Ayer Road Planning Framework Project
LATEST PROJECT NEWS
NEW: Please see project informational resources below including the latest version of the Full Strategy Report, all of the two-pager handouts, and various reports that speak to the merits of this project. The RFI response files have been retained so that visitors can see the type of firm that Harvard could retain. They are also filled with example graphics of projects that were completed by respondents. . NEW Please see links to new handouts on amenities (#9) and sustainability (#10) below. |
INTRODUCTION
This page is dedicated to research and planning related to the Ayer Road commercial corridor in Harvard. This planning area extends from just north of the Route 2 interchange along Ayer Road to just south of the Town of Ayer Border. Much of this corridor is zoned Commercial (C) and currently permits a development density of 0.10 FAR or 10% of the land area in square feet. Master Plans for Harvard dating back to the 1980s have all identified this corridor as a priority development area and a number of action items have been formulated relating to the area. The Planning Board has adopted a Draft Planning Framework in 2019 (updated in 2020) for the corridor and discussions with the Select Board have been ongoing relating to adopting the Framework as official Town policy. The following tables provide key resources for the project and will be updated regularly, as appropriate. To readers, it is suggested that you begin with the Corridor Planning Framework as your first step and at the very least read the Executive Summary. See the thumbnail below entitled Full Strategy Report. For a quick summary, check out the Two-Page Summary below. The remaining thumbnail images are detailed summary reports on specific issues the Two-Page Summary touches upon.
From there, you may wish to dive into the responses to a Request for Information we conducted last year in order to gauge interest on the part of consultants to work with Harvard on this type of project. You can see these RFI responses in the table below. Initially you may wish to read the RFI document below to gauge the specific elements that were sought from RFI responses. At that point, you should be well prepared to read through the individual RFI submittals listed below.
PROJECT INFORMATION HANDOUTS
Two-Page Summary | Current Situation | The Harvard Solution | Market & Fiscal Data | Citizen Visioning |
Full Strategy Report | From Vision to Reality | The Legacy of Planning | Return on Investment | Smart Growth Approach |
Please see a variety of reports and other resources at the bottom of the page. Just below this section you will find the Request For Information (RFI) from consulting firms who would be interested in working on this project with the Town.
RFI RESPONSES
The following documents were submitted in response to the Town's Request for Information (RFI) issued on August 28, 2020 for the Ayer Road Corridor Vision Plan Project. The last entry is the actual RFI document used to solicit the responses.
Document or Link | Date | File Type/Info for Download |
DPZ Co. Design Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 12.83 MB |
Utile Design Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 14.16 MB |
Houseal Lavigne Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 54.11 MB |
McCabe & IPI Placemaking Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 0.98 MB |
Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 18.33 MB |
Smart Growth America Response | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 0.47 MB |
Stantec Team | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 11.81 MB |
Dodson & Flinker Team* | 9/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 5.48 MB |
Request for Interest (RFI) | 8/28/2020 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 0.45 MB |
* Dodson & Flinker Team example projects portfolio have not been uploaded due to the number and size of files. Please contact Chris Ryan at cryan@harvard-ma.gov to arrange an alternative means of obtaining these files.
GENERAL RESOURCES
Document or Link | Date | File Type/Info for Download |
Ayer Road Corridor Planning Framework (v.8.3) | 2022 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 1.21 MB |
Final Economic Development Analysis Team (EDAT) Report | 2010 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 3.26 MB |
Fiscal Impact Action Team (FIAT) Report | 2009 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 372 KB |
2016 Master Plan Chapter 5 - Harvard's Economy | 2017 | Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 997 KB |
2016 Harvard Master Plan (includes chapters on Economic Development, Land Use, Transportation, and more related to corridor. | 2017 | Click for Link |
Form-Based Codes Resource Page | 2019 | Click for Link |
2002 Master Plan | 2002 | Click for Link |