40B disregards the environment

Despite legitimate environmental concerns, 40B provides legal cover to developers who disregard the environmental health of your community. These developments shamelessly consume open space, creating non-affordable homes and degrading Massachusetts’ fragile environment at a time when we should be doing more to protect our already scarce resources. Beacon Hill even allows 40B to be exempt from the Commonwealth's Sustainable Development Principles!

Open spaces act as invaluable watersheds and natural buffers against creeping environmental degradation in terms of wildlife, water quality, drainage, and environmental toxins. A community that does not keep its open spaces has severely limited its options for the future, as well as almost certainly making its cost of living more expensive.

The bottom line is that 40B facilitates and even encourages a pace of development that threatens our shared environment and ignores sound land-use policy. At a time when challenges to our environment appear so daunting, we should take comfort in knowing that there is an easy and obvious measure that can be taken right here at home or protect our environment – that is the repeal of 40B.

Don't be fooled the next time you hear a developer or bureaucrat telling you that your community needs 40B. Consider the following when confronted by these challenges:

40B Claim: Vacant or Undeveloped Land is Just Going to Waste
Studies by the American Farmland Trust show that farmland and open space provide more in taxes than they consume in services. A detailed study of four New Hampshire towns in 1995 showed that each had a net revenue gain from open space and a net revenue loss from developed parcels. It is often cheaper in the long run for a town to buy open land rather than let it be developed and pay increased costs for infrastructure and services. Furthermore, by creating beauty and peace and quiet, open spaces undeniably raise the value of surrounding properties. Yet current state policy, focused on the short term budget, is trying to find ways to sell town-owned land. Quite apart from the direct financial benefit, however, open spaces act as invaluable watershed and natural buffers against creeping environmental degradation in terms of wildlife, water quality, drainage, and environmental toxins. A community which does not keep its open spaces has severely limited its options for the future, as well as almost certainly making its cost of living more expensive.

40B Claim: Most People Don't Really Support Slow Growth or Environmental Protection
Clean air and water are top factors in where people decide to live. Surveys also show that most people in the U.S. feel that economic prosperity is better served by protecting the environment than by relaxing environmental regulations. For example, it is widely accepted that American automakers would not be in such a precarious position relative to foreign automakers if the government had gradually required more stringent fuel standards over the past two decades. Surveys also show strong majority support nationwide for slower growth. Development advocates rely on the majority of citizens to remain silent. That's why it's so important that you let your State Representatives and Senators, your City/Town Manager, your Planning Board members and/or your Board of Selectmen know that you support slow-growth policies. Specifically, let them know that you support non-growth strategies for providing affordable housing, and you oppose the sale of town-owned properties except to a land conservation trust.