A Plan for the Future

 

Lease on the Land

 

By Taryn Plumb

Turley Publications Correspondent

 

Fourth in a series of reports about Brookfield’s future.

 

BROOKFIELD – There might be 10 years already invested in the hurly burly, technologically-driven 21^st century, but Brookfield, in many ways, retains the character of an old New England village. “Brookfield’s location, at the fringe of the Worcester metropolitan area, left it relatively unchanged by the outward spread of suburbanization,” contends a draft version of the town's master plan, now in progress.

So when it comes to zoning and use of the land, the goal, for the most part, should be to maintain the status quo, the planning document urges.

This is in keeping with residents' wishes: When asked in a 2008 survey what they liked most about the town, the majority of respondents identified Brookfield’s “small town character” and “open spaces.” Sixty-nine percent also attached a high priority to preserving historic landscapes.

Therefore, the master plan states, the goal over the next 20 or so years should be to direct growth to the town center.

Much of it is there already. As the plan indicates, the center of town contains the principle concentration of Brookfield's population and services, supported by a public water system. The area represents a mix of single and multi-family homes, duplexes, and commercial space (with residential and commercial enterprises sometimes married in the same building).

As the master plan points out, the center is “very pedestrian friendly,” due to continuous efforts to improve older sidewalks and provide new sidewalks.

But downtown business is less than bustling: Commercial activity comprises just 0.4 percent of the town's land use, while industrial uses make up just 0.1 percent, according to the master plan. Many of these, the document indicates, have limited floor space, little room for expansion, and tend to offer discount merchandise to match modest incomes.

Residents, though, would like to see a greater variety of commerce blended with a small-town feel: When asked in the 2008 survey which services they preferred, respondents noted small retail and convenience stores, professional services, restaurants, and banks. Conversely, many said they did not want to encourage fast food restaurants or large retail stores shopping centers.

Taking this into account, the town might consider rezoning sections of downtown to provide more land for small-scale commercial services, the master plan suggests.

There is also room for aesthetic improvement: Because there are very few design standards to govern commercial development in Brookfield, the appearance of many businesses is “auto-dominated,” with few amenities to break up the expanse of utilities and pavement, the master plan notes.

However, few businesses “intrude” on the “tranquility” of the town common, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. To maintain this, one suggestion in the planning document is to create a local historic district; this entity could work with property owners to prevent “inappropriate changes” to buildings and ensure the “continuation of the historic integrity of the common for future generations.”

Meanwhile, the town's natural integrity has been protected by large expanses of open space.

More than 25 percent of Brookfield is unbuildable due to water constraints (encompassing open water, as well as forested and non-forested wetlands). This allows for an “unfragmented habitat for wildlife,” the master plan explains, and also naturally restricts development.

Along with wide-sweeping waterways are dense forests: More than 50 percent (or roughly 5,650 acres) of the town is under forest cover. By contrast, though, only about seven percent of the town is in agricultural use.

Over the years, this bevy of natural characteristics have kept growth at bay: Brookfield has averaged ten or fewer building permits (for new units) a year in 22 of the past 23 years.

The high point was 1992, when new permits totaled 15. In recent years, there have been just two residential subdivisions approved by the planning board: Molasses Hill Village, with 17 lots, and Clear Creek Estates, with six lots.

Considering all this, a zoning bylaw limiting new building permits is not needed, the master plan urges. Right now, the town has five zoning districts with minimum lot sizes ranging from one-eighth of an acre to 1.6 acres.

But there is room for managed growth.

According to the master plan, about 1,900 acres of undeveloped land – on 272 parcels – remain for residential purposes. Another boost is infrastructure improvements, including ongoing replacement of cast iron water mains throughout the downtown area. Should the water system eventually be expanded across the Quaboag River, it would eliminate the need for large minimum lot sizes to separate on-site wells and septic systems, thus enabling more compact development.

A sewer, meanwhile, seems unfeasible, due to the high costs of constructing sewers lines and treatment plants, the master plan notes. Thus, it suggests the town rely on existing septic systems for the foreseeable future; this will keep land use patterns and development steered on the same path they've been traveling.

All told, “It is unlikely that Brookfield will witness significant housing growth in the coming decades,” the master plan states, “given its location, limited amount of available land, lack of major employers to stimulate demand, and difficult topographic constraints.”