Investigative Report
The Politics of the Bidwell Forest, Part II
or
This Will Bring Jobs to Town!
Copyright 2018 by David W Runyan II
Other Investigative Reports by David W. Runyan II
Introduction
***UPDATE 6/20/23*** The town's attempt to get a highway ramp on South Athol Road has failed so they have abandoned their industrial park dreams for the Bidwell Forest and are turning their attention to making it a housing subdivision, which still violates what we were told, "land bank for future municipal usage" . . . private homes don't constitute municipal usage.
In Bidwell Part I, we learned how town officials used the political trick, “It's For The Kids” to manipulate voters into approving the Bidwell purchase.
Lastly, we'll learn why political efforts to create jobs can best be described as premeditated failure.
The report concludes with my personal plan for the Bidwell Forest which is sure to surprise and thrill . . . but no peeking . . . read the report first. 😊
Bidwell Part I and the South Athol Ramp reports are foundations for this report so you may want to start there if you haven't already done so.
When attempting to purchase the Bidwell Forest in 2009, town officials repeatedly told voters that the purpose was a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, a fire station, recreation and in small print, “other uses”.
Bidwell Part I presents various official statements to that effect. Athol Daily News Reporter, Brian Gelinas summarizes nicely as follows on June 9, 2009, page 1: “Once purchased, the property, located to the east of South Athol Road at Partridgeville Road, will be land banked for future use by the town. Possible uses include, among others, being the site of a new high school or elementary school complex, the location of a new fire station, the site of new community ball fields, or a combination of uses.”
But now town officials are planning a completely different use for the Bidwell Forest. The new idea is “economic development”. No mention of schools, ball fields, recreation or a fire station. Gone are all those wonderful things for the kids.
Who knows - maybe that will happen.
But since they're getting ready to butter up the voters with the promise of jobs let's discover the truth about government sponsored job creation programs.
Premeditated Failure
North Quabbin Commons
After 12 years, no industry came, so the idea of an industrial park was abandoned and the parcel became a shopping mall instead. While it's wonderful to have a new mall in town, it's not the industrial park originally promised providing full time jobs with good pay and benefits.
A fair question for town officials then is this: “What's different this time around? Why would the Bidwell Forest create jobs when North Quabbin Commons could not?
Randall Pond Industrial Park
Our next example is the Randall Pond Industrial Park which was a project of the Orange EDIC. This park was established in the year 2000 and the people of Orange were told the same thing; that it would attract new business and create good paying jobs for local people.
But after 18 years and about a million taxpayer dollars, Randall Pond has created a total of zero new jobs. Interface Precision Benchworks, Dean's Beans and Echo Industries were already doing business in Orange and simply traded up to shiny new facilities at taxpayer expense. They added no new jobs as a result of the move. Furthermore, Interface Precision Benchworks is a sheltered workshop which hires disabled people exclusively; not the general public. The park still has two vacant buildings. So much for bringing jobs to town.
Randall Pond was such a colossal failure that the town found it necessary to delete the jobs creation requirement. Is that pathetic or what!
In addition to “It's For the Kids!” and “This Will Bring Jobs to Town!”, politicians have another battle cry they use to sway voters into approving their ill-conceived plans:
The Orange Industrial Park is a privately owned park which was built in the 1980s. It started out successful with all lots occupied and providing full time employment with benefits for about 600 people.
Since then, all of the original tenants have either gone out of business or moved, taking the jobs with them. The lone employer is MBW which employees about 125 and seasonally spikes to around 200 using temps.
The vacated buildings in this park have been converted to warehouse space which employs essentially no one.
While this park is not a government sponsored park, it demonstrates clearly that businesses are not exactly beating down the doors of the existing industrial parks in our area.
Furthermore, the nation has never recovered from the decimation of the manufacturing sector as a result of the GATT free trade agreement.
A fair question for town officials then is this: “What's different this time around? Why would the Bidwell Forest create jobs when Orange Industrial Park can not?”
It appears conclusive, that like its predecessors, an industrial park at Bidwell Forest would create zero jobs.
