Garth Shaneyfelt: City needs more housing to grow, survive

Glenn Carstens-Peters/StockSnap

Published: 09-25-2024 3:52 PM

It was pretty amazing to hear the pushback at Greenfield’s most recent presentation about the need for more housing at the Sept. 12 housing study community meeting. Despite the incredibly low vacancy rate (0.5% or so; ideally there would be 3-7%), some folks kept proclaiming that we “don’t need any more housing because our population is flat” or that “there is no housing crisis because the boomers will move out or die soon.”

This was followed by baffling conflation of cluster development bylaws to preserve open space in larger (5-plus acres) parcels with these same folks battling accessory dwelling units (ADUs) because they would “destroy open space in town” (or at least that was their complaint this week). Fun facts: Property owners can build a garage or large shed by right; property owners can (sadly) cut down every tree on their property (see the church on Silver Street); property owners can park a camper in their driveway for as long as they like.

If you are against ADUs, campers, and mobile homes, basically what you are against is shelter for people. Can more density lead to more noise and disruption? Certainly, which is why we should have an enforced noise ordinance. But honestly, the most noise and disruption around the neighborhoods comes from the large lot single-family homes that hire “lawn care” services that needlessly run leaf blowers for hours at a time!

So let’s get more housing of a variety of types built so our city can grow and survive.

Garth Shaneyfelt

Greenfield