At the Special Town Meeting last month, much of the discussion centered on issues disproportionately affecting seniors. After heated discussion, residents rejected an article to declare town land surplus, a necessary prerequisite to build elderly housing. Objections to the article were voiced by members of the Fire Department, who questioned the safety of increased traffic flow and rejected the recommendations of a citizen committee. The meeting ended with poor prospects for developing elderly housing in Harvard anytime soon.
And then there was the issue known as Phase 2, the continued effort to complete needed restoration of Hildreth House. Although not on the Special Town Meeting agenda, the issue remains an important part of the discussion as to how the work would be paid for. Town administrators had hoped to tie elder housing development to some giveback from interested developers. Phase 2 would allow the Council on Aging to continue to provide services such as meals, transportation to medical appointments, and outreach to frail or isolated seniors in a physical space that could meet their needs.
Twenty-six percent of Harvard’s population is 60 and older, and that number is expected to increase with the aging of the baby boom generation. Currently there are very few opportunities to provide them with affordable and accessible housing in Harvard. Nor are there adequate facilities to provide services without completing Phase 2.
So what is to be done about the impact on elders from the Special Town Meeting results? A strong effort to make the land surplus for housing development should be continued. The effort to do so should include Fire Department representatives, the Council on Aging, the town administrator, and the committee of residents that helped shape the proposal. In addition, every municipal building should be assessed for its accessibility and prioritized for remediation. Finally, Phase 2 of the Hildreth House restoration should be funded as expeditiously as possible.
As the town continues to grow and change, it will need to consider the needs of all its residents. Seniors must be included in that consideration. We owe our seniors that much.
Deb Thomson
Poor Farm Road
