Questions in Barnard

The scenic hilltop town of Barnard is struggling with the problems that crop up when housing becomes unaffordable. Even though its population is increasing modestly, it appears to be running out of schoolchildren.

Blessed with the lovely little Silver Lake and drop-dead views in its high pastures and ridges, Barnard has seen the construction of extremely high-end homes in the last few years, selling in the millions of dollars. Meanwhile, from all accounts, young families find housing so expensive that they're moving away—or at least not moving in.

The situation is so troubling that in no time at all a committee of more than 20 people was convened the day after Town Meeting to discuss it. The committee will focus first on dollars and cents, because the shrinking base of schoolchildren is leading to higher taxes, as the state payments, based on school numbers, shrink as well.

But beyond the concern with taxes, we feel a larger unease in Barnard: Does the town want to become a place where working families and their children are unable to prosper? What does it mean that the number of children is declining so quickly? What's causing it? Is it the price of land? Is it the unavailability of jobs? Is this a course that has been chosen by the town or one that has happened as a response to market conditions?

Is strict zoning a problem? Several of the citations issued last summer by the zoning commissioner appeared to target the few businesses that have managed to survive—a woodcutting business, a nursery, etc. Ironically, most of the town is zoned "Residential." Maybe there need to be other zones, providing services and jobs, in order for residences to actually flourish.

Regardless of what is discovered, it's good that Barnard people are coming together to ask the questions. It's a nice little school, and it deserves to have kids in it.