Over 100 letters have been sent by citizens to the Acton Board of Selectman and the MA Housing Authority, expressing grave concerns regarding the condominium project proposed for Piper Lane. Thank you! Your voices have been added to those of our town boards and departments. You've been heard. Now it is time to stand up and be seen.
Please attend the Board of Selectmen Meeting at Town Hall this Monday, November 5th at 7:00 PM in Room 204. The Piper Lane project will be taken up at 7:30 PM according to the BOS agenda. We need as many people as possible to show up. Providing affordable housing in Acton is important. South Acton is home to several of the town's 40B projects in addition to many "naturally affordable" multi-family homes. We do not oppose affordable housing, but the specifics of this poorly and thoughtlessly conceived project: Safety: The single egress for this project is alarmingly close to an intersection with extremely limited sight lines. Emergency vehicles will face challenges entering and exiting. There is no turn around for a fire truck. Children will have to walk down a narrow steep road to wait for the school bus at the dangerous intersection of Piper Lane and School Street. Traffic: School Street and Piper Road cannot handle 100 additional vehicles making multiple trips in and out of this development each day. Traffic on these scenic roads will be even more congested, and wait times at the traffic lights on School/Main and Piper Road/Rte 2 will be even longer than they already are. Loss of Open Space: Great Hill will lose up to 6 acres of precious forest, wildlife and recreational space. Once we lose this resource, it's gone forever. Loss of Character: These 40, architecturally out-of-place units standing at 36 feet tall, would more than double the number of houses on the stretch of School Street from Main Street to Piper Road, destroying the character of this neighborhood which is the heart of the South Acton Historic District. Misaligned with Town’s needs: This project does not meet Acton’s stated need for elderly and rental housing nor does it conform to Acton's 2020 Comprehensive Community Plan. Adding only 10 units to Acton's affordable housing stock is NOT worth the negative impact on quality of life and unnecessary risk this project embodies. Do your part to Save Great Hill!
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We'd like to address a few questions and comments that have come in via email regarding the proposed development at Piper Lane and its potential impact on the town in general and South Acton in particular, so that everyone can benefit from the thoughtful considerations of Acton residents.
"No one wants townhouses in their backyard. Development is inevitable. Our growing population needs places to live." We agree. For some of us at SANA, this parcel of land is literally in our backyards. It is also a parcel of land that is encapsulated by permanently protected conservation land. It is a parcel which has been a top priority for town purchase for the express purpose of protecting it from development. The Town of Acton Open Space and Recreation Plan, 2014-2020, identifies this property as "Private Lands to Purchase and Protect." There are vacant lots and vacant buildings in South Acton which can be developed or converted to housing. These six acres of forested uplands are nestled in the Great Hill Conservation and Recreation Land, Acton's only large piece of roadless open space, an extremely valuable resource for wildlife and humans from Acton and surrounding towns as well. Furthermore, Acton's population is aging; by 2030 one-third of our citizens will be seniors. Our true housing needs are elderly housing. Three story townhouses are not suitable for seniors. Acton also needs more rental housing. This is a homeownership development. The town is obligated to protect its historic and cultural resources. Over the years as Acton has created a Master Plan, the 2020 Comprehensive Community Plan, the Open Space and Recreation Plan, and a Housing Production Plan, one goal remains clearly stated and consistent - the preservation of what remains of the town's rural and historic character. This property is at the very door to the South Acton Historic District. The imposing and identical units are completely out of character, in terms of scale, architectural style and density, with the surrounding neighborhood. Development is a need and it is inevitable, but that does not mean it needs to be thoughtless and destructive. "Traffic won't be a problem. It's highly unlikely that the 80 cars owned by residents of 40 units would all be leaving or returning at the same time." Sure, maybe each townhouse will have 2 cars. Or maybe some of them will have three cars. Families with teens. Families with 3-4 adults living in the same home. Regardless of the number of cars associated with each home, recent traffic studies reveal that there are 10 vehicle trips per day per unit. That's 400 vehicle trips every day for 40 townhouses. An additional 400 vehicles on the narrow, winding scenic roads of South Acton each day. Vehicles exiting and entering a narrow, steep driveway, the one and only egress planned for this community, 160 feet from the intersection of School Street and Piper Road, blind from both directions due to curves and inclines on School Street. Vehicles travel well over the posted speed limit of 25 miles an hour on both School Street and Piper Road. Residents have difficulty exiting their driveways. Drivers sit at the Rt. 2 and Main St. traffic lights for several cycles, their cars idling and polluting the air. We think traffic is going to be a problem. "Who makes the decision about this development? The town? The state? What can we do?" This New Hampshire developer has applied for Project Eligibility from the state agency. The town can comment and make recommendations, but this is not a "friendly" 40B, or Local Initiative Project, where the developer works in collaboration with the town. We do have a chance to stop this development, however, by encouraging MA Housing to deny the application. Please email your concerns to Michael Busby, Relationships Manager at the Mass Housing Finance Agency, [email protected]. Copy the Board of Selectmen at [email protected]. We thought it was a good idea to remind you how much of an impact the proposed Piper Lane Condominiums development will have on our neighborhood. Below is an overlay of the design submitted to the MA Housing Authority on the southeast corner of Great Hill Conservation and Recreation Land. Four acres of trees will be cut down, wildlife will be displaced, the land paved with a 1300 foot driveway and parking for 100 cars, and 40 townhouses built right to the edge of protected conservation and wetlands. These 36 foot tall buildings, completely out of character from the surrounding architectural landscape, will be seen from the streets of the South Acton Historic District, from the fields and pond behind the fire station, and most certainly from the trails on Great Hill, the highest elevation in Acton. The cars driving in and out of the single and blind egress, alarmingly close to a dangerous intersection, will clog School Street and Piper Road, making these narrow, winding, scenic roads even more congested than they already are. If you haven't already done so, please email your concerns to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] today, and come to the Board of Selectmen Meeting on Monday, November 5th at 7:00 PM in Room 204 of Town Hall.
Cars idling at the traffic light where Rt. 2 and Piper Rd. intersect. Imagine another 100 cars sitting here at rush hour!
Please take some time today to voice your concerns! Emails need to be sent no later than Monday, October 29th! Write to the Acton Board of Selectmen at [email protected], the Acton Planning Board at [email protected], and Michael Busby of the MA Housing Authority at [email protected]. Help us protect the trees, wildlife and trails of Great Hill, the historic and and cultural character of South Acton, and the safety and health of our residents!
The Acton 2020 Comprehensive Community Plan was published in 2012, and provides a Road Map for the town. It is a decision-making tool, guiding us to create a better community. You can read the executive summary here, but let's highlight a few of the underlying themes which relate directly to the Piper Lane Condominiums proposal. Emphasis ours.
"Town Character: desire to preserve and enhance features - physical and other - including a commitment to excellence in education, rural and historic characteristics, including preservation of open space and the small town feeling, which make Acton unique and contribute to its sense of community." "Connectivity: desire for walking, biking, public transportation, traffic calming and improvements, and increased opportunities for social networks and connections." We need you to raise your voices!
On Wednesday, October 10th at 8:00 PM, please come to the Public Hearing for a proposed demolition of the building at 4 Piper Lane known as the "James Tuttle Barn". This building is on the town's Cultural Resource List! Town Hall, Room 126 On Monday, November 5th at 7:00 PM, please come to the Board of Selectmen meeting to voice your concern over the Piper Lane Condominiums proposal. Town Hall, Room 204 |
South Acton NeighborhoodAssociationAdvocating for a balance of citizen needs, retention of Acton's historic and small town character, and thoughtful development. Archives
August 2020
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