Braintree At-Large Hopefuls Talk Rezoning At Forum

BRAINTREE, MA — Dozens of residents filled Town Hall Wednesday night to begin the decision process of who will serve on the Braintree Town Council. A candidate forum saw 17 hopefuls try to convince voters why they should be elected Nov. 5. Five of the council's nine seats have open races, while all but one are contested.

Every candidate on stage said that rezoning Braintree was one of the most important issues facing the town. This wasn't a surprise given in March, hundreds of residents came out to a Planning Board meeting to protest a zoning proposal that residents feared would allow too many multi-story apartments and fundamentally change Braintree's "small-town" character.

The forum with the at-large candidates spent a significant amount of time on this hot-button issue since these three seats are voted on by all of Braintree instead of just specific districts. The night saw incumbents Charles Ryan and Shannon Hume share the stage with challengers David Ringius and Carolann Ricardo. Three of the candidates will be elected as at-large councilors.

Ringius, who currently serves as District 5 Town Councilor, tried to distinguish himself from the pack by arguing he was one of the only councilors to oppose the proposed zoning rewrite before it became a hot-button issue in town.

"It would have changed the town ...," Ringius said. "I'll continue to be involved to make sure we preserve the sanctity of the town."

Ringius and all the at-large candidates said they supported updating the town's master plan before rewriting Braintree's zoning proposal. Ryan said it's important for the town to take the rein on affordable housing so that developers cannot use the state's 40b affordable housing law to bypass the town's zoning regulations.

"We need to preserve neighborhoods ..." Ryan said. "We need to come up with some sort of housing plan where we are driving the car and making the decisions."

Hume argued that affordable housing is needed in Braintree, but said, "We need to control what's in the town."

"I think we need some affordable housing because Braintree is a sought after community ...," Hume said. " But not more huge developments like the one being proposed on Washington Street."

Ricardo cited Braintree's vulnerability to 40b housing. State affordable housing regulations require at least 10 percent of a community's housing to be affordable, which 40b defines as housing that someone making 80 percent of the area median income could afford.

The town is in the midst of an appeal with state regulators over their assertion that less than 10 percent is affordable. Town officials have argued there is at least 10 percent.

“We should not be in this position," Ricardo said. "Braintree is better than this ... If we lose the appeal, we are at the mercy of 40b."

Traffic

Outside of rezoning, the most discussed issue was Braintree's traffic issues. Throughout the campaign season, residents have said something needs to be done to mitigate traffic because, during rush hour, it can sometimes take 30 to 45 minutes to get from one side of town to the other.

Hume's suggested putting up signs that only allow residents to drive in on residential streets during rush hour. She said the streets are too often used as cut-throughs for commuters driving through Braintree to get to work.

"Keep people on the highways," Hume said. "Keep people on the main roads"

Ringius disagreed with Hume's idea, arguing it could have a negative effect on small businesses in town. He argued that traffic is an issue in Braintree, but is a regional issue and not just a town issue.

Ringius said he supports implementing adaptive traffic signals that respond to the flow of traffic. He said they won't help right away, but will over time.

"Adaptive signals will help in the long run, but when you initially put it in, there’s a learning curve for the software," Ringius said.

Ryan also said that traffic is a regional issue rather than just a town problem. He said the issue involves working with neighboring communities to invest in the infrastructure needed to have "smart traffic control" He also suggested shifting the tax burden for traffic control technology to commercial properties like the South Shore Plaza because of the traffic these places bring to the community, especially around the holidays.

Ricardo suggested addressing the problem through a traffic study during school hours.

"I don't think you can put dollar signs on safety of kids ...," Ricardo said. "We need to look at our bus routes."

Ricardo said both hiring more crossing guards and adding new traffic signals should be on the table.