Letter: Proposed Zoning Changes in Williamstown

To the Editor:

I am concerned about the Williamstown Planning Board's approach with proposed zoning changes. I have lived in Williamstown for 30 years and I have attended town meeting for the majority of those years. I have followed the board's process this year, and I share their vision for a more inclusive and diverse Williamstown. In addition, I am working to support Williamstown's commitment to net-zero carbon emissions, and care for the planet.

I have observed that land-use changes that are successful at town meeting are developed and refined through a process of community education and engagement including active outreach, identification of community concerns, and response to those concerns. I have observed that proposals that are not successful are those that are complex, or where there is low community education and awareness. It is my belief that the board has not done its due diligence in studying the benefit of proposed zoning changes, educating the community on the arguments for why they will be helpful, and listening to and responding to concerns of community members about the changes.

I am concerned that the proposed changes in our rural residential zone, RR2, do not conform to basic principles of good planning to prevent sprawl, and I have no confidence that they will produce the stated intended benefit: more accessibility to housing in RR2 by low to moderate income individuals. Smart Growth principles are widely recognized as having many benefits. These principles include "Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas" and "Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities." In addition, large lot zoning in rural areas has been identified as an important and effective strategy for mitigating the harmful effects of residential development in previously undeveloped areas. They limit residential sprawl that may destroy or fragment existing wildlife habitat, preservation, and agricultural lands in rural areas. I'm alarmed to see some residents calling for the abolition of RR2 as part of what I see as a hurried and haphazard process.

If we as a community believe that creating low- to moderate-income housing in rural parts of Williamstown is a priority, that conversation should not be rushed. We should precisely study and research the best way to do this that will minimize environmental impact and increase the likelihood of success. We should recognize that the need for septic systems will increase development costs, and that distance from town will create impacts for residents who may have transportation challenges. We should look at our infrastructure, water supplies, and critical habitats and farmland, and make use of overlay districts to ensure housing is clustered in already developed areas.

Wendy Penner
Williamstown, Mass. 

Williams College Plans Temporary Parking Lot at Former Field House Site

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
01:37PM / Sunday, March 09, 2025

The foundation of the demolished Towne Field House is still visible on the Williams campus.

 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College last month secured the town's permission to convert the former site of Towne Field House to a temporary parking lot.

 

In a series of meetings hearings before the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission, the college received a special permit and a negative determination of applicability of the Rivers Protection Act to enable to new use for the lot on Latham Street.

 

Engineer Charlie LaBatt of Guntlow and Associates represented the college before both town panels, stressing each time the temporary nature of the plan.

 

"Five to eight years is what's anticipated, as the college works to solve what's next for that area of campus." Guntlow told the ZBA. "It will help alleviate parking concerns they have while other projects go on around campus that may displace workers and tenants.

 

"This use of this area, which has been dormant for about two years, it was felt was a fairly easy, low-impact and yet beneficial use for the community — five to eight years in the while everyone could benefit from it."

 

LaBatt and college officials who attended the ZBA meeting said that while the planned 66-space lot is intended for college use, it could be available to the public in the evening, on weekend or during college breaks, just like the adjacent existing lot associated with the college's facilities building.

 

The school needed a special permit from the ZBA, in part, because of the temporary lot is an expansion of and will be connected to the existing parking lot, which itself does conform to the bylaw. The lot across from the Weston Field athletic complex extends beyond the front edifice of the facilities building it serves; the bylaw requires parking areas in that district to be set back from the road at least to the profile of the building.