I am still a little bit in shock after last night’s Planning Board meeting (Sept. 30, 2019). For me, it was watching the end of an era of careful planning and consideration for our town and especially for abutters of the Ayer Road commercial district. Last night the Planning Board made a decision I am deeply concerned about—they voted to increase the percentage of commercial land that can be covered with buildings versus left open in the C-district from the existing “up to 20%” with an Ayer Road Village special permit, to 30% (40% if you also have low-income housing) with nary a discussion of traffic, density, or the resulting amount of land that would have to be paved in asphalt for parking, loading, fire protection, garbage disposal, etc. for this size development.
One board member seemed to think if they were going to make a change, they should go big or go home (my words here). There was no discussion of how this was going to affect this district. The only concern I heard strongly expressed was by our paid planning director, who expressed sympathy for the developer who had paid one to two million dollars for property on Ayer Road only to find that they could only cover one of their five acres completely with buildings (allowed under our existing ARV-SP zoning). Not sure we want commercial developers who don’t understand zoning bylaws prior to spending money on land, but that is hardly the town’s problem nor do I believe it should be our paid planner’s focus.
After years of forums, surveys, and the completion of a new master plan in 2016 (at a cost of $200,000), to see the board discuss whether they should increase the coverage of land with buildings to 30% versus 40% or 50% was painful. There was no discussion of what this increase in density would mean for traffic, noise, lighting, etc. or how this would fit into the look and feel so many of us have described as our goal for the C-district. I am deeply concerned with the direction of this board and the influence of developers, most not Harvard residents, on this board. Please join me in voting no to any change to the ARV-SP.
Michelle D. Catalina
Former Planning Board member
Old Littleton Road
