A few of the reasons why the project at Natick Paperboard is preferable to the South Natick Hills project are:

1. Natick Paperboard is only 0.3 miles from the commuter rail station and 0.4 miles from Natick center, with continuous sidewalks along the route. Residents have the option of walking to jobs and retail downtown, or to the train to Boston. South Natick Hills is 1.4 miles from the train station and lacks sidewalks along a portion. Residents will likely drive everywhere, increasing traffic congestion and pollution.

2. Natick Paperboard is a previously disturbed, abandoned industrial site with possible environmental contamination. Redeveloping that site into housing would be an improvement to the environment. Destroying the undeveloped woods and wetlands at South Natick Hills will eliminate wildlife habitat and open space.

3. The Paperboard site qualifies as a smart growth location, eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars of state grants to offset the burden of educating the children who live there. South Natick Hills will not garner any state money.

4. South Natick Hills will be a complex of 4-story apartment buildings, completely out of scale with the surrounding single-family houses on half-plus acre lots each. Natick Paperboard abuts other light industrial buildings and multi-family houses.

5. South Natick Hills will disturb protected wetland resources including streams, vernal pools and the habitat of state-protected species. Natick Paperboard, to my knowledge, has no wetlands on the site.

Mr. Wodeyla also has cited a concern about environmental hazards at the site, and suggested that someone should blow the whistle. That’s a real concern, but one that the developer is fully on the hook to resolve.

As I said, the issue we face is what to do with this particular parcel. We really have two choices: 40R development that we can influence, or 40B development that we can not influence. It’s fine to throw up a smokescreen but it doesn’t do much to influence the process.

By the way, the Town Meeting vote to establish the 40R district was 108-2.

I wonder what the state will decide when they discover that the schools are all a bus trip away. (not within current town guidelines for walking) In other words, more than 2 1/4 miles. Not smart when it comes to getting kids to school.

Smart Growth has it’s niche, but not in this case. It’s just another big housing project that the town needs for it’s tax base. I wish they had thought about lack of classroom space, and the additional needs for school transportation.

The owners sold the property at auction and a local developer was selected, has worked with the Town, has produced a project that may not be perfect but is far preferable alternative to other intensive residential development (i.e. 40B). Next comes a site review process into which there will be extensive public input and town oversite.

Unfortunately, the Town does not currently have the resources to buy the site and use it for open space or other purposes. Nearby Weston can spend #22 million on open space, and that’s great for Weston. We don’t have that luxury.

In the long term, Natick Center will be able to support the types of retail and services that are necessary to a cohesive neighborhood. Residential redevelopment is not everything, of course.

Another point… the State has another law that will allow for reimbursement for additional school costs for development under the Smart Growth program. It’s fair to ask if the costs of services outweigh additional tax revenue. We have to strike a balance knowing that we don’t have a blank piece of paper, but difficult choices.

Anyway… these are some of the facts that don’t see the light of day when a blog disables comments. Thanks for providing this forum.

My blog is primarily historical in nature, but whenever I post an opinion about current events, two town officials make desperate efforts to spoil it. Thus, the two come here. I think the neighborhood concerns speak to the issue, and readers can decide for themselves.