In this issue: vol. ii no. 1 01/09/2025
Stockbridge Forests
According to old forest guru Bob Leverett, Stockbridge is #1 in a key measure of forest presence in all of Massachusetts!
By Patrick White
Scam Alert: EZ Pass
Don't fall for email or text messages claiming you owe money to EZ Pass.
My ADU Comments
I submitted the following comments on Accessory Dwelling Units to Housing Secretary Ed Augustus, which the Legislature made by right with the passage of the Affordable Homes Act.
Zoning Appeals Litigation Changes
The Affordable Homes Act (AHA) includes a provision similar to a "loser pays" rule for litigation related to zoning appeals.
Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
I came across this paper on the economic impacts of housing shortages. It's a solid read that is relevant not just to the top metropolitan areas of the country, but rural areas such as ours.
Tiny Homes Don't Need to Be Ugly Homes
Here are some images that might serve as tiny home eye visual candy. I could live in one of these!
Climate Leadership
Stockbridge Forests
My good friend Bob Leverett is a giant in the field of old growth forests and a member of the Native Tree Society (NTS). I've excerpted and summarized some of his observations on Stockbridge forests below, including the fact that Stockbridge is #1 in a key measure of forest presence in all of Massachusetts!
NTS' mission is to measure and record important big and/or tall tree sites for historical, ecological, and increasingly climate mitigation purposes.
We measure the heights, circumferences, and sometimes crown spreads of individual trees. We also measure trunk volume, and on rare occasion, full above-ground volume. All this work is done in a non-invasive fashion and does no harm to the trees.
From these measurements, NTS develops site-level statistics, one of which is called the Rucker Index. To compute it, we pick out the tallest member of each of the 10 tallest species and average those heights.
These measures provide a top-down way of analyzing the growth performance of a site, and when done over time, allows them to compute intervening growth rates and to project future growth. Beyond identifying sites with exceptional characteristics, our site-level statistics are beginning to play a role in climate-based analyses of our forests. I've been engaged in tree growth measurements for climate mitigation since 2015.
The current RHI for the Sedgwick Reservation stands at 127.4, making it the second highest in Massachusetts. Nearby Ice Glen is a very close third. For a New England site, these are extraordinarily high numbers. For example, we have not gone above 118 north of Massachusetts.
For the named sites in Massachusetts, the list of the top three is now:
1. Mohawk Trail State Forest: 136
2. Stockbridge's Sedgwick Reservation: 127.4
3. Stockbridge's Ice Glen 127.3
At the level of an entire township, currently Stockbridge reigns supreme in all Massachusetts. Its RHI is currently between 132 and 133, or about 10 points above Northampton, currently number 2. Most Massachusetts towns with a wealth of mature trees will be in the 110-to-120-point range. Many more municipalities lie between 100 and 110 .
Forest managers often claim the highest carbon sequestration occurs in young woodlands. Young forests do grow fast, but they're starting out from seeds. It requires 35-40 years for a pine to begin pulling really significant amounts of CO2 out of the atmosphere. And after that, high amounts of annual carbon capture can continue for another 80 or more years. This represents an entirely different assessment of forest carbon capture and storage than portrayals of young forests as the ones doing the heavy lifting. It is actually the other way around.
Stockbridge is making a significant contribution to mitigating the impact of global warming. I think that deserves greater recognition and appreciation.
Thanks, Bob! Let me just add, none of this happens by accident. Generations of volunteers have stewarded forests for the town or its nonprofits, including the Laurel Hill Association and the Stockbridge Land Trust. The Town has been a state leader in its efforts to preserve Ice Glen, winning the MMA's Kenneth Pickard leadership award for those efforts, the first Berkshire Town in over a decade to be so honored.
In 2021, we appropriated town funds and successfully applied for a USDA suppression grant to save the old growth ash and hemlock trees in Ice Glen. Unfortunately, that money has run out. To continue to protect these trees from the ash borer and woolly adelgid, we will need to reapply for state and federal grants and potentially provide some stop gap funding at Town Meeting this year. I look forward to working with our Agriculture and Forestry Commission to secure the funding to maintain this important stewardship.
