Economic Development

Stephen DiNatale seeks fifth term as Fitchburg mayor

June 4, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Mayor Stephen DiNatale has served four terms in his current capacity and his re-election bid shows he isn’t ready to quit anytime soon.

In a recent interview, DiNatale spoke about keeping his focus on the bigger picture and keeping a laser-focus on economic development. With traffic going two-ways on Main Street for the first time since the early 1960s, he wants to continue seizing the opportunity to reinvigorate downtown.

“We have challenges in Fitchburg that other communities don’t have, but these issues aren’t exclusive to Fitchburg.” he added in reference to housing issues.

Familiar with issues unique to the city DiNatale stated that he is aware of the forward most concerns in everyone’s minds.

“Everyone thinks about the conditions of the roads,” DiNatale said. “Maybe, I want to stress maybe, this is something that we put to the voters.”

DiNatale stressed how much time he has spent “fighting the state for more money” to help solve problems such as these.

“Rising tides raises all boats,” he said.

For DiNatale, the mayor’s office is also about public service.

“Our goal is providing the best service we can for the people of Fitchburg,” DiNatale said. With Fitchburg being a “small urban center with formidable challenges.”

Looking back on his career in Fitchburg, DiNatale referenced several projects that his administration has launched and completed. Dinatale mentioned the renovation of the library, building and restoring City Hall and building a new Crocker school as all clear signs that “Fitchburg is an alive and vibrant community.”

Throughout the city, there has been whispers that DiNatale’s fifth term would be his last. But for now, that’s just rumor.

“I have not decided on that yet, I am just focusing on running again.”

Anchor Collaborative stresses importance of keeping employment, revenue local

June 2, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Keeping employment and revenue local is at the forefront of the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative’s mission.

CHNA 9 Executive Director Chelsey Patriss welcomed community participants to the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative conference on May 31 at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

That mission was also at the forefront of a conference held Wednesday at Great Wolf Lodge, which brought together regional stakeholders. NCMAC is currently funded by UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital and Executive Director Chelsey Patriss said their goals and aspirations for this program are indeed attainable.

Patriss also works as the Executive Director for CHNA9, Community Health Network of North Central Massachusetts.

While Patriss said the grant is for three years, “this is not a three year project.”

Healthcare Anchor Network focuses on improving community health and well-being in order to “create the biggest gain for your community.” said President and Founder of Healthcare Anchor Network, David Zuckerman. Through their partnership with North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative, they are working on joining economic engines with an embedded social mission, in order to keep the community thriving and its citizens healthy.

Zuckerman plans on doing this through a business model he created which keeps revenue within communities, something he calls, “community wealth building.” This idea connects the large places of revenue for cities and towns and partners them with locally employed or locally founded businesses such as; local governments, universities, hospitals and community foundations.

“Bring external resources into our community,” and “create economic security for everyone in our communities,” Zuckerman said.

More often than not, people’s healthcare and services are limited by their income and economic stature. This can mean communities just miles apart will have dramatically different life expectancies. This organization plans on combating that, through partnerships at a local level. Instead of paying someone’s way to good healthcare, which helps, their attention lies more on the cause. Why can’t these individuals afford good healthcare?

Healthcare Anchor Network Founder and President David Zuckerman spoke to the community members gathered for the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative conference on May 31 at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“Address the root causes of why people don’t have the money,” Zuckerman said.

One organization that has adopted this method is Western Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative, which was formed in 2020. WMAC works on developing career pathway programs by hiring local citizens and developing talent.

Zuckerman believes this strategy “brings external resources into our communities.”

Joint Committee on Ways and Means convenes in Fitchburg, presents ‘opportunity’ for North Central Massachusetts

March 25, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — As the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Ways and Means convened in the Legislative Building Tuesday, the second leg of a six-part trek around the state, state Sen. John Cronin sensed opportunity.

“An important conversation,” the meeting was part of the Committee’s continued effort to craft the state’s budget for fiscal 2024. But Cronin said that their time in the city represented something far greater: an invaluable experience for themselves and an “incredible opportunity” for the entire North Central region.

“We had the privilege to host the Joint Committee on Ways and Means and to hear testimony from some of the most important stakeholders in the state,” Cronin said. “And we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to inject the perspective of the North Central region into that process as they craft a budget that reflects the values of the Commonwealth and can truly address challenges faced across Massachusetts every day.”

