MassDevelopment CEO Marty Jones (Courtesy photo)

MassDevelopment CEO Marty Jones offered to answer questions about her agency's support for a developer's plans to convert former military housing in Devens to affordable rental apartments, but most local residents who spoke at the community meeting last Wednesday in Devens used their allotted three minutes to speak in support of or against the proposal.

The quasi-state agency MassDevelopment and developer Trinity Financial are trying to gain support for a plan to refurbish the now-vacant former military housing in four buildings at Vicksburg Square in Devens into 246 rental apartments, 80 percent of which would be income-restricted affordable housing. A fifth building, an old theater, would become the new home of the Fort Devens Museum.

Before the project can go forward, town meetings in the three towns that contain the former army base, Harvard, Ayer, and Shirley, must vote to approve changes to the Devens Bylaws and the Devens Reuse Plan. While there are plenty of supporters in each town, opposition, including from town officials, has been strong.

Last Wednesday night, several speakers called for the state to settle the long-term disposition of Devens before making changes to the reuse plan and bylaws.

Ayer Selectman Jim Fay (Courtesy photo)

"If we make changes for everybody that comes down the road, what's going to be left?" said Brian Muldoon, chairman of the Ayer Finance Committee, which has officially recommended a vote against the proposal. "In the mid-90s, when they put Chapter 498 [the state general law that established the Devens zone] together, they had a plan. I say we stick with the plan."

Ayer Selectman Jim Fay supports the Vicksburg Square proposal, but, he said, "If this doesn't pass, then I would be strongly in favor of changing 498. If you can't get three towns to agree on anything, you've got to change the rules."

MassDevelopment is currently responsible for the Devens zone, the only unincorporated community in Massachusetts, it says, and will be until 2033, Jones said. Right now, the agency is "still in development mode" on the former army base.

"Our charge by the legislature was to redevelop this place, and we're committed to doing it," Jones said.

So far, she said, about 4 million square feet of commercial, residential, and industrial space has been redeveloped, with about the same amount left to go.

In December, MassDevelopment released a memo responding to questions that had arisen about Vicksburg Square during the past several months of outreach by MassDevelopment and Trinity to town boards and community members. During the meeting last Wednesday, few questions emerged that MassDevelopment hadn't already addressed in that memo or that Trinity hasn't answered in a series of public forums in the three towns and Devens.

Ayer Selectman Frank Maxant (Courtesy photo)

Among the questions that were asked, Harvard Selectman Tim Clark wanted to know how confident MassDevelopment was about receiving state tax credits, a key component for funding Vicksburg Square, and if it was concerned about taking away tax credits from other, perhaps more-deserving projects.

"There are many disadvantaged projects throughout the state, public housing conditions anyone would consider substandard," Clark said. "How can MassDevelopment support a project that would siphon away funds from other projects that are in greater need?"

Jones responded that the state has several priorities, and one of those is to increase the supply of housing.

"I'm confident [Vicksburg Square] is a quality proposal and it has a chance to go forward," she said.

Ayer Selectman Frank Maxant asked if Jones could provide an example of a development similar to the Vicksburg Square plan, "where an urban-style project is proposed for a rural setting."

Jones said she couldn't provide a "one-for-one" comparison, as most developments use new buildings, not existing ones.

Trinity president James Keefe said that, though the theme of an urban development in a rural area keeps coming up, it doesn't really apply to this situation.

"I know that this is a rural area, but it is a rural area that has 4 million square feet of commercial and industrial space nearby," Keefe said, noting that the site is close to two hotels and is within walking distance of shopping districts in Devens and downtown Ayer. "This is not in Central Vermont."

Harvard resident and Devens Economic Analysis Team member Paul Green asked what amenities Vicksburg Square would have for families with children. Currently, Green said, Devens is "basically an industrial development with a number of houses in it. So it's largely an adult community." He said, "The character of Devens is going to change when families come here. What are you going to do about it?"

Keefe said Vicksburg Square, near playing fields and a lake, would be a "kid heaven."

"I can't imagine a place that more kid friendly than Vicksburg Square," he said.

Laurie Nehring, an Ayer resident, asked if Vicksburg Square could be developed in phases, "so we're not set in stone with all these units indulging on the market so suddenly."

Keefe said the he plan is to build in phases. The company will see how the first phase works before moving on to the next phase, he said. However, said Keefe, "Our institutional investors will want to have the confidence to know that all of these buildings are going to be done over a reasonable period of time."

Trinity and MassDevelopment are eyeing a "super town meeting" in March. Trinity has said it will not pursue development on the property further if the vote fails. MassDevelopment, in its December memo, said if the vote fails, it will "reassess the physical condition of the buildings and make a determination on next steps. The Devens Department of Public Works will continue to repair broken windows and address vandalism issues as they arise."

Read the MassDevelopment memorandum responding
to Vicksburg Square questions and comments.