My cell phone started buzzing on Thursday evening. “Have you seen the proposal by the city” asked one neighbor. “I can’t believe we were not notified,” said another. “It’s outrageous,” said yet another. I went immediately to the mayor’s email. Near the bottom was a mention of the draft village center zoning changes and links to see the proposal. I had been aware that the city was discussing changes to village centers, but I do not live in a village center, and I did not pay too much attention. That was a mistake!

I live in Waban. I am walking distance to the center, but I live on residential Waban Ave. I bought my house almost 19 years ago and love my neighborhood. Up until now, the biggest concern was that cars drove too fast while many kids rode bikes on the street. However, this lovely residential street is on the draft plans to become a village center! The proposal is for the zoning to allow, “Residential / Commercial, Mixed Use.” My house is directly across the street from this new zone. To say I was shocked is an understatement.

How is this even possible? How could the committee even be allowed to propose complete changes to a neighborhood? This is not an “update” to zoning. An update allows for changes such as the height of buildings in a commercial district. This is a complete sacrifice of a neighborhood for the sake of one group’s social goals. It goes way beyond the stated objectives of the exercise.

I am so upset that the fate of my neighborhood (in addition to my home’s value) will be in the hands of others who do not live here. I ask again, how is this even possible?