For decades, town planners have held out hope that the stretch of Ayer Road between Route 2 and Myrick Lane could be developed in a way that would preserve the look and feel of the town, provide the local services townspeople say they want, and add significant tax revenue to the town’s budget.
As this week’s packet of stories in the Press makes clear, little has been accomplished. Zoning rules designed to preserve the town’s character have led to strip development that planners had hoped to prevent. After a burst of building in the 1980s and ’90s, development has come to a halt, foiled by lack of utilities, local resistance, and permitting that is perceived as complicated. The amount local businesses contribute to Harvard’s revenues remains stuck at 3%. A series of committees, studies, and planning documents has had little impact.
Article 8.7 on this spring’s town warrant proposes to spend $300,000 over three years to develop a fresh set of zoning bylaws intended to create a flourishing business community in the commercial district. We hope the inforrmation we have assembled for this week’s paper provides helpful background for debate of this important measure at Town Meeting next week.
