That's helpful for communities that have treatment plants but most rural communities don't have treatment plants and would have to add one. I'm not sure even with state aid most of those towns could justify building a treatment plant.

Apartment complexes aren't taxed per unit. They are taxed based on overall property value. So your 400 unit property may be valued at say 50 million but those same 400 units as single households average in my town are 400k each have a tax value of over 160 million. Simple math and economic knowledge shows how there is less income and larger municipal strain with housing complexes.

I didn't say there is anything wrong with Boston. But myself and the rest of the people not living in Boston or major cities don't live there for a reason. Personally crime, expense, congestion, lack of green space are just a few that comes right to my mind. I don't mind driving to see friends or going shopping. If I wanted to walk, bike or take public transportation then I would move to a city.

Because my town is affected just as much as the much wealthier towns. We have to follow the same mandates as the 128 region. There are no compromises unless you want to and can afford to be "punished".

So based on your estimation. If your study estimate is 150 additional students per grade in 20 years you would then double that to 300 then double that to 600 then either double it to 1200 or 50% increase to 900. Yeah I don't think any municipality or national planning group would consider that making sense or feasible. By those standards you have created a once town into a city.

Now to staff said increases with fewer and fewer teachers. With your logic. A class room of say 20 students is now halved to 10 then halved again to 5 then halved or split 50% to 2.5 or 3.5 students to 1 teacher until the towns growth reaches your dream number.

Towns invest a lot in growth studies and ensure the school systems can last 20+ years without being strained. When new mandates come into play that are out of the usual then all those studies are thrown out the window and towns are told you didn't plan for the state to tell you that you need to grow at an unusual rate.

Face it, the only area gaining from this is Boston proper. There is a reason the rest of the state and towns are complaining and are being "NIMBYs". It's simply that the rest of the state doesn't want to be Boston and definitely doesn't want to be forced to adhere. Come live in the "sticks" for a few years and tell me, if you are still living here, do you still want these mandates put in place? Or is it just that you live in the city and want us to be as miserable as you with overcrowding?

Actually it does affect my neighborhood because we are a boarder town. And if you go to any of the further reaching stops you will see empty commuter rail lots because people don't enjoy commuting on an unreliable system an hour and a half to with in Boston. But we as a community have to support Boston or else we are"NIMNYs"

They did all plan on increases. The problem is that with all the new mandates increases are larger than anyone would plan for.

I am over 45 miles from Boston. I am in very much a rural town. We have a commuter rail station that is a 10 minute ride from my house. Other parts of the town 20 minutes to get there do to rural roads. I don't disagree that towns need to do something but it should be based on the towns wanting to not be forced to or else you lose funding. That is blackmail on the highest level.

Not sure what town you live in but my home town and the surrounding towns have seen nothing but student population growth. My current town and surrounding towns have also seen the same issue. In both cases there are more 2&3 bedroom units as opposed to 1 bedroom. I do agree the 1 bedroom would be only adults. Multi bedroom units I disagree as most are for either small families are single parents.

Also, it did take a few years to see the additional student population, because well, birds and the bees.

It's not a fantasy it's reality. Everyone moved out of the city during covid. Realized that rural life isn't for them and more are moving back to the city causing another "housing crisis". The housing crisis can be solved by building houses in rural areas not complexes. Costs to own a house is no more than renting. I currently own a house and struggle. If I were to sell it I would still struggle with a rental. Stop looking for the government to solve your financial issues and solve it yourself. Multiple jobs are sometimes necessary. Do we like to work more, no but unless you want to adjust your way of life then that's what's going to be needed.

You would think it's rare but it's happening and has happened in my town. Luckily not the 100+ acre farms mainly due to the farmers not wanting to sell. But we had 2) 50 acre farms sell and put up 400 unit complexes that burdened the town and didn't add the needed tax revenue to support them.

2 bedrooms I'm going to figure 2 adults 2 children. Let's say it's a 200 unit complex. That's 400 additional students. That may not seem like much to someone in the city but in central ma towns that is a huge amount of additional students.

I agree that growth is coming but it should be natural and not forced. And more building should supply nore taxes is a big should. Generally with complexes the tax revenue doesn't match the added municpal burden and thus it is placed on rest of the community who in central ma are already struggling with surging costs.

Massachusetts is down 4.5 percent. That being said the Worcester County towns that are also being affected have seen overwhelmed elementary schools that were renovated or built in the past 10-20 years. So, yes our schools are packed and no it's not affordable to just build or renovate to add more space for the influx of additional students.

I don't live inside 495 and my town as well as most towns that are within 10 minutes of a non operational commuter rail are required to support the city with affordable housing. And once this housing is built and everyone from the city moves here for a year and realizes that the convinces aren't there they moce back to the city and laugh about how the NIMBY towns don't want people from the city living here.

Living in a northern worcester County town that is closer to NH than any major MA city, no Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner are not major cities. We are far from the wealthiest area. We can't support building up and support your cities growth.

Pretty sure this is as NIMBY of a statement as you can get.

15 units per acre may not sound like much to you but most of these communities have current 1-2 acre requirements per household to maintain your required green space. When a farm that is 100+ acres sells, that will literally drown an entire towns municpal structure according to your non impact full 15 units per acre thoughts.

Clearly a statement of someone that doesn't have a clue how the real world works. Developers will and do build in communities where water and sewer isn't available. The state forces the towns to allow them in. Then the town is forced to come up with money and resources to support this new building. Sewage and water are least of the concerns. It's the schooling and added municipal employees aka fire, police dpw that are the hardest and most expensive added costs that all of the city dwellers don't understand and could care less about.

MA already requires a percentage of affordable housing. Most of the "NIMBY" towns have hit that goal one way or another. A lot of these same towns also have minimal land available to allow this new mandate to happen. My question to everyone is, how are the schools going to handle the added population, who is going to pay for additional schools to be built, renovated and staffed? Everyone here is calling these town as NIMBYS, do any of you live in the towns currently? I'm willing to bet if you did you would be another "NIMBY". People that decide to move out of the city to a more rural town are doing it for the way the town is, not for it to be a part of the city.