Anthony Galluccio, land use and permitting attorney and law partner at Galluccio & Watson LLP, is issuing a public alert about a common and avoidable risk he sees across communities and careers: moving forward without understanding the process. After decades in public service, law, youth coaching, and charity leadership, Galluccio says the same mistake repeats itself: people rush and decide internally that their project is "good for the community."
"How would you like it if a team of suits came and told you how you should feel about a project in your neighborhood?" Galluccio asked. "The first public meeting should be after months of listening and getting to know your neighbors. Start ahead, stay ahead. Start with mistrust and you may never recover." He emphasized that public process is his trademark, and while some clients resist it, they either listen or learn the hard way. "Treat people as you would want to be treated if the project was in your neighborhood," he said.
Galluccio noted that some developers focus on the real anti-everything activists and then lose the forest through the trees. "Loud critical voices are just part of the process and do not write them off as people you can never satisfy. Opposition can be cooled and opponents can become supporters. Good intentions aren't enough," he said in a recent interview. He stressed that changing the community requires time to build trust and earn support, even if that means compromise.
The risk of poor community process is common across industries, often stemming from a "bunker mentality" where highly paid teams sit around for months telling each other what a great project it is and what a great deal it is for the community. Studies show nearly 60% of project delays stem from poor planning or unclear processes. More than half of people report avoidable stress linked to last-minute decisions. Research suggests 40% of daily actions are habit-driven, meaning unplanned habits often guide outcomes. Communities that lack public engagement in planning processes experience higher conflict and longer approval timelines. Teams that skip preparation meetings are significantly more likely to miss deadlines.
"Speed feels productive," Galluccio said. "But getting real buy-in is what actually moves things forward." He warned against the common trap of "drinking your own kool aid"—sitting around the architect's office allowing the project to evolve without public interaction or laying groundwork. "It's important to have a real and feasible project but passing around your own kool aid is not helpful. You need real feedback and get it before the project is introduced. It will take months and years to recover good faith in the community," he added.
Galluccio stressed that permitting isn't fast work; it's trust-based work. Whether it is a project, a role, or a responsibility, skipping steps often creates more work later. "Community process saves people time later," he said. "You either invest it upfront or pay for it later." He offered a quick self-check for those at risk: answering yes to three or more questions about skipping process, relying on urgency, resenting challenges, or seeing compromise as failure indicates the risk likely applies.
For those feeling rushed most days, Galluccio advised refining success as getting feasible entitlements approved on a reasonable timeline, not an internal one. If unclear about outcomes, be fluid in allowing the project to change and evolve with community input. If feeling resistance from others, encourage process that creates specific requests and embrace change so the project becomes "theirs" not "yours." If overwhelmed, remind yourself that no one is "entitled" to permits; they must be earned.
"Every day is like a game. You win, you reflect and get better; you lose, you get to practice and get better," Galluccio said. He urged a call to action: comfort the community before they are unnerved. Tell them there will be another meeting before the first one starts. Community anxiety is the enemy. "Trust is built when you show up consistently and respond to concerns," he said. "You have to get beat up, endure, and prove to the community you are worthy of partnership."
Anthony Galluccio is a Cambridge-based attorney and law partner at Galluccio & Watson LLP, where he focuses on land use, zoning, and permitting. He has headed up historic rezonings, community benefits agreements, and permitting of some of the largest projects in Cambridge and Somerville. Much of Kendall Square, the life science epicenter of the world, has been driven by zoning that Galluccio advanced. He previously served on the Cambridge City Council, as Mayor of Cambridge, and as a Massachusetts State Senator. As Mayor, he used good faith to settle difficult teacher contracts and negotiate with institutions like Harvard and MIT and others to create community benefits such as the Harvard Cambridge Summer Academy and the Biolab for high school students at Biogen. He has coached youth sports for over 20 years and founded charities supporting pediatric cancer care, youth sports, and families in need. His work centers on consensus building, consistency, and community trust.
