An Interesting Article in the Sunday T&G

While the attention of our selectmen seems focused on trail logos, plastic bags, and refuting obvious Open Meeting Law violations, the town of Westminster is focusing on proactive steps to lure and increase business. Below is an article from today's Sunday paper, which addresses some ideas about attracting business. And let me restate as I have in an earlier post, I love logos, in fact I am wearing my "Life is Good" logo this very moment, and my wife shops with re-usable bags all the time. But one might suggest that we need to get a bit more real and start dealing with issues such as economic development, increasing our tax base, reducing the tax burden on homeowners, establishing some type of relief for our seniors and those on fixed incomes, ensuring adequate public safety, etc., etc.

Certainly there are no silver bullets, and I make no claims about the merits or lack thereof, relative to Westminster's approach, but at least the discussion is taking place. Who knows, maybe after our selectmen (well three of them) finish reinventing a "collective vision for the town", (which by the way has already been established via the April 14th elections and Annual Town Meeting), they will actually entertain some dialogue based upon what the voters want.

Here then is the T&G article:

WESTMINSTER— Voters at yesterday’s annual town meeting approved two articles giving town officials the tools they need to help persuade businesses to locate in town.

Voters approved an article allowing selectmen to offer tax incentives to businesses looking to relocate to Westminster. The town approved designation of 254 acres within the Westminster Business Park as an economic opportunity area.

A second article, which designates certain industrial areas as “priority sites,” withstood the same arguments from both sides but in the end was also approved. This article designates three areas — the industrially zoned land in the Westminster Business Park, the town-owned land on Fitchburg Road and the Tyco/Simplex land on Technology Drive, as priority development sites.

This designation allows the town to take a proactive approach to bringing businesses to town. It also requires that the town approve a plan within 180 days of application. Some residents worried that the town would get “boxed in” by the 180 days, or not act soon enough, allowing the project to go forward by default.

Town officials assured voters that most applications are completed within the 180 days and the specific sites that were chosen for designation were ready for development.

Voters approved an article allowing mixed-use buildings in the downtown commercial district. Voters also approved an amendment that will allow residential use in the commercial district. Many homes downtown already have residential use by special permit.