Wayland 2023 Candidate Profile: Bill Whitney, Select Board

WAYLAND, MA — One thing's for certain: Wayland will have at least one new select board member after the April 25 election.

There are two select board seats up for election this year, but only incumbent Dave Watkins is back to seek reelection. Longtime member (and current chair) Cherry Karlson is bowing out, and two challengers — Bill Whitney and Anne Brensley — have stepped into the race.

Wayland's next select board will have several serious issues before it for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024: a proposal to redevelop the former Whole Foods site, relations with Wayland's first-ever town manager, a potential search for a new police chief and a possible connection to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system.

Wayland Patch sent each candidate a questionnaire to help voters get to know them better before Election Day. Here's how candidate Bill Whitney responded:

Why are you running for the select board this year?

My motivations for running for the Select Board are essentially twofold. First, each member of our family has been the beneficiary of the Town’s tremendous resources, be they the excellent school system from which each of our children graduated, several school and youth sports programs, expansive playing fields and such beautiful open spaces as several conservation areas and hiking trails. I hope to contribute in some measure to the maintenance and enhancement of these resources by once again volunteering in Town government.

The second reason has to do with my recent retirement. Having spent the majority of my career working in mission-driven organizations, I hope to return to the Select Board to again contribute to the town we so enjoy and value. If I were fortunate to be elected, I intend to devote not a little time to help address some of the challenges that we as a community face.

Wayland has seen a few notable development proposals recently. What's your thinking about the future of development in Wayland? What type of housing does the town need, and where should it go?

I expect that Wayland will remain a predominately residential community, though with perhaps somewhat more commercial space than the less than 4% of the non-residential tax base we presently have. In our two commercial areas (Route 20 and Cochituate), there are underutilized parcels of land that could be repurposed, e.g., the largely vacant former Whole Foods site. Other such properties could more densely developed to provide additional service, restaurant or convenience retail spaces, perhaps in conjunction with additional housing. The ongoing Route 20 corridor study should give guidance to the Planning Board and the Economic Development Committee in proposing possible zoning changes and recommended public improvements to enhance the appearance and function of that area.

Wayland can also play a part in addressing the region’s surfeit of housing choices. Such zoning tools as Conservation Clusters and Sec. 40 (b) exist to facilitate the development of appropriately scaled, contextual single- and multi-family developments. Proposals such as the proposed St. Ann site affordable housing development can create opportunities for greater economic diversification and perhaps enable people with physical or intellectual disabilities a greater measure of independence while remaining in town.

The Mass Central Rail Trail ends in Wayland, but will someday extend across Route 20 into Sudbury. Do you think Route 20 needs to be modified more for the needs of people who walk, bike, or roll rather than drive?

Any material alterations to Route 20 necessarily would involve the participation of MassHighway in evaluating alternatives as Route 20 is a state road. Clearly, better and more continuous sidewalks would be a benefit. Should creating dedicated bike lanes be contemplated, a careful traffic safety and capacity analysis would be needed to inform a decision as to any such changes.
My inclination would be to encourage cyclists to take advantage of the existing and planned dedicated bike path from Weston to Sudbury given the substantial peak hour volumes and comparatively high speeds of traffic on Route 20. Before forming a definite position on the possibility of dedicated bike lanes, I would want to hear from prospective users and MassHighway.

Both the select board and the Wayland School Committee have dealt with high-profile disciplinary actions involving key town leaders. Do you think those boards performed well with those issues, and what would you do differently?

I am privy to neither the details of the circumstances surrounding the deliberations, nor of the appropriateness of the actions taken of which we all are aware. One assumes that these elected bodies have received the advice of legal counsel in these matters, and have acted in accordance with that advice. Prospectively, I think we all can agree that careful vetting of prospective hires for key positions and, where possible, greater transparency regarding such decisions are warranted.

Wayland's first-ever town manager just started on the job. What's your vision for the relationship between the select board and the town manager?

The appropriate role for the Select Board in its interactions with our new Town Manager is to provide policy direction, to avoid micromanagement and to support the Town Manager as recommendations are made to improve service delivery in a cost-effective fashion.

What's one thing Wayland does well, and what's one thing Wayland needs to improve?

Wayland does many things well, so it’s difficult to select one specific thing. Its public education system, its open spaces and its services are what so many Town residents appreciate and enjoy. Like other municipalities, we can always do better in communicating with and listening to our residents, as well as addressing ongoing challenges, e.g., enhancing sustainability, fostering equity and inclusion.