Talk of rezoning concerns longtime Rte. 138 resident

By Guest

Note: The following letter was written in response to Joe DeFelice’s Man About Canton column that appeared on January 30.

Dear Editor:

Welcome to February …

The month when people stop saying Happy New Year. The month when the people of Pennsylvania pull a rodent out of a hutch and the Route 138 corridor is tugged out for the “diamond in the rough” replay.

I have lived on Route 138 for 15 years. I like my neighborhood. I would also like to see the responsible rezoning of Route 138. Do I see that happening for the betterment of residents, neighbors and businesses in the future? No. But I have been involved in meetings for the revitalization of Route 138 that always involve housing, housing, and you guessed it, more housing. Code word: overlay.

The movie line “round up the usual suspects” is very appropriate. On August 14, 2013, Attorney Paul Schneiders had a meeting at the Bank of Canton headquarters regarding the rezoning of Route 138. This meeting was attended by business owners. As an abutter, I received a notice from Attorney Schneiders regarding the meeting and I attended. For a mere $30,000 collectively from the business community who attended, Mr. Schneiders would be willing to go to town meeting and start the process of rezoning the whole of Route 138 to the Stoughton town line. I have since learned that the business community did not accept his offer.

There has always been a commitment to the revitalization of Route 138 from the residents and the surrounding neighborhoods. Residents are concerned with the consistent secrecy and backroom meetings that seem to be the norm. Route 138 should not be made into a small group’s version of a Field of Dreams — build it and they will come. Then who pays the note when they don’t show up? Who pays for the increase in school enrollment, crime and traffic when every plan put forth is heavy on housing? Yes, that would be the residents of Canton. Involve the residents and rezone in small sections. Mistakes can be corrected in small sections; rezoning a large section of Route 138 would be a full-on assault against the residents and surrounding neighborhoods of this road.

Each area of Route 138 is unique, and if treated individually, not in its entirety, this endeavor could be a stunning and profitable venture for the whole town, not an ugly sequence of overstepping and greed. Lets hope I’m not writing the same letter next year and the year after. I think that movie was called Groundhog Day.

Sincerely,

Judy Vazquez

Turnpike Street

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