Mass Initiatives & Directives:
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As open space is being lost to development at an alarming rate of over 44
acres per day in Massachusetts, the burden upon communities has often been
overwhelming just to play "catch-up" with the needed services that
arrive in tandem with high growth. Services such as new schools or renovations,
improved roads, more public safety personnel are but a few of the increased
costs associated with development. At the same time, the loss of these often
beautiful areas of open space, farm lands and forests impact the very beauty
that make so many of our New England communities unique. It can also threaten
rare or endangered wildlife species, watersheds, air quality, and much more. It
is with these thoughts in mind that the State has come forward with several
initiatives to restore or preserve our environment:
1. Executive Order 418 - The buildout analyses for all 351 communities
within the State accomplished by July 2001 based upon the GIS mapping. Grafton
stands at a 50% buildout with possible increased population to well over
28,000 people (roughly double present population). This is a fundamental tool to
guide more appropriate planning and to address issues of shared resources (such
as the shared aquifer for Franklin and Medway). Note: If our affordable housing
does not meet the 10% minimum, a much higher population density could ensue.
2. Creation of the Community Preservation Act on
September 14, 2000. The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit
organization, called this one of the 7 best efforts to combat the effects of
sprawl.
3. Created the Commonwealth's first bioreserve
and "biodiversity Days" where over 15,000 citizens across the
Commonwealth documented over 2800 species of animals and plants. Grafton
has participated with this and the effort to save the salamanders as they
cross roadways in the Spring. Related sites:
Heritage - Restore
4. Launched a Mercury
Elimination Strategy - Grafton's Board of Health has long offered a
switch of mercury thermometers for more benign thermometers.
5. Land Conservation Strategies
including, but not limited to 200,000 acres of Open
Space to be purchased by Executive Office of Environmental Affairs as
directed by Cellucci-Swift Administration by Year 2010. Some State funds were
used with the purchase of the Hennessey 124 acres between Adams Road and Fay
Mountain Road in Grafton that will be used for passive recreation with a bird
habitat.
6. Offers yearly update of progress/setbacks via State of Environment Update
booklets 2000, 2001....
7. Studying regional concepts for planning so as to create cooperation on
transit, land use, educational, etc. services. Although the CMRPC
is helpful, the individual zoning by-laws that vary from town to town might be
less helpful than a regional approach. A co-operative effort that is recently
underway is the regional library to be shared by Upton and Mendon, both small
communities with needs for better libraries, but without the funds to support a
library in each community.
8. Area of Critical Environmental Concern - Special land areas that follow
unique criteria receive a special land designation from the EOEA by Secretary
Robert Durand. Parts of Grafton, Upton and Hopkinton
received this special designation recently.
9. The Greenway Projects - Linkages of land throughout communities that
create corridors for wildlife habitat, bike paths and so much more. Grafton's
recent Citizen of the Year Ken Crater is currently working on this project along
with a philanthropically oriented farm to raise vegetables for the Food Bank.
10. Lakes and Ponds Watershed Strategy - an initiative released in
January 2001 to build partnerships for protection through the Mass Watershed
Initiative (MWI). Drinking water
protection resources. Water
withdrawal over 100,000 GPD. Drinking
water - more information. Interesting case regarding watershed
protection.
11. Environmental
Justice Draft Policy - To affect change via brownfield
cleanups, air pollution
control and other priorities by the creation of the Mass Environmental
Justice Advisory Committee.
12. Created Municipal Harbor Plan
for waterfront improvement in seven cities and towns on the coast. Related
sites: Buzzards Bay, Massbays
and Clean Vessels Act
Affordable Housing:
At the same time, this high rate of growth throughout the Commonwealth's
communities has spawned primarily affluent homes. The 1969 mandate, Chapter 40B,
holding each city or town responsible for maintaining or creating 10% of its
homes as "affordable" has diminished the percentages of affordable
housing even further in most communities.
Preservation:
Relative to this high growth again is the need to preserve our
Commonwealth's history in each community which not only can increase
tourism, which is expected to be the largest economic force throughout the
Blackstone Valley by 2010, but can also offer an understanding of our unique
heritage as the home to the origins of American liberty. As major funding
resources have revitalized the Blackstone River and many efforts continue in
Worcester and throughout the Valley within Massachusetts and Rhode Island
towards this success, it is particularly crucial to maintain the buildings or
special places which represent so much to so many.
2001 Super Summit Findings
