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Noreen O’Toole
Principal, Platinum Partners LLC
Age: 67
Industry experience: 31 years
Noreen O’Toole spent decades reviewing developers’ proposals in her role as a town planner on the South Shore. A former Boston Redevelopment Authority employee during the Kevin White administration, O’Toole was hired as a town planner in Hanson and Hanover after the state offered grants to municipalities to hire professional land use staff in the late 1980s, before moving over to the same role in Stoughton in 2011.
After a brief retirement, she recently teamed up with Stoughton land use attorney Barry Crimmins to offer consulting services to developers looking for guidance on how to move projects through local land use boards. Along with developer consulting, Platinum Partners is offering advisory services to communities on planning and zoning updates.
Q: What was the development picture like in Stoughton during your tenure?
A: In North Stoughton we permitted some convenience retail and a couple of mixed-use residential developments in the downtown. We did approve three or four of them for apartments.
We have a housing juggernaut in Massachusetts. We are not creating enough housing. Our economy is good and we just don’t have the workforce housing for people. The bylaw we had in Stoughton was developed in the 1960s and it’s just not contemporary enough for today and how buildings should work.
The creation of mixed-use developments with housing is so needed. We have downtowns that are connected to train stations or within walking distance, so it should be easier. Update of zoning bylaws for mixed-use development is critical. It’s all over the commonwealth. The Baby Boomers are not moving out at a quick rate. They are staying in their homes and the Millennials are in the apartments.
Q: What’s the biggest mismatch between zoning and what the market demands that you’re seeing in many towns?
A: A lot of them have an open space requirement, some 10 or 15 percent. A developer comes in and says, “How are we going to do this?” We’re talking about setbacks of 10 or 15 feet. That doesn’t make sense. It’s the envelope of the building and the table of dimensional requirements: that doesn’t fit in a downtown. And height limits: in some towns, it’s 40 feet. Design is an area you can always work with a developer to make it more compatible and consistent. Another thing that’s difficult is parking [requirements] if you’re going to be near a train station. In Stoughton, it took us three years to change from 1.5 to one space per unit.
Q: Did you meet Barry Crimmins through your role in Stoughton?
A: I met Barry in my job as planner and a liaison for developers who are coming in. We developed a relationship because he was the go-to guy in Stoughton for zoning projects. When I was leaving the job, he asked me if I was interested in starting a business and honestly, I thought he was kidding. And he came to a retirement luncheon and said, “Have you thought about what I talked about?” So now I’m doing the same thing, but on the private side: meeting with planners, taking notes and understanding what’s expected. Every town’s zoning is different. I guess I can speak the language.
Q: There’s been a backlash in some communities to development and rezoning. Can communities do a better job of communicating the benefits of smart growth?
A: Change is difficult for people. They know there is a benefit, especially if you have commuter rail that goes through your town, and there’s a benefit of having transit-oriented development. But I also don’t think the public is informed and understands what it means. Whether you have open or representative town meeting, you have to engage with the people and have public hearings and workshops. A lot of those people who live in the apartments spend money in your downtown, and that will bring more business.
Q: What are the opportunities for a land-use consultant service such as yours?
A: Massachusetts Municipal Association is always looking for someone to update zoning bylaws or specific sections. Downtown revitalization seems to be huge. I’m the chairman of Old Colony Planning Council’s joint transportation committee, and that group is a good place to be because they look at all of the 17 towns’ transportation needs and housing. We all have the same problems. Everyone has a housing problem. For multifamily housing, if you look at most zoning bylaws, you have to get a special permit for it. It all goes back to zoning.
O’Toole’s Five Favorite Movies:
- The American President
- 12 Angry Men
- Star Wars
- Mary Poppins
- Annabelle’s Wish
