December 27, 2024  |  Carter Wiseman

To the Editor:

I was excited to read in Weston Today about the proposal for developing the “four corners” property at the intersection of Route 57 and Norfield Road.

I suspect that the proposal will provoke a familiar chorus of protest about changing the “character” of Weston. This has greeted pretty much every proposed improvement in the town for decades. But before the naysayers take to their keyboards, I would ask them to check the real estate listings. For residents who are not wealthy, there is a meager selection of rentals, and houses for sale start at about $1.2 million.

A small complex of affordable apartments in the center of town could provide housing opportunities for our essential workers, including teachers, police officers, firefighters, and town administrators, most of whom must live far from their jobs here in Weston. Such a development could also provide options for older residents who want to down-size, but not leave town, as well as their grown children who don’t want to move to Brooklyn.

If developed thoughtfully and sensitively, a “four corners” complex could avoid the nakedly commercial aspects of the “Hamlet” plan for Saugatuck in Westport, which is pitched to the wealthiest slice of the community. Imagine instead a village-like community in which residents could walk to Lily’s, the pharmacy, the library and the schools. Since there is a retail component, it might even include a barber shop and hair salon where Westonites could gather for some communal gossip.

—  Carter Wiseman