NAIOP PARTNERS WITH THE I-495 CORRIDOR INITIATIVE
NAIOP is proud to be a major supporter and participant in the I-495 Technology Corridor Initiative. As the Co-chair of the Initiative’s Board of Directors along side Julio Renzi, Town of Franklin, we believe that through a true private/public partnership as this, creative solutions to the region’s challenges can be successfully addressed.
In the late 1990s, concern about a rapid growth in population and rapid development of technology-oriented businesses spawned a regional conversation about the I-495 corridor. In response to concern of the growth, municipal officials, business leaders, environmentalist, and the media began a dialogue with area legislators around immediate and long-term solutions for the future of the corridor. The Initiative brings together businesses, residents, local officials, real estate developers, the media and environmental groups in a regional dialogue to address the related challenges of growth, business competitiveness and the retention of the regional quality of life along the I-495 Corridor. This effort has evolved into a diverse organization that provides regional stakeholders a forum through which regional challenges and shared solutions are created. Today the Initiative is thriving due to continued efforts of Federal and State Legislators, business members as well as large amounts of participation and effort by the local officials, environmental stakeholders and the media. Collectively, the Initiative recognizes that the quality of life in the region has helped attract businesses and residents and one of primary goals is to preserve that quality of life.
Over the past five years the I-495 Initiative has operated under the shared partnership of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. These two parent organizations, while establishing their unique collaboration, have provided the staff and resources to sustain this Initiative.
Task Forces
Under the advise of the Board of Directors, task forces are comprised of volunteer stakeholders and staff from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. After many joint conversations between public and private entities, three critical areas of concern were identified. Three years ago, the Initiative identified transportation, water and sewer, and permitting as the critical areas of concern regarding regional growth, necessary infrastructure, and continual quality of life.
TRANSPORTATION
This task force examines transportation concerns in the region. Staffed by a transportation expert in the metropolitan region, the task force has identified needs in the region and has begun to move forward with a few of the recommendations. With a never-ending supply of concerns, this task force is looking at a number of issues and projects:
· The Governor has commissioned a study on behalf of the I-495 Initiative to look at the feasibility of an RTA with MetroWest at the core and expanding along the I-495 Corridor
· The I-495 Initiative obtained federal funding for planning, research and implementation on a project designed to analyze the impacts of alternative development patterns and designs in the I-495 Corridor (13 communities in the corridor have been chosen for this study.)
· The task force also serves as a regional forum for other groups working on transportation issues.
PERMITTING
This task force evolved into a “think tank” for ideas to improve the relationship between municipalities/local decision-making and developers. These ideas have resulted in real results:
· The Initiative helped develop the I-495 Institute for Local Officials, designed to offer workshops for local officials and interested participants on topics of concern to developers, elected and appointed officials, and business participants. The I-495 Institute has held twelve highly attended workshops on the topics ranging from Geographic Information Systems to Legal Issues for Local Officials.
· The Initiative has lobbied municipal chief elected officials to support a set amount of hours (10) that should be necessary for municipal board training to strengthen board education.
· The Initiative has partnered with NAIOP to form an E-permitting Advisory Group to work with “Mass.Gov” to create an e-governance pilot for the I-495 Corridor Region for development permitting.
WATER AND SEWER
This task force brings together environmentalist, business leaders, and municipal officials in an attempt to find mutual solutions to water resources issues in the I-495 Corridor.
After examining the trends in water and wastewater management, the task force noticed a paradigm shift as the reliance of centralized treatment plans and small septic systems gave way to basin management, total water management and the notion of keeping water local. Based on this assumption, in early 2001, recommendations were made along the lines of advocacy, innovative financing, technical assistance and collaborative approaches. One of the outcomes of these suggestions was a “Regional Water Summit.” In the winter of 2001, the Initiative hosted a highly attended water and wastewater management summit with the close cooperation of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
The I-495 Initiative has spent the past five years examining the constraints, policies, and needs of the region. In this process we have created an identity for the region. The I-495 Initiative has been successful attracting the attention of policy makers to the needs of the Corridor.
The challenge ahead lies within the successful implementation of the shared solutions identified within the region for the region.
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