Open Space and Recreation Plan Town of Ayer, Massachusetts 2019-2026 Update Contents 1. Plan Summary ....................................................................................... 4 2. Introduction ............................................................................................... 5 2A. Statement of Purpose............................................................................................ 5 2B. Planning Process and Public Participation ..................................................... 5 2C. Outreach and Public Participation .................................................................. 6 3. Community Setting ........................................................................... 7 3A. Context .................................................................................................... 7 3A.2 Regional Context .......................................................................................... 14 3A.3 Land Use ....................................................................................................... 16 3B.1 History of Community ...................................................................................... 18 3B.2 History of Farming ....................................................................................... 18 3C. Population Characteristics .............................................................................. 20 3C.1 Population Distribution ............................................................................... 22 3C.2 Walkability ...................................................................................................... 26 3C.3 Regional Environmental Justice Context .................................................. 28 3D.1 Zoning............................................................................................................ 29 3D.2. Growth and Development Patterns .................................................. 32 3D.3 Existing Infrastructure .................................................................... 34 3D.4 Developable Lands.......................................................................... 37 4. Environmental Inventory and Analysis ........................................... 39 4A. Geology, Soils, and Topography .................................................................. 39 4B. Landscape Character ........................................................................................... 45 4C. Water Resources .............................................................................................. 45 4C.1 Regional Water Connections ...................................................................... 51 4D. Dams in Ayer .................................................................................................. 53 4E. Vegetation .............................................................................................................. 54 4F. Wildlife and Endangered Species .................................................................. 55 4G. Scenic Resources and Unique Environments ............................................... 58 4H. Environmental Challenges ............................................................................ 62 5. Inventory of Lands of Conservation and Recreation Interest .......... 67 5A. Private Parcels ................................................................................................. 68 5B. Public and Non-profit Parcels. ...................................................................... 69 5C. Process to Identify Priorities for Lands of Conservation Interest ........... 70 5D. Open Space Inventory ................................................................................... 73 6. Community Vision .............................................................................. 77 6A. Description of Process ................................................................................... 77 6B. Community Preservation Act ........................................................................ 78 6C. Statement of Community Open Space and Recreation Goals .................. 78 7. Analysis of Needs ............................................................................ 79 7A. Summary of Resource/Protection Needs ................................................... 79 7B. Summary of Community’s Needs ................................................................. 80 7C. Management Needs, Potential Change of Use ............................................ 83 8. Community Open Space and Recreation Goals .............................. 84 9. Seven-Year Action Plan ................................................................... 85 10. Community Input ......................................................................... 93 11. Works Cited. ................................................................................. 94 Appendix A: Map Sources .................................................................................. 96 Appendix B: Online Community Questionnaire Results…………………104 Appendix C: MassDEP Listed Sites .................................................................. 110 Appendix D: Letters of Support………………………………………...112 Appendix E: ADA and Facility Access Self-Evaluation ……………… ...116 Maps 3A.1: Ayer Context................................................................................................. 13 3A.2: Regional Context .............................................................................................. 14 3A.3: Land Use ....................................................................................................... 16 3C.1: Population Distribution ...............................................................................23 3C.2: Walkability .......................................................................................................... 27 3C.3: Regional Environmental Justice Populations ........................................... 29 3D.1: Zoning ................................................................................................................ 31 3D.2: Impervious Surface ...................................................................................... 36 3D.3: Developable Lands ...................................................................................... 38 4A.1: Topography ..................................................................................................40 4A.2: Bedrock Geology .........................................................................................40 4A.3: Surficial Geology ..........................................................................................42 4A.4: Agricultural Soils .......................................................................................... 42 4A.5: Soils and Geologic Features ....................................................................... 44 4C.1: Regional Water Connections .......................................................................... 51 4C.2: Water Resources ........................................................................................... 52 4D.1 Prime Forest ..................................................................................................57 4E.1 Priority Habitat ................................................................................................... 57 4F.1 Scenic Resources and Unique Environments ............................................... 61 4G.1 Environmental Challenges ............................................................................... 66 5C.1 Open Space Inventory. .................................................................................73 9A.1 Seven-Year Action Plan ............................................................................... 86 Photo 1 Beverly and Steve Smith (on left), volunteer Conservation Restriction stewards, with Autumn Ridge Farm residents conducting the annual property boundary monitoring in January 2019. (Photo by Jo-Anne Crystoff) 1: Plan Summary This 2019 Open Space and Recreation Plan Update is a What follows offers a succinct summary of the community document, meant to assist in the planning community profile and the inventory of open space and of Ayer’s open space and recreation future. This update recreational resources that are described in detail in was written by students from the Conway School, Sections 3-5 of the Plan. during the school’s 2015 winter term (January-April) and modified by the Ayer Open Space and Recreation What is an Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee The goal of this document is to inventory and assess open space and recreation areas, Plan? needs, and opportunities in Ayer, and to provide equal An Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is a means opportunity and access to these places. The plan update by which towns evaluate existing open space and aims to define and best meet Ayer’s open space and recreation facilities, and determine current gaps in recreation needs over the next seven years. This update services, or lands at risk, to establish priorities for was informed by two community meetings, an online protection. A state- approved open space and recreation public survey, and direct input from Ayer’s community plan provides a town with access to state grants and tax members. Local and regional organizations provided programs for recreation and open space projects. These additional information relevant to Ayer’s water, open funds are used to ensure the presence of and