A new measure being discussed on Beacon Hill would potentially give the state control over how each town and city within the Commonwealth grows.
Citing Cape Cod as the area of largest developmental growth per area in the state, Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Plymouth) yesterday at the State House announced his intention to do something to take control of the sprawl.
For the past 10 years, the economic boom of the 1990s has made the Cape an area that has undergone rapid — perhaps too rapid — change, Pacheco argued.
The Livable Communities Act proposes the state should have some say in protecting its resources before growth and sprawl occurs.
The law would give the state $35 million in spending initiatives designed to help communities work together to plan infrastructure, rather than having cities and towns managing their own respective areas.
The Cambridgeside Galleria Mall, although highly successful for the area’s economy, is a local example of what Pacheco sees as poor planning as far as traffic and highway planning.
“During the holidays Route 26 can be backed up for several miles,” he said.
If an exit ramp had been established closer to the mall itself, he said, some of these traffic problems could have been eliminated.
When building large projects, Pacheco said he hopes many communities would be able to collaborate in the planning process.
The plan says state funding should be used in areas where infrastructure already exists, and state spending policies should avoid encouraging growth in sprawl areas.
The proposed bill is supported by the State Committee of Natural Resources, which said it hopes the anticipated law will force state policies to curb growth in environmentally endangered areas.
The bill requires the creation of a Council of a Sustainable Commonwealth, which, when chaired by Governor Paul Cellucci, will help plan growth and work with individual towns for their approval.
Among the goals of the bill is to provide regulation land use, proper use of natural resources, watershed protection, a wide range of affordable housing options for all income levels in every community, support for affordable transportation and collaboration among different communities.
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