Expansion woes in Weston

IN YVONNE Abraham's column ("Show some class, Weston," City & Region, Aug. 3), she argues that Weston should allow Regis College to side-step zoning laws in order to create extra revenue for the school. Zoning laws exist for a reason. They protect home values and give home purchasers a reasonable expectation of their home's atmosphere.

At the end of the column Ms. Abraham asks if Weston can help "bright-eyed kids." If as a society we think that helping these students is worthwhile, we all should bear the cost, not just the unlucky neighbors of Regis. Ms. Abraham's plea appears hypocritical. Spending other people's money is easy. Instead of asking Weston residents to bear the cost of the Regis expansion, Ms. Abraham should tell readers how much of her own money she has donated to helping the students for whom she cares so much.

JEFFREY PONTIFF
Newton

MS. ABRAHAM, as a Globe columnist, can take any position she chooses. However, all the facts should be presented to the reader. Regis College wants to build 362 senior units. Weston has about 4,000 units so this would represent almost a 9 percent growth in living units from just one development. Senior living will by definition generate a disproportional increase in emergency responses for Weston's fire, EMT, and police departments. Who will pay for these services? She also failed to mention that these units will be housed in buildings 10 stories high, probably three times higher than any existing building today in Weston. As for her implying bucolic Weston lives behind gated walls, please note every day thousands of commuters from many surrounding towns traverse through Weston to and from work and home . Current and future traffic congestion in Weston has little to do with Regis College, town residents or any proposed development.

KEITH JOHNSON
Weston

I HAD to chuckle when I finished reading Yvonne Abraham's article. I attended the Town Meeting on the proposal as well as a "Stop Regis" meeting and found the Regis proposal quite a stretch on a number of fronts.

First, I am pretty sure the Land Court will figure out that Regis is an educational institution, not a real estate developer. The scope of this project is quite large, a lot larger than what Ms. Abraham notes in her article. The zoning board in Weston rejected the Regis proposal for good reason as would towns such as Dover, Lincoln, and Concord if they were to see 35-foot limits for structures tripled to make a project's numbers work. There are a number of successful Weston residents who wish to see Regis be successful as well. Regis should reach out to these people for some guidance, they may even find the right plan or even the right buyer for this land.

JACK GUERIN
Weston