Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 20, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 21 BY KEITH LINHARES Special to WBJ I n a quiet Worcester neighborhood of modest colonials and capes, an elderly homeowner decides to sell their home. Neighbors expect a young family to move in. Instead, the property sits empty. Months later, a notice appears: A real estate speculator has filed for a variance to build an out-of-scale McMansion. Neighbors object, attend the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing, and watch as the project is approved with little debate. is isn't hypothetical. It recently played out in District 1, and it's a clear sign Worcester's zoning system is broken. Worcester desperately needs more housing to meet demand and ease our affordability crisis. Yet our system of exclusionary zoning, rules strictly limiting what can be built and where, is working against us. e current zoning supposedly protects neighborhood character, but in practice, it constrains supply, reinforces segrega- tion, and allows speculators to benefit from Worcester's growth. Instead of consistent, thoughtful growth, we get a steady stream of one-off ZBA exceptions, eroding resident trust in our zoning rules and raising costs. e answer isn't a system of endless variances. It's com- prehensive zoning reform. Ending exclusionary zoning would replace outdated restrictions with clear, predictable rules supporting the housing Worcester actually needs. is means legalizing and encouraging missing middle housing: duplexes, triple-deckers, and small multifamily buildings to complement Worcester's historic neighbor- hoods. ese homes expand options and lower barriers to ownership for families, young professionals, and seniors. Cities like Somerville offer form-based code, with guidelines on what new construction should look like, while others like Tulsa and Buffalo offer pre-approved, shovel-ready designs. ese concepts reduce ambiguity and ease the burden on developers. is isn't about unchecked development. It's about growth that is sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with our long-term needs. Housing isn't just a social challenge; it's an economic one. Employers can't attract or retain work- ers if they can't afford to live here. Rising costs suppress entrepreneurship and discourage investment. Worcester's growth potential will stall if the city fails to provide hous- ing at the scale and price its residents and workforce need. Worcester's outdated zoning is no longer serving us. Reform is essential to: 1) expand housing supply and affordability, 2) provide a fairer, more predictable development process, and 3) support the city's competi- tiveness and economic growth. e question isn't whether Worcester will grow. It's whether it will be speculative and chaotic, or fair, sustainable, and built together. Worcester should grow in a way to benefits the residents we have, not just speculators and would-be residents. Keith Linhares is a candidate for District 1 of the Worcester City Council. End exclusionary zoning to create development boom Keep the human connection C entral Massachusetts' community banks know where their strength lies. It's not in offering the latest advances and tech tools, the most sophisticated financial products, or highest CD rates. Their greatest strength is their connection to community: being a known commodity, a friendly face, and a place where customer relationships are at the core of their business. Of course, community banks – like all other businesses – still must compete in a technology- driven world. Customers expect certain conveniences, like mobile banking, to be at their fingertips. The emergence of AI in the last three years offers exciting new possibilities to improve business outcomes and enhance everyone's lives. Yet, none of that is as important as maintaining the human connection. In his story "Tech support" in this edition's Focus on Banking & Finance starting on page 12, WBJ Managing Editor Eric Casey describes how Central Massachusetts bankers are trying to find the sweet spot between being tech-savvy and customer-friendly. Smaller banks are finding ways to compete against the largest multinational financial institutions by partnering with outside fintech firms, in order to offer the kind of digital banking experiences customers expect. Still, they are cognizant of their need to offer the same friendly face to their customers; providing staff that you can actually talk to when you have a question. All businesses, regardless of their size or industry, need to understand this lesson, as the loss of the human connection is a growing pervasive problem throughout society. There are a legion of examples: Restaurants where reservations can only be made through an app, mobile phone providers who seemingly do everything to avoid having customers talk to a staff member. The list goes on, and it's only growing. In part, it's driven by market research that only tracks smartphones without spending enough time with customers to truly understand why and how decisions are made. The AI revolution is upon us, and there is no turning back the clock. Technology, for all its flaws, has been incredibly effective in helping us create a more efficient economy. But do those efficiencies equate to a better society? The potential is there, but the landmines are aplenty. Clearly businesses need to embrace technology, especially cutting-edge innovations, to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive environment. But we need to remember that technology remains a tool, and the heart of any organization is its people and the relationships they have with its customers. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. W Keith Linhares W

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