To the Editor,
I write in support of Article 12 on the next town meeting warrant to require all future zoning by-laws changes to be placed on the ballot. This approach is allowed under Special Act 270 of 1991 for MBTS, costs nothing since elections are held annually anyway, and provides more opportunity for broader and informed citizen engagement.
Zoning bylaws require a two-thirds vote to adopt and change. At our recent June 28 Special Town Meeting, major zoning bylaws changes were passed by 183 of the town’s ~4,300 registered voters (barely 4%). As a result, special permits no longer require a site to be suitable for the intended use and adequate in size. They must now meet two undefined standards for “climate resiliency & adaptation” and “social structures.” These arbitrary concepts mean different things to different people and because they are undefined, they can be arbitrarily applied and lead to more appeals.
Our next Town Meeting is November 13, and voters just learned what topics are on the warrant. For the fourth time in one year, the town meeting warrant includes proposals to change the zoning by-laws. While the discussion at Town Meeting is important for debate, it is a chaotic process, and many voices are never heard. Last-minute changes and hurried votes result in more amendments at the very next Town Meeting. Zoning should be changed slowly and with great deliberation, not on a quarterly basis with often confusing oral amendments. This will be especially critical for the MBTA “as of right” zoning where unlucky neighbors will lose the right to input on what gets built next to their homes.
Passing Article 12 gives voters a chance to weigh in on major changes to the Historical Character of MBTS and its Open Spaces.
Jon Keefe
Manchester
