HADLEY — A Select Board member’s comments on social media contending that future affordable housing in town could increase crime and create other problems are being criticized by some residents.
In a Facebook post Saturday, before Tuesday’s town election, longtime board member Joyce Chunglo appears to be taking candidate Molly Keegan to task for her role on the Housing and Economic Development Committee.
“They want to redevelop the mall into apartments and all kinds of stuff,” Chunglo wrote, and then mentioned Keegan by name, suggesting she supports “affordable housing, which means more crime more crap in town.” Chunglo’s post also tags the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, for which Keegan has previously served as president.
Keegan and Randy Izer won the two seats up for election on the Select Board, ousting incumbents David J. Fill II and John C. Waskiewicz II.
The housing committee in March participated in a meeting with Valley Community Development about possible conversion of the EconoLodge at 329 Russell St. into a 51-room affordable housing complex, and is also embarking on a housing production plan in coordination with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
Chunglo said Thursday that she supports the EconoLodge project and planning for housing needs.
Her post, she said, was in reference to a presentation by Hampshire Mall General Manager Lynn Gray at that same March meeting, in which Gray suggested portions of the mall could be redeveloped into apartments. That raised red flags for Chunglo because of the unknowns.
“I think that needs to be presented to us in a better form,” Chunglo said. “I just don’t feel like we’ve had any information on that brought to the Select Board to chime in on. That’s my concern.”
“Turning a mall into housing is not sitting well with some residents, and I’m a little bit leery about that,” Chunglo said.
Chunglo’s post, though, is being taken in other ways by some residents.
Margaret Mastrangelo, who serves on the town’s Board of Health, in a letter to the Gazette wrote that Chunglo’s post contains implied racism, and in dismissing the need for affordable housing shows “ignorance and disregard” for the realities many are facing in the current economy.
Shel Horowitz of Barstow Lane said affordable housing should benefit not only those who need it, but the town as a whole, by reducing noise and nuisance associated with student rentals.
“I think it’s important that Hadley welcomes people regardless of their income status, and that the town has diversified housing stock including decent affordable housing,” Horowitz said.
Chunglo’s original post was put up in response to claims she heard were made by Keegan and Izer as they were campaigning at the transfer station and allegedly told voters that the Select Board was costing the town money due to lawsuits, and that members had been disrespectful to employees and volunteers.
“We don’t need to be another Amherst or Northampton” is how someone replied to her post, and Chunglo noted, “agree totally.”
Keegan said the Housing and Economic Development Committee, with the support of the Select Board and Planning Board, is moving forward with a grant to have the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission get a housing production plan done by year’s end.
“The intention of the housing production plan is to inform town leadership on what housing stock Hadley needs, and certainly a component of that will be affordable housing,” Keegan said.
Online and paper copies of surveys to get community input will be available beginning in June.
While she isn’t sure what Chunglo meant by referencing “crime” and “crap,” Keegan said that it was possibly to counter statements she made about how Hadley’s main commercial corridor may have to change to keep property taxes low for residents.
“In my campaign talking points, I specifically talked about wanting to change the conversation and focus around increasing the tax base with zoning changes that might allow housing and other opportunities on Route 9,” Keegan said.