“Beyond the budget, I believe this was a great opportunity to highlight the community at large and members of the North Central delegation. Not just their growing influence in the Legislature, but their ability to accomplish so much for people here in the city and the North Central region,” he said.

An assembly that focused on budgetary items related to health and human services, the nearly five-hour session consisted of testimony from those aforementioned “important stakeholders.” Executive Office of Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago spoke, as did Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Mary Sheehan, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Commissioner Toni Wolf, Office of Refugees and Immigrants Executive Director Mary Truong and others.

Each agency present had the opportunity to question, clarify and voice concerns in regard to the budget as proposed by Gov. Maura Healey earlier this month. As he stressed the importance of those topics of discussion, Cronin praised the speakers as well as the Committee, which he referred to as “the most powerful in the legislature,” and said it was an “honor” to have led them on Tuesday.

“We received broad testimony from those on the ground in state government, those that deliver healthcare, deliver services to our veterans and monitor rising healthcare costs and the degradation of those services in rural and economically depressed areas of the state,” he said. “It’s an important conversation to have and one crucial to the Committee as we move forward with the budget.”

“There’s no more important sector for thoughtful focus than health and human services and we were absolutely grateful for the testimony received on Tuesday,” he said.

That said, Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues asked Cronin to lead the delegation Tuesday, alongside state Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, to “highlight needs and challenges faced by Gateway Cities.” With that in mind, Cronin reiterated the opportunity the Committee’s presence in Fitchburg represented not just for the city, but similar communities throughout Massachusetts.

“It’s important to bring people from across the state — policymakers, elected officials, commissioners — to North Central Massachusetts so that they can understand where we are, who we are and what we’re about,” Cronin said. “And it can make it easier for us, the North Central delegation, to advocate for our communities throughout the legislative session when members have a sort of shared experience and memories of being in your community.”

“The challenges of Fitchburg, Leominster and the region as a whole can be found almost everywhere and must be brought before those stakeholders so that they can truly understand those issues. And, through that understanding, we hope to shape policy in a way that would prove beneficial to everyone,” he said.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale and state Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who opened Tuesday’s hearing with remarks and thanks for the Committee, agreed. Kushmerek described Fitchburg as a “microcosm” of the entire state, while DiNatale, who served with the Legislature for nearly a decade, praised the Committee for their work and thanked them for their visit to the city.

“I truly believe that Fitchburg is a microcosm of the entire Commonwealth,” Kushmerek said. “You name it, Fitchburg has it — we represent the challenges of the Commonwealth but, also, the opportunities.”

“I’m just thrilled that you are here and thankful for the crucial work set to commence today and in the weeks ahead,” he said.

“Having spent nearly 10 years in the Legislature, I truly know the importance of what you handle every day,” DiNatale said. “This is a momentous occasion for [Fitchburg] — we’re proud that we were able to serve as host and thank you so much for the work you do for the Commonwealth and the people within the city of Fitchburg.”

With the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate set to review the budget in April and May, respectively, Cronin reiterated that Fitchburg and the entire North Central region, “poised for incredible economic growth,” presented a “tremendous opportunity” to the state and said hoped the Legislature would capitalize on that potential.

“We have an opportunity (in North Central Massachusetts),” Cronin said. “Our affordability, our cultural institutions, the incredible amenities and just the natural beauty of the area, we have the chance to foster growth in the local and regional economy in a way that would benefit everybody and create significant opportunities for people across the state.”

“This hearing was an opportunity for policymakers across the state to see that opportunity, to see our potential here — and I hope they seize it,” he said.

Connecting a community: Fitchburg Fiber wants to bring quality, affordable internet to city

March 10, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Once seen as a luxury or commodity, internet access has quickly become a necessity for modern living, one that has only increased in importance as more and more people work or learn from home. And yet, many today are left without such access, their connection outdated and far too slow or the service from their local internet service provider too costly.

Many in the city find themselves amid similar circumstances. But, now, one group is doing everything it can to make sure those that need internet access can obtain it and do so affordably.

Fitchburg Fiber, a relatively new ISP headed by residents Tristan Taylor, Andrew DeChristopher and Nick Madden, is ready to provide the city with secure, high-speed internet access for the paltry sum of just $40 per month. Taylor, co-founder and CEO, said everyone at Fitchburg Fiber is committed to the community and he expects their service to play a significant role in the “revitalization” of the city.

“We’re investing a lot of money and unpaid time to build something that I’m absolutely convinced will be a big part of Fitchburg’s future growth,” Taylor said. “Our purpose here is to build a high-quality internet network and provide affordable service to as many people as we can — the community is the heart behind our mission.”

