One seat out of five (five-year term)
The Planning Board guides the Town of Wellesley in preserving and enhancing Wellesley's quality of life by fostering a diverse housing stock, multi-modal transportation options, valuable natural resources, resilient infrastructure, and a thriving local economy. The Planning Board achieves these goals through the creation and implementation of Zoning Bylaws, policies, long-term planning, and by promoting citizen participation in the planning process.
Q1. What is your track record on environmental sustainability, including any related interests, experience, or initiatives?
A1.
Kathleen Woodward -
As an attorney specializing in federal Clean Water Act enforcement, I work to promote sustainability through upholding environmental laws. My work affords me many opportunities to ensure responsible stormwater and wastewater management in the industrial, construction, and municipal sectors. In resolving cases, I always seek opportunities to eliminate or minimize harmful discharges, for habitat protection and restoration, and for reducing or preventing use of hazardous materials.
As a member of the Planning Board over the last three and a half years, sustainability has been one of my top priorities. I worked closely with members of the Natural Resource Commission and our staffs to strengthen bylaw protections of Wellesley’s beautiful and ecologically critical trees. Also while I have been a member of the Planning Board, we have worked to reduce outdoor lighting, added two-unit dwellings to Large House Review, increased open space protections, and ensured responsible stormwater management through Large House Review and the Project of Significant Impact process. My first priority as a member of the Planning Board over the next five years will be to integrate sustainability into Wellesley’s Zoning Bylaw in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Committee. I will also continue to work with the Natural Resources Commission to increase protections of our urban forest.
In my household, we try to live in a sustainable manner. Through the WMLP, our household energy sources are 100% renewable. We are enthusiastic reducers/reusers/recyclers, and, being proud owners of three composting bins, we compost everything we can. I drive a hybrid vehicle and my husband is going electric when he soon retires his 10 year old car. Using a plot at the Weston Road Community garden, we grow most of our own vegetables in the warmer months and stock our freezer with the over abundance (which we are currently enjoying).
Q2. How do you see sustainability as a factor in the development of planning policy in Wellesley?
A2.
Kathleen Woodward -
Sustainability considerations factor importantly in the Planning Board’s development of planning policy. Our mission statement provides, in part, that the Board fosters “multi-modal transportation options, valuable natural resources, [and] resilient infrastructure…”. These considerations guide us in both in policy development and fulfillment of our responsibilities such as Large House Review, review of Projects of Significant Impact, and development and refinement of Zoning Bylaws. Putting policy into practice, we promote sustainability by strengthening tree protections, ensuring responsible stormwater management, ensuring minimization and mitigation of environmental, infrastructure, and traffic impacts, and minimizing outdoor lighting in large projects.
Q3. As you know, Town Meeting passed the Select Board’s Resolution to Address the Impact of Climate Change in October 2020. How do you envision this resolution being carried out by the Planning Board in the months and years ahead? Given that emissions from the building sector represent more than 53 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley, what additional actions will you champion to ensure that the Town meets its emissions reduction goals?
A3.
Kathleen Woodward -
Currently, when considering a Project of Significant Impact, the Planning Board looks at the impacts on water, sewer, storm drainage, electricity, and traffic, among other things. I strongly support adding to this list consistency with the Town’s carbon reduction goals. Additionally, to the process of design review, I support consideration of whether sustainable building materials, methods, and practices are proposed in development projects.
Over the coming months the Planning Board will work with the Sustainable Energy Committee, other Town Boards, and the public to reach consensus on how to take this critical step toward increasing sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. We will also continue to work with the Natural Resources Commission to increase protections of our urban forest.
Q4. Transportation represents a significant percent of emissions in town. What are your ideas concerning how the Planning Board could encourage sustainable transportation and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley?
A4
Kathleen Woodward -
Promote ownership and use of electric vehicles:
The Planning Board guides the Town of Wellesley in preserving and enhancing Wellesley's quality of life by fostering a diverse housing stock, multi-modal transportation options, valuable natural resources, resilient infrastructure, and a thriving local economy. The Planning Board achieves these goals through the creation and implementation of Zoning Bylaws, policies, long-term planning, and by promoting citizen participation in the planning process.
