To the Editor:
What would Jane Jacobs say? Looking at the proposed lower income housing development on 100 Bridge Street there are some voices missing in this debate — the segment of the population that might actually live there. These voices are not found in CDC’s mission statement or in their working principles:
The mission of the CDC South Berkshire, a 501(C)3 nonprofit, is to create housing and economic opportunity for low and moderate-income households in the southern Berkshires. [1]
Jane Jacobs stated in her 1958 “Downtown is for People” article in Fortune; “The architects, planners — and businessmen – are seized with dreams of order, and they have become fascinated with scale models and bird’s-eye views. This is a vicarious way to deal with reality, and it is, unhappily, symptomatic of a design philosophy now dominant: buildings come first, for the goal is to remake the city to fit an abstract concept of what, logically, it should be.” [2]
The newest and most economically hopeful trend is Scattered-site housing. “Scattered-site” or “Scatter Site” refers to a form of housing in which publicly funded, affordable, low-density units are scattered throughout diverse, middle-class neighborhoods. It can take the form of single units spread throughout the city or clusters of family units.” [3]
The proposed lower income apartment buildings would be the most dense lower income housing areas in Great Barrington. Putting all the lower income housing in a solid block is in contradiction to what is known to improve community connections, access, and quality of life. Segregation by income or culture creates and recreates economic stratification and alienation.
From a June 29, 2015 NYT Editorial: “A Supreme Court ruling last week forcefully reminded state and local governments that the Fair Housing Act of 1968 forbids them from spending federal housing money in ways that perpetuate segregation. Communities across the country have been doing exactly that for decades.” [4]
The 100 Bridge Street site could be a beautiful place to live (assuming effective remediation), but the design still puts all the lower income units together in a solid, dense block.
Berkshire County is facing the issues of gentrification and inaccessible housing that are affecting larger cities. There are a variety of creative options that the CDC might consider. An article from SHAREABLE highlights several ideas for housing alternatives that would be applicable here. Examples include: Community Land Trusts that remove land from the speculative market, housing coops, Baugruppen (affordable housing that is co-designed, co-created, and co-owned by the residents), micro houses, and micro apartments, and more. [5]
Green Prefabs could be done with quality materials and be affordable. [6]
In 2001-2003 DHCD (Department of Housing and Community Development) made some regulatory changes to 40B requirements that allow for more creative sustainable solutions: [7]
The current plan is not the best that it could be, the best that Great Barrington or the CDC could do to address the needs of Berkshire County’s population. It may fulfill bureaucratic formulas, and make money for developers, but will it really improve the quality of life for the residents it is supposed to serve and the community as a whole? Monoculture in housing is just as unhealthy as in our fields.
To let the CDC know your opinion on 100 Bridge Street contact:
Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire (CDCSB)
P.O. Box 733
17 Bridge Street
Great Barrington MA 01230
phone: 413-528-7788
fax: 413.528.4978
The next vote on 100 Bridge Street Permit is Zoning Board of Appeals Tues 7/26 7:30 Town Hall Agenda: Permit for 100 Bridge St – Affordable Housing 40B
[1] https://cdcsb.org/about-us/mission
[2] fortune.com/2011/09/18/downtown-is-for-people-fortune-classic-1958/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_the_United_States
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/opinion/affordable-housing-racial-isolation.html?_r=0
[5] https://www.shareable.net/blog/11-affordable-housing-alternatives-for-city-dwellers
[6] https://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/12/fabulous-green-prefabs-review.html
[7] https://www.chapa.org/chapter-40b
Beth Carlson
Stockbridge