“We’re still very much in the early stages, but what we’re doing is impactful and, as more and more people learn about us, we hope to bring some serious change to the city,” he said.

Founded in December 2020, Taylor said Fitchburg Fiber was born out of his and DeChristopher’s frustrations with larger ISPs and local internet access, a lack of which “made [Taylor’s] blood boil.”

The fact that other residents shared similar stories pushed them to act.

“You know how it works, you sign a contract at a specific rate and, over time, they raise and raise and raise it,” Taylor said. “We wanted to get away from that model and provide others in the area with options.”

“Back when internet bandwidth was scarce, the typical pricing you see out there sort of made sense. But that just isn’t the case anymore,” he said.

Between COVID-19 and other pandemic-related delays, it took some time to get started. There was also the matter of startup cost: the price to dig up a paved street or sidewalk and deploy underground fiber around the city would have made the venture unfeasible.

Newer technology presented them with a solution, however: rather than physical cable, the Fitchburg Fiber team opted for wireless distribution — internet access served through point-to-point wireless transmitters. According to Taylor, their wireless network can deliver service that is “functionally the same” when compared to a physical cable connection for a fraction of the cost.

The technology made it possible for the group to move forward — and they did so out of their own pocket.

“Suddenly, this wasn’t something that we had to go and ask the bank to lend us a few million dollars for or apply for grant funding, it was something we could self-fund,” he said. “And, realizing the difference we could make, we took our savings and just dove in.”

Each transmitter, described as a “distribution node,” can be mounted to a building and, when able to “bridge” or communicate with another node in the network through a wireless, line-of-sight connection, can provide internet access to an area of about “500 or 600 feet,” according to Taylor.

If a node is blocked by a large building or other obstruction, a separate transmitter could be installed elsewhere to serve as an intermediary point between the established network and the obstructed node in order to re-establish a connection.

Work truly began for the trio midway through 2021 as Taylor, DeChristopher and Madden started to build up their operating infrastructure. A year later, in April 2022, they connected their first customers to the network and have not looked back.

“It was a bit slow at first, but we’ve had more and more people sign up,” Taylor said. “Eventually we’ll reach a point where we have enough customers that we can fund expansions into other neighborhoods.”

While Fitchburg Fiber’s current coverage is limited to the downtown area — stretches of Main Street and Boulder Drive — Taylor said the team had identified “several ideal buildings” as potential points to expand the network and avoid any connection issues.

He also made it clear that the venture was “not about profit” and said Fitchburg Fiber’s goal was to extend access “to every home and business in Fitchburg.” While that may prove “ambitious” in the short term, Taylor said the team’s dedication and commitment to the city would continue to push them toward that goal.

“If we can make a living off of this someday, that would be wonderful, but that’s not what this is about,” he said. “It’s important to us that people are able to get the quality of service they need, deserve and can afford — I don’t think you’ll find a group that’s less profit-motivated.”

“I’m not really sure how to articulate it, but we’re all just super excited about the future,” he said.

As he thanked those that have been early to adopt and or support Fitchburg Fiber, particularly InTown Fitchburg and the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, Taylor described the enterprise as the “most gratifying thing” he has ever been a part of and said the company “wouldn’t be here” without the so far ardent support of the Fitchburg community.

“We wouldn’t be anywhere without community buy-in,” he said. “People have to be willing to take a shot on us — and, to those that have taken that chance, we can’t thank you enough.”

“We literally wouldn’t be here without you — our customers, the community make us who we are,” he said.

To prospective customers and those on the fence, he also stressed that those at Fitchburg Fiber are “no BS” kind of people. “The whole point of what we do is to provide you with quality service for an affordable price, no contract, no hidden anything — and, if and when you’re ready to switch, we’ll be here for you,” he said.

“To the more skeptical customers, just keep an eye out. Our reputation is growing, we’re committed to the people we serve, to the Fitchburg community and we’re looking forward to being a real part of that community.”

For more information, those interested in Fitchburg Fiber can visit their website at fbfiber.net or contact the company at 978-696-8699.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale among officials pushing for Chapter 90 boost

March 8, 2023 by pkzadmin

Gov. Maura Healey checked off one long-unanswered priority for municipal leaders by proposing two years’ worth of road and bridge maintenance funding in a single bill, but after years of inflation, city and town leaders are worried the timeline change alone will not be enough.

