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Showing posts from March, 2021

Enfield Set for Biggest Housing and Population Growth in Decades

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Open space and existing homes — the balance Enfield must navigate as new housing proposals emerge. Enfield is quietly on the verge of its largest housing expansion in decades. Over the past several years, the town has approved or is reviewing projects that together could add nearly 1,400 units — most of them smaller, rental apartments. If built, these developments would bring about 2,300 to 2,600 new residents to town. The town needs this new housing. Enfield's population is flat. It's getting older. Young people are declining. Our job market growth is flat. (see appendix)  Young People Are Key Without young people, Enfield will face a long and persistent decline and soaring taxes. We're surrounded by communities that help underpin our commercial sector that are seeing similar demographic shifts. Enfield Has 5,000 Fewer Residents Than in 1970 In 1970, our population was 46,200. The U.S. includes prisoners in the local population, but our prison population at that time was n...

Climate change and increasing housing density, my testimony on SB 1024

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The hearing on this legislation is Monday, March 15. Here is my submitted testimony:  Dear Sen. Cassano, and Rep. McCarthy Vahey, and members of the Planning and Development Committee. I'm writing concerning bill S.B. 1024 , specifically its provision to increase density around transit and middle housing. I fully support these provisions. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. We are in the early stages of catastrophic climate change. We see rising temperatures, storms of enormous power, unusual weather generally, drying conditions that fuel fires, rising seas, and other climate-related problems. Over the coming decades, climate changes will prompt a northern migration. It may well be the most significant driver of growth in our state in the next 50 years. Climate change is our problem as well. Our average temperature has increased 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit from 1970-2018. (See Climate Central April 2019, Earth Day report). Along with Rhode Island, Connecticut is one of the faste...