pk
March 2nd, 2004, 10:45 AM
Wompy Riders Take Note.
The town of Norwell is seeking to apply a "home-rule" request to take over a key section of Wompatuck State Forest and turn it into low-income housing.
NEMBA is just now looking into ways to help prevent this since it would affect the Wompatuck trail system and open space.
Here's an article that came out in the Norwell Mariner:
http://www.townonline.com/norwell/news/local_regional/nor_newnowampatuck02262004.htm
State park plan draws response
By Seth Jacobson / sjacobso@cnc.com
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Norwell officials chime in on Wampatuck proposal
Selectmen's proposal to take a portion of Wampatuck State Park and turn it into affordable housing has certainly caught the attention of local and state officials.
Members of the board say they will ask voters at the May 10 annual Town Meeting to approve a measure through a home-rule petition requesting the land from the state. The proposal needs to be approved by Town Meeting before it can be presented to the state. Although selectmen have not specified exactly how much land they would be asking for, Selectman Rick Merritt said the land the town would seek from the state would be on the "fringe" of the park which is currently inaccessible.
State Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, said he doesn't know how receptive the state would be to the idea.
"We have a fairly strong tradition of supporting home-rule petitions," he said. "But under state law, it's hard to take recreation land for this purpose, never mind state-owned recreation land. It's going to be a very interesting topic for some of my colleagues to chew on."
Some officials in Norwell have said the state might laugh at such a proposal.
"Normally, they would laugh," Hedlund said. "But the creation of affordable housing is the hallmark of Gov. (Mitt) Romney's term."
Hedlund said he just completed a project where 44 acres of land in Hingham was added onto the state park and finds it ironic Norwell selectmen are asking for this now.
"I respect the judgment of the Norwell selectmen but I would be very concerned about diminishing available open space unless the land in question is really inaccessible," Hedlund said. He added the proposal is unprecedented and noted, "I applaud the selectmen for their creativity in addressing a very tough issue. It certainly should make Town Meeting a bit more lively."
Officials in Norwell are meeting the proposal with mixed reactions. Norwell Zoning Board Chairman Lois Barbour said she thinks the proposal could turn out to be a good idea.
"I certainly think the town is in a very tough position regarding affordable housing," she said. "The more I look at 40B in general, the less I am convinced that it is about creating affordable housing. I think the town is well within its right to seek possible relief. As much as I would hate to see protected land come out of conservation, if the affordable housing problem is as dire as the state says, it's something we should look at.
"In Norwell, there is so much land that is problematic...I've heard some criticism of the selectmen that they could come up with this idea but it could be an opportunity for a solution."
Barbour said she expects voters will make the right decision, whatever that may be.
"I would be surprised if the state even gave this the mildest consideration," said Community Preservation Committee Chairman Becky Freed. She added one of Norwell's problems is that is has not created an affordable housing committee or partnership. She said her committee is presently in the process of trying to identify tracts of land in each precinct to be used for affordable housing.
"There is a lot of land we have not built upon," Freed said. She added several affordable housing plans have been submitted to selectmen and stressed they should be looked at. Selectmen have put the idea of an affordable housing plan on the back burner because they say none of the ones submitted address an implementation plan.
"I just don't think we need to start breaking up state parks," Freed said.
Attorney J. Marlin Hawthorne, who has been outspoken on the affordable housing issue in town, said he doesn't think the state park idea is such a good one.
"This is a political ploy by selectmen to make it look like they're doing something when they're actually doing nothing," he said. "Suppose voters approve it at Town Meeting. Will the state turn land over? I don't think so. I'm embarrassed and ashamed of this and to tell you the truth, I've given up."
Hawthorne was one of the people who submitted an affordable housing plan to the town and said it would be an effective tool in trying to remedy the problem.
"Nobody's affordable housing plan addressed how we implement the creation of affordable housing over the long haul, including (Hawthorne's)," said Selectman Paul Gaynor. "And that's the most important aspect of the plan."
He added the Wampatuck proposal is a valid one.
"It's a chance for the state to show how serious it is about affordable housing," he said. "The chances of this passing is reasonably small, but it's worth exploring."
Meanwhile, Gaynor said selectmen are working with the Community Preservation Committee to identify tracts of land around town and are forming an affordable housing policy to allow the town to evaluate different 40B projects.
Town Planner Ilana Quirk said the planning board met Monday night and issued a statement on the proposal the next morning which said, "The Wampatuck State Park proposal should be explored and so should every possible avenue that could lead to the development of affordable housing in town."
"I realize there's pressure to create affordable housing, but this doesn't seem like it's something that should happen," added Conservation Commission Chairman Burt Bryan.
Chapter 40B legislation, passed in the late 1960s, allows developers to get comprehensive permits for projects where a percentage of the units are deemed affordable, allowing them to circumvent local zoning bylaws. The law allows developers to build under 40B regulations if less than 10 percent of a town's available housing is deemed affordable. About 3 percent of housing in Norwell is considered affordable.
