UMass students suggest sites for industrial development
ASHBURNHAM
By Karen Mann Journal Correspondent

An Industrial Land Use Suitability Assessment of Ashburnham was presented to the Planning Board at their Dec. 14 meeting.

Two University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduate students, Nathaniel Malloy and John Hersey, have spent the semester studying the best location and feasibility of building an industrial park in town.

“Our goal was to evaluate existing sites and propose potential sites to be zoned commercial,” Malloy said.

They proposed three sites. One on land east of Hunter Avenue, and two on parcels in the southeast area of town near Fitchburg Road.

According to Malloy, these sites have few environmental constraints. The downside is they are near residential neighborhoods, which he believes will be a challenge. Malloy said the next step would be to work with the private landowners in the area to get them to agree to the rezoning.

Malloy said there are eight sites in town that are zoned industrial at this time. Those parcels are not in densely populated areas, but they have a lot of environmental constraints, he said.

One such site is a 90-acre spot on Depot Road. Malloy said it contains many environmental wetland restrictions.

Malloy told the Planning Board it would be easier to work in areas with fewer environmental issues, even if they were in heavily populated residential areas.

Hersey outlined to the board what steps they should follow if they want to build an industrial park in town.

He said they should extend the downtown area to the highway department’s location, and add more retail stores in the area.

He also recommended marketing the town as a “recreational escape” taking advantage of the town’s open space.

“It is an escape from what Route 2 offers,” said Hersey.

He said the town should use the resources it has, such as Cushing Academy and Oakmont Regional High School, to attract people to move to the area.

“If the population grows, services will follow,” said Hersey.

UMass professor, Richard

Taupier asked the students to work on the project.

Taupier was selected by town officials to put together the industrial land use study. Town officials put out a request to have this work done last spring, after money for the project was allocated at annual town meeting in May.