By Jeff Lacy, Shutesbury Planning Board
The hearing began at 10:00 and went for six straight hours. Many members from both committees attended to learn about the bill, including many of the 10 co-sponsors of the MLURA bill on these committees (Municipalities and Regional Government Committee and Community Development and Small Business Committee).
Numerically, the "pro" testimony exceeded the "con" by at least 2:1. The principal objectors were from the real estate development industry (3 from HBAM testified) and from the non-profits, educational institutions, and child-care facilities that would be affected by proposed changes to Section 3 (Dover Amendment). MAR and NAIOP did not testify (although written input was surely submitted).
Many supporters were there, the room was packed most of the day (hot, too). There was testimony from planning organizations such as MARPA, MAPD, APA-MA, and the Mass Federation of Planning and Appeals Boards. Environmental organizations were there, including Mass Audubon, ELM, TTOR, TNC, MACC, APCC. RPAs attended, including CCC, Old Colony, MAPC, and PVPC. CHAPA submitted generally-supportive written testimony. Mass Municipal Association provided highly-supportive testimony. The City Solicitors and Town Counsel's Association gave it their support. Many of us offered individual testimony from different angles. For example, Sue Bernstein came as a realtor, providing a different perspective from that corner (it was great!). Don Keeran read into the record a letter of support from the Cape Cod Business Roundtable. I tackled housing after Judy Barrett had to leave. Carol Thomas offered historic perspective on planning in MA. Doug Foy offered his most positive testimony to date. Many, many questions were asked of both pro and con testifiers all day.
However, also wheeled into the room was the Trojan Horse of housing affordability (filled, incidentally, with McMansion developers). They (who, in their businesses demonstrate little interest in affordable housing) did try to cast MLURA as some kind of exclusionary power grab by cities and towns and an affordable housing disaster. But, one actually complained about the "mansionization" piece, saying it might interfere with an 8,000 square foot SFD he's constructing (probably for three people). Under hard questioning from Representatives Doug Petersen and Steve Kulik, they admitted that all their development decisions were based on profit maximization. And yet, they faulted cities and towns for considering their municipal budgets in their attitudes toward various forms and densities of development. Or, is it really a property tax or state aid question, a committee member asked. And on and on it went, the liveliest public hearing on MLURA yet.
Bob Durand was there on behalf of the Coalition for Zoning Reform, working the room and speaking to the committee members. Ben Fierro was there too, doing the same thing for HBAM.
All in all, a great day in a room full of ideas, opinions, and plenty of "facts."
I don't expect MLURA will be out of committee until fall. In the meantime,
follow-up communications with committee members are very helpful, especially
if you are a constituent.
JOINT COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS
Room 39
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2014
Sen. Harriette Chandler (Chair): Harriette.Chandler@state.ma.us
Rep. David Torrisi (Chair): Rep.DavidTorrisi@hou.state.ma.us
Members: (S = Sponsor of Massachusetts Land Use Reform Act: S. 168, H. 3544)
Name Room # Phone #
Chandler, Sen. Harriette (Chair) 312D 722-1544
Torrisi, Rep. David (Chair) 39 722-2014
Buoniconti, Sen. Stephen 206 722-1660
Carron, Rep. Mark 33 722-2060
Eldridge, Rep. James (S) 33 722-2060
Gomes, Rep. Shirley (S) 542 722-2803
Grant, Rep. Mary (S) 39 722-2014
Hedlund, Sen. Robert (S) 413F 722-1646
Joyce, Sen. Brian 413A 722-1643
Keenan, Rep. Daniel 39 722-2014
Lantigua Rep. William 167 722-2810
McGee, Sen. Thomas 74 722-1350
O‚Brien, Rep. Thomas (S) 544 722-2637
Quinn, Rep. John F. 527A 722-2020
Sciortino, Rep. Carl 39 722-2014
Smola, Rep. Todd (S) 156 722-2240
Timilty, Sen. James 518 722-1222
JOINT COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
Room 134
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2400
Sen. James Timilty (Chair): James.Timilty@state.ma.us
Rep. Rachel Kaprielian (Chair): Rep.RachelKaprielian@hou.state.ma.us
Members: (S = Sponsor of Massachusetts Land Use Reform Act: S. 168, H. 3544)
Name Room # Phone #
Timilty, Sen. James (Chair) 518 722-1222
Kaprielian, Rep. Rachel (Chair) 134 722-2400
Barrios, Sen. Jarrett 309 722-1650
Baddour, Sen. Steven 513 722-1604
Callahan, Rep. Jennifer 130 722-2130
Coppola, Rep. Michael 542 722-2487
Fallon, Rep. Christopher 236 722-2430
Fargo, Sen. Susan 504 722-1572
Guyer, Rep. Denis (S) 134 722-2400
Knapik, Sen. Michael 421 722-1415
Kulik, Rep. Steven (S) 473F 722-2210
O‚Brien, Rep. Thomas (S) 544 722-2637
Petersen, Rep. Douglas (S) 544 722-2637
Pope, Rep. Susan (S) 237 722-2035
Stanley, Rep. Thomas (S) 146 722-2575
Wolf, Rep. Alice 134 722-2400
Thanks for your interest.
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