(no subject)
BLACKSTONE -- For the second time since September, town officials will play host to a regional workshop Wednesday night to discuss strategy for combating the controversial affordable housing law known as Chapter 40B.
Town Administrator Raymond Houle invited to the meeting state senators, representatives and selectmen from 15 cities and towns from Millville to Auburn, Mass. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
"It’s been productive in a couple of ways," says Houle. "It’s a common problem we’re all dealing with so it’s good for us to talk to each other. And it’s helped us realize we’re all in the same boat and if we don’t stick together we’re going to get stung."
Chapter 40B essentially allows real estate developers to sidestep local zoning authorities when building large-scale housing tracts, so long as they set aside a portion of the homes the intend to build as "affordable." The law was conceived as a way to enforce affordable housing quotas on cities and towns, but in practice, opponents say, it is fueling spiraling real estate growth, putting unprecedented pressure on public services and natural resources.
"The law has to be reviewed and changed," said Charles Sawyer, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. "They have to give the local communities more input."
Sawyer credited fellow Selectman Robert J. Dubois with launching the series of "roundtable discussions" on the issue.
"Nobody present at our last meeting disputed the need for affordable housing," Dubois said in a statement. "What was objected to was the lack of control by the local communities."
At the first installment, in September, about 50 people attended, even though it was a very hot night and there were special town meetings in several neighboring communities, said Houle. The town administrator said he expects another healthy turnout on Wednesday.
There are two Chapter 40B proposals in play locally, including a 52-unit development known as The Hamlet, on Farm Street, that is well under way. Another proposal, known as Sycamore Meadows, on Elm Street, calls for 150 units of townhouse-style housing and is in the early planning stages.
Last week, however, town officials traveled to Boston, appealing to Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey to stop Sycamore Meadows because, they say, it threatens the second-oldest sycamore tree in the state.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the strategy session, to be held at 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Public Library on Main Street.
Meanwhile, there are signs that state legislators are responding to the growing chorus of opposition to Chapter 40B.
In a prepared statement issued yesterday, State Rep. Jennifer M. Callahan (D-Sutton) said the Joint Committee on Public Housing will sponsor a public hearing on the issue in the Gardner Auditorium at the State House in Boston on Jan. 24. Hundreds of people are expected to attend the session to register their opinion, and Callahan is urging her constituents to take part.
"Reforming Chapter 40B laws continues to be a top priority for my district," she said. "I am committed to helping residents’ voices be heard on this important issue. That is why I want to encourage testimony from as many residents as possible."
A Chapter 40B reform package passed the House last session, but the Senate did not take up the measure, according to Callahan.
The representative said she would like to assist anyone interested in testifying at the hearing. She can be reached at 617-722-2130 for additional information.
Residents who are unable to attend in person can submit written testimony to Callahan, who will deliver it to the committee, she said. Correspondence can be addressed to Callahan at State House Room 130, Boston, Mass., 02133
Taken from here.
Town Administrator Raymond Houle invited to the meeting state senators, representatives and selectmen from 15 cities and towns from Millville to Auburn, Mass. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
"It’s been productive in a couple of ways," says Houle. "It’s a common problem we’re all dealing with so it’s good for us to talk to each other. And it’s helped us realize we’re all in the same boat and if we don’t stick together we’re going to get stung."
Chapter 40B essentially allows real estate developers to sidestep local zoning authorities when building large-scale housing tracts, so long as they set aside a portion of the homes the intend to build as "affordable." The law was conceived as a way to enforce affordable housing quotas on cities and towns, but in practice, opponents say, it is fueling spiraling real estate growth, putting unprecedented pressure on public services and natural resources.
"The law has to be reviewed and changed," said Charles Sawyer, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. "They have to give the local communities more input."
Sawyer credited fellow Selectman Robert J. Dubois with launching the series of "roundtable discussions" on the issue.
"Nobody present at our last meeting disputed the need for affordable housing," Dubois said in a statement. "What was objected to was the lack of control by the local communities."
At the first installment, in September, about 50 people attended, even though it was a very hot night and there were special town meetings in several neighboring communities, said Houle. The town administrator said he expects another healthy turnout on Wednesday.
There are two Chapter 40B proposals in play locally, including a 52-unit development known as The Hamlet, on Farm Street, that is well under way. Another proposal, known as Sycamore Meadows, on Elm Street, calls for 150 units of townhouse-style housing and is in the early planning stages.
Last week, however, town officials traveled to Boston, appealing to Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey to stop Sycamore Meadows because, they say, it threatens the second-oldest sycamore tree in the state.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the strategy session, to be held at 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Public Library on Main Street.
Meanwhile, there are signs that state legislators are responding to the growing chorus of opposition to Chapter 40B.
In a prepared statement issued yesterday, State Rep. Jennifer M. Callahan (D-Sutton) said the Joint Committee on Public Housing will sponsor a public hearing on the issue in the Gardner Auditorium at the State House in Boston on Jan. 24. Hundreds of people are expected to attend the session to register their opinion, and Callahan is urging her constituents to take part.
"Reforming Chapter 40B laws continues to be a top priority for my district," she said. "I am committed to helping residents’ voices be heard on this important issue. That is why I want to encourage testimony from as many residents as possible."
A Chapter 40B reform package passed the House last session, but the Senate did not take up the measure, according to Callahan.
The representative said she would like to assist anyone interested in testifying at the hearing. She can be reached at 617-722-2130 for additional information.
Residents who are unable to attend in person can submit written testimony to Callahan, who will deliver it to the committee, she said. Correspondence can be addressed to Callahan at State House Room 130, Boston, Mass., 02133
Taken from here.