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July 26, 2005: Air base plans get the final approval votes Sept. 28, 2004: Tri-Town won’t hire consultant to review plan Sept. 24, 2004 The Patriot Ledger Home Page
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Sept. 25, 2004
OUR OPINIONA new plan for the old baseThe plan set forth by developers of the former South Weymouth air base is well-conceived and backed by serious concern for current as well as future residents of the area. The village proposal balances various needs and interests – economic growth, recreation, housing, transportation – in a design that seems almost too good to be true. It is not without problems, the principal one being the addition of 605 school children because of the housing proposed for the property. The nearly 3,000 housing units had been rumored for months but were confirmed by Lennar Partners, the base developer, only this week in the public unveiling of its plan. The housing numbers – 2,855 – scare many local residents and officials, but they must be considered in light of the community design. Most are townhouses, condominiums and apartments, with a relatively small number of single-family, detached homes to be built in the latter phase of the project. While the plan envisions housing styles to suit all kinds of families, the size and design of the housing is especially attractive to young couples and empty nesters. The 300 units of senior housing called for in the current reuse plan will be built first, Lennar says. The entire plan includes three phases over 12 years. The jobs planned for the base are a far cry from the 9,000 that were foreseen in the previous reuse plan. But that plan hinged on a mammoth retail mall and relatively low-wage retail jobs. By contrast, Lennar is pinning its economic plan on new industries – biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Some 2,500 permanent jobs are anticipated. Lennar is correct in its assessment that the state has the human capital for these industries but many companies choose not to locate in Massachusetts because of high housing costs. Creating a village with attractive housing and recreational amenities just hundreds of yards from work is the concept. It makes sense. This smart-growth plan dovetails with the Romney administration’s economic and housing priorities, and for that reason Lennar hopes that environmental permitting can be fast-tracked and some state money will be forthcoming. Water requirements at the base have been a huge concern for the towns of Weymouth, Abington and Rockland, and this plan answers those misgivings by using Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water and sewer lines. If the MWRA agrees, that is a big bonus. Equally important, how would traffic on local roads be affected? The Old Colony commuter line is nearby and would be the center of a transportation hub that encourages people living and working in the village to use public transit. The village plan is only a plan for now. The South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp. must approve it and residents of the three affected towns will have their turn to suggest changes before voting on it. The projected $11.1 million in tax revenues apportioned among the towns may not be satisfactory. On its face, this plan appears almost too good to be true. It includes indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities for area residents, not only those living in the village. It posits $70,000-per-year jobs and a good chunk of affordable housing. These goals don’t have to be pie-in-the-sky. They are reality-based. In the coming months, the plan will be dissected in detail. It deserves careful and thoughtful examination by all those concerned with the the South Shore’s future.
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