The town of Norwell is seeking to apply a "home-rule" request to take over a key section of Wompatuck State Forest and turn it into low-income housing.
NEMBA is just now looking into ways to help prevent this since it would affect the Wompatuck trail system and open space.
Here's an article that came out in the Norwell Mariner:
http://www.townonline.com/norwell/news/local_regional/nor_newnowampatuck02262004.htm
State park plan draws response
By Seth Jacobson / sjacobso@cnc.com
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Norwell officials chime in on Wampatuck proposal
Selectmen's proposal to take a portion of Wampatuck State Park and turn it into affordable housing has certainly caught the attention of local and state officials.
Members of the board say they will ask voters at the May 10 annual Town Meeting to approve a measure through a home-rule petition requesting the land from the state. The proposal needs to be approved by Town Meeting before it can be presented to the state. Although selectmen have not specified exactly how much land they would be asking for, Selectman Rick Merritt said the land the town would seek from the state would be on the "fringe" of the park which is currently inaccessible.
State Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, said he doesn't know how receptive the state would be to the idea.
"We have a fairly strong tradition of supporting home-rule petitions," he said. "But under state law, it's hard to take recreation land for this purpose, never mind state-owned recreation land. It's going to be a very interesting topic for some of my colleagues to chew on."
Some officials in Norwell have said the state might laugh at such a proposal.
"Normally, they would laugh," Hedlund said. "But the creation of affordable housing is the hallmark of Gov. (Mitt) Romney's term."
Hedlund said he just completed a project where 44 acres of land in Hingham was added onto the state park and finds it ironic Norwell selectmen are asking for this now.
"I respect the judgment of the Norwell selectmen but I would be very concerned about diminishing available open space unless the land in question is really inaccessible," Hedlund said. He added the proposal is unprecedented and noted, "I applaud the selectmen for their creativity in addressing a very tough issue. It certainly should make Town Meeting a bit more lively."
Officials in Norwell are meeting the proposal with mixed reactions. Norwell Zoning Board Chairman Lois Barbour said she thinks the proposal could turn out to be a good idea.
"I certainly think the town is in a very tough position regarding affordable housing," she said. "The more I look at 40B in general, the less I am convinced that it is about creating affordable housing. I think the town is well within its right to seek possible relief. As much as I would hate to see protected land come out of conservation, if the affordable housing problem is as dire as the state says, it's something we should look at.
"In Norwell, there is so much land that is problematic...I've heard some criticism of the selectmen that they could come up with this idea but it could be an opportunity for a solution."
Barbour said she expects voters will make the right decision, whatever that may be.
"I would be surprised if the state even gave this the mildest consideration," said Community Preservation Committee Chairman Becky Freed. She added one of Norwell's problems is that is has not created an affordable housing committee or partnership. She said her committee is presently in the process of trying to identify tracts of land in each precinct to be used for affordable housing.
"There is a lot of land we have not built upon," Freed said. She added several affordable housing plans have been submitted to selectmen and stressed they should be looked at. Selectmen have put the idea of an affordable housing plan on the back burner because they say none of the ones submitted address an implementation plan.
"I just don't think we need to start breaking up state parks," Freed said.
Attorney J. Marlin Hawthorne, who has been outspoken on the affordable housing issue in town, said he doesn't think the state park idea is such a good one.
"This is a political ploy by selectmen to make it look like they're doing something when they're actually doing nothing," he said. "Suppose voters approve it at Town Meeting. Will the state turn land over? I don't think so. I'm embarrassed and ashamed of this and to tell you the truth, I've given up."
Hawthorne was one of the people who submitted an affordable housing plan to the town and said it would be an effective tool in trying to remedy the problem.
"Nobody's affordable housing plan addressed how we implement the creation of affordable housing over the long haul, including (Hawthorne's)," said Selectman Paul Gaynor. "And that's the most important aspect of the plan."
He added the Wampatuck proposal is a valid one.
"It's a chance for the state to show how serious it is about affordable housing," he said. "The chances of this passing is reasonably small, but it's worth exploring."
Meanwhile, Gaynor said selectmen are working with the Community Preservation Committee to identify tracts of land around town and are forming an affordable housing policy to allow the town to evaluate different 40B projects.
Town Planner Ilana Quirk said the planning board met Monday night and issued a statement on the proposal the next morning which said, "The Wampatuck State Park proposal should be explored and so should every possible avenue that could lead to the development of affordable housing in town."
"I realize there's pressure to create affordable housing, but this doesn't seem like it's something that should happen," added Conservation Commission Chairman Burt Bryan.
Chapter 40B legislation, passed in the late 1960s, allows developers to get comprehensive permits for projects where a percentage of the units are deemed affordable, allowing them to circumvent local zoning bylaws. The law allows developers to build under 40B regulations if less than 10 percent of a town's available housing is deemed affordable. About 3 percent of housing in Norwell is considered affordable.