A Plan for Public Lands in Millis, Massachusetts

A Plan for Public Lands in Millis, MassachusettsMillis, Massachusetts, has a long history of acquiring parcels of land. Today, the Town owns a large array of properties ranging from undeveloped wetlands to beloved historic buildings. This report presents three frameworks to guide the Towns land use decision making process. The first framework identifies features of conservation value on the parcels and investigates how they fit into the broader ecological landscape of the town and region. The

Millis, Massachusetts, has a long history of acquiring parcels of land. Today, the Town owns a large array of properties ranging from undeveloped wetlands to beloved historic buildings. This report presents three frameworks to guide the TownÕs land use decision-making process. The first framework identifies features of conservation value on the parcels and investigates how they fit into the broader ecological landscape of the town and region. The second framework analyzes the parcelsÕ suitability for Town-directed development. The third framework, a synthesis of the first two, identifies where both conservation and Town development potential are low, indicating that the greatest benefit may come from selling the parcel. Broadly, these frameworks are designed to help Millis make informed decisions about how and where to prioritize conservation or development throughout the town.

Prepared for the Millis Conservation Commission.