So when town officials ask voters to change the zoning for South Athol Road and to approve an economic development plan for the Bidwell Forest, maybe it's a good idea to ask some hard questions such as:
We already have 3 failed industrial parks. Why would this one be successful?
Where's the list of companies contractually obligated to the park and to providing full time jobs with benefits for local people?
Any industrial park at the Bidwell Forest will almost certainly result in one of the following:
1 - It will fail to attract business and become another strip mall as happened at Market Basket Plaza.
2 - It will fail to attract business and become a place where companies already doing business in Athol can trade up to shiny new places at taxpayer expense as happened over at Randall Pond.
3 - It will attract no business and be converted into 100 acres of trucking warehouses which employ no one as happened over at the Orange Industrial Park.
4 - The town will convert it into a 100-acre solar field as they are now trying to do at the former town landfill, or it might become the site of a new state or federal prison, or perhaps a 100-acre marijuana farm.
Perhaps it might be more intelligent to consider other options for the Bidwell Forest and I have an idea I'd like to share. 😊
The Mr. David Plan for the Bidwell Forest
Section “A” permanently reserved for a fire station should one be needed in that part of town.
Section “B” permanently reserved as the Rabbit Run local historical walking trail.
Section “C” reserved for the new high school and/or ball fields if and when they are needed. Until then, the trails in section "C" can be used as a year round outdoor park for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding with snowmobiles and cross country skiing permitted during winter.
There's a helluva nice hill on that property which levels out broadly at the base so section “D” inside section “C” can be used as a sledding course in winter and a zip line course in other seasons until the new high school and/or ball fields are needed.
Under my plan the Bidwell Forest would be used for precisely what town officials told us it would be used for: a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, a fire station and until those needs arise the parcel would be a year-round outdoor recreation area.
That concludes Part II. In Part III we'll learn about why town officials want to industrialize South Athol and the reasons will surprise you. I'll also present my theories on collusion and corruption and predict the outcomes of any economic development in South Athol.
Other Investigative Reports by David W. Runyan II
In this report we'll learn how town officials are now planning to use another political trick, "This Will Bring Jobs to Town" to help perpetrate a bait & switch use of the Bidwell Forest.
Lastly, we'll learn why political efforts to create jobs can best be described as premeditated failure.
The report concludes with my personal plan for the Bidwell Forest which is sure to surprise and thrill . . . but no peeking . . . read the report first. 😊
Bidwell Part I and the South Athol Ramp reports are foundations for this report so you may want to start there if you haven't already done so.
A Little Background
When attempting to purchase the Bidwell Forest in 2009, town officials repeatedly told voters that the purpose was a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, a fire station, recreation and in small print, “other uses”.
Bidwell Part I presents various official statements to that effect. Athol Daily News Reporter, Brian Gelinas summarizes nicely as follows on June 9, 2009, page 1: “Once purchased, the property, located to the east of South Athol Road at Partridgeville Road, will be land banked for future use by the town. Possible uses include, among others, being the site of a new high school or elementary school complex, the location of a new fire station, the site of new community ball fields, or a combination of uses.”
But now town officials are planning a completely different use for the Bidwell Forest. The new idea is “economic development”. No mention of schools, ball fields, recreation or a fire station. Gone are all those wonderful things for the kids.
The Grand Plan
Link : Sustainability Plan
from town of athol website, town manager communique
It's important to notice the town manager's words circled in red above. Town officials are not limiting their industrial plans to the Bidwell Forest but extending them to South Athol Road in general and linking both to an interchange on Route 2 at South Athol Road. See the Ramp Report for details about the interchange.
It's also important to remember that town manager, David Ames, when discussing future plans for the Bidwell Forest, made the following statement in the Athol Daily News, May 20, 2009, page 1: “The potential future use is up to the town's voters.”
So the people of Athol, in theory anyway, and assuming they register to vote and show up at town meetings, have the power to accept or reject the bait & switch.
But politicians are cunning. They bypass voters with tricks such as getting the planning and grant application done behind the scenes before the vote (like the "Commonwealth Compact" program shown below). When it comes time to vote, everything is already in place. If anyone opposes their plan, they say "if we don't take the grant money, another town will get it". Although that argument is juvenile irrelevance, it usually carries the day.
