After more than a year of heated political bickering, what seemed inevitable just a week ago now appears on the verge of going down to surprising defeat. And if it does, a pair of political rivals who battled for the Mayor’s Office and rarely see eye to eye are shaping up as the catalysts.
InsideLowell has learned that at least two City Councilors believed to be “Yes” votes on the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance are re-evaluating their thinking, with reliable information that at least one of them favors a motion asking to table any ADU vote until the outcome of the Massachusetts Legislature’s efforts to pass a state-wide bill have played out. According to our sources, the two are Mayor Sokhary Chau and Councilor Vesna Nuon.
Should they both drop their support for the proposed ordinance at this time, that would change an anticipated 7-4 vote in favor to at least a 6-5 vote not to approve.
Requests for official comment from both Chau and Nuon have gone unreturned.
The controversial ADU ordinance is facing increasing political opposition ahead of the scheduled vote next Tuesday. An influential Belvidere group led by former City Manager Brian Martin has scheduled a meeting for this coming Saturday morning.
It is believed their efforts have gained traction as the final vote approaches, despite the widely held belief that both Chau and Nuon are secure in their respective re-election efforts in District 6 and the At-Large race.
