Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | July 23, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 21 The best defense is a good offense Running out of time and energy V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L As News Editor Grant Welker notes in his "Affording Central Mass." story on page 12, one problem nearing its breaking point is affordable housing in the region. As the median home price in the state rose another 5 percent in May to $365,100, only 15 of the region's 85 cities and towns have more than 10-percent affordable housing. Not only does this mean nearly all of Central Massachusetts lacks various levels of housing stock to accom- modate a workforce to fill jobs with varying levels of compensation, but a developer can go into the other 70 communities and build affordable housing with no regard for zoning laws. Under the state's 40B law, a developer can bypass local zoning in any community with less than 10-percent affordable housing to build a complex with affordable units. is creates a nightmare scenario for Central Massachusetts cities and towns who can see added density and out-of-place developments come into their community with little restriction. Boxborough residents have been fighting multiple affordable-housing developments for more than 10 years with few results. But there is a better way. Instead of eschewing affordable housing efforts for years and then just hoping no developer wants to use 40B to build I n North Central Massachusetts, local businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. ese companies make quality products, provide good jobs, and pay above-average wages. In so many ways, we want to support them, because they support our communities. Yet even as we celebrate all that our business community contributes to the region, we can see a cloud on the hori- zon. Energy costs are rising quickly at a time when we are already among the five most expensive states to do business in. Why does New England pay such high energy costs? In part, it's supply and demand – we have a lot of the lat- ter and too little of the former. Most of our electricity is generated by natural gas-powered facilities, which are clean- er than the oil and coal plants closed in recent years. ose retirements are actually the single most significant reason we've been able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63 percent since 1990, even as our electricity usage has gone up. But every year we pay an additional $1 billion because we lack access to enough natural gas – particularly when temperatures drop in the winter. is past winter, we saw the consequence of inaction. e region's independent, nonprofit grid operator, ISO New England, had already reported the looming retirements of older power plants meant the state could soon face rolling blackouts. When temperatures dropped to historic lows the day aer Christmas, we turned to burning oil for as much as a third of our electricity, and it almost happened. We were just two to three days away from running out of oil as well. To say this all has severe economic implications would be a massive understatement. A report published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates, absent upgraded energy infrastructure, New England would lose almost 23,000 jobs and $2 billion in GDP, including a loss of 8,700 jobs and $792 million in state GDP in Massachusetts alone, over a four-year period. ere's something fundamentally wrong about a state as forward-looking and proud of its environmental heritage as Massachusetts still using oil and coal to fill its energy gap. In fact, according to a recent study by the Mass Coalition for Sustainable Energy, we used so much oil in just 13 days during the December/January cold snap – 2 million barrels in all – it was as if we added 6.4 million cars to the road or shut down 75 percent of solar panels in the commonwealth. at's unacceptable. As we move boldly to a renewable energy future, building the wind, solar and hydropower infrastructure we need to power our economy, we should do everything to utilize the cleanest possible alternatives. We've already seen some companies leave the state due to the high cost of energy. North Central Massachusetts' communities are already doing everything they can to attract and keep businesses. ey simply can't stand by as reliability con- cerns, costs and threats to our environment increase. e time has come to act. Our families, businesses and communities depend on it. Roy Nascimento is president and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. BY ROY NASCIMENTO Special to the Worcester Business Journal Roy Nascimento The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. WO R D F R O M T H E W E B W a development irregardless of local zoning laws, towns and cities should encourage affordable build- ing as a natural part of economic development. Littleton allows for the construction of mother- in-law apartments without the need for a special permit. e town, along with Natick, requires any housing development of six or more units to have 10-percent affordable housing. Worcester allows for increased density for developments including affordable housing. Framingham allows for denser transit-oriented development. ere are numerous other ways communities can encourage affordable housing, but the point is to be proactive and stay above the 10-percent threshold so 40B doesn't come into play. e individual character of cities and towns is part of what makes New England so charming and why Central Massachusetts is such a great place to live. While it is important to take note of the past, the individual character of these communities must evolve with the needs of their people and the economy. By understanding the need to change and staying ahead of the curve, communities can control how their identities change with the times. It is better to be the master of your destiny than to let outside forces dictate your future. Tweets of the week "In the @WBJournal Power 50, you'll find the most influential people in Central MA's economy, from CEOs to presidents, they all share one thing in common: they have an outsized influence in the business community" - MassEcon (@MassEcon), July 12, on the WBJ's Power 50 issue "¡Felicitaciones, doctor Cevallos! Se lo recuerda mucho desde Argentina." - Gloria V. Casañas (@GloriaVCasanas), a former instructor at Framingham State University and native of Argentina, on July 11 congratulating FSU President F. Javier Cevallos on being named to the WBJ Power 50 Facebook feedback "No, it must come down, it is not in the future plan of growth." - Robert Norgard, July 17, on a WBJ story about the Save Notre Dame Alliance proposing a public garden to spare the Worcester church from demolition "Worcester is not exactly a desirable place to live. Put those in Boston, Providence or Portland, Maine, and they would be gone!" - Jeffrey DeSocio, July 17, on a WBJ story about the Front Street apartments in Worcester being 26-percent leased W C entral Massachusetts cities and towns have a long history of local planning and zoning regulations because – when used smartly – they help maintain the character of the community while accom- modating the modern needs of residents and businesses. However, while these laws are inherently restrictive, too oen communities use them to be prohibitive. As development is stifled, particularly in smaller communities, more and more problems arise.

• Cover