Mass Audubon made available the article from Sanctuary Magazine that considered the environmental impact of development of the land that was purchased by investors for a Mega Casino in Middleboro. It's worth the read.
.
That article contained the following comments:.
...the town has some 6,000 acres of land protected by various means, according to Conservation Agent Patricia Cassady, from outright ownership to conservation restrictions. They have done this by partnering with such groups as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Trust for Public Land (TPL), and the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts.
.
Rocky Gutter, a 3,380-acre chunk of mostly scrub oak upland and red maple swamp, is managed by MassWildlife.
.
In other words, Middleboro has been fortunate to save significant parcels of land because of the generosity and foresight of others.
.
.
This just about says it all:
.
.
...the state is full of towns that didn't make the effort and now strain to meet the demands caused by development.
.
In his theatrical presentation, Lincoln Andrews stated that Middleboro had 7 Square Miles of Open Space. When I asked for specifics, the response was a hostile non-answer.
Mrs. Duphily rushed to his defense, armed with no facts and Mrs. Brunelle indicated that Middleboro contains 56 Square Miles.
.
The numbers and facts remain undefined, but the following offer some conversions:
3380 ACRES = 5.286 SQUARE MILES
.
4,000 ACRES = 6.25 SQUARE MILES
.
6,000 ACRES = 9.375 SQUARE MILES
6,000 ACRES = 9.375 SQUARE MILES
.
While several have criticized CPA, it needs to be clarified that there are other uses of CPA funds, in addition to Open Space. Information posted on CPA Now explains the details and the mechanism.
.
CPA offers the opportunity to establish a piggy bank (to be matched with funds town residents already pay) for future use instead of borrowing.
.
It enables residents to plan the Town's future.
8 comments:
Lincoln made sure he included a comment about being rich as if that would add to his credibility. It sure adds to his swelled ego.
Everyone just picks numbers from the air from what I see.
You're correct about CPA though. It's not just about open space. Bridgewater has used the funds for historical preservation, as have other towns.
I watched Lincoln Andrews in the first CPA meeting. He was negative, without focus and just wanted to attack. His conduct on the bos was much the same. What I find is that his supporters are willing to follow his misstatements without question, have little understanding of how things work and lack intellectual curiosity, much as he does. He was a disaster on the bos and it's time for qualified candidates to be elected.
Lincoln Andrews said in his presentation that the planning dept had not a single plan pending. Should I ask why the dept isn't laying people off? Don't we have 2 planners?
Lincoln said that the schools had basically the same amount of pupils as when he was in High School.
That statement is not entirely inaccurate. It's also not entirely accurate. I've been looking at the historical numbers for school enrollment and the numbers rise and fall with a general trend toward rising. Lakeville on the other hand has had much more growth in schools than Middleboro.
All this misses the point of CPA. It's not about repairing damage that is already done, it's about planning and preventing future impact. Once development comes, all the CPA money in the world won't undo it.
CPA also cannot be framed simply w/regards to open space since there are three other - usually underfunded - areas where it's monies can be spent.
I didn't include that because I didn't want to 'go there,' but since you've raised the issue, you might want to review the numbers of students who begin a class with the number of students who finish.
In other words, if you compare the class of 2008 that began first grade with the number that graduated, you will find a significant drop that can be attributed to students going to private schools instead of Middleboro Public High School.
The information is available from DOE.
It was an extraneous issue that didn't belong in the discussion and was pointless to include in isolation.
Two points. First regarding the two planners, did you not see the meeting last year I believe when the head planner stated all her time HAS to be DEDICATED to the planning of the CASINO. Therefore she needed a helper. Regarding the children in school, have you also looked at the number of drop outs per year per graduating class? I think that too plays a decent number. Then again, more kids are electing to attend a trade school several have transferred to BP at least learning a trade there.
The comment regarding the planners was not mine, but raises a good point about certain departments failing to re-allocate resources.
Could the personnel hours be shared elsewhere or reduced?
Might they be used to post both the Planning Board regs and Zoning By Laws on the town's web site? Just a thought.
Anon,
You are correct regarding the school population, but the actual numbers are publicly available from DOE. You might note that Lincoln Andrews merely produced anecdotal figures that are specious.
Last time I reviewed the school figures, I was sorely disappointed in the dropout rate. Although I have never had children in the public school system, that a child fails to graduate, sorely limits their future options and, to me, represents a failure of the school system.
A review of the illiteracy rate of prison populations is revealing, but another topic.
A discussion regarding the school system did not belong in Lincoln Andrews' presentation regarding CPA, is unrelated and ignores the other uses of CPA funds.
Lincoln was never known for his vision or future planning. He tends to be negative on most things and was negative when he was Selectman. You can't even say it's because it wasn't his idea because he never has ideas only criticism of others.
Post a Comment