Smartgrowth from Pulte
Pulte Homes builds lots of condo complexes throughout the country. They’ll probably be building in Natick, as well. This is what a typical building looks like, from their brochure, for Wellington in Waltham. Of course the picture looks nicer than reality, for when you drive by the complex in Waltham, it has a cheesy look, and of course there are dozens of buildings like this one. Imagine 6 of these on the Paperboard site. Or even more on the South Main St. site. Certainly not as large as Waltham, but substantial for a smaller suburban town like us.
Smartgrowth means denser developing, with an object to lessen traffic, and increase open space. There might be room for a couple of sidewalks in between the buildings, and of course people can walk to the train station to work. If they need to drive to work, they’ll travel up North Main, to Rte 9, or Rte 30 and get to the Masspike that way. Our town developers don’t think a couple of hundred cars will make that much of a difference. Besides, what’s more important, tax money or open space?
The land on Washington St. isn’t large enough to put 6 of those pictured, although 5 might fit. How many units in each building? We can’t see the details from the picture.
I agree with the traffic problem, but it never seems to be an issue with the town when they work on these projects. I have to wonder if it matters to the people who broker these things.
Finally, what diffence would it make if a dozen or so units were technically “affordable?” Many of the units would be purchased by investors who would sublease them, or make them available to section 8. How smart would that growth be?
Comment by dewey | November 21, 2006
From an interview with Bill Pulte of Pulte Homes who has built thousands of units in Minnesota:
“If their listing of homes in MN is reflective of the rest of their inventory, Pulte Homes is similar to many large homebuilders - focusing new developments largerly in suburban and outlying communities.
Pulte Homes probably didn’t get to be the 2nd largest homebuilder without knowing a thing or two about business, so I found three parts of the interview to be quite interesting:
* He touches on how home construction has moved away from skilled craftsmen at the site and more towards factory-built components (e.g. components such as kitchen cabinets are increasingly built off-site, not at the site of a project by carpenters).
* He discusses the importance of immigrants in homebuilding.
* He notes that floorplans for homes are pretty standard for most homes, nationwide. The primary difference between a home in, say, Minnesota and California is the exterior of a home (rather than interior, which will be pretty close to the same).
I guess the lessons in homebuilding are (a) reduce labor costs and (b) standardize the product (allowing for rapid / easy reproduction across different geographic locations and projects). For instance, using factory-built components potentially reduces labor costs (e.g. skilled construction trades are often unionized, while factory positions likely pay lower wages) and allows mass production of parts.
One aspect of homebuilding he didn’t address, which I would have found interesting to learn more about, is the process and business of land acquisition. How much of a homebuilder’s job is speculation in land purchasing and holding (my guess is that the actual land control is a pretty big part of the work)?”
It should make everyone happy that Natick will get a stereotypical neighborhood It will make the Building Inspector’s job pretty easy, as the buildings are a no-brainer. Cookie cutters, just like Campanelli, and the Sherwoods were to Natick in the 1950’s.
Comment by Dave | November 22, 2006
[...] “Smart Growth?” Around Natick, Natick, MA This blog has an ongoing discussion of a proposed smart growth development in Natick; many of the features of smart growth are perceptively analyzed through the lens of of these specific plans. The author of the blog proposes on a number of occasions that the new development may have more to do with tax revenue than community consciousness. In this particular post, the situation in Natick is contrasted with that of the nearby town Weston. Also take a look at the post Smartgrowth from Pulte. [...]
Pingback by Virtuocity » Blog Archive » This Week’s Smart Growth Debates | November 22, 2006
Smart growth sounds like propaganda to me. Sort of like describing the Mathworks site on Apple Hill, as a distressed district, in order to allow them a tax reduction. That’s exactly what happened, and why should we trust the town leaders to do anything better with other properties?
Comment by Gabby | November 24, 2006
those people are unbelievable
Comment by concerned citizen | November 30, 2006
Which people, Pulte, the neighbors, or smart growth advocates?
Comment by Chris McCarthy | November 30, 2006
Pulte is the second largest home builder in the nation, so they have plenty of experience in dealing with locals. Natick officials don’t have a chance, considering how easily the residents were convinced spending over $4 million to build a golf course on top of a dump would be a good idea.
Comment by Dave | December 1, 2006
I am doing research on the home building firm of Solaray of South Natick, which was active in the 1950’s. I believe the developer was named Campanelli and the architect was Nathaniel Saltonstall (1903-68).
I would appreciate any leads on Solaray, Campanelli or Saltonstall.
Thanks
Comment by Kim Markert | December 2, 2006
Actually Bayberry Homes will be buying the paperboard site. Natick officials convinced town meeting that taking two steps forward and one step back, will eventually lead to accomplishing the 10percent affordable figure, in about 100 years. I can’t wait to see how “smart” it is to build 100 more homes without the necessary school rooms and teachers nearby. I wonder how that will impact school bus routes? There’s no school within walking distance, let alone a supermarket .
Comment by Dave | December 28, 2006
Actually, the state may not do any reimbursements for the smart growth at Paperboard, if the publicity reaches the appropriate readers.
What’s the town guideline on walking vs bus? If you live on North Main near the Paperboard site, do you take a school bus to Ben Hem, or Johnson? How many kids will live there, and how many will need a bus to Wilson? How many new classrooms will Wilson need? And if the projects on South Main go through, how many more bus routes will be necessary, and will the town have enoug classrooms at Johnson to handle the load.
Certainly not questions that anyone in town hall wants asked.
Comment by Dave | December 31, 2006
I do not think any condos should be put there. Would you like to know why? Well that’s because my husband worked at Natick Paperboard and because of people like you that complained about too many thing that put my husband and many other hard workers out of a job. about 75% of the mill workers (including my husband) still can not find a good paying job now. What I mean by a good paying job is putting food on the table or paying your heat bill. You see you set your life style around your income. How would you like to go to work one day and find out that today is your last day and there is nothing you can do about it? My family had worked there for generations. my great great grandfather, great uncles, uncles and my dad for 25yrs. You can not take this away. We are trying very hard to get it back open. Please just think of all the family’s you have ruined by taking away their jobs.
Comment by kelly | September 27, 2007
Thank you, Kelly, for writing. I’ve been critical of the town’s handling of the Paperboard dilemma, comparing the favors paid to Mathworks and the opposite treatment of Paperboard. Natick Planners, and Selectmen gave Mathworks a tax favor, meanwhile shunning Paperboard. Why? I think alot has to do with the culture of white collar vs blue collar. We all know the kind of image the leaders are trying to project to prospective business. Your family is the kind that made Natick great through the years.
For all the glad-handing over the HOOP designation, the Paperboard site has still not been approved by the state for reimbursement. And isn’t that what selfish officials had in mind all along?
Some thought of the Paperboard site as the gateway south to the rail trail, leading to the upscale Mall. Others realized the sham, and when it ever comes to a vote, I think we know how the real Natick will react.
Comment by Dave | September 27, 2007