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.

History
The organization's original purpose was to petition Harvard Town Boards to become involved in the Towermarc development in Boxborough at Harvard's southeastern border. With these two towns in different state planning systems, there had been no communication about this 900,000 square foot office park development. The impact might produce 11,000 cars per day threatening all feeder roads including Harvard's Scenic Roads which were proposed to be straightened.

Harvard's Planning Board assumed leadership in this and along with CPRH, has participated in years of meetings, numerous Massachusetts Environmental Reviews and legal activities. As a result, a second access road was built onto Littleton County Road; additional property was acquired, some in Harvard; the original office park size has been reduced and a buffer development of a Jack Nicholas golf course is proposed. There is still a Memorandum of Understanding regarding rezoning of one parcel on Littleton County Road, which is annually renewed. From the earlier annoyance that Harvard might be interested, Boxborough and Harvard have reached an understanding that this size development has regional significance and deserves joint planning with the developer.

Our next major effort was to examine the state's proposal to site the Second Major Airport on Devens without a definitive study to examine its need. This effort reached beyond Harvard to involve other communities in a larger organization called Advocates for a Strong Economy with Responsible Transportation. Our "Stop the Airport" bumper stickers and sweatshirts appeared at all the meetings of the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission while the controversy was raging. Finally a new Arthur D. Little Study agreed that there were alternatives to such an enormous airport including what we had suggested--faster rail service.

We have also been concerned about the view from Fruitlands Museum as the Shirley MCI prison and the Devens Federal Prison were being planned. They have been successfully designed, but Shirley's light is still an intrusion in the night sky.

Conservation has been a concern demonstrated by the efforts along with other organizations to expand the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge at Devens; to protest the proposed asphalt plant at Lancaster; the proposed sludge plant at Devens; and the Guilford auto parking lot in Ayer on the aquifer. We shall continue to look for threats to the water supply in Devens landfill cleanup and in the Devens housing.