MassDevelopment’s desire to rezone the former Army headquarters at Vicksburg Square for residential development is once again in the news. The agency had hoped for a Super Town Meeting vote in October 2020, but those plans were derailed by the pandemic, which made it difficult to hold hearings or arrange for the simultaneous town meetings of Harvard, Ayer, and Shirley that are required for any change to zoning at Devens.
Although the agency has not yet said when it intends to push again for residential development at Vicksburg Square, it’s clear both MassDevelopment and the Devens Enterprise Commission are feeling pressure to do so once the pandemic recedes as a threat to public meetings. Week by week the iconic buildings are deteriorating and the need for more housing in the region is acute.
There seems to be agreement among the towns and Devens residents that developing more housing at Vicksburg Square makes sense and would significantly benefit the community. But Harvard’s jurisdiction committee is right to insist that now would be a good time to decide on a framework for future governance so that Harvard and Ayer, on whose historical land the buildings are located, can adequately prepare to support their future residents, especially the education of their children.
A FAQ posted in 2020 to promote the rezoning of Vicksburg Square implies that Harvard would continue to educate Devens school-age children as it does today. Citing numerous meetings with Superintendent Linda Dwight, the FAQ reports that she felt confident at the time that Harvard would have the capacity to educate any additional students living in Vicksburg Square. But that 2-year-old assertion needs to be tested. And Harvard’s town and school officials need to know what the return of jurisdiction will mean so they can begin planning the additional services that could be required.
We hope the parties involved in this negotiation can find a solution that meets both the short-term needs of MassDevelopment and the DEC, the concerns of residents, and the long-term needs of the towns, as they contemplate the potential costs of resuming jurisdiction after 2033.
