Torre announces bid for selectman
billerica » School Committee Vice Chair Darlene Torre has announced that she will be run for a seat on the Board of Selectmen next spring.
Torre will go up against Selectman Andrew Deslaurier, whose term on the board expires this upcoming April. Should she be she would become the second woman on the board.
“I’m really excited for the challenge,” Torre said. “I’m not really a huge political person. I’m doing this more to improve the town and make sure it stays the way it is, so that when the younger generation is running the town, we’re in a good place.”
Torre said one of the primary reasons she decided to run is the issue of highdensity housing in Billerica — otherwise known as Planned Urban Development, or PUD — saying she aims to be a voice for smarter growth in town and to push for more affordable housing for seniors and veterans.
Since 2016, PUDS — which allow commercial and residential developelected, ment in specific areas around town — have sparked heated disagreements among voters and government officials over whether they are beneficial to the town.
Those who support PUDS say they are an economic-development tool, while those opposed say they risk large, unwanted projects that impact traffic and town services.
“I moved to Billerica because I love the open space and the trees, and I like to hear the birds and see the beautiful waterways we have, and I would hate for all of that to be affected by high-density housing,” Torre said. “I know what it’s like to live in an apartment complex and have to deal with an outside management company. I don’t