City Council Upholds Condo Decision

The Cambridge City Council last night refused to reconsider a decision to "exempt" two controversial buildings on Linnaean St. and Washington Ave. from a city ordinance restricting condominium conversion.

The council voted a week ago to go on record as exempting the buildings--a policy decision that has no binding force since the ordinance remains unamended--and last night refused to reverse its decision, even though the Rent Board in mid week decided not to allow the conversions to take place.

City tenants may have gotten some good news at last night's meeting, however; councilor Alfred E. Vellucci, traditionally a supporter of tenant rights but the swing vote in favor of the two condominium conversions, hinted that he would not support not amendment to the ordinance specifically exempting the buildings.

Opponents have contended in recent weeks that the non-binding council resolution is merely a symbolic defeat, but warned that if the rent control ordinance was ever amended to exempt specific buildings, it would probably be struck down in court.

"There's going to be some problem with amending the ordinance," Vellucci said. "It would be the first time in my memory that an ordinance would ever single out one building."

Assessing the Situation

"But I still want to help the young people in that building," Vellucci said, adding that he hoped other councilors didn't take a "definitely negative attitude." Vellucci also promised to introduce a resolution within the next two weeks that would "reaffirm" council support for rent control.

In other action, the city council:

Refused to consider a resolution congratulating Yale on its victory over Harvard in The Game. Introduced by Vellucci. charter-righted by Kevin Crane '71, the order gave special praise to A. Bartlett Giamatti, president of Yale, and defensive start Fred Leone, both of Italian descent.

Accepted the resignation of Rudolph Russo as the city's chief assessor. Russo's tenure has been marked by controversy, especially in the last few months when the assessors have come under heavy fire for failing to complete the scheduled 100 per cent reassessment of city property (see other story this page).

Escapism

Russo angered many members of the city council last month, when he took a vacation at the height of the assessment controversy. "He said he wanted to see the process out, but couldn't give another year of his life to it," acting city manager Robert Healy told the council last night.