To the Editor: Vote No on Ballot Question 7

As a current member of the Dartmouth Select Board and former Chair of the Dartmouth Planning Board, I have spent years working with residents, developers and town officials on one of local government’s most important responsibilities: deciding how our community grows.

That is why I believe Massachusetts voters should take a close look at Ballot Question 7.

Question 7 would establish a statewide standard allowing certain single-family homes to be built on lots as small as 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of frontage where public water and sewer are available. 

Supporters argue that smaller lots can help increase housing supply and make homes more affordable. Massachusetts unquestionably has a housing challenge, and Dartmouth needs housing opportunities for young families, seniors and people who want to remain in the community.

But the question is who should decide how that growth occurs?

From my experience on the Planning Board, I know that zoning is about much more than the size of a lot. It involves drainage, traffic, roads, emergency services, schools, environmental concerns, neighborhood character and the capacity of local infrastructure.

Dartmouth is different from Boston, Cambridge or other Massachusetts communities. Our geography, infrastructure and development patterns are unique. Our residents should have the ability to address those differences through our local zoning process, as they also should in Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport.  

This is not an argument against housing or responsible development. It is an argument for local decision-making.

If Dartmouth needs to change its zoning to encourage more housing, Dartmouth residents should have the opportunity to debate that change and determine what works for our community not the Massachusetts Realtors Association or any other special interest group that have spent millions to get Question 7 in front of you. 

Massachusetts has a housing problem that deserves serious attention. But we should be careful about solving a statewide problem by taking important land-use decisions away from the communities that understand their own needs best.

Cities and towns in Massachusetts should remain responsible for planning their own future. Fighting the inequities in the current 40B law is hard enough as Dartmouth knows all too well. Vote no on Question 7. 

Respectfully submitted,

Chris O'Neil