Opinion: Braintree Mayor Candidate Powers On Housing Development

BRAINTREE, MA — The following letter to the editor is from Town Councilor and candidate for mayor Sean Powers:

As I have been going door to door and meeting with the members of our community, I have been hearing from many residents regarding their thoughts and concerns. Some may have missed my previous statement of position regarding the issue of housing and development and how it relates to Braintree. I want to be clear and up front on where I stand on these issues.

The voters deserve no less.

• While I may agree with Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito on some points — I do not support the housing bill currently being reviewed by Beacon Hill. I oppose it because it would remove local control of the permitting process and lower the threshold for zoning changes from a two thirds vote. It is important to note that the housing initiative is not exclusive to any political party. Both Republicans and Democrats are advocates of this bill due to the housing shortage in Boston.
• If elected, one of my first acts would be to remove the Town of Braintree from the Metro Mayors Coalition Regional Housing Task Force. Braintree is a suburb and I am committed to maintaining the nature of our town’s character. Braintree is currently a member of the MAPC South Shore Coalition, which promotes "informed and active cooperation in planning for growth and preservation." It’s important that we maintain local control at the town level of the permitting process for development.
• I voted in favor of the Landing 53 project in the hopes of revitalizing our community with new store fronts and foot traffic that would result in a desirable neighborhood to both live and work. It has been the businesses and local neighbors that have suffered the most due to the lack of enforcing dedicated public parking spaces. If elected Mayor, I pledge to our community that we will learn from these mistakes, make it a priority to find solutions for the issues that still remain from the Landing 53 project, and most importantly, never repeat these mistakes again.
• I personally led the way and proposed the resolution to withdraw the current Comprehensive Zoning Proposal in order to allow updating Braintree's Master Plan first. If elected, I will continue to support my fellow residents and listen to their concerns pertaining to development and the future growth of our town and maintaining its character.

I am running for Mayor of Braintree because I wish to work with others to meet the challenges that lie ahead and continue to move our community forward. If elected, I pledge to approach every decision with the best interest of our community in mind.

It’s our Braintree, and our future that we all care deeply about and I would be humbled and grateful for your support.