In response to criticism that they have not taken a firm position on the disposition of the Harvard lands at Devens, the Board of Selectmen strongly reaffirmed their statement from last May that at this time they do not support the creation of a new town on Devens.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the board, selectmen Lucy Wallace, Bob Eubank, and Tim Clark all addressed the Devens issue, reiterating the town’s official statement presented on May 22 of last year.
Quoting their statement, the selectmen reaffirmed that they “seek retention of Harvard’s historic lands, pending the result of a comprehensive, professional study of the effect of resumption of jurisdiction on Harvard and the surrounding towns in the North Central Massachusetts region.”
The greatest concern in making final decisions about Devens, noted Clark, is that “there wasn’t confidence in what the choices were.” Given that Harvard’s lands at Devens could be the site of significant development and significant tax revenue, Clark said, the board believes that it is necessary to “investigate all the alternatives and retain the [town’s] boundaries as they are until we can make an educated choice.”
The ability to make an educated choice lies in having access to detailed information about the land itself and what is there—and, according to the selectmen, that is just what they don’t have. At Tuesday night’s meeting, Clark showed a formal request that will be sent to Rich Montouri of MassDevelopment this week, listing a series of detailed questions about the current and proposed development on the site, as well as current and proposed goals.
Questions in the document include queries about the current status of the commercial and industrial build-out, the amount of acreage currently deeded to MassDevelopment, and assessed valuation of land and structures. The selectmen are also asking for information about MassDevelopment’s long-term goals for ownership of utilities, maintenance of natural resources, education of children living in the area, and a list of firms with active interest in locating at Devens.
Clark noted that the other bordering towns, Ayer and Shirley, are also interested in finding out this information and that Harvard is taking the lead on behalf of all of the towns.
Eubank clarified that the purpose in gathering this information was not simply to justify retaining jurisdiction over the lands.
“The goal here is not to come up with a self-serving position,” he said. “The goal here is to come up with facts that, no matter what side of the issue you might be on, will be helpful in deciding what the best solution is. If we can achieve that, we’re on the way to making the best decision for the town and region, which is what we have wanted all along.”
Clark concurred, quoting the advice of a fellow Harvard resident. “About a year ago, a very wise man, Ted Sizer, said to me that this is one of the most important decisions the town will make in the next 50 years. I want to make sure we get this right.”
