“We’re not going to fight. We’re going to collaborate with the state.“
That’s how Wrentham’s select board Chair Joe Botaish opened the meeting Tuesday night that was convened to discuss the town’s response to the MBTA Communities Act — a controversial new state law that requires zoning for multi-family housing. Botaish objected to a local newspaper headline that stated Wrentham was going to fight the state law.
Wrentham is classified as an adjacent community which makes it subject to the law. But whether collaboration is possible remains to be seen following the hard line Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell have taken in response to Milton voters rejecting the law at the polls last week.
Healey is withholding $140,000 for a new seawall in Milton and Campbell is suing the town to force it to comply with the law.
The select board in Wrentham voted unanimously to send a letter to Gov. Healey.
In it, they state, “The town is well aware of the housing shortage and is doing its part to meet the needs of our residents, their families and all who would like to call Wrentham home. Our residents are not objecting to increasing our housing supply.”
But, the letter adds that the law would require the town, "to increase our population by as much as 13%, without any state funding. This would cause the largest one time increase in population in our town's history. For us to commit to the 15 units per acre requirement would overload our infrastructure, police, fire and schools.”
And town officials note they have an inadequate supply of water and no municipal sewage system. They say they have been working for the past four years on a plan to increase housing, but as they say in their letter, “The MBTA housing requirement ignores this effort and dictates changes that do not align with the goals of our residents and will lead to the destruction of the small town New England charm we've come to love. We request your support as our governor to assist us in obtaining a waiver or modifications to the MBTA housing requirements.”
Select board member Frank Gallo said the law takes away the power of townspeople to govern themselves.
"I know we have a charter and a home rule petition that allows us to govern ourselves, giving the power to the people to control our own destiny. And that's what we're asking for here," he said. "We want to say we want a seat at the table. This is potentially a huge change to what our town is going to look like, and to give us no say in it. I think it's unfair, and I think it's shortsighted.”
Board member Michelle Rouse was clear about her concerns.
“I don't like any of this. I don't like it at all," she said. "We have reviewed the law, the mandate, and we're not being threatened or bullied into making a decision. We are making an informed decision for us, for the residents and for the best interest for this town.”
In their letter to the governor the select board request support from the governor, "to assist us in obtaining a waiver or modifications to the MBTA housing requirements.”