Another political trick I expect town officials to use to perpetrate this bait & switch is shifting the blame. They will tell us that the Bidwell purchase was a mistake made by people no longer involved in town politics and that they have to correct that error by getting that land back onto the tax rolls.
The weakness in that argument is that the people of Athol voted to buy that land under the premise that it would be a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, open space, a fire station . . . none of which pay taxes. So the people of Athol fully expected no taxes to be paid by this parcel hence there is no need to get it back onto the tax rolls.
I'd like to be optimistic and believe that the people of Athol have what it takes to tell their selectman and town manager to shove their grant rather than allowing the charm and beauty of South Athol to be permanently erased from the landscape for a useless project which doesn't benefit the children of town and doesn't provide jobs for the people of town.
It's also important to remember that town manager, David Ames, when discussing future plans for the Bidwell Forest, made the following statement in the Athol Daily News, May 20, 2009, page 1: “The potential future use is up to the town's voters.”
So the people of Athol, in theory anyway, and assuming they register to vote and show up at town meetings, have the power to accept or reject the bait & switch.
But politicians are cunning. They bypass voters with tricks such as getting the planning and grant application done behind the scenes before the vote (like the "Commonwealth Compact" program shown below). When it comes time to vote, everything is already in place. If anyone opposes their plan, they say "if we don't take the grant money, another town will get it". Although that argument is juvenile irrelevance, it usually carries the day.
from town of athol website, town manager communique
Another political trick I expect town officials to use to perpetrate this bait & switch is shifting the blame. They will tell us that the Bidwell purchase was a mistake made by people no longer involved in town politics and that they have to correct that error by getting that land back onto the tax rolls.
The weakness in that argument is that the people of Athol voted to buy that land under the premise that it would be a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, open space, a fire station . . . none of which pay taxes. So the people of Athol fully expected no taxes to be paid by this parcel hence there is no need to get it back onto the tax rolls.
I'd like to be optimistic and believe that the people of Athol have what it takes to tell their selectman and town manager to shove their grant rather than allowing the charm and beauty of South Athol to be permanently erased from the landscape for a useless project which doesn't benefit the children of town and doesn't provide jobs for the people of town.
Who knows - maybe that will happen.
But since they're getting ready to butter up the voters with the promise of jobs let's discover the truth about government sponsored job creation programs.
Premeditated Failure
Our region has a long history of political attempts at job creation so let's examine the historical record and discover how successful those attempts have been.
North Quabbin Commons
Our first example is the Market Basket Plaza, aka North Quabbin Commons. It's a nice shopping center for the town. But most people are unaware of its history. The project was established in the year 2004 by the Athol EDIC as an industrial park. The people of Athol were told that it would attract new business and create good paying jobs for local people.
From the Athol Economic Development Plan published September 12, 2005: “The goal of the Town of Athol and The Athol EDIC is to see that the North Quabbin Business Park provide opportunities for light manufacturing and other clean businesses that will add to the tax base and create employment opportunities for local residents”
After 12 years, no industry came, so the idea of an industrial park was abandoned and the parcel became a shopping mall instead. While it's wonderful to have a new mall in town, it's not the industrial park originally promised providing full time jobs with good pay and benefits.
A fair question for town officials then is this: “What's different this time around? Why would the Bidwell Forest create jobs when North Quabbin Commons could not?
Randall Pond Industrial Park
Our next example is the Randall Pond Industrial Park which was a project of the Orange EDIC. This park was established in the year 2000 and the people of Orange were told the same thing; that it would attract new business and create good paying jobs for local people.
from town of orange archives
But after 18 years and about a million taxpayer dollars, Randall Pond has created a total of zero new jobs. Interface Precision Benchworks, Dean's Beans and Echo Industries were already doing business in Orange and simply traded up to shiny new facilities at taxpayer expense. They added no new jobs as a result of the move. Furthermore, Interface Precision Benchworks is a sheltered workshop which hires disabled people exclusively; not the general public. The park still has two vacant buildings. So much for bringing jobs to town.
photos by david w runyan II
from town of orange archives
In addition to “It's For the Kids!” and “This Will Bring Jobs to Town!”, politicians have another battle cry they use to sway voters into approving their ill-conceived plans:
“Build It and They Will Come!”
