NORTHBOROUGH – Is Northborough open for business?
The town’s economic health and goals for future growth were front and center during a joint meeting of the Select Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals along with town staff and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) on Dec. 11.
The goal of the meeting was to have the three boards come to a consensus on their economic development priorities for staff to implement.
CMRPC distributed a survey to the Select Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals; 16 people responded. Forty-nine percent of the respondents rated Northborough’s economic health as fair, while 32% said it was good and 19% said it was poor. Further, 75% said there were barriers preventing local businesses from expanding or attracting new businesses to town; the remaining 25% said they were not sure.
The top three industries that the respondents said were most needed in town to promote economic growth included hospitality/restaurants, entertainment and retail.
According to the presentation, there are 826 businesses in Northborough, with the top employers including Wegmans, Algonquin Regional High School, Aspen Aerogels, Bigelow Nurseries, Boston Group, Home Instead, Kohl’s, Lexus of Northborough, St. Gobain and Walmart.
CMRPC Director of Economic Development Kerrie Salwa said there have been “pockets” of development in town over the past decade. She noted sites of interest in downtown that were identified in the Master Plan and Downtown Revitalization Plan, such as the fire stations, White Cliffs and 4 West Main St.
Business friendliness
Over the nearly two-hour meeting, board members weighed the pros and cons of whether creating an economic development committee or hiring a coordinator should be tackled first. Others discussed specific businesses that should specific businesses that should be approached to come to town along with Northborough’s walkability and the creation of an economic development plan.
Conservation Commission member and commercial real estate attorney Todd Helwig said he tells people who want to do business in Northborough not to bother.
“It is a lot of money to hire lawyers and surveyors and wetlands consultants and everybody else to come to prepare the plans to come, and it’s pretty much the case you’re going to get ‘no.’ Or worse, you’re going to file the application, and you’re going to get strung along for months, hearing after hearing after hearing and then you’re denied,” said Helwig. “The word is out there — do not come here. Go to Marlborough, because there are other places where it is much easier to get it done and your investment will work.”
Helwig noted denials, including of the STERIS and Gutierrez projects.
If an economic coordinator is hired to bring businesses to Northborough, Helwig said they will not come “until there is a philosophical change amongst some of the boards.” He also called to stop “tinkering” with the zoning bylaws as certainty is needed to plan.
Planning Board member Amy Poretsky said the board has denied two things since she has been elected.
“I don’t see why it has to be so negative,” she said, noting that the board approved a warehouse expansion on Bearfoot Road along with a contractor’s yard. “…The majority of the things that come in front of us are a ‘yes.’ ”
In terms of moving forward, Salwa said an economic development plan could be a start. The town could stack resources and utilize grant funding. She also said it would be helpful if the boards were on the same page in regards to underutilized properties.
“I think being open for business is the first step. If there’s a negative connotation to doing business in Northborough, that’s definitely not going to be helpful,” said Salwa.
Other board members said they have heard anecdotally that it is not easy to do business or develop in Northborough. Select Board Chair Mitch Cohen suggested creating a Venn diagram of businesses Northborough is willing to have and businesses that the town could potentially have. An economic development committee or coordinator could help with the marketing, he said.
The boards agreed to have Salwa approach corporate real estate agents to gauge why the reputation exists. As the town continues to work with CMRPC on the next steps, the members also were surveyed again on their top priorities.
