Your Local News Source for Over 30 Years! r Local News So e for Ov r 30 Years! Vol. 31, No.28 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday Ward 5 voters head to the polls for Special Election on Tuesday Powers, Rosa and Clark vie for vacated seat By Adam Swift P olls will be open in Ward 5 on Tuesday, July 19 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a Special Election to replace Ward 5 Councillor Al Fiore. Fiore stepped down from offi ce earlier this year due to medical reasons. Vying to replace Fiore are the former Ward 5 Councillor ELECTION | SEE Page 17 RON CLARK Firefi ghters are shown battling the high-rise blaze at 370 Ocean Ave. on June 21. (Advocate fi le photo) By Adam Swift T JOHN POWERS LINDA SANTOS ROSA he Water’s Edge high-rise apartment building at 370 Ocean Ave. was deemed unfi t for human habitation by city offi cials last week following a fi re on an 11th fl oor roof deck on June 21. Around 100 residents of the building have been displaced as a result of it being condemned. The move to condemn the building came following an inspection on July 5 when inspectors determined that numerous violations at the building had not been addressed by property manager The Carabetta Companies. The issues with Carabetta have been long standing in the city, according to Mayor Brian Arrigo. Carabetta has racked up 70 fi nes since 2004 and owes the city $1 million, according to the mayor. Prior to the building being condemned, Arrigo issued a FIRE | SEE Page 21 City Council votes down inclusionary zoning ordinance Visconti: Negatives outweigh the positives By Adam Swift T he City Council easily defeated a proposed inclusionary zoning ordinance that would have created aff ordable housing units in new developments of six or more units at Monday night’s meeting. The ordinance, which was proposed by Mayor Brian Arrigo, would have required 12 percent of all units in new developments of six or more units to be low-income housing. The measure was defeated by a 9-1 vote, with Councillor-at-Large Steven Morabito casting the lone vote in favor of the ordinance. Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri was absent from Monday night’s meeting. At the Zoning Subcommittee meeting prior to the vote of the full council on Monday, several councillors laid out their issues with the inclusionary zoning ordinance. Most of the concerns centered around the parking and zoning relief developers would 781-286-8500 Friday, July 15, 2022 High-rise building condemned by city GERRY VISCONTI City Council President get for providing the aff ordable units. “This is just once again promoting more development,” said Councillor-at-Large Dan Rizzo. In exchange for creating the HOUSING | SEE Page 14
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