In Part 1 of this series, I shared with you the historical planning efforts intended to make something good happen in the Ayer Road Corridor. Part 2 detailed the current conditions in the corridor and certain kinds of development pressures that I asserted were not aligned with most people's preferences. In this Part 3, I lay out the possibilities and close by talking about what you can do to make this pathway a reality.
If interested Harvard citizens gathered together (if that can happen soon), what do you think a collective vision for the Ayer Road Corridor might look like? Would it look like it does now? It certainly would not look like Route 9 in Framingham and not likely to resemble Great Road in Acton either. Is there any place that you can imagine out there that you'd like it to resemble? I'd guess that some might say a town forest somewhere while a few others might suggest a place like Shelburne Falls or Grafton, VT. Regardless, there is probably some measure of variation between potential visions but also not too wide of a range overall.
When I first came upon the area...
...in my current role in 2018 (I'd taken my kids to Doe numerous times and it was also my commute route in 2006-07), the first thing that struck me was its positives. The newer buildings near Bowers Brook were well designed, the wetlands and natural landscapes were uplifting, and the Harvard Green condos were also a positive. It was only after taking in the good that the downsides of the Corridor became apparent. Not only was traffic more intense than I recalled from the late 2000's, there were clearly more trucks, metal buildings were more numerous than I expected. Having devoured past plans and policies related to the area and calling upon my extensive experience with Traditional Neighborhood Development (or neotraditional development as it is sometimes referred to), I saw great promise for the area to be a model community that would make Harvard proud.
I've followed planning pioneers and innovators for decades and several have been people that I have felt really "get it" and understand placemaking with an innate sense of the value of a great place. Both Andres Duany of DPZ and Randall Arendt of Open Space Subdivision notoriety are such people. Listening to them speak about the value of good design, and equally important, the tragedy of poor design, you experience an epiphany, and awakening to why some places work and others seriously do not. Checking out their histories and the projects they designed or influenced is well worth the time. Based on this experience, I worked with the Planning Board to develop a framework document entitled, "Ayer Road
Corridor Vision Plan Framework" which is now in its 8th draft as of March 2021.
The Ayer Road Corridor falls into a zone between an untouched "green field" where you have a blank canvas to create a vision on one hand, and a fully developed "redevelopment" area where there might be few opportunities to affect substantial change, Ayer Road still offers great prospects to create something amazing. While it is a commercially zoned area, the recommendations of those who worked on master plans of yore often noted the preference for mixed-use and a village-like layout. I concur with these sentiments and will note that a number of people in surveys for the senior housing project being developed in parallel with this initiative, also envisioned such a layout.
So what did I have in mind when conceptualizing the Framework? While the subject of some mocking, I saw a series of small village-like clusters surrounded by natural open space and parkland, all connected by internal streets with pedestrian and bicycle facilities. I called it a string of pearls, which elicited the heckling, but in all seriousness, I did envision a beautiful district where people could work, shop, live, recreate, and socialize. It can have the kinds of retailing and services desired by residents (and patronized by those outside the community bringing in dollars to Harvard). It could include a diversity of housing for seniors, empty nesters, recent college graduates, young families, and the missing middle, often workforce housing that every community needs. I envisioned park and recreation facilities like playgrounds, athletic fields, and park amenities like fountains and walking paths. Throughout the area, bicycle paths and lanes, sidewalks and multi-use paths, and other means for travel and circulation could replace many trips that the private car might have to exclusively take in the area right now. The Ayer Road corridor has a lot of existing assets that should be protected. There are conservation lands with trails, wetlands, and farm fields. There are buildings that are good baseline development to compliment. But most importantly, there are areas of development opportunity that can bring in tax and other revenue to the Town. Local dollars can be spent locally, recirculating within the local economy rather than leaking out to other towns.
The Planning Board knows the fears, they know the arguments against action, and it must be emphasized that the Board is also very sensitive and supportive of protecting the character of the town, of not making a catastrophic mistake. They know that it must be done right and done well. I'd even suggest that we clearly understand that it must also be special, outstanding, and uniquely Harvard. That is why the Board is asking for $300,000 from the Capital Stabilization and Investment Fund to pursue a three-phase plan for the Corridor. This plan, clearly depicted in the Framework document linked above, is a big deal, because Harvard is a big deal, and deserves the finest design consultants that money can buy. It's a once in a generation shot to do something very special for this community. I encourage you to read the Framework document, check out the two-pager linked to the project page where you can find all of the resources. Learn more about form-based codes here, we've gone to great lengths to provide you with all of the information you will need to understand this project and why it is important.
Finally, people ask me to show them a place that we have in mind. What's out there that is like what we want to do. Unfortunately or actually fortunately, I can't do that. There have been many special and amazing places that have been designed and built using these principles. But each one is uniquely adapted to its location. If Harvard pursues this project, the vision developed by our citizens will be uniquely appropriate for us, for this area. You can check out each of the RFI responses for examples of designs provided in the portfolios of the respondents. Many are not applicable for a variety of reasons. But they do provide an idea of the kind of graphics that we will get. Check out the consultants websites, you can find more examples there. Finally, I will say that the closest I've found that provides some connection to our ideas is a project near Atlanta called Serenbe. Here is a quote from their website:
"Serenbe is reminiscent of communities of yesteryear, when life was simpler. Community is important to our residents, as is minimal mental stress and optimal physical health. It’s a laid-back lifestyle just 40 minutes from a major urban center and one plane ride away from the capitals of the world.
At Serenbe, there are gourmet restaurants in your backyard, stables full of horses you can ride along miles of trails and nationally known artists exhibiting in galleries across the street. Our community is engaged and alive with outdoor performances, films, lectures and readings with friends, neighbors and notable visitors.
Mindful architectural elements, like central post boxes and porches that connect to the street, foster community and create a strong social fabric. Everything is within walking distance and the world waits along the edges."
So again, it's not an exact fit, but does embody some of the spirit of what we are trying to capture with this plan. Another telling quote from their web page exemplifies the type of vision that would create the kind of special place envisioned:
"The design of Serenbe was inspired by the past and built for the future.
The master plan for Serenbe calls for multiple hamlets based on English villages, all designed on sacred geometry principles with buildings clustered along serpentine-like omega forms fitted to the undulations of the land. This method of arranging the community requires minimal land disturbances and allows the community to reserve large areas of undeveloped green space."
Inspired by the past...multiple hamlets based on English villages...clustered...minimal land disturbances...reserve large areas of open space. These are the phrases that we would love to refer to the reality of the Ayer Road Corridor, based on an articulated vision. Again, we encourage you to see the foundation of our idea on the project website here. But we also encourage you to see the origins of this in the master plans of the past, beginning with Eliot's (1970) Planning for Harvard Massachusetts, where he says:
"The best opportunity for planned Business Development in Harvard is directly north of the Route 2 Interchange with Ayer Road...On the west side, the plans call for the progressive development - as the market warrants - of shopping and service facilities under a single plan for the whole area now zoned "C" between Route 2 and Lancaster County Road...To assure a single overall development of the area a new Business Zoning District is recommended, with provisions for site plans, parking facilities and review of architectural plans." (p. II-47).
This project is the closing of the circle, of realizing dreams of past citizens who have been involved in the visioning and planning efforts over the years, hoping to bring to reality the latent promise of an area that many towns would envy due to its location, transportation facilities, and attractiveness.
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