Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley, are linked by two unique characteristics, one of which is natural and the other built: the Nashua River and Devens (Figure 1.1-1). After decades of pollution, the Nashua River is returning to life, but much remains to be done. After seventy years of military activity and governance, Devens is now the towns' and one of the Commonwealth's greatest redevelopment opportunities. The Nashua River represents an incredible resource for the four towns, from an extensive ground water system, to wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Devens stands to be the economic force that will stimulate development in this region. The towns share the common interests of protecting and enhancing the Nashua River and its watershed, and mitigating the local impacts that will occur as Devens is successfully redeveloped. Absent a collaborative planning process, growth will neither be sustainable nor in keeping with the four towns' individual characters. To address this issue, the four towns applied together, through the Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBOS) to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA). The JBOS was awarded a grant under the Communities Connected by Water program. Through this initiative, the JBOS is partnered with the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and the Montachusetts Regional Planning Commission, to develop a growth management plan for this subregion of the Nashua River watershed. The Devens Commerce Center and the Devens Enterprise Commission are also providing substantive input to this program. 1.2 Statement of Problems The problems addressed through this program include: · Assuring a safe ground water supply for future generations. · Preserving water quality through safe and dependable wastewater treatment and septic disposal. · Assessing population growth and its demands for municipal services and limited natural resources. · Evaluating projected housing demand, the rate at which it's introduced to the market, the demands it will place on the towns' natural, municipal and fiscal resources, including the potential loss of open space. · Preventing traffic congestion and its negative impact on the communities character and quality of life. F:\DOCUME~1\Jody\LOCALS~1\Temp\~~PDTEMP\ALL.DOC 1-1 March, 2001 Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley Figure 1.1-1 Study Area F:\DOCUME~1\Jody\LOCALS~1\Temp\~~PDTEMP\ALL.DOC 1-2 March, 2001 Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley How these problems are addressed, and the questions to be answered, are detailed below. Water Assuring a safe water supply for future generations is absolutely critical to the health of these four towns. This region is served by a substantial high yield aquifer. Presently, Ayer, Lancaster and Shirley have public water supplies drawing from this resource, as does Devens. Harvard relies primarily on private wells, expect for a small system serving the town center. Despite several extensive studies, no know future public water supply has been identified for Harvard other than the aquifer beneath Devens. The aquifer needs to be more fully delineated and understood so that proper precautions can be taken to protect it from contamination. What is the capacity and location of the aquifer? What population (both numbers of people and numbers and types of businesses and industries) can it safely support? What are the recharge areas? Are they adequately protected from contamination? Wastewater and Septic Disposal Key to preservation of ground water resources is safe and dependable wastewater treatment and disposal. The Ayer wastewater facility needs upgrading. Lancaster is sewered, in part, through Clinton and is looking for expanded sewering for its Center. Harvard has no municipal sewer system, and is completely reliant on individual sewage disposal systems. Portions of Shirley, in particular Shirley Village will be connecting to the Devens wastewater treatment facility, as will Shirley MCI. Private septic systems need to dispose of sewage. Expanding sewer lines and districts is expensive. Alternatives need to be identified to safely serve town municipal centers, commercial districts, and clustered residential areas. How could/will a regional wastewater treatment facility alleviate wastewater treatment needs for Ayer and Shirley? What alternatives are available to provide for safe septic disposal in denser, unsewered areas in the towns? What will the effects be on sprawl should these alternatives be allowed or if/when sewer lines are extended into the towns? Population Growth With the change of Devens from a fenced military reservation to an open development area actively seeking new businesses, the dynamics of population growth has been dramatically altered. As Devens redevelops, it will accelerate and reinforce the present steady regional growth rate. Increased populations will bring increased pressures and demands for municipal services and on limited natural resources such as water. How our resources should be managed to support this population growth, without being damaged or depleted, is a challenge facing the four towns. F:\DOCUME~1\Jody\LOCALS~1\Temp\~~PDTEMP\ALL.DOC 1-3 March, 2001 Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley How are town centers and villages (i.e. Ayer's Main Street, Harvard's town center and Still River village, Lancaster's town center and North village, and Shirley's town center and village) enhanced to support traditional development patterns? Can village patterns be replicated in emerging commercial areas such as Route 110/111 in Harvard and Route 2A in Shirley? Housing and Open Space As the regional population grows, so does the demand for housing - and all types of housing. Increasingly woods and fields - open lands - are converted from rural landscapes to subdivisions. Because the Devens Reuse Plan lacks a substantial housing component, businesses locating on Devens will look first to the four towns for housing, adding to the existing development pressure. As with population growth, future residential growth will place sever demands on the towns' natural, municipal, and fiscal resources. On the other hand, there is concern about the rate at which the housing that does exist on Devens is introduced and the impact that will have on the local housing market. What are the tools (e.g. zoning, infrastructure improvements) available to the towns to assure sustainable housing development that provides for all segments of the population? What is the regional housing inventory? How do we encourage diversity of housing and subdivision patterns (e.g. cluster) that do not destroy the rural landscape of these towns? How can we link greenways and open space corridors within the region in keeping with the towns' open space plans and Nashua River Watershed Association's 2020 Vision Plan? Traffic The major east-west routes of 117, 2, Main Street in Ayer and Shirley, and 2A and north-south routes of I-495, 110/111, and 70 carry significant through-region, as well as local traffic. Seeking relief from congested major routes, more through traffic is detouring over local roads. At issue: keeping through traffic from becoming a negative impact on the region's resources or the communities' character and quality of life (e.g. clogged local roads and business districts), and encouraging alternative transportation (e.g. regional buses, commuter trains, bike trails). Which roads are most suited for regional through-traffic? What traffic patterns are emerging? What are the safe levels of flow? What and how are alternative modes of transportation encouraged? 1.3 Study Process As shown in Figure 1.3-1, the study was conducted in phases, coinciding with a series of public workshops. Phase 1 is the investigation of existing conditions; Phase 2 the analysis of trends; Phase 3 the development of planning and technological alternatives to manage growth; and Phase 4, F:\DOCUME~1\Jody\LOCALS~1\Temp\~~PDTEMP\ALL.DOC 1-4 March, 2001 Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley Figure 1.3-1 Study Process F:\DOCUME~1\Jody\LOCALS~1\Temp\~~PDTEMP\ALL.DOC 1-5 March, 2001 Communities Connected by Water: Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley recommendations and an action plan for implementing policies and programs to preserve quality of life in the region and foster and institute regional cooperative roles. For each of the phases, ENSR, the consultant-coordinator, conducted the technical analyses. These analyses were directed by a Steering Committee comprised of two representatives of each of the four towns (Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley), the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA), the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), the Devens Commerce Center (DCC), and the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC). Also participating were the EOEA Nashua River Watershed Team Leader and a representative of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Each of these representatives provided a network of involvement through other boards, agencies and public groups as the process proceeded. During preparation of the analyses, public input invited to frame the analyses, as well as to comment on the prepared analyses through a series of workshops. 1.4 Report Outline To address the issues described in Section 1.2, this report has been organized as follows: · Section 1 provides the statement of problems addressed by