Zoning laws protect town from unwanted development

YOUR LETTERS: Zoning laws protect town from unwanted development

To the editor: Thank you to the Foxborough Board of Selectmen for letting the powers that be know that Foxborough is not interested in entering into negotiations on a Host Community Agreement for a casino that is not an allowed use according to zoning.

This is my concern: The right of the Town of Foxborough to defend itself through zoning from unwanted development. Plain and simple. If someone came to the Town and said that he wanted to put a high-class strip club on Route 1, he would be told "no" because that is not an allowed use. End of story. Why would the Town then have to endure a presentation of the benefits of a strip club? The Town has already decided that it does not want that type of establishment on Route 1. The zoning on Route 1 was made specifically to avoid such unwanted development.

The vote that the Selectmen took Tuesday night reaffirms the Town's right to decide what it wants through zoning. By not beginning any negotiations for the Host Community's Agreement it should stop the plan now, before any more time, money and effort is wasted. How good could this casino possibly be for the Town if all these safeguards and mitigation have to be put in place? Don't the lessons of Ledyard, Preston and Stonington, Conn. (Foxwoods) mean anything? What makes people think that "it can't happen here?"

Town Counsel DeRensis' presentation Tuesday night convinced me even more that once a casino license is issued by the state, the host community loses ALL control. The bill was written by casino lobbyists ... that says it all. It was written to benefit the casino and the state, not the individual towns in Massachusetts.

There are communities who want and could handle such an enterprise (Boston). Let Mr. Wynn apply there. We don't want it and we shouldn't have to endure a long process to say "no" or run the risk of being steamrolled by Wynn and the state.

And in regard to the use of the land on Route 1, the Kraft Organization said that "biotech is dead." Is it really?

Then why is the French pharmaceutical company Ipsen spending $45 million dollars to expand its Biomeasure, Inc. subsidiary in Milford? According to the Boston Herald article by Donna Goodson on Dec. 16, 2011, "The new space will allow Biomeasure to accommodate all of its employees. The company, which added 40 jobs this year, has 155 full-timers and 20 to 30 temporary employess and consultants. Its growth has required it to rent space in Marlboro and use temporary trailers behind its Milford building. Biomeasure expects to hire 20 to 50 more employees in the next five years."

I'll "bet" that those are the good-paying, Monday-to-Friday jobs that define "high-end development" for which the zoning on Route 1 was created.

Ginny Coppola