Why have we not heard rezoning or development advice from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau? I read that Boston referenced Cambridge Land Management’s AI data study to guide its rezoning plan in reaching Massachusetts’s goal of increased housing development. Other towns publicized their housing goal numbers. Boston has not.

The state has mandated a moral commitment to building housing for the future. While staying on mission and anticipating future housing needs, it is important for Boston to share density information in real terms of housing units the state requires of West Roxbury.

The West Roxbury community understands the need for housing. The Cambridge Land Management report lacks human values and is intended to dispense with community input with speedy resolution. We here need to discuss a better plan than allowing development of multi-family housing ‘as of right’ with no parking restrictions.

Some Centre and Spring Streets developers have suffered a financial loss in delaying development but are fortunate to have some tax write-offs. They may be waiting for the ‘as of right’ multifamily development without parking provisions demanded.

This rezoning change without required parking provisions will allow the development of the largest buildings on our major arteries and allow their condo or apartment car owners to seek spaces on our side streets, into our residential neighborhood. This was not our agreement (1905-1911) Centre Street, with the developers and the city, and, seriously compromises our already congested streets. Many other communities suffer problems that demonstrate poor planning. We need rezoning that shows more considered thought.

The current rezoning plan creates more problems than it solves. The West Roxbury rezoning proposal needs to consider the now 7.8% mortgage rate needed to purchase an $850,000 condo or home. That monthly mortgage cost of $5,600 requires an income of $220,000 per year.

West Roxbury is a middle-class community – part of Boston with many residents living in multi-generational homes with retired seniors, unable to obtain a mortgage. West Roxbury has no affordable housing left.

The current Boston Planning Department rezoning plan is a bad plan our community if it continues its objective for development of ‘as of right’ building of multifamily housing with no parking requirements.

Ruth Guarino

West Roxbury

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