Skip to main content

Editorial: Supporting Ken Weismantel for Planning Board

By contributor,
editorial_47_7.jpg

A Steady Hand

It is critical that we keep the steady hand and solid experience of Ken Weismantel on the Planning Board. Having spent 15 years as a member of that board, I can attest to the knowledge and skills required to serve effectively on it, and I will also admit that the learning curve is steep. Ken has an incomparable understanding of the town, including its infrastructure, and combined with his engineering background, this enables him to spot the small details and raise the large issues. Time after time, I have seen him zero in on the critical questions because of his depth of knowledge.

The disappointing reality for some is that the Planning Board is not about stopping development or just saying “NO.” It is directed by the town’s Subdivision Rules & Regulations and private property rights. Thus its power comes from asking the right questions, spotting problems, exerting pressure, and seeking windows of opportunity to manage change within the existing laws. Ken Weismantel knows how to do this. Over 10 years, he has also played a part in the Board’s oversight of Legacy Farms, since the townspeople voted for the Legacy Farms development in 2008.

Ken is the longest serving, most experienced member of the Planning Board. He is followed by only 2 members with more than 2 years of experience. We MUST keep Hopkinton on a steady course by keeping Ken Weismantel on the Planning Board.

Claire Wright
Hayden Rowe