I have been closely following the ongoing debate about the rezoning proposal to change the corner of South Street and Hayward Street from residential to commercial. This issue has come up repeatedly, and each time, the residents have overwhelmingly voted it down at town meetings. Yet, here we are again, facing the same fight.

It’s evident that there are deliberate efforts, particularly from Marguerite Concrete and the planing board, to push this proposal through the Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC). Marguerite is seeking the planing board’s help to influence ZAC, despite consistent community opposition.

What’s most concerning is ZAC’s praise for Marguerite’s proposal and their recommendation to the Planning Board for approval. While someone correctly noted that ZAC is merely advisory and has no direct power to approve zoning changes, it raises an important question: Why isn’t ZAC considering the will of the people? Every time this proposal has been brought to a town meeting, the residents have decisively rejected it. Yet ZAC seems determined to push it forward.

This leads me to ask: Does the planing board truly work for the benefit of our town—a town that we, the residents, care deeply about? And what exactly is ZAC trying to achieve by going against the clear wishes of the community? It is essential that these bodies, which are meant to serve the town and its people, act in line with the will of the residents, not the interests of a few developers.

It’s time for ZAC and the planing board to listen to the voices of the Maspenock and Hopkinton residents and understand the significance of the decisions made at town meetings. Anything less is a disservice to our community, which is defined by the collective decisions of its residents.