In response to Konetchy’s LWV comments

The MBTA Communities Act (3A) is the law - not a suggestion from the state - yet Mr. Konetchy implied that the town should have perhaps instead filed suit against the administration in defiance. He asserts that 3A will result in many unwanted changes to the town and incorrectly states that the State Auditor’s position is that 3A is “unenforceable.” This is not only a troubling resistance to economically advantageous development for Norwood, but also reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the law. 3A is not a mandate to produce new housing, but rather a zoning tool to create a pathway for possible future housing.

Mr. Konetchy’s ads claim he is “for the taxpayer” yet he wants the town to potentially waste hundreds of thousands of dollars in a legal battle with the state? He justifies his position by claiming that social media posts prove the people of Norwood are against the MBTA Communities Act, however Norwood Now is not a democratic forum. Our town’s actual democratic forum, Town Meeting, voted overwhelmingly for the compliance plan that was presented to them. Does Mr. Konetchy wish to overturn the will of Norwood’s representatives?

Furthermore, singling out Selectman Donnelly for blame is an unnecessary and distasteful personal attack in a nonpartisan campaign, and wrongly based. I served as chairman when the votes were taken to place the 3A zoning article on the town warrant, and on the MBTA Task Force that ultimately made the recommendation for the town’s approach to compliance, not Mr. Donnelly. Mr. Konetchy also claimed that there wasn’t “any thought” put into 3A’s impact on the town. I can attest to the opposite. The Task Force worked diligently to perform its duties under the assumption that Norwood would comply with the law, and did careful research to make a fully informed decision as to what parcels would be designated for these districts. Community engagement was extensive and reflected in the final proposal.

Mr. Konetchy has also demonstrated his history of ignoring voters’ decisions when he proudly boasted of his goal to “rescind the CPA tax” in an ad in this newspaper (Norwood Record, 01-30-25). As a refresher, town meeting voted on May 9th, 2016 by a margin of 124-28 to adopt the Community Preservation Act, and a subsequent town-wide vote on the matter passed by over 3,000 votes, which the Norwood Record praised as “the right thing for Norwood” in its 11-10-16 issue.  Our town is one of 200 communities in Mass. that have adopted the CPA. Mr. Konetchy opposed CPA money going to the veterans housing project, but he was unable to drum up enough support. Does his disappointment justify eliminating a program that has done so much for Norwood?

It should cause alarm that a candidate for the town’s administrative body is openly pushing an agenda that is not only anti-democratic, but an insult to Town Meeting members and Norwood voters.

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Matthew Lane

Writing on my own behalf, not representing the Board of Selectmen and not acting in any official capacity