hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
12:35 am, Friday, November 22, 2024
temperature icon 44°F
Humidity 96 %
Wind Gust: 17 mph

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER





Letter to the Editor: Maspenock residents oppose rezoning plan

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Letter to Editor

At Annual Town Meeting on May 1, Marguerite Concrete wishes to impose a zoning change at the corner of South Street and Hayward Street that would fundamentally damage the Lake Maspenock neighborhood. All Hopkinton residents must be at Town Meeting to vote no to this proposal.

The proposed zoning change and 24,000-square-foot, three-story corporate building would create dangerous traffic patterns that will increase accidents and threaten pedestrians, setting a precedent of corporate encroachment into residential neighborhoods, while negatively impacting the environment.

To touch on three issues:

Traffic at the corner of South Street and Hayward Street is already challenging. Motorists travel at high speeds. Hayward Street is very narrow, and school buses stop there to pick up and drop off children daily. The busy parking lot for Dunkin Donuts and Ko feeds onto Hayward Street. Residents with kids have driveways directly across from the site. Trucks and vehicles bringing boats to the lake travel the roads that would be affected by the concrete company’s plan. Our analysis of distance, speeds and braking times in this very tight corner means a ‘perfect storm’ traffic disaster, leading to more congestion, and worse — dangerous conditions for drivers and residents.

Further, if a zoning change passes at Town Meeting — changing the lot from lakefront “residential” to “commercial” — there is no guarantee whatsoever that the development will stop at a three-story building. The concrete company’s current site includes a concrete plant. With this zoning change, nothing could stop the firm from building a concrete plant on the lot. Any promise made today would be worthless tomorrow.

Finally, the environmental impact on this neighborhood and for all who use the lake would be significant. The pollution of Lake Maspenock would be real, as there is a river on this lot that empties into the lake.  Foxes and coyotes would be forced from woods into residents’ yards, threatening kids and pets. Light, noise and visibility into residential homes from a three-level building is simply wrong. Also, any tax dollars from Marguerite Inc. would be worthless due to destruction of roads and the environment.

In recent weeks, corporate representatives for Marguerite Inc. have belittled residents’ concerns. As neighbors and Hopkinton residents who care about our community, we must stand up to this sort of residential destruction.

The responsibility is in the hands of you, the Hopkinton voters. Please vote wisely on May 1. Vote no on Article 29!

— Sabine St. Pierre and others in the Lake Maspenock neighborhood

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event or thanking sponsors or volunteers. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.

0 Comments

Related Articles

Letter to the Editor: Resident opposes STM Article 8

I urge the taxpayers of Hopkinton to vote no on Article 8 until a strategic plan is offered that is realistic for the townspeople of Hopkinton, agreed upon by the Planning Board, that then can be brought to the state. The first plan was voted down at Town Meeting...

Letter to the Editor: OSPC supports STM Article 5

I write as chair of the Open Space Preservation Commission. Because of a prior contractual agreement, I will miss the upcoming Special Town Meeting. The Open Space Preservation Commission supports Article 5, to transfer care, custody and control of Hughes Farm...

Letter to the Editor: Chamber of Commerce supports STM Articles 4, 8

The Hopkinton Chamber of Commerce supports the Special Town Meeting Article 4 proposal, that the town impose a local sales tax on meals (meals tax). The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously supports a local meals excise tax in order to specifically...

Letter to the Editor: HRTC chair opposes NPVIC

Massachusetts in one of several Democrat-controlled states that have adopted the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). What does this mean? When fully enacted, Massachusetts will have given up its right to award its Electoral College votes based on how...

Letter to the Editor: Civil for Governor’s Council

I am writing to ask for your support for Tamisha Civil for Governor’s Council in this year’s election. As many of you know, Tamisha and I were competitors in the primary, and it was my privilege to get to know Tamisha in that process. She is smart, dedicated and...

Letter to the Editor: Bring back old Main Street

OK, guys, let’s end this engineering and construction practice downtown and give us our old Main Street back! Also, are the light structures going to need repainting every two years? (Lowest bid, I guess.) — Bill and Alice Hamilton, Hopkinton Editor’s note: The...

Key Storage 4.14.22