Tri-Town Area Seeks Economic Development Designation
Westford, Littleton and Boxborough -- three towns in the northern area of the Interstate 495 corridor -- already house tech giant leaders such as IBM and Cisco.
But town officials in the region are looking to further capitalize on the area's development opportunities by establishing a state-sponsored growth district.
The state already has 19 designated "growth districts," through the Office of Housing and Economic Development's Growth District Initiative. The first district was established in Worcester in February 2008 and since then about $50 million in infrastructure improvement grants have been made available through the initiative.
The districts are sites the state has identified as ready for development with simple zoning laws. The "growth districts" also should have easy access to transportation.
But what do three towns like Westford, Little and Boxborough stand to gain through joining forces as a growth district?
"High tech is something that already characterizes this region now," said Littleton Town Manager Keith Bergman, whose community is home to a 495,000-square-foot facility for IBM. "We'd like to build on that solid foundation and continue the investments."
For the district to become a reality, residents in each of the three towns would have to vote to accept the designation, and the state would have to approve the measure as well.
Bergman said creating a district would enable the three towns to land state funding for various projects. One example he gave would be funding for more commuter trains along the Fitchburg line. Littleton is also looking to create shuttle services between the train stations and some of the office buildings.
Bergman expects Littleton residents could vote on approving a growth district at the annual spring Town Meeting.
Andy Sheehan, assistant town manager in Westford, said his community would have to make some changes to zoning bylaws to allow for more streamlined development in the area before a growth district could be created. But unlike Littleton, Sheehan said Westford will not likely be ready to vote on changes by the spring.
Meanwhile, Littleton isn't waiting for the growth district distinction to work on economic development efforts.
Mark Racicot, manager of the land use division for the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, which includes Littleton, said over the past few years the town has made changes in zoning regulations to help encourage development. Two areas in town -- the IBM site, and an adjacent vacant lot just west of 495 dubbed the Cisco site -- have been designated priority development sites. That distinction guarantees an expedited permitting process for any proposed developments.
Littleton town officials are considering implementing an overlay district in the town as well, which would specifically list the types of commercial developments that would be allowed through a streamlined permitting process. Bergman said the town is looking to target not only research and development facilities, but also hotels and restaurants.
For the state's part, the Growth District Initiative offers an opportunity to focus economic development efforts.
"These areas are going to be our primary areas of focus for growth in the near term," said April Anderson-Lamoureux, director of the state's permit regulatory office. "They are places we feel most confident are poised for new growth in the future."
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments