Pro: Time for a change
Vicksburg Square is an historic piece of Devens and registered in the National Registry of historic places. An icon of the central part of Massachusetts and built in the late 1920s to 1940, the complex served as barracks for more than 1,000 soldiers, a hospital, the Army Security Agency School, and lastly the original home of MassDevelopment, Loaves and Fishes, and small innovation and technology companies.
Since the closure of Fort Devens in 1996, much of the former military presence has been dismantled. It is important that we do not lose sight of the fact that hundreds of thousands of soldiers began their military career here, some never to return home or who were separated from the military service after serving our country in two world wars, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Desert Shield. On behalf of those soldiers and for future generations to remember, we have a responsibility to preserve Vicksburg Square.
In June 2009 Ayer, Shirley, and Harvard held a “super town meeting,” at which a majority of the 189 Harvard voters approved the Vicksburg Square Redevelopment District, with a housing cap of 350 multi-family residential units, in addition to preserving the existing zoning. However, one of the other two towns did not approve this change, and thereby approval was not obtained. This attempt was done with no idea who might become the developer.
On March 28, again a three town “super town meeting” will be held to consider the Vicksburg Square Redevelopment District. This time the housing cap will be 246 units, 104 fewer units than in 2009. Most importantly, the developer Trinity Financial will be undertaking this project. I have visited several of their properties and they have demonstrated the ability to construct, manage, and maintain their properties to high standards with on-site management and maintenance staff.
The plan by Trinity Financial calls for construction of 78 units that will be restricted to senior citizens 55 years or older and an additional 134 units of affordable, not subsidized, housing. The balance of the units will be market rate. Veterans, widows or widowers of veterans, active members, and spouses of the U.S. military service will be given first consideration. In addition, Bataan Corregidor Memorial Theater will be renovated and donated to the Fort Devens Museum for preserving the history of Fort Devens.
Vicksburg Square development will be a boost to the economic development of Central Massachusetts. Construction will provide jobs in the building industry. Devens Commons, with restaurants, banking, gas station, mini-mart, and other facilities are within walking distance. The Mall at Whitney Field and other malls, as well as the stores and restaurants in the three-town area will experience an improved business climate.
As reported in the Harvard Press, the Harvard School Committee has held a meeting with MassDevelopment and both parties agreed to try to accomplish an education contract of at least five years by July 1, including the actual per-pupil cost. Superintendent of Schools Joe Connelly predicted Harvard will have room for the 118 students projected to live in Vicksburg Square. The Student Council felt that the students would be welcome and that it was a positive thing as the students recognized the need for a more diverse student population.
The Devens Economic Analysis Team has diligently worked over the past two years studying the Vicksburg Square proposal. It may be that the recent School Committee report relative to educating the Devens students may conflict in part with the DEAT.
I have also reviewed the MLS sales data. The DEAT report indicates the average sales price of a condominium to be $385,000. This is far in excess of the one sale of a condominium in Devens over the past two years. This data will flaw their tax revenue estimates. The recent report relative to the Harvard Schools in the Harvard Press also flaws their report. Their report does not consider that if the lands were returned to their historical boundaries then there would be fewer than 60 units of housing returning to Harvard unless otherwise negotiated.
I realize that there are an unlimited number of opinions relative to Vicksburg Square. However, now is the time to approve this project. Chapter 498 was well thought out in 1993 but we are now nearly 20 years later. Times change and it is now time for change. The Central Massachusetts economy will benefit from this development. We are fortunate to have Trinity Financial as the developer. I believe they have been responsive to many of the concerns expressed by the residents of all three towns and will continue to address all reasonable concerns. Citizens, elected officials, committees and Boards have spent incomprehensible amounts of time on the Devens issues. It is time to move on and approve Vicksburg Square.
Peter Warren, of Lancaster County Road, is a Harvard selectman.
Con: Vicksburg Square benefits MassDev, not Harvard
This is a message, indeed a prediction, that Harvard is at the point of degrading its outstanding school system and, at the same time, putting the town at financial risk in coming years. Every Harvard-ite should be aware of this when they vote on the MassDevelopment/Trinity Financial plan to develop Vicksburg Square on March 28. We need to know, in a more complete way than we do now, what impacts this development is likely to have on Harvard’s school system, its financial structure, and its social and cultural environment.
The answer to the above is we don’t know. Harvard officials don’t know. The commonwealth doesn’t know. The Massachusetts Development Agency doesn’t know. It appears the risks mostly, if not all, fall on the town of Harvard. Where are the benefits? I can’t see any. And if this thing falls apart, what help can we expect from MassDevelopment and the commonwealth?
Probably none.
At this point, I would like to level with my fellow Harvard residents. The Vicksburg Square plan is a MassDevelopment product. I have dealt with MassDevelopment and its predecessor agency, the Massachusetts Land Bank, for over 20 years. They are a well-financed, well-staffed organization. Their staff is capable and professional. They have a good supply of staff. However, as an organization, I found on a number of occasions their ethical standards, in my opinion, were less than one would expect.
So, folks, take care with Vicksburg Square.
Many of today’s Harvard residents are relatively new in town, so they may ask, and rightfully so, who is Bill Ashe and what does he know of MassDevelopment and Devens issues?
One might say I am a battered, old, used car in the Harvard scene. I was a Planning Board member for some 13 years, a selectman for over 12 years—over 25 years an elected Harvard town official. I was the person who got the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge established and virtually all of Devens’s open space, some 1,000 acres, was created through the efforts of Harvard citizens, from people such as Larry Finnegan, Lucy Wallace, and me. And the tussle was “down and dirty” at times.
Like Stu Sklar, I watched the School Committee on TV last week. I came away with the same impression. Who are they representing, Harvard or MassDevelopment? I have the feeling the School Committee is not a strong group, inadequately led, and not ready for prime time dealings with MassDevleopment.
They need strong and knowledgeable support, legal and professional, and soon! At this point, they are very much overmatched.
My concluding advice to the committees and residents of Harvard is to remember that the Vicksburg Square development is a MassDevelopment plan, designed to advance its interests, not Harvard’s. MassDevelopment is well-financed, well-staffed legally and professionally. My experience is that it has not been aboveboard in all past dealings with Harvard.
The Vicksburg Square development positives go to MassDevelopment; the negatives largely impact Harvard’s school system, its finances, social and cultural environment.
Some say we may well be creating a future Harvard slum. If things go wrong, and well they might, given information now on hand, what assurance do we have that MassDevelopment and the commonwealth will help the affected towns out? None that I have seen.
For the above, and more, I intend to vote against the Vicksburg Square development proposed on March 28.
Bill Ashe, of Myrick Lane, is a former member of the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board.
