Proposed change to super town meeting is hardly an ‘overreach’

The Harvard-Devens Jurisdiction Committee appears to be overly concerned regarding Gov. Healey’s bill proposing to replace the existing super town meeting with a single community meeting to approve changes to the Devens Reuse Plan or zoning bylaws. How inconvenient for Harvard that they may lose their current veto power over changes at Devens. Given that Devens has not been under Harvard’s jurisdiction for over 100 years, that Harvard has not invested in the redevelopment of Devens, and that there now exists a base of Devens residents and businesses, Harvard’s veto power is an anachronism.

Gov. Healey has not proposed cutting Harvard out of the loop. Harvard would still get to engage in any dialogue concerning changes to Devens, and still be able to vote on those changes. Harvard would simply need to convince a plurality of those attending the single community meeting to stop any changes it opposes. This change is hardly an “overreach.”

Jim Geller
43 Walnut Street, Devens