Bob Leverett and Monica Jakuc at Ice Glen, as featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine in 2022.
Don't fall for this!
Scam Alert: EZ Pass
Many of us are receiving texts from bad actors claiming to be the EZ Pass system, asking us to pay an upcoming bill. These are malicious. Below is one I received. Note that any text that begins with a + sign is from a foreign phone number, in this case the Philippines. I've never been to the Philippines so it is unlikely I owe their highway system any money. Be aware, and don't fall for giving your credit card number to scam text links!
A copy of a scam text, this one from the Philippines, in wide circulation.
Weighing in with State leaders...
My ADU Comments
I submitted the following comments to Housing Secretary Ed Augustus before the January 10 Accessory Dwelling Unit deadline, which the Legislature made by right with the passage of the Affordable Homes Act. I also reviewed the AI notes from the public session that was also held on the 10th at 10am. Many speakers from around the state seem to have shared my concerns around short-term rentals. As an elected leader, I feel a duty to keep you informed as to my positions and comments to state regulators. So here goes. For a PDF version of the letter online, just click it.
Affordable Homes Act
Zoning Appeals Litigation Changes
The Affordable Homes Act (AHA) includes a provision similar to a "loser pays" rule for litigation related to zoning appeals. The Act makes significant changes to the statutory process for zoning appeals under G.L. chapter 40A, section 17, which include the following:
Attorneys' Fees for Bad Faith Appeals: The court can now award reasonable attorneys' fees, in addition to costs, if it finds that the appellant acted in bad faith or with malice in making the appeal.
Increased Bond Requirement: The maximum bond that courts can require appellants to post has been increased from $50,000 to $250,000. This bond is not only to secure the payment of costs but also to indemnify and reimburse damages and expenses incurred due to the appeal.
Stricter Standing Requirements: The Act raises the bar for abutters challenging local zoning permits. Appellants must now allege and plausibly demonstrate a measurable injury that is special and unique to them, which they claim will be proven through credible evidence.
These changes are designed to discourage what the Legislature viewed as "frivolous" appeals and reduce delays in housing development projects. While not a traditional "loser pays" system, these provisions create significant financial risks for those filing appeals, especially if their claims are found to be without merit or made in bad faith.
It's important to note that these changes apply specifically to zoning appeals and not to all types of litigation. The new provisions took effect immediately upon the signing of the Act into law on August 6, 2024.
In Stockbridge, the Select Board will adjudicate at least one special permit for a large development project in 2025. It is all the more important to get these permits right, including conditions should the Board decide to permit, as the ability for neighbors and others to appeal any permit has been curtailed. I plan to be ready.
Research Corner
Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
I believe good policy is informed by research, including housing policy. I came across this paper on the economic impacts of housing shortages. It's a solid read that is relevant not just to the top metropolitan areas of the country, but rural areas such as ours.
Its title is "Housing Affordability and Economic Growth," written by Jerry Anthony School of Planning and Public Affairs, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA You can read the paper at: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Housing_Affordability_Economic_Growth.pdf
ABSTRACT
The U.S. has a chronic shortage of reasonably-priced housing. Decades of policy and program intervention at federal, state, and local levels has not substantively alleviated this problem. Consequently, alarmingly high proportions of the population spend over 30% of their income on housing costs and are deemed housing cost-burdened. Housing cost-burdened households have a much lower quality of life than those that are not. Thus, the housing affordability problem is a serious social concern.
Is this problem also holding back the U.S. economy? I explore whether the lack of reasonably-priced housing adversely impacted per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the 100 most populous metro areas of the country. I use publicly available data for three time points (2000, 2010, and 2015) and changes in the proportion of cost-burdened households in metros as the experimental variable. I find that decreases in housing affordability had a statistically significant negative effect on economic growth in these metros. Over 80% of the national GDP is generated in U.S. metros, and increasing housing affordability there may help grow the U.S. economy. Therefore, policies to increase housing affordability, long seen as a social imperative, may well be an economic imperative also.
