Recently we were guests on Ken Parker’s NewTV program, Common Ground, for a discussion regarding the proposed Village Center and MBTA-related zoning changes. (See NewTV’s video here.)
We are sharing it here with you, as it offers a much-needed critique and additional photo-realistic illustrations of the actual impacts of the proposed zoning changes in our Village Centers.
The impacts shown demonstrate why all of the Village Area Councils are deeply concerned about the scope and scale of the City’s re-zoning proposals, and why there should be much more community concern and consternation at the prospect of this radical ‘by-right’ ‘up-zoning’ throughout our small city.
The current zoning proposals are being rapidly designed with minimal community knowledge and input, even though this pro-development zoning scheme will have unprecedented impacts on all aspects of our community.
We must insist that our City leadership open the process to a public discourse and that they must critically evaluate the reasoning, criteria, methodology, and the many unproven assumptions behind these ‘up-zoning’ efforts. Unfortunately, we discern that these changes will not be effective, nor provide reasonable, appropriate, or beneficial changes to our community.
Marc Hershman, Architect, Oak Hill
Robert Fizek, Architect, Newton Highlands