“Smart Growth”?
Let’s compare a tale of two towns and the fate of large parcels of land:
Weston:
In a show of unity, nearly 800 Weston citizens voiced their unanimous support to acquire the 62-acre Case Estates at a Special Town Meeting on November 8. Selectmen now have been given the authority to purchase the Case Estates by year’s end and have until June 2007 to determine the destiny of the parcels of the property that are not automatically preserved under the approved plan. These parcels may be sold or preserved depending on the financial abilities and desires of the town, as well as the fundraising efforts of the Case Fund.
Natick:
Several months after Natick Paperboard closed its doors, town planners said they would consider a zoning change to make the property more marketable.
Several developers have expressed interest in the North Main Street property, and the town’s Director of Community Development is working with Selectmen, Zoning, and Planners, to do what is termed “smart growth”, or 40R, emphasizing a need to increase the stock of affordable “apartments” aka “condos” close to the downtown. The vision, or at least what’s expressed to the public, is a dense cluster of living quarters where people can walk to the train, and get a cup of coffee or pizza within walking distance of their home.
That, in a nutshell, is the difference in vision between two neighboring towns.
Weston, 62 acres for sale, Natick 7 acres for sale. Weston considers smart to be preservation of open space by purchasing, Natick goes for the tax revenue they know residential will bring. For isn’t that really what’s behind it all? I think so.
