A recent writer to the Plymouth Independent claimed that “town officials and their pro-development appointees on town boards and committees keep rubber stamping market rate housing”.
That claim overlooks the fact that in many cases, rightly or wrongly, state law limits the ability of towns to deny permits to applicants whose projects meet the requirements of state law and the zoning bylaw. Greater control over development requires amendments to state law and the zoning bylaw – not the mere replacement of one set of board and committee members with another – and such amendments have to be well thought out and take longer to accomplish.
Denying permits to applicants whose projects comply with laws only ends up saddling the Town with legal fees with nothing to show for it.
– Richard M. Serkey