By Dalia Díaz
There is a new sentiment in society that we must hate the rich as if anyone who has acquired any type of wealth has to be necessarily under dubious circumstances. We must recognize that those people contribute to society investing, creating employment and paying their fair share of taxes. Whoever attained any amount of richness through his or her own effort or intelligence should be blessed and admired.
If instead, there are questionable issues, behavior, abuses or political favors in order to get there, well… it’s not OK in my book and it should not be in yours.
During the Licensing Commission meeting of March 30th, I noticed that the commissioners were paying attention and responding to someone who was sitting at the right side of the board, away from camera angle. I found it very suspicious that District B Councilor Estela Reyes was injecting her opinion and comments, advocating for a man named Reyes (I hear he’s her brother) who was looking for a car dealer’s license on Jackson St. When it was approved, she got up and left with them. The City Council confirms appointments to the Licensing Commission. Advocating for a family member is a conflict of interest and she should not have taken sides in this.
Then Roger Farrah, the man who owns lots of properties in the city, had a big fight with the board because Zone 2 lots are no longer allowed and they just approved a used car lot where there was never one. He repeated many times that what they had just done is illegal; that it’s political.
The commissioners defended their actions saying that it had been approved by Dan McCarthy, the land use planner, but Farrah insisted that they were outlawed in Lawrence since the 80s. License renewals will continue to be issued to those in existence but no new ones.
Then, there is the purchase of properties by Councilor Reyes and her associates.
October 16, 2015, through a Quick Claim Deed, she purchased the building located next to the Oliver School for $170,000 from the Anchor Baptist Church who owned it. The names on the deed are Denis Reyes, Estela Reyes, Juan Carlos Reyes and Junior Rozon.
On January 25, 2016, the Housing Committee approved the sale of a city-owned lot at 92 Oak St. for $3,300. The land that was sold to Junior Rozon, a Haverhill resident, is behind the Oliver School. Councilor Reyes is a member of this committee and since Estela and Mr. Rozon are business partners, she should have abstained from voting but she even seconded the motion for approval.
This sale by Mayor Rivera does several things one of which is that makes Rozon twice an immediate abutter to city-owned land.
The Mayor wants to rebuild and possibly expand the Oliver School. The only land immediately available for any expansion of the Oliver that is not yet developed is the parcel that he just sold along with the other city-owned land. It is foolish for the mayor to sell this land to Rozon when it may in fact be needed for the expansion of the grammar school thus resulting in the city having to buy it back from Rozon.
The beneficiaries of the land deal between Rivera and his administration with Junior Rozon includes Councilor Estela Reyes and I would suggest that this was most likely intentional by the Mayor to keep her name off of the land sale which in my opinion most likely violates the Massachusetts General Laws as it applies to the sale of public property and public disclosures.
This all smells of Public Corruption to me. The price of $3,300.00 for that parcel of land to a private owner and not to a group like the Veterans Northeast or to Habitat for Humanity is definitely a sweetheart deal and it has Mayor Rivera’s signature on it.
The City Council, in its good judgment during the May 3rd meeting, refused to pay for the demolition of the property next to the Oliver school for being owned by a city councilor.
