Great things are happening in Wayland.  This past March a state of the art town pool opened for business.  This coming January all eyes will be on the new high school when it opens its doors.  And, if you haven’t noticed, there is, at last, activity on the Town Center site.

 

Starting in August, Twenty Wayland LLC, the developer of Town Center, began interior salvage of the old Raytheon building.  The demolition continues. Work has also begun on installing utilities, building the access road, and preparing the site for this retail project. A traffic signal at Routes 126 and 27, and additional turn lanes at the intersection of Routes 20 and 27, will become operational in 2012. It is expected that retail shops will be open for business in September 2012. Stop n’ Shop’s doors are expected to be open in November 2012.   

 

The Town Center project gathered the support of over 80% of those attending Town Meeting in 2006.  This was one of Wayland’s best attended Town Meetings. Moreover, super-majorities at two latter town meetings voted to modify the original zoning.  Since then, the developer has received all necessary permits to start constuction, bringing all unexpected delays to an end.

 

Only four percent of Wayland's land is zoned for commercial use. Of that four percent, Town Center accounts for one and one half percent.  As residents gather for a Special Town Meeting on November 17^th to responsibly deal with the town’s tax rate, it is understood that an increase in commercial tax receipts will eventually result in lower residential taxes.  When complete in fiscal year 2015 or 2016, commercial taxes from Town Center will generate over $500,000 in new taxes per year. This will be a welcome increase to our town’s revenues and help decrease the tax burden on residents. Responsible expansion of our commercial tax base is critical to our town’s future.

 

The Board of Selectmen has worked hard to meet the many hurdles that potentially prevented the Town Center site demolition we see today.  We would like to thank all the many current and former volunteers who have served on town Boards and committees during the permitting process these past five years. This journey has been full of spirited debate, long nights, and reluctant compromise. But, that is how our town government works – and it does work.

 

When complete, Town Center promises to be one of the premier, mixed-use facilities in the Commonwealth.  Our town’s quality of life will be enhanced. The Town Center will be something we can be proud of.

 

We have already seen the construction of attractive condominium town houses by a separate developer, Wayland Commons, on the property by Town Center’s Route 27 entrance. At Town Center itself, boutique retail shops, restaurants, affordable housing, condominiums, office space, and Stop n’ Shop will soon be built.  These buildings will be characterized by decorative awnings, various storefront styles and second-story living space.  The centerpiece of the property will be a large town green where children can play, adults can stroll, and concerts and other gatherings can occur.  Finally, the town will benefit from a new municipal building, which could be used perhaps for a new senior center and/or library.   All of this will be tied together with the Historic District through new sidewalks, a bicycle and walking path, interpretative signage, and amenities. 

 

While all this goes on, please expect traffic delays, especially in the Historic District area this fall and spring, as roads are widened, sidewalks are built and the traffic light is installed. Again, the Historic District traffic light is expected to become fully operational in 2012. Be assured, resident Woody Baston will provide helpful, written updates as he did a few years ago during Historic District construction.

 

Town Center will truly have a huge, positive impact on Wayland.  Stay tuned; we will provide periodic updates as the project proceeds.