The Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) on Dec. 10 set a three-meeting public process and expanded team structure to study redevelopment options for the roughly 70-acre town-owned site that committee members repeatedly called the most consequential item on this winter’s work plan. The committee agreed to hold initial brainstorming, priority-setting and program-selection meetings in January, February and March and to coordinate liaisons from the Municipal Use Committee (MUC).

Why it matters: The town’s process will determine the scope of potential development and public investment on a large parcel that includes wetlands, a pond and existing solar panels — constraints committee members said will shape what can be built. Committee members emphasized broad outreach and said they want ideas “thrown up” in a first meeting rather than starting from an assumed outcome.

Committee members described the work as a team-based effort with separate “housing,” “economic/tourism,” “recreation,” “open space/water” and “municipal social services” teams. The planning board reviewed the organizing memo and has assigned a planning-board representative to participate; the CEDC and an unnamed chamber representative are co-leads for economic/tourism work. The committee said the first meeting will be a broad brainstorming session intended to collect ideas without filtering; the second will reconcile and narrow priorities; the third will identify a preferred option and two scaled versions (an “elevated” and a “moderated” program) for further study.

On consultants and prior work: Committee members said a pre-study drafted earlier by a town consultant (referred to in the meeting as a “pre study” presented to the select board months earlier) exists but that select-board direction and community feedback led the town to restart the process with broader participation. The committee noted that town staff have posted an initial zoning and existing-conditions memo (referred to as the “Madakeas Zoning Analysis”) created by Kathy and that more detailed site planning will be contracted as the teams refine priorities.

Site details and constraints: The committee discussed on-record elements of the site: existing solar panels, multiple buildings, a pond and wetlands on at least one portion of the parcel. One committee member said the parcel is about 70 acres. Members noted site constraints will be considered in consultant scopes and in team discussions.

Schedule, liaisons and logistics: Committee members agreed to propose “last Monday” meeting dates in January, February and March and discussed 5 p.m. start times and the chamber conference room as a likely venue (with Zoom options when needed). The committee expects the MUC to assign liaisons to each team after teams submit dates; members said they will confirm attendee lists and send dates to the MUC so liaisons can be assigned.

Outstanding questions and next steps: Committee members requested clearer documentation of the earlier pre-study and asked staff to circulate the current packet and consultant scopes. They also asked staff to confirm who will serve as liaisons, the consultant selection timeline, how consultants will be funded (the memo references possible town funding or team-contracted consultants) and whether outside technical assistance (examples mentioned included Urban Land Institute-style assistance) will be used. The CEDC will finalize participant lists and meeting dates, circulate an agenda for the January brainstorming meeting and report back to the select board on the chosen schedule and liaison assignments.

Ending: The committee closed the discussion by asking members to confirm participants and dates so staff can notify the MUC and the public; no formal motions or votes were taken on program content at the Dec. 10 meeting.