IV. Economic Development
A. Overview
Many people
believe that Belchertown’s growing population places a strain on residential
property owners because of Belchertown’s small non-residential tax base. Economic development may help relieve that
burden a little. Businesses tend to be
tax-paying entities that generally pay more in taxes than they require in
services, thereby yielding net tax revenue to the town. Such development though, if poorly planned,
may be in conflict with the townspeople’s desire to maintain Belchertown’s
small-town character, and could end up costing the town more in
decreased property values and increased demand for some services, such as road
maintenance and police and fire coverage.
The object
of this section of the master plan is to examine the types of economic
development that are possible and desirable given the community’s goals, and to
analyze their potential affect on the community. It seeks to find the right blend of economic growth that will
contribute to the existing tax base and enhance Belchertown’s character.
A property
that will need special consideration in the quest for suitable economic
development is the former Belchertown State School. The Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial
Corporation (EDIC) is developing detailed plans for this property.The former state school has great potential
to affect the town’s dynamics. Because
of this, and because the state school is currently zoned as general business
and light industrial, the state school has great potential as an economic
development zone which could be the center of the town’s growth, and perhaps
provide for business sites that do not contribute to sprawling
development. Development of this
property is inextricable from the economic development of Belchertown.
For successful economic development
that meets the community’s objectives, townspeople must adopt two traits:
openness to change, and patience. That
Belchertown will change is inevitable.
Much hard work and patience will be required to manage that change and
to plan for the new character of Belchertown.
Bluntly, this economic development effort will not be easy. Hard work, dedication, and input from many
people will be required.
The following policies were developed to work toward the
three overall goals for the town determined during the community vision phase
of the community plan project.
§
Support Belchertown’s traditional agriculture and forestry
industries.
§
Identify, prioritize, and plan to attract the types of
businesses compatible with Belchertown’s character and that would enhance its
tax base.
§
Encourage builders to buy and hire locally.
Goal 3: Evaluate and achieve business development that
contributes to town life, and mitigate potential negative effects.
Policies related to economic development for Goal 3:
§
Designate areas for non-polluting industrial activities where
they can be adequately served by the infrastructure systems and be buffered
from surrounding land uses.
§
Designate focal areas for shopping and service centers.
§
Specify site plan and construction standards that support Belchertown’s community characte
§
Encourage mini-center type development rather than commercial sprawl that detracts from Belchertown’s small-town character.
§ Provide the infrastructure necessary to serve the kinds of businesses Belchertown wishes to attract in the places they fit best
§
Encourage local entrepreneurial enterprises that provide the
services required by the community.
§
Promote home businesses with standards for parking, signs,
hours of operation, and other elements to avoid negative effects on the
surrounding neighborhood.
§
Encourage “eco-tourism” in a rural setting.
With over
50 square miles of land, Belchertown has the sixth largest land area of any
community in Massachusetts. This
rapidly growing community is close to both Amherst and Springfield and has
experienced extensive residential development over the last two decades. The population was 12,968 in 2000, and is
likely close to 14,000 in 2002.
Belchertown consists primarily of single-family homes that are largely
owner-occupied. Most new residents
commute to work in other towns.
Belchertown is close to four of the
major colleges comprising the region’s Five College system. These colleges include Amherst College,
Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and Mt.
Holyoke College in South Hadley. The
breadth and scope of the resources represented by these institutions add
significant potential to many economic development activities that can be
complemented by these resources.
The following is a list of some
characteristics that define Belchertown:
§
Classic New England appeal with Town Common
§
Belchertown State School
property
§
High percentage of forest land
§
6th largest land area in Massachusetts
§
Contains primary entrances for Quabbin Reservoir.
§
Proximity to Five Colleges
§
Commuting distance to Springfield and other metropolitan
areas
~25 min. to Springfield,
~50 min. to Hartford,
~55 min. to Worcester,
~1.5hrs. to Boston
~2.75 hrs. to New York.
§
Excellent public schools
§
Limited
service by the Pioneer Valley Transit
Authority’s regional bus system
§
Access to interstate highways
~10 miles from Rt. 90, ~15 miles from Rt. 91
§
Limited existing commercial/industrial development
§
Potential train access
§
Skilled work force
§
Growing demand for goods and services
The following data show Belchertown
to be growing rapidly in comparison to its neighbors; only Amherst and
Sunderland have a greater population per square mile. Belchertown is the largest geographically, and has the most
public road mileage of our area. As of
1999, Belchertown had by far the greatest number of working age people, except
for Amherst. Amherst is usually a
statistical outlier because of its very high student population. The number of jobs located in Belchertown is
believed to be far fewer than the number of working age residents, which
implies that working people must commute to jobs elsewhere. This also implies that potential new businesses
could find local residents who might well fit their labor needs.
Although more
than 10 years old, the data in the following chart show the pattern of employed
residents having to commute to work in other towns. This is likely to be consistent with 2000 census data.
Belchertown’s population of residents over age 60 is increasing. People in this group are generally regarded as the retirement age population, but may not necessarily be retired. Local jobs could provide opportunities for this group, perhaps increasing the number of home businesses and helping local merchants stay in business or expand, which in turn would maintain the character of the town.
Considering
Belchertown’s accessibility and large amount of developable land, the town’s
current business base is limited and scattered. See Current Business Parcels map.
Along Routes 9 and 21, removed from the town center: Small-scale mixed highway business,
including retail, service, and auto-related, are along these roadsides.
Along Routes 9 and 21 nearing the town center[2]: Professional offices and retail businesses are in these areas. A Super Stop & Shop now under
construction shows that larger retail ers see a sufficient
market to warrant investment. Route 21 south shows a
similar trend.
Socioeconomic
Community Comparison
|
Community |
2000 Pop |
2000 |
School |
Pop. |
1999 |
1999 |
Land
Sq Miles |
1999 |
|
Amherst |
34,874 |
33,736 |
Local |
1,259 |
17,686 |
1.5 |
27.7 |
96.09 |
|
Belchertown |
12,968 |
49,579 |
K |
247 |
6,557 |
2.6 |
52.52 |
118.85 |
|
Granby |
6,132 |
51,111 |
K |
219 |
3,200 |
2.9 |
28.01 |
56.71 |
|
Hadley |
4,793 |
93,675 |
K |
207 |
2,439 |
2.1 |
23.16 |
67.02 |
|
Hatfield |
3,249 |
89,384 |
K |
200 |
1,744 |
3.0 |
16.21 |
50.66 |
|
Monson |
8,359 |
48,960 |
K |
186 |
3,863 |
3.6 |
44.84 |
101.07 |
|
Pelham |
1,403 |
62,578 |
Local |
57 |