Billerica Opens First of Three Forums to Update Expiring Open Space Plan

BILLERICA — December 6, 2023 — Billerica launches three-part public forum to overhaul its expiring Open Space and Recreation Plan. Select Board member and Open Space and Recreation Committee Chair Michael Roser opened the December 6 forum at Town Hall, the first of three sessions scheduled through March 20, explaining that the town's current plan is expiring and must be replaced to maintain eligibility for state conservation and recreation grants. Consultants Eli Block and Peter Flinker of Dodson and Flinker reported that 18 percent of Billerica's land area is open space, with 10 percent — roughly 1,700 acres — permanently protected, while 640 acres of privately held undeveloped land carries no legal protection. Flinker cautioned that towns too often wait until land is already in the Planning Board pipeline before acting: "It's often like, oh my goodness, this land suddenly is coming up for development, it's halfway through the Planning Board process, and then there's a big movement to protect it somehow." Population projections from the Donahue Institute at UMass show Billerica's numbers staying flat through 2050, with the 65-and-older cohort growing, raising questions about what recreation infrastructure an aging population will need. The next forum is set for January 17.