WinsingtonIII t1_j8nb0du wrote
To be honest, I expected more concerted pushback against this law than there has been. The fact only 4 towns failed to submit the required action plan is honestly fewer than I expected.
I'm sure we will see some towns not follow through with their action plans fully, but I was concerned we'd see a refusal to comply at all by a number of towns. The overall reaction has been better than I expected.
tjrileywisc t1_j8niwjx wrote
I read through the towns surrounding mine (Waltham) and they seemed to be concerned about losing commercial tax base to lower tax base residential (someone tell them about mixed use zoning please) but generally they appeared to be at the acceptance stage of grief.
Waltham's response was at the bargaining stage though with a lot of excuses as to why we shouldn't have to comply and some nimby nonsense about luxury housing.
hvdc123 t1_j8odyot wrote
The only surrounding town that would reasonably apply to is Lincoln. If they lost the commercial space next to the train they'd have none left. I don't know that the legislation can force the cities/towns to build mixed use but that's been their plan for years. Everything got put on hold until the details shake out.
closerocks t1_j8oj3qx wrote
Mixed-use zoning still reduces the commercial tax base because is typically used for low value commercial like nail salons, coffee shops, and dentist chains. High-value commercial like manufacturing, pharmaceutical, chemical, R&D lab, nuclear medicine isotope production would still be isolated in an industrial ghetto. They should be colocated with residential so that the people that work in these companies can live within walking distance.
tjrileywisc t1_j8op2yp wrote
I don't think Lincoln has much of the latter anyway, does it?
closerocks t1_j8ozlzl wrote
I have mixed feelings about Lincoln. It is an agricultural community that used extremely exclusionary practices to preserve open space. Which to me means that it should be treated as a nature/agricultural preserve and the state should have the right of first refusal on any property sale. The goal would be to eventually eliminating all buildings except historically/architecturally important ones and rewilding land.
Given Lincoln's proximity to Boston, it would be transit accessible nature space which is more important than most people can possibly imagine. One way to think of it us as a potential addition to Middlesex Fells and Blue Hills.
Maxpowr9 t1_j8o4q16 wrote
Cause Waltham hasn't been gentrified enough already.
tjrileywisc t1_j8o4zi7 wrote
Not providing enough housing supply for the top of the market is how you get gentrification as all others have to compete against them and lose.
AnyRound5042 t1_j8nmlga wrote
Thing is, it only takes one town getting away with it before others decide not to follow as well. Once all the towns realize they can get away with this then why would they comply with anything the state says in the future
Vivecs954 t1_j8o7f0u wrote
Until 2024 all towns in commuter rail towns all they have to do to remain compliant is to submit an action plan, they don’t have to actually implement anything.
My town did it it’s a worksheet they fill out. By 2024 they actually have to redone and that’s when you’ll see way more towns out of compliance.
1000thusername t1_j8pqv1f wrote
There will be. Towns are being stupid filing plans, but considering zoning changes in most towns have to be approved by super majority at town meeting, this shit ain’t going to get any traction just about anywhere
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