Lake more accessible. I also appreciate learning about the actions you and Lisa Gordon took to help ensure this natural treasure used by so many residents does not experience negative environmental impacts from the proposed design.
It is clear from your statement above and the recent Ward 6 debate that you will bring a 360 degree view to solving problems. What’s also apparent is you willingness to encourage full participation and be open to the ideas of all regardless of whether they share a majority or minority view.
Finally, thank you for speaking so openly about the lived experiences of you and your wife. The “Nothing About Us Without Us” quote is a personal favorite. These experiences and others discussed during the campaign seem very relevant to this and other important issues the City Council will face.
Good luck on Tuesday.
Sean – I guess you need to have it both ways. If SN says untruths they should be called out but if your candidates (Danberg & Noel) write or say untrue things you want to fudge up the language to convert what they said into a “half truth”
The question that I have for you today is what is wrong with making Lexington Cove 100% ADA compliant? That is what the appeal to the state board is all about. Maybe you are satisfied with less than 100% compliance?
Jackson Joe,
Nice try. Brenda said they “lack courage.” But, I won’t quibble with the interpretation that she called them cowards.
Jackson Joe,
Please read what Barry wrote. He signed onto the appeal because people complained about the process, not about ADA compliance. The appeal is about putting pilings in the water, not about ADA compliance. The design is fully ADA compliant. Barry is not alleging that is not ADA compliant. He, like some others, would prefer a different design. The opportunity to complain about the design is over.
Sean
Wrong on 2 counts. It is about ADA compliance which apparently you don’t really care about.
You think that you understand other peoples motives but you are constantly wrong and you are imagining what they are thinking. READ WHAT THEY SAY.. It’s right there in black and white
The 2nd count is you condoning the use of the word “lawsuit” and failing to realize that a petition to a state agency to review a proposal by 300 people is not a “lawsuit”.
I never mentioned the word “coward” but that was another incorrect projection by you.
Sean you continue to be a divisive force in this community, refusing to consider any other opinions besides your own.
I give you credit that you are consistent.
Jackson Joe,
It is very clear from a letter from the Friends of Crystal Lake that I’ve read that they have a list of issues, but ADA compliance is not one of them. They do mention ADA compliance. But, they mention ADA compliance to say that it’s possible to resolve the issues they’ve raised and still be ADA compliant, and not sacrifice ADA compliance.
Barry’s letter to the City Council is similar. He signed onto the appeal “because some neighbors of Crystal Lake expressed concern that environmental damage to the lake would result from the construction of the cantilevered deck. They feel that they are not being heard.” He goes on to write, “We want them to be heard and we want an ADA compliant design that everyone feels comfortable with.”
This isn’t hard to understand. There is an ADA-compliant design that the FOCL are not happy with. Barry thinks that there could be an ADA-compliant design that everyone is happy with. (Asserting that there is a solution that everyone could be happy with if we just took more time, by the way, is a very standard construction used by those who don’t respect the process. It ignores that what they want will make someone else unhappy.)
In any case, there is no dispute that the approved design is ADA-compliant. If it weren’t, we’d be having an entirely different conversation.
Sean – If you were an expert about ADA compliance that would be one thing but you have no interest in learning about it or trying to help the disabled. Your misinformation is just as bad as the sitting councilors who make up stories about fake lawsuits that don’t exist.
Jackson Joe,
You don’t need to be an expert on ADA compliance to read what they wrote and understand that neither the FOCL and Barry alleges a violation of the ADA. Period. Full stop.
Note, I never opined about whether the approved plan is or isn’t ADA compliant. I assume it is because the FOCL and Barry say it is.
Sean
I’m going to cut you some slack and say I think you didn’t understand that there is a question of compliance.
It’s not a question of violation because it hasn’t been built yet.
Yes there are other questions that people have about the project and 300 have signed a petition asking for review by the state agency and I would guess that hundreds more support that process but since your candidate feels that they can trash and slander their opponents who support that review process, falsely claiming that it’s a LAWSUIT, you are 100% behind that tactic and keep on smearing the opposition.
Jackson Joe,
Okay, so we’re back where we started. You think it matters that someone described an appeal to a state agency as a law suit. You and Barry have corrected the record. Thank you. I think that the distinction isn’t really significant in this context. Barry has joined a legal delay of the project without, by his own words, doing adequate due diligence. That’s what I think matters. We’ll agree to disagree.
We have also come to agreement that the request for review has to do with other issues, not ADA compliance. Great.
Thanks for the exchange.
By the way, I really doubt that calling an appeal to a state agency a lawsuit is the basis for a cause of action sounding in slander, but what do I know?