To all our Members and Friends,                                                                        February 2004

Our purpose is to protect Harvard residents from the negative impact of unreasonable development in surrounding towns. This is an active engagement to retain Harvard's residential character and maintain the quality of life that makes Harvard an attractive place to live. Promotional efforts in past years include; opposition to Massachusetts Second Major Airport; improving the view from Prospect Hill of the Shirley MCI Maximum Security Facility; elimination of the proposed sludge plant at Devens; expansion of the National Oxbow Wildlife Refuge; extension of a buffer zone between residential Harvard and warehouses at Devens and more extensive Superfund cleanup at Devens.

The end of 2002 saw the settlement of a lawsuit undertaken by CPRH, the Towns of Harvard and Littleton against Cisco to control the amount of traffic of their second access on Littleton County Road. Details of the settlement included installing card-controlled gates and monitoring excessive traffic through them. The gate is in use, but few employees seem to need this gate. But Cisco has not completed its building program so we cannot predict the future usage.

Participation of residents in this more than fourteen-year contention with Towrmarc/Cisco over the builder's rights to develop versus citizens' rights to protect landscape and traffic was not unique. All over the nation, builders and citizens wage similar efforts over land usage. Communities with forward thinking professional planners are attempting in Massachusetts to use their Master Plans for appropriate citizen-driven development. Still, there is no way for two communities to settle their differences except by legal means because there is insufficient regional planning.

Recently, the professional planner/developer of Cisco called me to inquire why there had been so many years of opposition to one of the foremost high-tech companies and its clean, professional buildings that he judged were far superior to the potential for the previously industrially zoned land. It did not make sense to him that Harvard residents did not applaud the fact that Boxborough got tax relief and Harvard would no longer see 250 acres of adjacent open land. Further, Harvard had rejected his offer to straighten its rural scenic road with removal of stone walls and old trees to carry his 3000 commuters more quickly. Development of the Cisco property has now attracted two 40B developments to adjacent lands. And so ithe land goes.

CPRH has become a member of Freedom's Way Heritage Association because we believe in their goal of working to preserve landscape and open space in its forty-two towns by promoting regional planning.

Currently, CPRH is seeking ways to assist the citizens of Depot Road area near the Route 2 rest stop slated eventually by the Mass Highway Dept for a twenty-four hour restaurant/gas station/convenience store.

For the Board: Bruce Blain, Peter Keegan, Carol Lodi, Ken Miller, Ruth Miller, Robert Pantedosi, Chris Schnier, David Westerling, Mildred Chandler, President.

ANNUAL MEETING - Tuesday, March 16, at 7:30 in Fellowship Building. Join us for a discussion on "Dealing with Developers"/

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL . At this time we need your membership renewal and we need some extra funds to build our depleted Legal Fund. Annual membership dues are $25 per family. We are a non-profit, tax-deductible corporation. This is all about your town and its future.