Every time a potential zoning change comes before the town, I see a letter or two accusing town officials of “catering to developers” and “destroying the character of our town.” Our town does have an idyllic rural character that we would like to preserve.

Our town’s “character” also includes a financial situation in which over 80% of the town’s revenue comes from residential property taxes, and like all towns, we are grappling with rapidly rising costs over the next several years.

Increasing business revenue in Hopkinton is vital to our economic survival. Zoning changes can be scary, especially for those Hopkinton residents living nearest the change. Simply denying all of them will leave town residents with ever-increasing tax bills or cuts to needed town services. Bringing businesses to Hopkinton must be done carefully, but it must be done.

All zoning changes come before Town Meeting. In the few years I have been a Hopkinton resident, I have dutifully attended town meetings to see these proposals come up. A crowd of people approach the microphone to speak, identify themselves as living nearest the proposed change, and speak about town character, urging everyone to vote against the proposal. The vote is sometimes close (and does often fail) and then a wave of people abandon the rest of the meting, ignoring the other needs of the town.

The residents of Hopkinton are the town government. It is up to us to both preserve town character and bring desperately needed business revenue to Hopkinton.

Learn about the issues. Attend the town meetings. Vote wisely.

— Brian Johnson, Hopkinton

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