Citizens in Weston, Massachusetts, one of America's toniest suburbs, continue to block a local college's effort to build senior housing, raise its endowment and provide scholarships for low-income students.
"Six years ago, Regis planners came up with a really smart way to solve their financial woes and make sure they can offer poorer students the help they need well into the future. They proposed an upscale elderly housing development on 60 forested acres they own across the street from their main campus."
"Similar models have worked well at scores of other universities, including Lasell College in Newton. Regis would put the profits back into the school, building up a hefty endowment for tuition breaks.
Nice idea, right?
Not according to some people in Weston. On Beech Street and Colonial Way, where some houses abut the Regis site, some yards sported signs that read "Stop Regis Overdevelopment."
Residents are incensed at the college's proposal. Too big, they say. Too many new people straining the neighborhood. Too many cars."
