While the Educational Development met on July 10 to review the status of businesses exiting or planning to move into Wayland, most of their discussion focused on developing a plan to fill the vacant buildings in town, and on the Route 20 beautification campaign.
Chair Rebecca Stanizzi stated that “a lot of different groups in town are interested in 134 West Plain St.,” including the Council on Aging, the library, and recreation department. Town Manager Michael McCall is the primary point of contact for negotiations with the broker, she said; however, the proposal would be reviewed by the new Capital Improvements Committee and approved at Town Meeting before the town can proceed with the purchase of the building.
Town Planner Robert Hummel reported that the owners of both Terrain and Dunkin are progressing in the permitting process. However, neither will sign the purchase and sale agreement until they have received all the required town approvals. Terrain still needs to apply for a liquor license. The design review board approved Dunkin’s sign, but they are still working through some issues regarding outdoor dining.
Karen Kelly agreed to contact the owner of the Bagel Table to determine why they left Town Center and to see if the EDC could assist them in finding a location with cheaper rent.
EDC Clerk Nick Zafiropoulus said that the Town Center bid process closed on July 9, but estimated that it would be 90 days before any news would be made public. Stanizzi said that she did not think that Zurich Insurance Asset Management Group, which owns Town Center, would sell unless it received an acceptable offer.
Committee members are contacting business owners to encourage them to open a location in Wayland. They are particularly interested in companies that have pre-order takeout windows. They are developing a unified marketing message, creating a list of potential businesses, and dividing the list for each member to contact. The committee determined that businesses with a drive-through would not be interested. They are targeting fast-casual healthy food restaurants that have pre-order takeout.
The EDC proposed a beautification campaign for Route 20. Members discussed the need for updated design guidelines to enhance the town’s appearance. They also talked about enforcement and zoning issues, emphasizing the need for proactive outreach to businesses. They considered rewarding businesses like Wayland Car Clinic for improvements and using social media to promote cleanup efforts.
Grant programs in other towns, such as Lowell’s $1,000 signage grants and Medford’s $5,000 facade programs, were reviewed. The committee discussed setting aside $5,000 annually for signage and other improvements, potentially funded by meals tax or town center funds.
Elections will be held and the goals for the next fiscal year will be set at the next EDC meeting.
