LETTER: Affordable housing is not the top issue for Stanley-Wasson site
February 16, 2026To the Community:
Affordable housing is not the issue here.
To decry “NIMBY-ism” or classism about the Stanley-Wasson proposed development by a sitting Select Board member IS divisive. “Housing at all costs” and “shocking the system” are fiscally irresponsible. So, before our community creates a campaign for or against anyone based on past or current actions, let's stay focused on the issues.
Our current governing body is sitting on a very complicated pre-development agreement that the town residents will NOT vote on. This agreement does not favor the town nor the Park Row/Randall/Elm streets neighborhood. This is not “NIMBY-ism.” This is about accountability, responsibility and livelihoods.
Are we being asked to accept “affordable housing in a floodplain” before the town has produced the studies, the costs, and the enforceable standards that protect neighbors and taxpayers? No. We are relying on the developer to conduct these studies. Back in October, the town estimated that this would be a $51 million project.
Here’s what the published documents suggest:
The state-town land purchase option makes the town’s purchase conditional on the state obtaining local subdivision approval. In other words, “already subdivided/shovel-ready” doesn’t match what the contract language requires and what has been shared with the community since 2023. This site is not "shovel-ready."
The Pre-Development Agreement (PDA) timelines don’t even match across documents (the executed option date vs. the PDA draft “town option date”). That should be publicly clarified in one, clean timeline.
The draft PDA grants an exclusive due diligence period to the contractor DEW, meaning the town limits its flexibility before the public has key answers.
The PDA itself acknowledges potential inundation impacts on neighboring properties and the Randall Street neighborhood and speaks to evaluating those impacts and considering compensatory flood storage. That’s exactly what neighbors are worried about. The PDA does not guarantee strict compliance.
The PDA also puts certain “public improvements” costs on the town (sidewalk/road/crosswalk upgrades, and potential storm drain relocation), which raises financial accountability questions.
Given that we have outgoing Select Board members and no permanent Town Manager or Clerk/Treasurer right now, this is a moment to be extra careful.
This isn’t anti-housing. It’s pro-sequencing and good governance. Before any exclusivity, zoning changes, or long-term commitments, the town needs to complete its own due diligence, including: flood modeling and neighbor inundation analysis, compensatory storage concept (is the public paying for a required mitigation through a bond vote?), traffic studies, infrastructure capacity and off-site cost estimates, and a realistic range for unit count and affordability mix.
Carrie MacMillan
Waterbury