R. MONTGOMERY THOMAS, Weymouth: Weymouth must control housing density

TO THE EDITOR:

To explain the fraudulent “senior” housing production plan Weymouth has initiated, there are two elements that are inexorably linked.

In order for the plan to be submitted to the state for approval, the first part is to amend our zoning to permit residential housing into areas not previously allowed. Once done, the town can submit to the state that we’re providing for affordable housing for the next five years at 117 units per year. If the state approves the plan, which is only good for five years, the town can deny 40B developers the ability to build thousands of apartments that would further strain resources.

What the mayor is intentionally trying to do is allow mixed-use residential housing in commercial zones to essentially hinder an anti-snob law. What’s missing is that it then becomes a dog chasing its own tail because the more housing we provide the more the numbers work against us.

The answer is density control that would allow no more than 10 to 15 housing units per acre. Any more threatens our water supply and other limited resources. I believe that’s all we need since our home rule charter allows us to control our own destiny, including land uses.

R. MONTGOMERY THOMAS

Weymouth

Here's one opinion. What's yours? Click here to write a letter to the editor of up to 200 words or leave a comment on the story. To give everyone a chance to be heard, we allow one letter per writer every 30 days. Read more columns, editorials and letters.

Tuesday

TO THE EDITOR:

To explain the fraudulent “senior” housing production plan Weymouth has initiated, there are two elements that are inexorably linked.

In order for the plan to be submitted to the state for approval, the first part is to amend our zoning to permit residential housing into areas not previously allowed. Once done, the town can submit to the state that we’re providing for affordable housing for the next five years at 117 units per year. If the state approves the plan, which is only good for five years, the town can deny 40B developers the ability to build thousands of apartments that would further strain resources.

What the mayor is intentionally trying to do is allow mixed-use residential housing in commercial zones to essentially hinder an anti-snob law. What’s missing is that it then becomes a dog chasing its own tail because the more housing we provide the more the numbers work against us.

The answer is density control that would allow no more than 10 to 15 housing units per acre. Any more threatens our water supply and other limited resources. I believe that’s all we need since our home rule charter allows us to control our own destiny, including land uses.

R. MONTGOMERY THOMAS

Weymouth

Here's one opinion. What's yours? Click here to write a letter to the editor of up to 200 words or leave a comment on the story. To give everyone a chance to be heard, we allow one letter per writer every 30 days. Read more columns, editorials and letters.

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