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Planning Board Member Solicits Councilors
for Embattled Lowell Developer Chris Cox

by Tom Duggan

Lawrence City Councilor Marilda Gosselin says she got a call last week from planning board member Israel Reyes, who said he was acting as an intermediary between embattled Lowell Developer Christopher Cox and City officials.

"He wanted me to have lunch with him and Chris Cox to talk about this project," Gosselin said of Reyes.

An offended Gosselin said that it would be "inappropriate" for her to meet with Cox and Reyes since Cox has a development proposal before the city, which needs Planning Board approval and "may need consideration from the City Council at a future date. "

"I don't operate like that!" Gosselin said fuming. "This guy may be before us in the future on some of these projects he's been promised and I don't want anything to do with what's going on. It seems like a conflict of interest to me."

Gosselin said she takes great pains to distance herself from conflicts of interest on the council.

Conflict of interest was also an issue addressed by Councilor Sweeney at the Planning Board meeting last week. Sweeney told the Board that there "may be a conflict" and cautioned that anyone who might have such a conflict recuse themselves from any official city involvement.

Board member Israel Reyes told his fellow board members that night that he was "very excited" about the project and urged them to approve Cox's plan.

Cox told the Planning Board that no public money has been committed for the embattled project, but sources in City Hall revealed last week that he had indeed applied for public dollars and Cox himself has said the Mayor is committed to helping him get funding.

Sullivan said in his State of the City address that Cox was slated to build "a hundred units on Park St." and added, "he's going to need our help!"

Cox has been under fire since he appeared before the Planning Board and represented himself as the owner of the 42-44 Park St. property. City Councilor Michael Sweeney revealed that evening that Cox was not named on the deed to the property and that the application for project approval did not have his name appear anywhere in the documents.

The application approved was also unsigned by the property owner even though applications clearly state that incomplete applications would not be accepted. A letter sent to the Planning Board from Mental Health Resources Plus states they have a "valid purchase and sale agreement" for the Park St. land.

Mental Health Resources Plus advised the board in their letter not to approve the Cox plan reminding them that they already had their plan for the property approved by the Planning Board.

Two other councilors who asked not to be identified said they were also contacted by Reyes to meet with the developer, "he was lobbying support for Cox and trying to get me on board with the project," one councilor said. "He wanted to share the details about how this was going to be good for the city and how everyone was gong to come out ahead when it was done."

Both councilors said they refused to meet with Reyes and Cox.

On another note, members of the Sullivan Administration have been scurrying around city hall hurling accusations and intimidating city workers trying to find out who the sources are that 'leaked' the PUBLIC information about Cox and Slipp to tommyduggan.com.

One worker was told if he was seen "talking to Tom Duggan" he might find his name on the list of layoffs come budget time.

Reyes was sent several emails in an attempt to get a comment on the matter. He refused to respond.

Part 2 of the Cox development scandal and the details of who is involved will be posted by