Developing strategies: Canton, regional officials meet on planning issues

For Canton officials, the time to think regionally is now.

Reacting to how the proposed $1.8 billion, 4.5 million square foot mixed-use Westwood Station development seemed to pop up on Canton's border, officials want communities to begin thinking beyond their own borders when it comes to new development.

"We have to be realists," said Canton Town Administrator William Friel. "We're not going to change this in a day. We're all kind of doing our own things. No one's trying to hurt anyone. I think we're against approaching these as individual communities, instead of in collaboration."

In roundtable fashion, about 20 local officials met in Canton Wednesday to discuss the impacts of the variety of developments that are currently in the works or soon to be in the works. Representatives from Westwood, Norwood, Dedham and Milton joined officials in Canton.

Canton Selectmen remain convinced the traffic overflow from Westwood Station will impede flow well past Westwood's town line. But it is not just Westwood Station. It is also Legacy Place in Dedham, Patriot Place in Foxboro and Sharon Commons, which are all large-scale projects in the Interstate 95, Interstate 93 corridor.

"The growth is really affecting the region in an unprecedented way," said William Keegan, Town Administrator in Dedham. "It's really important to have this dialogue."

While officials might not agree on the size and scope of some of the proposed projects, they all saw eye-to-eye regarding the reconstruction of the Interstate 95, Interstate 93 interchange-get it done sooner rather than later.

The project is slated for 2016 but many think the region can't afford to wait that long.

"We have got to insist that the infrastructure be in place in a reasonable time," said State Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton.

Friel distributed a letter for signing to be sent to Governor Deval Patrick explaining the need for that construction.

But fixing the interchange might not eliminate as much of the gridlock people were hoping, according to traffic analyst Gary McNaughton, of McMahon Associates.

"You don't suddenly open up the world with this project," McNaughton said, adding that fixing the interchange would have a positive impact on traffic flow and safety.

Many of the regional roadways are reaching capacity or have already reached capacity. The new developments are sure to further burden congested highways, McNaughton said.

Officials said the state needs an entity that could help manage development and its impacts regionally, such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Others weren't convinced the planning council could have the political power to actually affect change.

"The (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) is never going to get the legislative authority to have the power to step in as a regional authority," said John Carroll, Norwood's General Manager.

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office reviews traffic studies when reviewing developers' environmental impact report, but it tends to look at impacts broadly, while not spending much time evaluating the impact on individual intersections. If the office could make some adjustments to its focus, it could possibly serve as that regional authority, McNaughton said.

Sue McQuaid, President of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, invited those interested to attend monthly meetings at the chamber to further discuss regional traffic issues.

- Canton (Mass.) Journal