A string of local officials and Massachusetts Municipal Association higher-ups urged lawmakers on Tuesday to take the annual Chapter 90 bond authorization bill Healey filed (H. 52) and bulk up its bottom line by at least 65%.

MMA Legislative Director Dave Koffman said state government has kept Chapter 90, the primary program used to reimburse municipalities for local road and bridge maintenance, at a $200 million-per-year allotment nearly every year since fiscal 2012. In the decade-plus since then, Koffman said, construction and maintenance costs have swelled nearly two-thirds, cutting the purchasing power of $200 million down to the equivalent of $68.6 million.

“I’m sure some of that’s not a surprise. We know it’s not unique to local government nor unique to transportation funding, but it’s an important part of this consideration as we think about trying to increase this to a more adequate level for cities and towns,” Koffman told the Transportation Committee. “We’re so thankful to the administration for filing this bill, but we at the MMA are going to be requesting to increase this to at least $330 million per year for the two years proposed by Governor Healey. Otherwise, cities and towns will continue to fall further behind each year.”

While Healey’s bill would authorize two years of bonds for the program, its $400 million in bonds would not change the annual amount from the level where it has sat almost every year since the Patrick administration.

According to data compiled by the MMA, state government tacked on $130 million in supplemental Chapter 90 dollars in fiscal 2015, $40 million in fiscal 2019 and $20 million in fiscal 2020, but otherwise has kept the program at $200 million every other year since fiscal 2012.

Last year, lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker supplemented the $200 million for Chapter 90 with an additional $150 million in grants for other transportation-related projects woven into the same bill, a fact Transportation Committee Co-chair Rep. Bill Straus highlighted on Tuesday.

After Athol Town Manager Shaun Suhoski told the panel about how the neighboring community of Orange effectively needed to use four years of its state road and bridge aid to pay for replacement of two bridges, Straus replied that the anecdote is “exactly why Chapter 90 is not your bridge program, or any other municipality’s.”

“It’s not your major project program, and we shouldn’t pretend that it can become that,” Straus said. “No municipality in my view should be in a position where it’s taking four years of its Chapter 90 allocation, for which there are regular day-to-day demands, to fund a bridge repair. That is why, imperfect it may be because of the dollar amounts, that is why you have seen the Legislature move to more project-specific grant programs as build-upon for Chapter 90.”

Much of the advocacy municipalities lobbed at lawmakers Tuesday came from people who traded jobs on Beacon Hill for positions in city or town halls.

Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur, who resigned from the House in 2019, told the committee, “We need more to do more. We need more to do status quo.”

Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale, who served nine years in the House, said his community has 180 miles of roadway and 47 bridges that need maintenance. The amount Fitchburg receives in Chapter 90 funding would “allow the city to pave one mile of road at three-inch grade and no sidewalk improvements,” he said.

“It doesn’t go far, does it, folks?” DiNatale said. “This is the principal reason our road-paving deficit falls further and further behind.”

The latest MMA survey of members found that cities and towns collectively need $715 million to bring all local roads into a state of good repair, Koffman said, noting that the state is not entirely responsible for addressing that gap.

Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, who represented the Healey administration at the hearing, said the $400 million bond authorization for two years “helps keep us at historical levels of this program.”

Municipal leaders frequently pushed then-Gov. Baker and lawmakers to advance multi-year allotments for the program to no success.

“This two-year approach, that is new to Chapter 90 this year proposed by the governor, is the result of many conversations with cities and towns across the commonwealth who have very clearly communicated that a two-year approach gives them more certainty in the program and more flexibility, which enables them to develop longer-term roadway maintenance programs,” Gulliver, who also served as highway administrator in the Baker administration, said.

Straus said at one point there is “much interest in the Legislature” in overhauling the formula used to distribute Chapter 90 funds to municipalities, though he did not offer details about what kind of changes lawmakers would pursue. He asked Gulliver if action this year would upend the two-year authorization.

Gulliver replied that the administration is prepared to provide any technical assistance needed to update the formula and that he would need to consult with other administration and finance officials about how to approach a possible “midpoint correction.”

Ayer and Devens Symposium: It’s happening and all are invited

March 3, 2023 by pkzadmin

AYER — To envision the future of Devens, the civilian community that replaced the former Fort Devens military base that closed in 1994, the public is invited to a two day symposium on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11 at Ayer Town Hall.

Currently, the community of Devens is managed by MassDevelopment under a temporary arrangement codified in state law — Chapter 498 — which includes an expiration date in 2033. Some may consider that time frame a snooze-alarm setting. But others see it as a wake-up call.

