Let's Support One Another

A Note from Katie Schuller, Manager of Neighbors for Better Planning

On June 15, 2023, many of us met for the first time at The Wellesley High School to hear Victor Sheen's plans for 489 Worcester Road, Wellesley.  It became obvious at that time, that residents needed to come together to raise their concerns collectively.  This motivated the creation of Neighbors for Better Planning.

On January 9, 2024, the Select Board rejected 489 Worcester Street housing proposal as "too large for the location.”  We believe the organized and methodical approach that Neighbors and residents from other districts took together, resulted in the nearly unanimous Select Board vote. 

We could not have come this far if not for your efforts and contributions.  To those who have submitted their contributions, we are very appreciative and we thought you would like an accounting of how both volunteer efforts and financial support helped us to arrive at the current favorable outcome.  In spite of our current success thus far, there is much more work to be done and many rezoning issues that we all ought to be concerned about.

Neighbors began by creating our LLC and our website, all achieved through volunteer time and talent.  This allowed us to begin collecting contributions and posting lawn signs in our neighborhoods to raise our collective voices to town officials. These signs helped spread the word to other Wellesley districts. Our signs are now appearing all over Town. This could not have happened without your participation.

We have used your contributions respectfully and conservatively.  We hired a well-known zoning attorney, who has served in state government as well as shaped the legislation for 40R and other state laws on zoning regulations.  This attorney has been invaluable with his knowledge and guidance.  He filed a Freedom of Information Act with the Town which allows us to legally view all contact between the Town, the State and the developer. As we gained greater understanding about process and community development, we identified and hire the top environmental law firm in the State to combat intrusion into our precious Wetlands that abut 489 Worcester Street.  

We also hired the former head of MEPA who has extensive knowledge about State highways and their unique provisions for access to entering Worcester Street/Route 9. We believe the knowledge he shared and the guidance from all these experts were pivotal in our convincing the Select Board that a 40-condo unit was" too large for the site"

Thank you for your continued activism in Citizen Speak and/or appearances at various Board and Committee meetings. Your activism has been crucial to our being seen and heard.

We now want to encourage Wellesley to develop a unified rezoning plan that includes input from the residents with careful consideration for our Town's green spaces, traffic challenges, environmental concerns, historic homes and essential wetlands. 

Our achievements to date:

1. We have successfully convinced the Town that 40-condo units at the foot of Cliff Road is too large a project for the site.

2. 489 Worcester Street has been removed from the Town website as a possible project. 

3. 489 cannot proceed as a project under 40R. The Select Board voted it down. We are waiting for the developers next proposal.  We must be ready for this.

4. We have built coalitions with other groups addressing rezoning plans in their districts; this unification across districts demonstrates that this is a Town wide concern.

We need your continued support to meet the next set of challenges. This requires financial help. We ask each household to contribute $1000 for the continuing professional help we need. If you have contributed thank you. If you have not please consider a contribution.  This is a marathon not a sprint.

Thank you,

Katie Schuller