Economic Development Strategic Plan
At a glance
- What: Article 7, $75,000 for a consultant to produce a townwide economic development strategic plan; the last plan was issued in 2017.
- Where it stands: questioned at the pre-Town Meeting; vote Oct 27.
- Scope: all commercial corridors, with public engagement; different from the June Urban Land Institute workshop on the mall and Drury Square.
- Related: Paul Dell'Aquila, Mall Overlay District Height
Questions
- Not legally required; staff said it guides growth and zoning. The $75,000 is a rough estimate from other towns' quotes ($50,000 to $125,000), and the scope would not exceed it.
Discussion time
About 6 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 - Pre-Town Meeting | 6 |
Log
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2026-10-19 - Pre-Town Meeting - Article 7: purpose, cost basis and difference from the ULI workshop.
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2026-10-21 - Page created.
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2026-09-14 - 2026-09-14 - Select Board: Dell'Aquila reviewed the request for $75,000 to update the 2017 economic development strategic plan, saying the consultant would assist with research, data collection, public outreach, and the final plan. The Board asked that the 2019 Master Plan, other Town studies, and the School Department's strategic plan be considered in the process.
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2026-09-28 - 2026-09-28 - Select Board: Kirrane moved and Rufli seconded a recommendation to approve Article 7. The motion passed 3-1, with Cavanaugh, Kirrane, and Rufli in favor and Chambers opposed.
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2026-09-23 - 2026-09-23 - Finance Committee: Finance Committee recommended Article 7 ($75,000 from free cash); some members skeptical of consultants.
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2026-09-21 - 2026-09-21 - Economic Development Committee: Dell'Aquila said the $75,000 article would update the 2017 plan, with a consultant analyzing business license trends and gaps (restaurants, family venues); the Finance Committee was to act that week and the Select Board to finalize the warrant the following Monday.
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2026-08-20 - Economic Development Committee - Director said the 2017 plan needs updating and a funding item was placed on the special town meeting warrant (from auto-captions).