According to symposium organizers, which includes Ayer Community and Economic Development Director Alan Manoian, Town Manager Robert Pontbriand and Select Board Chair Jannice Livingston — who recently sat down with a Nashoba Valley Voice reporter to talk about the upcoming symposium — 10 years isn’t as far off as it sounds and the time to start planning is now.

Viewed in that light, the symposium title isn’t merely aspirational, it’s descriptive, with a practical purpose that is both timely and necessary.

To begin with, it’s the result of much planning by many, Manoian said, including town officials and activist citizens whose common interest is local, but with implications for all the stakeholders — including Harvard and Shirley — the two other towns whose historic borders still exist within Devens — and the Devens community: civilian residents and businesses who moved in after the Army moved out.

The municipal grids of all three towns were disrupted over 100 years ago when the military base moved in, and have stayed that way since. But as Livingston pointed out, those lands still belong to the towns, and they may want their territory back. Or compensation for ceding it over for good.

Specifically, Pontbriand said that Ayer’s land in Devens includes “80% of historic Vicksburg Square,” including the fields, the sites of the Shriver Job Corps and Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School, the old Moore’s Air Field and land along the riverfront that basically forms the current Ayer/Devens boundary.

Over the last three decades, there have been moves to decide Devens disposition before the 2033 deadline and at least three attempts to rework the zoning map. So far, all have failed.

In 2019, after the Joint Boards of Selectmen — an advisory group that met periodically to discuss future plans for Devens — unofficially dissolved, the Devens Jurisdiction/Framework Committee was formed, more or less taking its place. For awhile Harvard, which had formed its own committee and had been gathering data for some time, “ran the show,” Livingston said. Then, MassDevelopment did, although they’ve since stepped away.

The group’s momentum was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Livingston continued. Now back on track, they are on a more even footing, she said, convening quarterly and shifting meeting locations among the three towns.

One of the key questions they’ve confronted is who the stakeholders actually are, or should be. Should it be Devens businesses? Residents? Who? Besides the towns, that is.

Manoian said the issue now isn’t so much the decades-long history that led to the current dilemma, but where to go from here. With 2033 looming on the not-so-distant horizon and Ayer about to launch its next Master Plan, it’s time to stop, take stock and reset the Devens conversation. That is, in part, what the symposium seeks to address — not to revisit the past — but to plan for the future.

Pontbriand agreed. “Our zoning dates to 1994 … the map needs to be updated,” he said. And with just 9.5 square miles of turf, Ayer’s land in Devens, which is part of that total, figures into that calculation, whatever the agreed-upon, post 2033 scenario turns out to be.

The question then becomes whether resuming jurisdiction over their Devens land would be a benefit or a burden to the respective towns, Manoian said. It might even be that the state — MassDevelopment, that is — is the best steward after all. But that is something the towns must decide for themselves.

From Ayer’s perspective, for example. “This community should decide how to use that land,” Manoian said. He’s hoping the symposium will bring people together – colleagues and residents from Ayer, Shirley, Harvard and Devens – toward that shared goal.

“This will be more of a conference setting,” he said.

With so many new folks now living at Devens, as well as new residents who have moved to Ayer in recent years, “I’d like [Ayer] to be involved in that process,” Manoian said. It might even lead the way.

Pontbriand said the symposium’s major goals include educating the public regarding Devens and fostering engagement. “We on the framework committee are (already) involved, but what do the people think?” he asked. What do they want to do? Another goal zeroes in on Ayer residents, “Do they want to get involved?” And if so, to what extent?

Getting in on the discussion, perhaps helping in some way, doesn’t have to mean serving on a committee or a big commitment, say for the next 10 years, all three people at the table agreed on that. In fact, that kind of outlook could defeat the purpose.

The point is Ayer “lost control of that land” in 1917, Livingston said. And it’s time to ask citizens if they want it back.

She also said she’s not happy with MassDevelopment’s hands-off role in the committee’s recent work. “They say they’re out of the conversation until 2033,” she said, although the new Devens Vice President Dan Rivera, has agreed to “periodically” and separately, meet with select boards in each of the three towns.

But Livingston prefers a more all-inclusive setting, in public.

Refocusing on the upcoming symposium, Manoian said the question becomes, why now? It’s time, he said, to break out of the “sit and wait” to see what happens cycle that has been the norm in recent years. Nor does he see much value, vision-wise, in continuing to review financial statements and cost-benefit analyses as the best way to determine the next move.

