Grafton Landowner Information

Grafton will grow because of:

• The new commuter rail station in North Grafton.
• CenTech Park, a 121-acre industrial park near Tufts Vet School.
• Proximity to Mass Turnpike interchange 11.
• The near-complete development of neighboring Westborough.

The animated map below shows areas where severe development pressure will exist from now through 2020. This map was prepared by the Central Mass. Regional Planning Commission, using a computer simulation of 12 factors, including proximity to highway interchanges, town services, travel time to Worcester, land slope, etc. The keystone-shaped town, slightly above center, is Grafton.

This map shows that, as Westborough and Shrewsbury fill up, the development pressure rapidly shifts to Grafton. A wide path along every major access road is targeted for development.

So, What's the Problem?

Some of the more visible problems of unplanned growth may be seen in our neighboring towns. Traffic congestion, overtaxing utilities and municipal services, and pressure on the school system are all symptoms of failure to plan, or failure to act.

There are economic problems, too. Like taxes. Lots of them. The American Farmland Trust studied the Costs of Community Services in three Massachusetts towns, and found that open space land costs an average of only 33 cents per dollar of tax revenue it generates. Once developed, the same land drains $1.12 for every dollar of tax revenue.

This movement from a net surplus to a net deficit will inevitably put pressure on the town to increase taxes. Now, some say that more expensive houses will reverse this equation - experience shows, however, that more expensive homes bring more expensive tastes for town services.

Westborough, for example, would seem to have all the advantages. They have high housing values, averaging $215,000. They have fully ONE THIRD of their tax revenues supplied by commercial and industrial property (vs. Grafton's one-tenth). Yet still, their tax rate is $1.63 higher than ours today. What would Grafton's tax rate be with similar growth?

Then, there's the quality of life. Many things (besides traffic) change as a town grows - fields disappear, landscapes change, and often what used to be neighborhoods merge into a suburban sprawl. Something of value is lost.

Common Ground

Planning growth can become a divisive and rancorous issue. But it doesn't have to be -- there is more common ground among us than you might think. Everyone wants to live in a pleasant town with good schools, effective town services, and a stable budget.

How many Grafton residents think...

• Our biggest problem is "too many trees."
• What we really need is a good daily traffic jam.
• Our tax rate is far too low today.

Probably not many. So, can we develop a common vision of Grafton for twenty years from now -- for us, our children and grandchildren? And then, commit to the work required to make that vision a reality?