1.0 PLAN SUMMARY Holden’s 2012 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is a planning document designed to provide direction to Town government and others interested in protecting the Town’s open spaces, recreational and historical resources. The 2012 OSRP evaluates property in Holden that has been identified as significantly contributing to the open space and recreation needs and overall character of the Town. The plan includes a Five-Year Action Program to further the following goals: • To preserve the aesthetic and natural resources in Holden; • To preserve wildlife habitats; • To preserve water supplies for Holden and surrounding towns; • To provide active recreation resources and facilities; • To promote passive recreation resources and integrate them with conservation and open space activities; and • To develop funding sources to accomplish these goals. The 2012 OSRP, which replaces and supersedes the 1999 OSRP, maintains the Town of Holden eligibility for grant programs administered by the Division of Conservation Services (DCS) of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). 2012 Holden Open Space and Recreation Plan 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Statement of Purpose Holden is a nice place to live with pastoral scenery, wooded uplands and quiet neighborhoods. These features belie the proximity to the City of Worcester business hub on its southern border. Holden is also a growing town; the expansion of the Town’s sewer services has fostered large residential and infill development. Holden residents and Town officials recognize that retaining the New England small town flavor they so enjoy requires systematic planning to offset a threat posed by current levels of residential growth and continuing development pressures. The 2012 Holden Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) represents a comprehensive effort on the part of the Town of Holden to revise and update the 1999 Holden OSRP, which was revised from the original 1994 plan. Factual information and policy recommendations embodied in this document have been developed to guide Town government, boards and committees, and others interested in meeting Holden’s open space and recreation needs, over the next seven year period, 2012 through 2019. 2.2 Planning Process and Public Participation 2004- 2005 In 2004, various committees chose representation to participate in the Open Space and Recreation planning process. Town Manager, Brian J. Bullock, officially appointed the Holden Recreation and Open Space Planning Committee as an ad hoc committee on June 21, 2004 to revise and update the 1999 Holden OSRP, in a manner that would achieve the following local planning goals: 1. Provide a comprehensive planning document to give direction to Town boards and committees in planning for the open space and recreation needs of the community. 2. Provide a comprehensive open space and recreation planning document to ensure Town of Holden eligibility for any of the grant programs administered by the Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services (DCS) in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) which could potentially aid in the acquisition of land for the retention of open space and the provision of recreational facilities. The 2004 Committee consisted of the following residents and Town officials of Holden: Ad Hoc Recreation and Open Space Committee James Jumonville Board of Selectmen Craig F. Stanovich Planning Board Ida Nystrom Wachusett Greenways David Sabourin White Oak Land Conservation Society Anthony Costello, Chair Conservation Commission Lucy Banks Recreation Committee Alan Berg Finance Committee Ex officio members of the committee: Brian J. Bullock Town Manager Denise M. Morano Recreation Director Pamela Harding Town Planner and Conservation Agent For the 2004 leg of this effort, the Holden Assessing Department provided parcel information for the Recreation and Open Space Planning Committee. The Recreation Department and Department of Growth Management provided administrative, research and compilation assistance. Department of Public Works Civil Engineer, Daniel Nason, contributed in his specific areas of expertise and mapping. Judith Haran of the White Oak Land Conservation Society provided expertise on open space resources. 