Regarding the ridiculously out-of-place proposal for a 26-story tower in Davis Square, I’m reminded of Mitt Romney’s long-ago quip about why he opposed the controversial Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound:

“No one would suggest that we are going to put wind turbines in the Grand Canyon, despite the fact that we have high winds there … The same thing is true in Nantucket Sound. It’s just the wrong place for this particular wind farm. But there are other places, good places in the commonwealth for wind farms.”

As it was, the ridiculously out-of-place Cape Wind plan collapsed under its own absurd financial weight – and, sure enough, “other places, good places” were later found for wind farms … So let’s hope the same thing happens with developer Andrew Flynn’s obnoxious plans to destroy a huge swath of Davis Square – and that “other places, good places” are found for residential towers in Somerville.

Besides destroying a beloved neighborhood, my concern is that out-of-place residential plans like this and other “big box” residential projects are discrediting efforts to promote new housing construction. The goal is to fight NIMBYism, not intensify NIMBYism. … I’ve harped on this backlash issue before, here and here. And I’ve also noted how one city is approaching zoning reforms in a more pragmatic, common-sense way. … The Globe and B&T have more on the Davis Square fight.