It’s either the fulfillment of a dream or the embodiment of a nightmare: the new majority on the Board of Selectmen issued a clear statement Tuesday that they want to keep Harvard’s pre–Fort Devens land and do not want Devens to become its own town. Both statements were hedged a bit. Keeping the land depends on the results of yet-to-be-done studies and the position on Devens as its own town is “at this time.”

People who support the selectmen’s majority ruling do not want to give up land—a nonrenewable resource—with its opportunities for new business, increased tax revenue, space for new schools, affordable housing, and more recreation areas.

People opposed to the position fear the growing pains that they foresee if Devens becomes part of Harvard again: the loss of small-town character—town meetings, volunteer-run boards, small schools, volunteer fire and ambulance services.

It’s too early to say if this decision will be in Harvard’s best interest, but there’s no question that all the stakeholders now know where Harvard officially stands on the Devens question.