The editorial in last week’s Harvard Press contains a serious mistake. Devens is not a town. The official name of the location is the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone or DREZ, land under the jurisdiction of the state through MassDevelopment. That land remains within the towns according to the historical boundaries at the time the Army took over the land.
Section 25 of Chapter 498 of the Session Laws of 1993 states, “The residents of Devens … in the case of local elections, shall be entitled to vote in the Town in which their residence is located.” The enfranchisement of Devens residents is no different from those who reside on federal or state installations throughout the country.
This is not to say that Devens should not seek to become its own town. It is now a creation of the Legislature, which has ultimate authority, regardless of the bylaws or interests of the underlying towns. Having taken 25 years to reach the 8.5-million-square-foot limit on commercial and industrial development, and against Harvard’s stated position, MassDevelopment increased that limit to 20 million square feet in a backdoor deal with the Legislature. An article in the Boston Globe this week reported that state Sen. John Cronin had introduced legislation to remove the cap on housing at Devens.
In the mid-2000s MassDevelopment brought forth a proposal that would have added approximately 2,250 units of housing on Devens, most of it in Harvard. Given Section 25, those residents could have become a controlling force in the town. Section 26 makes the towns ultimately responsible for the education of those residents if MassDevelopment fails to find an alternative.
The history of the Turnpike Authority’s continued control of the Massachusetts Turnpike suggests that jurisdiction over Devens will remain with the state after 2033. The Legislature is not about to turn over the DREZ to three small towns or a handful of residents.
The fact that MassDevelopment does not wish to engage with the towns in this matter is a manifestation of that likely outcome. Harvard should look past the prospect of increased commercial tax revenues from Devens to see the folly of completely disrupting the character of the town in that quest.
Bill Marinelli
Stow Road
Editor’s note: The letter writer is correct. Devens is a regional enterprise zone overseen by the state. Unlike an incorporated town, Devens lacks an elected Select Board or a town clerk.
