Pro Growth in New England (Boston, Cambridge: middle-class, apartment complexes, condo)

[thenewNewEnglander]

I am not a Republican. After all everyone knows there are no Republicans left in Massachusetts. In fact I think I saw the last one riding around in a hearse the other day.

But I am Pro-growth. Pro-density. Pro-new stuff.

If it doesnt have a clear historical value, tear it down. And build something that will.

That being said I believe in building stuff that looks old. I'm a Mayflower descendent, and I love our old towns. Take your pick the list of towns is endless. So many charming places, full of fantastic history.

But lets face it. We need more tax revenue. I dont believe in less service myself. Though dont get me wrong- we like fat around here.
So I believe the answer isnt more taxes, but more TAXPAYERS. That's right... let's add new people and business and Im not talking about sucking other New Englanders in to Mass... Im talking other Americans. Not to mention we're losing our say in the US House of Representatives every day that we dont grow. If everyone else grows and we stay the same guess what? we shrunk.

Please spare me your crap about traffic. We have it easy- even in Boston. Go to Atlanta or LA if you wanna see real traffic hell. And maybe you should get out and look around anyway.

Especially at the local level-
people around here make these arguments about "no walmart- we dont need any more traffic" in other words the traffic they contribute to the road is ok, but please not YOUR traffic. Like the people that buy a house in the woods and say no to development because they moved there because it was the woods. Well news flash- you should have bought the woods. People should be allowed to develop their property, within reason, anyway they choose. And as for the environmentalists who cry for the endangered turtle, that was peopbably just passing through my property when you found him, have you lookeed at litter on the side of pretty much EVERY road in Massachusetts lately? Where are you on litter? Waiting for inmates to pick it up I guess.
Not to mention land may be wet, but so what? Can anyone tell me how long it has been wet- considering at some point in time we basically clear cut 100% of the land in the Commonwealth.
Nor do I think its fair to tax people on land they cant use.

So all that being said(and I cant wait for the nasty responses)
People seem to have a bias against apartment complexes(which are quite common in other states) and other dense construction such as townhouses. Even though we'd be using less land- which seems to me to be the more environmentally friendly thing to do. Not to mention a social justice. After all not everyone needs 5, 4, and a door. I know plenty of older people that could care less if the ever mowed a lawn or shoveled snow again. And not every young couple has the dough to put down on a house. So why give people some more options. And by the way make it smart. Put in a dry cleaner, a quickie mart, some doctor's offices, and dare a I say... a liquor store or a bar. After all, if you think we couldnt find one 5 minutes down the road youre nuts. Oh I can hear you now.... then why do you need one? Why? Cause I can walk to this one.... that's why. i.e. no car! Not to mention general convenience!

I have no problem with walmart coming to town. As long as we make room for plenty of other business. After all WalMart aint got it all. They're not a niche marketer. Their a mass marketer. And Home Depot hasnt killed my local hardware stores. And in fact my local hardware stores KILL Home Depot and Lowe's on half the damn prices. And in fact are doing fine.

Traffic? Add a median! That's right....widen the road. Add turning lanes. And dont forget the bus stop.

All that and please.... add an ounce of coolness. Then maybe people would stop leaving and going down South where they "think" things are better. And where they think its cheaper to live.


Even though I am a liberal leftie on pretty much all of our issues- gay marriage, universal healthcare, global warming and general environmental issues, I have to say is there a doctor in the house? Someone please revive the Massachusetts Republican Party... in the name of diversity of opinion!
I dont even wanna vote for them... I just want some balance!
And maybe I'll vote for anyone that can actually bring some new people, new jobs, and new things to do this place!
If history is an indicator Democrats beware.... the pendulum will start to swing the other way shortly.

[neil0311]

MA has no more Republicans because we all got sick and tired and moved away, either up the road to NH or far away like me. I won't pontificate on the reasons why....again. Now MA is a political echo chamber, with diversity of thought (with regard to political beliefs) completely lacking. You never have to win an argument or support your position when no one ever challenges it. As long as I don't have to pay for it, have at it.

What's funny is that your comments summed some of my gripes with New England. The scenery is beautiful and the history is great, but the natives often think the world begins and ends at the NY state line, the Canadian border, or the coast (in Boston, they narrow that in to Rte 128). Many of the things you mention are common place in many parts of the country but a bone of contention in New England. Of course the response is probably that they prefer it that way and it's everyone else who has no clue.

[thenewNewEnglander]

We'll see! Im a 1620 Mayflower decendant. I am not alone in these feelings. Anyone that gets out and takes a look around gets a new perspective. I dont wanna lose my culture, but for God's sake there's plenty of room for improvement and renewal. We may have a culture that is old and fairly defined, but its not set in stone.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Best of luck,
Hopefully you'll come back and help!

