Letter: Williamstown Planning Board Should Consider Social, Economic, Environmental Impacts

To the Editor:

Williamstown is known as a desirable community characterized by an affluent, highly educated, and increasingly diverse population. At the same time, the town aspires to be more inclusive. We want to welcome individuals and families of all income levels and racial and cultural backgrounds. One roadblock to inclusivity is the high cost of housing in our town, and limited housing options.

To address these issues the Planning Board is proposing changes to the zoning code that would allow a single building to have up to four housing units in general residence (GR) district, that area of town served by public water and sewer system and characterized by relatively dense residential neighborhoods. In addition, the minimum residential lot size and setbacks would be lessened. These moves help to reduce the impact of exclusionary zoning practices that have made it harder for low-income people to live in town.

Other articles propose reducing lot size and dimensional requirements, and allowing 3-4 unit buildings in Rural Residence 2 (RR2). This area of Williamstown is home to open space, meadows, forested areas, and our few remaining farms. It is not served by public water and sewer. Reducing lot size, in this case from 2.5 acres to 1.8 acres, will not increase housing opportunities for those who have limited financial resources. Acquiring a buildable lot and installing a well and septic system alone can cost more than a modestly priced house.

Stephanie Boyd
Williamstown, Mass.

Boyd is a member of the Planning Board. 

Williams Grads Reminded of Community that Got Them to Graduation

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:14PM / Sunday, June 02, 2024

The graduates heard from two speakers — Phi Betta Kappa speaker Milo Chang and class speaker Jahnavi Nayar Kirtane. The keynote speaker, Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was unable to attend and recorded his speech for playback. See more photos here.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College said goodbye Sunday to its graduating seniors.

 

And a representative of the class of 2024 took the time to say goodbye to everyone in the community who made students' journey possible.

 

Milo Chang, the Phi Beta Kappa speaker for the class and one of two students to speak at Sunday's 235th commencement exercises, explained that the term "Williams community" applies to more than those who get to list the school on their resumes.

 

"It includes everyone who has shaped our experiences here, from loved ones back home to the dedicated staff members who make campus their second home," Chang told his classmates. "During my time at Williams, we've seen this community step up in remarkable ways to support us."

 

Chang talked about the faculty and staff who gave their time to operate the COVID-19 testing centers and who greeted students before they could take their first classroom tests in the fall of 2020, and the dining services personnel who kept the students fed and somehow understood their orders through the masks everyone was wearing when this class arrived on campus.

 

And he shared a personal story that brought the message home.

 

"We often underestimate the power of community until we experience a taste of its absence," Chang said. "I remember staying on campus after our first Thanksgiving at Williams, after most students went home to finish the semester remotely. I remember the long hours sitting in empty common rooms. I remember the days you could walk through campus without seeing another student.