by Ken Robbins ·
by Victor Normand ·
Friday, January 16, 2026
For more than the past eight years, the towns of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley, along with the Devens community and the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC), have been working to achieve consensus on a permanent government for Devens. MassDevelopment initiated the Devens Jurisdiction Framework Committee (DJFC) in 2018, then abruptly withdrew from the process in 2022. Those of us who have been members of this committee are aware that there is much work to be done and painfully aware that only MassDevelopment has the information and resources necessary to fully achieve the mission of the DJFC.
MassDevelopment mistakenly believes that beginning a planning process in 2030 and reaching the final enactment of the legislation by July 1, 2033, as required by Chapter 498, the enabling legislation, is realistic. This time frame will compress the process of fact-finding, generation of options, multiparty negotiations, transition planning, public education, and creation and approval of legislation into just 30 months; less if time is set aside for a gradual transition of services from MassDevelopment to local government. The consequences of not having a law on permanent government by that end date could result in both MassDevelopment and the DEC losing their legal authority to continue their work at Devens.
July 1, 2033, is a hard stop. If the Legislature does not have a fully formed plan for municipal governance well ahead of that date, it will be hard pressed to extend the nonmunicipal district status granted to Devens. Chapter 266 of the Acts of 1998 amended Chapter 498 by granting extraordinary redevelopment authority to the DEC and MassDevelopment under Chapter 40D of the General laws that govern public redevelopment. This amendment effectively removed the otherwise statutory municipal status of the underlying towns of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley from Devens until July 1, 2033.
In 1996 when the base officially closed it met all the criteria for a project under Chapter 40D. It was void of industry, in need of modern infrastructure, and, most importantly, it had no permanent residents. That it would eventually have a small residential population was less important than the compelling need for total development control by a redevelopment authority.
Devens is unique in Massachusetts. The closest similar location governed by an appointed, not elected, board is Massport, where nobody lives. Before July of 2033, should the Legislature have no fully formed municipal structure to impose on Devens, it will be hard pressed to vote for the status quo. In 2033 Devens will by all appearances look like a town, collecting taxes and exercising police powers, and have a growing permanent population. Continuing management of Devens by a quasi-independent agency without benefit of a select board and town meeting will be a difficult case to make.
Not using the time we have now to craft the best possible outcome for Devens risks a bad ending to an otherwise spectacular undertaking.
The Harvard-Devens Jurisdiction Committee, as charged by the Select Board, will hold a public presentation to share what has been learned about Devens with the residents of Harvard and Devens. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m., at the Harvard Senior Center at 16 Lancaster County Road in Harvard. You are invited to attend in person or watch remotely. The meeting will be broadcast by the Harvard Media Cooperative on cable channel 191 and livestreamed via their YouTube channel; see the posted agenda for the link. You can also send questions during or after the meeting to HDJCQuestions@gmail.com.
Victor Normand is chair of the Harvard-Devens Jurisdiction Committee and a member of the Devens Jurisdiction Framework Committee.