[missionhill]

You raise many interesting and vexing issues. Seems to be partly the mood of the era: when all the now-urban areas (like Cambridge and Somerville) were being developed growth, change, and progress were articles of faith. That was already beginning to change 100 years ago or so. Now it's inconceivable that a high-density city could ever be built; nobody wants "development", everyone wants to preserve the "nice rural atmosphere"--and so the large residential lots and undeveloped town centers. However, Phoenix, or maybe Charlotte, are what you get from modern city-building, and not too many New Englanders want that either.

I trace an ancestor to the Arbella, by the way.

[thenewNewEnglander]

Wow Mission,

People are afraid to touch this one!
I hoped I would at least spur some conversation and see some contrary opinion.

Goes to show how lopsided we actually are around here.

Republicans didnt come out to defend themselves and Dem's see no threat...

[nomore07]

Cheers for this post. There's much talk about "preserving history", but half the time it comes from property owners who are afraid of what a little competition would do (affordable housing, keeping buildings up to livable condition).

Some buildings are certainly worth preserving - museums, schools or colleges, churches, and so on. But when it comes to housing, I'm not a big fan of mold, fungus, asbestos, lack of proper insulation, lead and cadmium from paint, and leeching of industrial toxins from decades ago. Not to mention heating costs

Despite all that, I should add that I don't think the current "condo craze" is a good solution either.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by neil0311

MA has no more Republicans because we all got sick and tired and moved away, either up the road to NH or far away like me. I won't pontificate on the reasons why....again. Now MA is a political echo chamber, with diversity of thought (with regard to political beliefs) completely lacking. You never have to win an argument or support your position when no one ever challenges it. As long as I don't have to pay for it, have at it.

What's funny is that your comments summed some of my gripes with New England. The scenery is beautiful and the history is great, but the natives often think the world begins and ends at the NY state line, the Canadian border, or the coast (in Boston, they narrow that in to Rte 128). Many of the things you mention are common place in many parts of the country but a bone of contention in New England. Of course the response is probably that they prefer it that way and it's everyone else who has no clue.

I agree with you. Its too bad we can't get rid of both the republicans and democrats as they are both useless. Government is pretty much useless anyways and can do very few things well...other than waste money. Does anyone thing MA will actually have a surplus anytime soon.

It is funny because all the people that talk about Boston's history also don't realize that some of the land they use in Boston now was water back then. Boston geographically speaking isn't close to what it was back over 150 years ago. Then you have some of the suburbs around Boston where people just want to make sure they have their 1 or 2 acres and keep their property values high by keeping their area fairly exclusive.

If you live in Central MA or Western MA you might as well secede and try to join NH or something. The state government and people inside 128 have no concern for anything out past 495.

I think I said a lot of the same things the original poster did on another post. Basically MA has no lower corporate tax rates and reduce some of the cost of living because people are leaving for other areas and have since the late 80's and early 90's. The only population that has really grown in MA is the immigrant population, and some of that comes for all the free gifts we give them. If your middle-class here it is really difficult to make it by. The solution is really to lower taxes and fees, the corporate tax, get businesses and people interested in MA and have a good, solid, tax base. You can raise fees and taxes all you want and you may get a little more money, but you will lose more in the long run with the people and businesses that leave.

[lrfox]

Since this thread isn't a political rant thread, but a pro development thread, I'll disregard that topic.

I'm pro development as well. However, I don't want to see cities and towns end up ugly sprawl monsters like Phoenix. I think smart development has to take place. Urban, transit oriented development. We can't sustain every resident having 2500 sq. ft and an acre. Development in our cities needs to be higher density and development around mass transit sources (like What's happened at Westwood Station) need to be encouraged more.

Our zoning laws are archaic. They're contributing to sprawl and autocentricity. We need change in that regard. We have one of the best laid out regions in the U.S. and we can capitalize on it. It's just that too many residents are adverse to change.

[mustmove]

Another one who is pro development. What old world quaintness (and poverty) go live in VT. All the anti progress rules and no economic engine whatsoever. PIA to get even small errands done and zilch for economic activity. MA has a historical economy flowing out of the Universities and a few other things but all that can be driven away. Just keep stopping progress...

[holden125]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I'm pro development as well. However, I don't want to see cities and towns end up ugly sprawl monsters like Phoenix. I think smart development has to take place. Urban, transit oriented development. We can't sustain every resident having 2500 sq. ft and an acre. Development in our cities needs to be higher density and development around mass transit sources (like What's happened at Westwood Station) need to be encouraged more.

Agree 100%. And for the love of all things sane, since people in towns all over eastern Massachusetts do not live within walking distance of the commuter rail stops, there should never, ever be any problem getting parking there. And they need to run more trains. Missing a 6:30 pm train and having to sit at South Station for two more hours is not the kind of service that enough people will use.