[WestMALocals] PRESS RELEASE: Community Groups Oppose Weakening of Surplus Land Protections

[Owen Broadhurst]

 [Pleasae note: Attachments noted are not enclosed, but may be viewed via
link at bottom - OB]

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Jill Stein" <jstein at massmed.org>
To: <jstein at massmed.org>
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Community Groups Oppose Weakening of Surplus Land
Protections
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:39:18 -0500

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/17/06
COMMUNITY GROUPS OPPOSE WEAKENING OF SURPLUS LAND PROTECTIONS

Mass. Coalition for Healthy Communities
Contact: John Andrews, john at masschc.org, 617-852-4727

Anticipating Senate action on a bill promoting privatization of state lands
("Jones-Stanley", H4491) the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities

(MCHC) released a letter signed by 32 public interest groups calling for
major revisions to the bill. Signers of the letter include a broad spectrum
of environmental, neighborhood, and social justice organizations from the
Merrimack Valley to Monterey, from Boston to Belchertown.

According to the letter, the Jones-Stanley bill puts "irreplaceable public
assets that are critical to the future of our cities and towns" at risk for
poorly planned, unwise development. "H4491...disrupts ongoing local
planning, sacrifices democratic safeguards, violates principles of
sustainability, and works counter to the just use of scarce public land
resources."

The Jones-Stanley bill will largely throw out the current "Chapter 7" laws
that control how public property may be conveyed into private hands. It was
passed by the House of Representatives on November 10, 2005, before the text

of the new bill - which was significantly revised from an earlier July, 2005
version - was even released to the public. Critics point out this
after-the-fact release of the revised bill prevented public scrutiny that is

essential before key laws - which may affect up to 10 percent of state
lands - are changed.

According to John Andrews, policy director for MCHC, "Jones-Stanley tilts
the playing field against host communities and toward privatization
projects, many of which will be heavily subsidized with taxpayer dollars.
The terms of the bill will make it very difficult for a local housing
authority or conservation commission to influence the use of local public
property.  Community planners and citizens concerned about affordable
housing or environmental impacts will lose their ability to affect state
land use decisions. This bill lets the key decisions be made behind closed
doors on Beacon Hill."

The letter alerts Senators to serious problems with the bill and recommends
"provisions to restore and strengthen essential safeguards currently
provided under Chapter 7." In particular, the community groups recommend
provisions to preserve and improve municipal participation and planning,
legislative accountability, and smart growth protections. The letter also
recommends prioritizing public interest uses rather than privatization.
Specifically, it recommends measures to ensure that priority be given to
affordable housing, open space protection and other public-interest uses of
the irreplaceable public properties that are "key to a sustainable, just
future for the Commonwealth."

The complete letter and list of signers is attached, and can also be found
at http://www.masschc.org/senatorletter3-06.html

Mass. Coalition for Healthy Communities
john at masschc.org
617-852-4727
www.masschc.org



--
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org