As most long-term residents of the town are aware, for more than three decades we have had an almost continuous set of task forces and committees discussing our town center, most of this with no clear follow-through.
In 2004, following the updating of the Master Plan, the town voted to authorize funds for a more detailed plan covering the town center itself, resulting in a document that catalogs what is important to us about our town center as well as what we must attend to in order to maintain (or rebuild) its vitality and character.
The most fundamental item is to officially recognize that the town center has a different configuration from that of our standard agricultural-residential districts. Setbacks, lot sizes, a mix of commercial, institutional, and residential uses—almost all are nonconforming. We do have a defined business district—but it is along Littleton Road, and covers no existing businesses. When a change in use occurs, flexibility is extremely limited and the change is not neutral, but instead, erosive.
Last spring, the Town Center Planning Committee and the Master Plan Implementation Committee, both subcommittees of the Planning Board, were combined to arrive at a bylaw for town center that meets the needs and concerns of the town. We have met several times, and at this point have enough of a draft of goals for such a change, as well as possible elements of a special zoning or overlay district, to bring it to the general public for discussion and input.
We have scheduled time at our next meeting to present our work to date to the town, so that we can hear residents’ feedback, concerns, comments, questions, and other perspectives before going forward.
Our town center is the nucleus of our community. We want to make sure that what ultimately comes before Annual Town Meeting next March does the best job possible to protect and revitalize this nucleus that binds us together.
We invite residents to join us on Nov. 5 at 8:15 p.m., at the Town Hall meeting room. I also encourage everyone to review the Town Center Plan adopted in 2005. A copy is available at Town Hall, and a PDF is available at the Town of Harvard website, http://harvard.ma.us/publicdocs.htm, under Town Center Planning.
We hope to see—and hear from—residents on the 5th.
Mary Essary
For the Harvard Planning Board
