Rarely does a smaller newspaper take on a subject as sensitive and complex as the Ayer Road commercial district as comprehensively as the Harvard Press has done. Furthermore, it was extremely well developed, balanced, and thorough. There were just three statements that I wanted to provide additional clarity on that a reader might miss.
First, in the article, “Proposed study to revitalize commercial zone sparks optimism among businesses, wariness among residents,” it was noted that I believe zoning should precede even the design of the utilities. I actually believe that it should be a parallel process so the utilities can be functional shortly after the zoning is in place. Having this occur before the zoning is ready will only facilitate the same model of development we’ve seen so far, but on steroids.
Another clarification is that the market analysis will be conducted in phase 1 in advance of the citizen participation that will occur in phases 2 and 3—the vision planning and code development. Phase 1 will simply be data gathering. This will include different assumptions and scenarios that will be used prior to the visioning process to establish one or a few alternative development thresholds that meet town goals and objectives, leading to highly informed public discussion of a vision for the area.
Form-based codes are especially appropriate here because the inadequacy of conventional zoning has been the lack of certainty regarding what the built environment will look like and how it will function. Form-based codes reduce the uncertainty and provide the public with more influence over the final outcome, which is what the citizens of Harvard have been requesting for decades. As the Form-Based Codes Institute emphasizes, the tool does indeed prioritize physical form, but land use is still a key element in the model.
So, my thanks to the Press and their impressive coverage of this topic. The Planning Board feels that with these articles and the information on the project website, the public should have ample material with which to make an informed decision at Town Meeting.
Christopher Ryan, director
Community and Economic Development