Randall Pond was one of those “build it and they will come” pranks but the only ones who came were those who were already here. 
A fair question for town officials then is this: “What's different this time around? Why would the Bidwell Forest create jobs when Randall Pond could not?”
Additional Industrial Evidence
Since then, all of the original tenants have either gone out of business or moved, taking the jobs with them. The lone employer is MBW which employees about 125 and seasonally spikes to around 200 using temps.
The vacated buildings in this park have been converted to warehouse space which employs essentially no one.
While this park is not a government sponsored park, it demonstrates clearly that businesses are not exactly beating down the doors of the existing industrial parks in our area.
Furthermore, the nation has never recovered from the decimation of the manufacturing sector as a result of the GATT free trade agreement.
A fair question for town officials then is this: “What's different this time around? Why would the Bidwell Forest create jobs when Orange Industrial Park can not?”
Conclusions on Government Sponsored Job Creation
It appears conclusive, that like its predecessors, an industrial park at Bidwell Forest would create zero jobs.
So when town officials ask voters to change the zoning for South Athol Road and to approve an economic development plan for the Bidwell Forest, maybe it's a good idea to ask some hard questions such as:
We already have 3 failed industrial parks. Why would this one be successful?
Where's the list of companies contractually obligated to the park and to providing full time jobs with benefits for local people?
Any industrial park at the Bidwell Forest will almost certainly result in one of the following:
1 - It will fail to attract business and become another strip mall as happened at Market Basket Plaza.
2 - It will fail to attract business and become a place where companies already doing business in Athol can trade up to shiny new places at taxpayer expense as happened over at Randall Pond.
3 - It will attract no business and be converted into 100 acres of trucking warehouses which employ no one as happened over at the Orange Industrial Park.
4 - The town will convert it into a 100-acre solar field as they are now trying to do at the former town landfill, or it might become the site of a new state or federal prison, or perhaps a 100-acre marijuana farm.
Perhaps it might be more intelligent to consider other options for the Bidwell Forest and I have an idea I'd like to share. 😊
The Mr. David Plan for the Bidwell Forest
Section “A” permanently reserved for a fire station should one be needed in that part of town.
Section “B” permanently reserved as the Rabbit Run local historical walking trail.
Section “C” reserved for the new high school and/or ball fields if and when they are needed. Until then, the trails in section "C" can be used as a year round outdoor park for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding with snowmobiles and cross country skiing permitted during winter.
There's a helluva nice hill on that property which levels out broadly at the base so section “D” inside section “C” can be used as a sledding course in winter and a zip line course in other seasons until the new high school and/or ball fields are needed.
from google maps, terrain option
Under my plan the Bidwell Forest would be used for precisely what town officials told us it would be used for: a municipal land bank for schools, ball fields, a fire station and until those needs arise the parcel would be a year-round outdoor recreation area.
That concludes Part II. In Part III we'll learn about why town officials want to industrialize South Athol and the reasons will surprise you. I'll also present my theories on collusion and corruption and predict the outcomes of any economic development in South Athol.
Other Investigative Reports by David W. Runyan II
I think the Mr. David plan for the Bissell Forest property sounds community centered. Town owned property must be used to benefit all citizens, not just a handful of local predatory businesses.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leslie. Since this is what we were told, then this is what should happen. Bait & switch on taxpayers is unethical where I come from.
DeleteWelcome to big heads that are little town politicians
ReplyDeleteI know, same old same old, but I did have fun doing the research.
DeleteThinking outside the box here. Youth soccer is growing in this country. Why not build a bunch of soccer fields on the property and promote it as a venue for a soccer version of the Little League World Series that they have in Williamsport,PA? That would certainly justify a new Rt 2 exit.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, if they took that approach at least the land would be used "for the kids" as it was originally presented.
Delete