[MassHistPres] Demolition Delay Bylaw Defeated

[Dennis De Witt]

David

Re your comment about those who had done the most to their houses  
being the most opposed to an LHD, Brookline had two LHD efforts that  
failed (both over a decade ago) -- one after a relatively pro-forma  
effort, the other after two massive efforts by the neighborhood  
association.  Because it was clear that the neighborhoods were  
divided, neither went to Town Meeting.  Both were very "up-market"  
neighborhoods -- certainly more so than three of our other LHDs.   
While there were a number of factors, including some Libertarianism  
("No one is going to tell me what to do with my house"), I think  
there was also a sense among many residents that they and their  
neighbors had the taste and the means not to do bad things to their  
houses.  And, with the exception one very intrusive project and a few  
teardowns, they were mostly right.  (For instance, one of the  
neighborhoods of well over a hundred houses had only one with  
siding.)  I think LHDs are more likely to happen in neighborhoods  
where folks are "house proud" and/or threatened.

Re Abington's unhappy DD failure -- the more I read and hear about  
the unpredictable dynamics of open Town Meetings, the happier I am  
that we have a representative TM where, generally, everyone gets and  
many read in advance their package which contain a careful analysis  
by the Advisory (Finance) Committee -- and folks can NOT just show up  
and mindlessly vote on a whim or only when they are energized to  
oppose a particular issue.

Dennis De Witt


On Apr 26, 2007, at 11:04 AM, David Temple wrote:

> I don't know how far you went in this direction already, but I'd  
> suggest for Abington a greater outreach and preselling to builders  
> and real estate agents before going to town meeting next time.   
> Very often I've seen our open town meetings packed by people who  
> know practically nothing about an article -- the only thing they  
> know is that they're opposed to it.
>
>   The Medfield Historic District Commission in 2004 sought to add  
> another historic district and did a lot of outreach before town  
> meeting.  Their meetings were well-attended.  Curiously, the most  
> militant opponents in the proposed district were the people who had  
> done the most to restore their houses!
>
>   The MHDC shelved the idea for that district, but it will come  
> back in the future. But it does not have the stigma of having been  
> rejected at town meeting.
>
> Medfield (est. 1651, pop. 12,500) voted a 50/6 demo delay bylaw in  
> 1994 and extended it to 50/12 in 2000. We've had a few wins, but  
> the DD has been less than transformational.  It seems to be well  
> accepted by builders, realtors, etc.
>
> RobynBFernald at aol.com wrote:
>   The Town of Abington defeated the Demolition Delay Bylaw at its  
> annual
> meeting of 2007. Disappointment is a rather gentle term to describe  
> how the AHC
> feels. The debate became rather heated and the intend and purpose  
> of the bylaw
> was lost in translation. And it became rather clear that our  
> reasonable
> responses to get back on tract were not heard nor considered. The  
> AHC held
> informational meetings ,broadcast several PR shows and produced an  
> Demolition delay
> bylaw DVD in our year long PR campaign hoping to enlighten the  
> townspeople We
> strongly urged for feedback concerns and or any grievances  
> concerning the
> bylaw. WE had only 5 people that responded throughout the year long  
> campaign so
> it was extremely surprising that at the town meeting many voiced their
> strong and somewhat off course opinions against the demo delay..Our  
> loudest
> opponents were the builders and homeowners who feared they could  
> not sell their
> homes. The AHC realizes that other communities have faced similar  
> defeats and
> possibly similar reasons for the defeat. The AHC will be regrouping  
> on this
> matter but would like some advice as to how to proceed from this  
> point on. It
> appears that one of the major flaws in the demo delay by law is the  
> lack of
> understanding it and not what is written. A weakness in conveying?  
> on our part
> the AHC is not sure. So if there are other communities that have found
> themselves in this same situation the AHC would love to hear from you!
>
> Thanks
> Robyn B Fernald
> Chair of the AHC
> 781-982-0059
>
>
>
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> David Temple
> David F. Temple, Inc.
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