Letter to the Editor:

Ashland, Massachusetts is in startling circumstances. The town is experiencing a tsunami of 40B multi-housing proposals! If all the proposals go through, the small town of Ashland, population 18,000, could grow as much as 20%! In a very short amount of time! The effect on schools, police, fire, traffic, water and sewer could be overwhelming!

Ashland is in favor of new development. It has a Housing Plan for continuous, manageable growth, protected by Ashland Zoning Laws. Unfortunately, if developers don’t want to adhere to Ashland’s zoning laws, the 40B Law allows developers to ignore the town’s growth plan and bypass all or most zoning laws. Ashland is being over-run by 40B developers whose main concern is profit, not genuine affordable housing and not the town’s welfare.

Ashland finds itself in a “Catch 22” position. While Ashland needs to meet “Safe Harbor”, “Safe Harbor” can’t be reached until units have actually been permitted. Before Ashland can permit one 40B project, more developers submit applications. The result is that more and more 40B projects are being requested and approved by the state because “Safe Harbor” has not yet been met. And on and on… for Ashland, it’s a “Catch 22”.

By contrast, if Ashland were allowed to count its previously permitted complexes, Ashland would be in “Safe Harbor”. After “Safe Harbor”, Ashland’s Zoning Board of Appeals would be allowed to oversee the interests of the town.

Ashland has recently built several apartment communities:

• Memorial Drive, 400 units, in close proximity to the train station

• Chestnut Street, 174 units

These are the new 40B proposals:

• 10-60 Main Street, 250 40B units

• 61 Waverley Street, 226 40B units

• 55 West Union Street, 116 40B units

• TOTAL of 592 new apartments

Previously approved but put on hold by developers:

• 501 Pond Street, 120 units 

• Memorial Drive, 180 units

Ashland’s town center’s 10-60 Main Streetproposal is an unfortunate example of developers using 40B to build strictly for profit, not for the needs of the town. The proposed project is to be built on top of the Nyanza plume of the EPA designated Nyanza Superfund Site. There is a deed restriction on the property which excludes residential housing due to the contamination, and yet the State has given this development preliminary approval to build 250 residential apartments, which will include children. Secondly, demolishing historic buildings to build a 250 unit, 6 story (one inch shy of a high-rise), 40B complex is unjust. Ashland zoning limits buildings to 3 stories, in keeping with the mostly 1-story colonial buildings. Thirdly, the property is in a flood plain, on the contaminated Sudbury River. When the contaminated river floods, all cars will need to be moved but there is no place to move 250-500 cars and no way to move them. 

Respectfully, we ask the state to pause all 40B developments which haven’t broken ground and retroactively change the 40B Law to:

• Limit 40B approvals to one at at time.

• Allow “Approved” projects to count in the Safe Harbor calculation unless the devloper pulls the project.

• Require the 40B developments to adhere to all laws pertaining to conservation, wetlands, historic buildings, etc.

• Require the state to pay for 40B increases in Public Safety, Water, Sewer, and Schools.

We ask the state to consider Ashland’s unique and frightening situation. Ashland is in favor of new housing development but right now, the town is being overwhelmed by developers’ 40B proposals.

Respectfully, 

Connie Mannal & Joan Gonfrade

Joan Gonfrade

Ashland Historical Commission 

Speaking as an individual