Small is beautiful...
Tiny Homes Don't Need to Be Ugly Homes
There's been some debate lately around the tiny homes provision of the Affordable Homes Act, namely that towns that accept this designation need to promulgate a bylaw allowing them. Personally, I am a big fan of smaller homes; a 400 square foot home with a 200sf loft is a great starter home for a single or couple that mirrors the size of small apartments in burroughs/neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and Manhattan. Below is some tiny home eye candy. I could live in one of these!
I just want to reiterate that the Tiny Homes provision does not include any limits as to ceiling height; in fact, they explicitly allow lofts.
Some of these homes are modular and most can be built for between $50k and $200k. With the crisis we face with housing, it's a smart strategy that allows for growth at a much smaller environmental cost.
Should the town vote to accept its seasonal communities designation, it will fall on us to write a tiny homes bylaw. My point is a thoughtful bylaw can protect the character of the town, while encouraging society to live smaller in line with the needs of the planet in a time burdened by climate change.
~
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Previous posts
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vol. ii no. 1 01/09/2024
Stockbridge Forests
According to old forest guru Bob Leverett, Stockbridge is #1 in a key measure of forest presence in all of Massachusetts!
By Patrick White
Scam Alert: EZ Pass
Don't fall for email or text messages claiming you owe money to EZ Pass.
My ADU Comments
I submitted the following comments on Accessory Dwelling Units to Housing Secretary Ed Augustus, which the Legislature made by right with the passage of the Affordable Homes Act.
Zoning Appeals Litigation Changes
The Affordable Homes Act (AHA) includes a provision similar to a "loser pays" rule for litigation related to zoning appeals.
Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
I came across this paper on the economic impacts of housing shortages. It's a solid read that is relevant not just to the top metropolitan areas of the country, but rural areas such as ours.
Tiny Homes Don't Need to Be Ugly Homes
Here are some images that might serve as tiny home eye visual candy. I could live in one of these!
vol. i no. 4 12/26/2024
Solving the Rental Crisis
An increase in Section 8 vouchers is a critical strategy toward improving the availability of rental units in Berkshire County.
by Patrick White
New Firehouse: The Inside Story
How Stockbridge plans to negate the tax impact of a new firehouse.
Soap Update: Mohican Soap in Stockbridge
Here's an example of how we can strengthen the economic ties between the Mohicans and the Berkshires.
vol. i no. 3 12/19/2024
The Case for a Seasonal Community Designation
Here's why Berkshire municipalities should work quickly to be designated seasonal communities.
by Patrick White
Strengthening Ambulance Service
Housing availability will be a key driver in the success of emergency medical service regional solutions.
Gift Drive Results
You all were responsible for buying nearly 150 gifts for these communities and brought a lot of smiles to folks this holiday season.
vol. i no. 2 12/12/2024
Fire and Flood
What can we do to mitigate the impact of forest fires? Keep trails clear of debris during dry spells.
by Patrick White
Holiday Gift Update
During this holiday season, please support these efforts to give to those in need.
vol. i no. 1 12/1/2024
Introducing The Reader
MMRHS: By the Numbers
Approximately 50% of high school graduates in South County either do not attend or do not finish college. With its significant investment in vocational offerings, this proposal is far better than the original.
Historic Stockbridge Mohican Commission Launches
The purpose of the Commission is to foster reconciliation via practical initiatives and common ground.
Egremont Tackles the Affordable Housing Crisis
Taken together, Egremont is using CPC to kickstart funding for affordable housing, and then augmenting these public funds with market incentives designed to empower private-sector individuals.
Join Us in Helping Our Neighbors!
Throughout these centuries, the holidays remind us that small acts of kindness nurture the soul of the individual and the character of a people.