It could even be that if the towns can’t set a forward course by 2033, the state might make the call. “We have only 10 years left,” he said. “This is for the next generation!”

Many Ayer citizens, particularly new residents — don’t know much about Devens, it’s history and its connection to the host communities. “Ayer is a dynamic community … always has been,” Manoian said.

That, more than anything else, sparked the idea for the two-day event.

As for MassDevelopment, if they want to participate, that’s great, but not essential, in his view.

“It’s better if they join us,” he said, taking in the broader sense as well as the event. Either way, “We’ll shape our own future.”

Saturday will be the “big day,” he said, sketching out the set-up participants can expect in the Great Hall at Ayer Town Hall. It will be like a public design charette, with huge maps overlaid with “architectural tracing paper” to show the layout of Ayer’s land in Devens.

The even kicks off there on Friday at 10 a.m. with a brunch gathering, followed by a presentation and then a shuttle bus tour of Devens that will loop through Ayer’s off-site territory. The bus leaves at 11:30 a.m.

Back at Ayer Town Hall, panel discussions continue until the event wraps at 3:45 p.m.

Everybody is invited to come and participate in any or all of the events within the event. And yes, Manoian said, kids are welcome.

Livingston compared the symposium scene to past Master Plan sessions and the same reasoning applies, whether it’s scoping out a town-wide Master Plan or envisioning an Ayer/Devens future. “If you don’t [do it] … someone else will,” she said.

Manoian agreed, “Get off Facebook and come to our design charette,” he invited. “This is your community!”

Livingston added that there’s no way to just let matters slide and expect the best outcome. “It’s not a turnkey operation,” she said of the decision to take back Ayer’s land versus … something else. If Devens were to become its own town, for example, the new entity shouldn’t expect Ayer to cede its land over without compensation. In any case, what happens next is not a done deal … yet.

Maybe the town couldn’t see its way clear to take back its land 20 years ago, even 10, Livingston opined. “But things are different now.”

Manoian and Pontriand noted projects the town has taken on before — citizens, not officials alone. Planning for Depot Square Park, for example, was a community effort. And Manoian foresees a similar scenario for West Ayer Village, a new mixed-use development envisioned for West Main Street, across from Devens Plaza. But that’s another story.

For now, he hopes for a successful conclusion to the Ayer/Devens planning process, maybe even an early wrap-up. Five years from now, it could be all done,” he said. “And all direct from the people.”

Pontbriand said it”s time to start planning, either way. “We must begin to look at what Ayer’s interests and priorities are” regarding the Devens Enterprise Zone, he said. In fact, it’s an important piece of the Framework Committee’s work, with or without MassDevelopment at the table, he added.

“In 10 years, if we’re successful, the state expects a report, and it makes sense for it to be by consensus,” he said. That said, however, Ayer should be proactive.

Manoian said the point of the symposium is to set the stage, condense available information, set benchmarks. “We’ll try to cover as much as possible,” he said, adding that a map Livingston helped create will show what the Ayer/Devens boundaries look like and what’s there now, with “a series of discussions” based on those parameters.

Livingston said taking back its land might not be Ayer’s best bet. “We can’t speak for the other towns, but there may be other options,” she said. No matter what the towns decide, some areas are already off limits due to Federal or state jurisdictions. The Oxbow Reservation, for example. “We want new ideas,” she said.

Green building practices, for example, eco-friendly designs.

Manoian said it doesn’t matter if you want to change the Ayer Devens landscape or not, everybody has a voice. “I feel people may not have felt (comfortable) about coming forward,” he said. But at the end of the two-day symposium, after hearing and seeing what’s here, people may pinpoint something past planners have missed. Something new.

Pontbriand said that’s what organizers are aiming for…”a synthesis.” It’s happened before. Depot Square Park, for example. No one group made that happen. “We’re open to anything,” he said.

Town officials will take a neutral stance, as they did then, he said.

Livingston clearly hopes a spark ignited. “We begin with an image” and go from there, she said.

Asked if any of them thought the symposium idea might be a bit much … they all believed otherwise.

“We are not just the town, or the towns, we are part of the state” Livingston said. “We’re in such a good place now … we can do this. If people work together,” she said.

Manoian said he invited “our Aumen and Bates Street neighbors” in Devens and they agreed to come.

The event will be filmed by Ayer Public Access and streamed live, he said. “We want people to know we are.”

Economic Development

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