To the Editor,
Manchester is a scenic, seaside community that many of us moved to in order to enjoy its small-town charm. Families, young and old come here to enjoy the walkable town, beautiful parks, serene beaches, and its manageable size. What our town has to offer is very special and we must be prudent to preserve it by thoughtfully navigating our town zoning bylaws in a responsible way for the current and future residents to enjoy. In my opinion, Donna Furse and Marty Flood are two individuals, who if elected to the Planning Board on May 16, will do just that. Both Donna and Marty believe SMART growth is vital and are willing to do the necessary capacity studies that are needed to fully understand how these changes will impact our small town. Manchester must plan carefully for development by understanding how it will impact our infrastructure, Public Safety departments, and schools.
Donna and Marty have a commonsense approach to our town’s issues. As long-term residents, both active in the schools and community, they want what is in the best interest of Manchester. We can all agree we need to increase our affordable housing, but making drastic changes to our local zoning bylaws is not the answer and will not solve the affordability issues that we currently face. The proposed local bylaw changes and the 40A “MBTA zoning” by the state will bring about drastic changes to the density of our town. We must educate ourselves and fully understand the impact this will have before we proceed.
We are fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community. Change is inevitable, but let’s be thoughtful in making any change. Please join me in supporting Donna Furse and Marty Flood for the Planning Board. Thank you for your consideration.
Tracey Burke
Manchester
