LETTER: 'The Proposed Chapter 40B Forest Circle Project is Very Bad for Winchester'

Dear Editor,

I attended the Public Hearing at the McCall school on the proposed Chapter 40B project (296 apartments behind Forest Circle on the Stoneham line). The merits of 40B housing can be argued elsewhere. Suffice to say here that a) 40B means that 25% of the units must be set aside for low income and b) such housing developments have powerful political support in the Legislature. I knew nothing about the project going into the meeting – except the obvious fact that 296 apartments will have a huge impact on our school population, especially at nearby Muraco, and is likely to trigger yet another override for another elementary school. It was a very informative hearing.

The objections raised by the residents from both Winchester and Stoneham were numerous and compelling. For example, traffic on tiny, picturesque Forest Circle will increase hugely, probably by a factor of 10. Traffic on feeder streets will also see brutal backups beyond the substantial jams that already exist. Fire and police service, sewerage impact, children and pedestrian safety, noise, quality of life… all were laid out in great detail. Property values on that street and in that neighborhood will crash, they have probably already crashed. Nobody in their right mind would buy there now at any price.

Common sense says that this project should not go forward. The outcry was unanimous. The only nay-sayer voice was that of Representative Michael Day (D - Winchester and Stoneham), who spoke much too long about the history of 40B, about why 40B is a good law, about the political support 40B has in the Mass. Legislature and how impossible it is to deny a 40B project. Representative Day’s message was not the message we wanted to hear. His heart is obviously not in the fight. That’s just a fact.

Elections have consequences… Caroline Colarusso is Representative Day’s opponent in November. Voters should know that Caroline was one of the public speakers at this hearing, and that she strenuously opposes this massive and inappropriate 296 unit, 40B, housing project.

John Natale,

45 Chester St.,

Winchester

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect those of Patch.