Bridgewater's Vision to Reality: Let’s Talk 1st Anniversary
We can refer to this as the 1st Anniversary edition of “Let’s Talk”. It was last June (2023) that we activated the Town’s ambitious economic revitalization initiative, Revitalizing the Heart of Bridgewater: Vision to Reality, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made. Please know that as I write this, I am also keenly aware that there is much more we need to do, such as to continue providing important information that residents need to be cognizant of. And, I am also well aware that despite our progress, there are still residents that would prefer to derail the initiative. Having said that, I will share reasons below that hopefully demonstrate why this is unfortunate and costly, as well as how it will have critical implications for all residents. Before I summarize our progress, I want to share a statement (not mine) that was shared at a recent regional Smart Growth Summit – “doing nothing is not free”.
HIGHLIGHTING OUR PROGRESS:
The amended zoning ordinance for the Central Business District (CBD) and the inclusion of a form-based code was approved by the Town Council in April. The amendment is now before the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) for their final approval.
In addition to having the amended ordinance submitted, it is also critical because (once approved,) it will allow the Town to apply for grant funding for a variety of Town priorities. For example, the Town has submitted a HousingWorks Infrastructure Program grant application through the One Stop Program to the EOHLC to offset some, or all, of the projected $3.8 MM in Phase 1 improvements to the Town’s water supply which includes the replacement of Wells 9 and 5A. Additionally, a funding request was also submitted as part of the One Stop Program through MassDevelopment for technical assistance in evaluating the utilization of District Improvement Financing (DIF) in the CBD.
Funding for infrastructure improvements is critical to upgrade water treatment and distribution, wastewater treatment and roads. The Healey administration recently announced unprecedented infrastructure funding opportunities for municipalities to meet growing housing needs. In addition to state funding, a portion of the cost for these improvements needs to come through expansion of the tax base. As presented to the Town Council on June 18th new development in the CBD and associated state funding initiatives can offset the cost of infrastructure improvement and expansion.
As a result of the approved zoning amendment, we are beginning to see developer activity downtown - most significant was the sale in late May of the “Friendly’s Assemblage” for $2,299,900. The sale represents the highest sale per acre for vacant/abandoned properties in over a decade. The proposed redevelopment of the four parcels that make up the assemblage would include a restaurant in the former bowling alley location, the razing of the “Friendly’s” and the construction of a mixed-use project along Broad Street with street level retail/commercial/restaurant with wider sidewalks, rental apartments on the upper levels, as well as the construction of “For Sale” townhouses. It is anticipated that the demolition of the Friendly’s will occur within the next few months
There is also interest in the redevelopment of the property located at 96 Main Street. A preliminary presentation on a proposed development concept will be presented to the Planning Board at 6 PM on Wednesday June 26th. You can tune in here. Plans for new housing raises concerns from some residents regarding the impact on schools. The number of school age children in the housing being proposed downtown (townhouses and market rate apartments) actually generates significantly less school age children than the development of single family housing. The following link to a report from the American Planning Association is just one of many reports validating this point.
Planning for road and pedestrian improvements in the Central Square area are also ongoing. The Town issued a Request for Qualifications for preliminary engineering and design and expects to make a contract award to one of the three (3) exceptional engineering firms who responded by early July. This preliminary engineering work is funded by a state grant. A sidewalk improvement project on Main Street, from High Street to Union Street, is scheduled to begin in July.
Finally, I share residents’ concerns regarding water and sewer. My office has initiated a number of discussions and actions to address multiple issues. Preliminary discussions have been established with the Department of Corrections to redirect wastewater from Bridgewater State University to the Bridgewater Correctional Facility which will provide additional capacity for new development. Similarly, the Town is participating in a regional water strategy study facilitated by the Old Colony Planning Council. The Town is also in very preliminary discussions with the City of Taunton regarding the provision of water, while at the same time looking at other areas within the Town where additional wells, storage tanks and treatment plants could be constructed. All of these options are massive infrastructure projects requiring multiple streams of funding from the federal government, the Commonwealth and local funds.
It may not appear to some that progress has been made but in fact there has. We have taped two (2) editions of Let’s Talk. You can view the first episode here and the second one here. We discuss the opportunities of the cyber-security program at BSU, and also an informative discussion on the complexities of commercial real estate financing.
We will take a pause for the summer but we will be recording an episode each month moving forward and are planning for episode three to be live in early September.
And, remember, we are here so… Let’s Talk!
Wishing you and your families an enjoyable and safe summer,
Bob Rulli