Q1. What is your track record on environmental sustainability, including any related interests, experience, or initiatives?
A1.
Kathleen Woodward -
As an attorney specializing in federal Clean Water Act enforcement, I work to promote sustainability through upholding environmental laws. My work affords me many opportunities to ensure responsible stormwater and wastewater management in the industrial, construction, and municipal sectors. In resolving cases, I always seek opportunities to eliminate or minimize harmful discharges, for habitat protection and restoration, and for reducing or preventing use of hazardous materials.
As a member of the Planning Board over the last three and a half years, sustainability has been one of my top priorities. I worked closely with members of the Natural Resource Commission and our staffs to strengthen bylaw protections of Wellesley’s beautiful and ecologically critical trees. Also while I have been a member of the Planning Board, we have worked to reduce outdoor lighting, added two-unit dwellings to Large House Review, increased open space protections, and ensured responsible stormwater management through Large House Review and the Project of Significant Impact process. My first priority as a member of the Planning Board over the next five years will be to integrate sustainability into Wellesley’s Zoning Bylaw in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Committee. I will also continue to work with the Natural Resources Commission to increase protections of our urban forest.
In my household, we try to live in a sustainable manner. Through the WMLP, our household energy sources are 100% renewable. We are enthusiastic reducers/reusers/recyclers, and, being proud owners of three composting bins, we compost everything we can. I drive a hybrid vehicle and my husband is going electric when he soon retires his 10 year old car. Using a plot at the Weston Road Community garden, we grow most of our own vegetables in the warmer months and stock our freezer with the over abundance (which we are currently enjoying).
Q2. How do you see sustainability as a factor in the development of planning policy in Wellesley?
A2.
Kathleen Woodward -
Sustainability considerations factor importantly in the Planning Board’s development of planning policy. Our mission statement provides, in part, that the Board fosters “multi-modal transportation options, valuable natural resources, [and] resilient infrastructure…”. These considerations guide us in both in policy development and fulfillment of our responsibilities such as Large House Review, review of Projects of Significant Impact, and development and refinement of Zoning Bylaws. Putting policy into practice, we promote sustainability by strengthening tree protections, ensuring responsible stormwater management, ensuring minimization and mitigation of environmental, infrastructure, and traffic impacts, and minimizing outdoor lighting in large projects.
Q3. As you know, Town Meeting passed the Select Board’s Resolution to Address the Impact of Climate Change in October 2020. How do you envision this resolution being carried out by the Planning Board in the months and years ahead? Given that emissions from the building sector represent more than 53 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley, what additional actions will you champion to ensure that the Town meets its emissions reduction goals?
A3.
Kathleen Woodward -
Currently, when considering a Project of Significant Impact, the Planning Board looks at the impacts on water, sewer, storm drainage, electricity, and traffic, among other things. I strongly support adding to this list consistency with the Town’s carbon reduction goals. Additionally, to the process of design review, I support consideration of whether sustainable building materials, methods, and practices are proposed in development projects.
Over the coming months the Planning Board will work with the Sustainable Energy Committee, other Town Boards, and the public to reach consensus on how to take this critical step toward increasing sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. We will also continue to work with the Natural Resources Commission to increase protections of our urban forest.
Q4. Transportation represents a significant percent of emissions in town. What are your ideas concerning how the Planning Board could encourage sustainable transportation and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley?
A4
Kathleen Woodward -
Promote ownership and use of electric vehicles:
- Add more electric recharge stations in town, both in public and private spaces.
- Town vehicles, where at all possible and appropriate, should be electric.
- Consider allowing free parking at municipal lots and at meters for electric cars.
- Educate the public regarding the benefits to health and the environment of non-automobile transportation (e.g., walking, bicycling).
- Allow fewer parking spaces in multi-unit housing near public transportation.