[MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] 250 senior living homes

[Hal Wright]

Start my 2 cents.

In general, local municipalities understand the $600K rule, which is  
why you will often see great sprawling developments of 1/2 to 1 acre  
lots with McMansions on them (in lieu of more affordable single homes  
on smaller lots), coupled with some townhouses at the opposite  
extreme, where the density of housing cuts infrastructure costs  
(albeit not school costs). Municipalities love high-end senior- 
citizen townhouse developments: no kids going to school; high- 
density, high-value homes.

What you don't see is small, affordable single homes on smaller lots,  
as these represent the worst financial situation for the  
municipality: lots of infrastructure, lots of roads, more school  
students, lower home value and hence lower tax revenue. Hence the  
rising cost of such homes that already exist, and the housing squeeze  
for low- to mid- income individuals and families.

 From the AT point of view, we should be cautious about trumpeting  
the "it takes a $600K house to break even" rule of thumb, as we might  
end up getting what we wish for, and having huge McMansion-style  
developments on what used to be farm land littering our viewsheds.

I hate this whole situation, and I know I'll get flamed again for  
saying it, but Michelle's response is what I was describing earlier  
when I discussed the reality that the AT in the mid-Atlantic is  
rapidly becoming a suburban trail. Here is an ATC employee saying, if  
I understand you correctly Michelle, that the outcome here isn't too  
bad because we'll have a buffer bigger than the minimum corridor  
width between us and the development. I salute the pragmatism  
inherent in that statement, but I also acknowledge the reality that  
it describes.

  I didn't mean to say before, and don't mean to say now, that we  
will be looking into people's back yards over the whole length of the  
trail (although some sections have that appearance now, and more will  
in the future). Rather, I'm saying that we will be caretakers of a  
long, thin sliver of a park slicing through the suburbs, with our  
beloved AT at its center. Such a place will not have the wilderness  
feel some of us are accustomed to and quite fond of. Such a place  
demands different things of its caretakers than a wilderness park:  
active curtailment of noise pollution, more active treadway  
maintenance, better enforcement, more stringent rules on campsite and  
shelter use, and so on.

If, like me, you live in an area where there are large wooded parks  
in a suburban setting, you know that the official response has been  
to pave pathways through those woods so that they may be patrolled by  
rangers in SUVs. Clearly this isn't the approach we are looking for.

The DWG area, Jersey side, is patrolled by federal park rangers on  
ATVs. They go up the Douglas trail to Backpacker Site 2, and then on  
to Sunfish Pond along the AT itself. How do we feel about that?

Our club has already been discussing the enforcement issue in monthly  
meetings, and many advocate a sign-up arrangement wherein two club  
members will be stationed at trouble spots throughout the warmer  
months. Others have expressed concern that these people will be  
putting themselves at risk. And, sad to say, trouble isn't confined  
to the warmer months. My sense is that, acting alone, the clubs will  
not be able to manage this problem for the long term. What's needed  
is a creative, overarching solution that gets willing and able  
enforcement where it's required, without asphalt and without (or with  
minimal use of) ATVs. A more robust , four-season ridgerunner program  
is but one piece of the overall solution.

End my 2 cents.



On Feb 24, 2006, at 5:50 PM, Walt Daniels wrote:

>  I am sure there is a formula but I don't know what it is. I will  
> ask the
> next time I see someone who might know. I think it is the fairly  
> obvious,
> add up the costs of schools, polices, roads, etc. and compare with  
> the taxes
> they pay.
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michele Miller [mailto:mmiller at atconf.org]
>> Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 10:03 AM
>> To: 'Walt Daniels'; 'MARPC list'
>> Subject: RE: [MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] 250 senior living homes
>>
>> Walt--How did your town determine that any home under $600K
>> is a net loss?
>> Did they have some specific formula that could be passed on
>> to other townships?
>>
>> This particular development may turn out to be somewhat of a
>> win-win situation.  The 14-acre open area directly adjacent
>> to the A.T. will remain "open" in perpetuity effectively
>> increasing our buffer from adjacent development.  If this
>> goes through as proposed, it will be a much better situation
>> than having homes right up against the corridor.
>>
>> Michele
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ma-rpc-bounces at commerce-02.cilia.org
>> [mailto:ma-rpc-bounces at commerce-02.cilia.org] On Behalf Of
>> Walt Daniels
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:43 PM
>> To: MARPC list
>> Subject: [MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] 250 senior living homes
>>
>>  Another article about one of the current theats. The
>> township just doesn't seem to understand the true cost of any
>> development compared with the cost of open space. In my area,
>> any house under $600K is a net loss to the town for services  
>> required.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-l-bounces at backcountry.net
>> [mailto:at-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Steve Landis
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:29 PM
>> To: AT-L
>> Subject: [at-l] 250 senior living homes
>>
>> http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2006/02/21/news/news21.txt
>>
>> "The area abuts the Appalachian Trail, which runs through
>> South Middleton.
>> Faley says he's even heard talk of using that area in
>> conjunction with the existing space for the 2,175-mile trail
>> from Maine to Georgia." ???????
>>
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