2012 Holden Open Space and Recreation Plan 2 The Recreation and Open Space Planning Committee (the Committee) was charged by the Town Manager with completing the plan revision process and subsequent final document for submission to the DCS. The Committee adopted and adapted to their needs the information and format guidelines as provided by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) document entitled “2001 Open Space And Recreation Plan Requirements” and its companion recently updated “Open Space Planner’s Workbook, March 2008 revision”.) Information provided in the previous plan was updated and categorized in accordance with the workbook’s standards for open space and recreation plans. After its initial organizational meetings in July of 2004, the Committee held public meetings every other week until the month of December to actively revise the 1999 OSRP. The Landmark, a local newspaper, supported the Committee by publishing reports of Committee activity and emphasizing the need for community involvement. The background technical data and information required for Sections 1 through 4 was updated by staff assisting the Committee in an ex-officio capacity. This enabled the Committee to review and quickly comment and focus on the goals, objectives, and the five year program for implementation. A public forum intended to solicit public comment and input on the revised draft document was held on October 13 and October 27, 2004. A great deal of input was received from the public through two visioning meetings. The results of the meetings were incorporated into the draft document for subsequent submission to the Board of Selectmen, the Holden Planning Board and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC). Commentary from these groups is presented in this document in Section 10.0. 2008-2012 Following the significant efforts of town officials and volunteers in 2004 and 2005, a draft OSRP was prepared. This plan was never finalized. With a desire to develop resources for open space and recreation projects, town officials and volunteers sought assistance from CMRPC. In 2007 and 2008, working with CMRPC, the draft document from 2004 and 2005 was updated. In September and October of 2008, additional community input was sought by means of an on-line survey and a community forum. The results of the survey are attached in Appendix D. Though announced on the town web-site and in the Landmark newspaper, attendance at the October 8, , 2008 community forum was very low. Comments from the on-line survey and the forum were incorporated in the document. Immediately preceding the efforts to finalize this document, the Town of Holden undertook an extensive Master Planning process. Relevant comments and information from that process and 2010 census data were incorporated to update the plan. 2012 Holden Open Space and Recreation Plan 3 3.0 COMMUNITY SETTING 3.1 Regional Context Holden is located in the Central Region of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, approximately 55 miles west of the City of Boston. Holden is located northwest of, and directly abutting, the City of Worcester. Holden is one of 9 towns bordering the City of Worcester and serves as a residential resource community for this business and industrial center. Holden’s development is 97% residential, with only 3% of the local land area consisting of retail and industrial uses. The Zoning Map is included. Holden has carefully scaled its industrial and business development to be compatible with its desired small town New England character. Despite a loss of open space over the past 20 years, Holden remains 77.9% open space. Of the remaining land area, 17.9% is residential with only 1.2% is used for industrial or commercial uses. Table 1: Land Use in Holden 1985 – 2005 ( Source: MassGIS and updates based on 2005 orthophotos) 2005 20 year Land Use 1985 Acres % 1999 Acres % Acres change Open Uses Cropland 597.9 2.6% 578.4 521.4 2.2% (76.6) Pasture 550.4 2.4% 521.1 435.5 1.9% (114.9) Nursery/Orchard 14.2 0.1% 21.4 21.4 0.1% 7.2 Forest 16,681.8 71.8% 16,181.2 15,709.1 67.6% (972.7) Unforested Wetlands 227.2 1.0% 240.5 240.4 1.0% 13.2 Open Land, Abandoned Fields 213.9 0.9% 280.8 370.9 1.6% 156.9 Water 814.4 3.5% 814.8 814.6 3.5% 0.2 Total Open Uses 19,099.9 82.1% 18,638.2 18,113.3 77.9% (986.6) Gravel Pit, etc. 166.31 0.7% 145.71 145.44 0.6% (20.9) Participation Recreation 161.77 0.7% 170.39 172.46 0.7% 10.7 Water-based Recreation 2.52 0.0% 2.52 2.52 0.0% (0.0) Multi -family Residential 15.38 0.1% 31.18 61.57 0.3% 46.2 Residential < 1/4 acre 148.51 0.6% 148.57 152.43 0.7% 3.9 Residential 1/4 to 1/2 acre 1,926.37 8.3% 2,120.91 2,200.36 9.5% 274.0 Residential > 1/2 acre 1,030.60 4.4% 1,291.20 1,722.82 7.4% 692.2 Commercial 134.58 0.6% 145.68 163.81 0.7% 29.2 Industrial 105.14 0.5% 110.41 110.30 0.5% 5.2 Urban Open/Institutional 252.26 1.1% 284.22 244.15 1.1% (8.1) Transportation 138.52 0.6% 134.58 134.53 0.6% (4.0) Waste Disposal/Landfill 67.96 0.3% 26.32 26.31 0.1% (41.7) Total 23,249.9 23,249.8 23,249.9 Approximately 82% of Holden is located within the Nashua River Watershed; the remaining southern area of Town is located within the Blackstone River Watershed.