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EspañolDEVENS, MASSACHUSETTS
(Redirected from Fort Devens, Massachusetts)
'Devens' is a census-designated place and part of the towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens.
Devens is located at (42.537137, -71.615493).
According to the United States Census Bureau, Devens has a total area of 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²). 17.4 km² (6.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.32%) is water.
As of 2006, there are approximately 250 residents living in 106 households residing in the former Fort Devens and now known as Devens.
The U.S. Army post which resided at Fort Devens was officially closed in 1996 after 79 years of service. The process for land distribution for all parcels on the former Fort Devens allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Shriver Job Corps, Massachusetts National Guard, Massachusetts Veterans and MassDevelopment[1] to acquire the land. The bulk of the land was purchased by MassDevelopment for $17 million dollars. MassDevelopment is a semi-private development authority that has been given the task of turning Devens into a residential and business community. Since the closing of the military base, many of the existing buildings have been renovated or reconstructed; housing developments now exist, along with a growing business park, a new hotel, restaurants, and a golf course. Veterans of the Army Security Agency have also expressed interest in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly twenty-five years.
On the political side, a comprehensive disposition process has been ongoing since 2003 charged with determining the future governance of Devens. During 2005 and 2006 it was determined that the governance scenario best suited for the regional stakeholders was to create a new independent town. On October 24, 2006, a vote to confirm the disposition recommendation for future governance was voted down by 2 of the 6 stakeholders the adjoining towns of Harvard and Ayer (residents of Shirley, the Devens residents, MassDevelopment and the Devens Enterprise Commission supported the resolution). On November 7, 2006 during the State elections the second opportunity to vote on Devens disposition had only Harvard voting against the scenario with the towns of Ayer and Shirley supporting Devens as a town. Devens disposition will now be determined by another disposition process or by the State legislature. Residents of Devens vote in either Harvard or Ayer but still have no elected representatives that have municipal authority on Devens. MassDevelopment maintains the utilities such as gas, electric, and water; and contracts out public safety services such as firefighting and police.
Devens residents are represented by an elected committee, the Devens Committee,[2] that is an advisory committee to MassDevelopment.
Devens is a non-operating school district. It currently contracts with the town of Harvard for educating children from 6th grade to 12th grade and the town of Shirley to educate children from pre-kindergarten to the 6th grade. However Devens is the home of the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. Parker is a public charter school with students from about 30 towns in the central Massachusetts area.
Although no longer an active military installation, Fort Devens is still used by the Army Reserve Command. The base is currently home to the headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which is responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in the New England region. It was the home of the 2nd Infantry Brigade from 1958 until the unit inactivated.
1. MassDevelopment
2. Devens Committee
★ Devens RFTA: Devens Reserve Forces Training Area Web Page
★ devenscommunity.com: information about the current status of redevelopment in Devens
★ devenscommittee.org: information for Devens residents
'Devens' is a census-designated place and part of the towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens.
| Contents |
| Geography |
| Demographics |
| Recent history |
| References |
| External links |
Geography
Devens is located at (42.537137, -71.615493).
According to the United States Census Bureau, Devens has a total area of 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²). 17.4 km² (6.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.32%) is water.
Demographics
As of 2006, there are approximately 250 residents living in 106 households residing in the former Fort Devens and now known as Devens.
Recent history
The U.S. Army post which resided at Fort Devens was officially closed in 1996 after 79 years of service. The process for land distribution for all parcels on the former Fort Devens allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Shriver Job Corps, Massachusetts National Guard, Massachusetts Veterans and MassDevelopment[1] to acquire the land. The bulk of the land was purchased by MassDevelopment for $17 million dollars. MassDevelopment is a semi-private development authority that has been given the task of turning Devens into a residential and business community. Since the closing of the military base, many of the existing buildings have been renovated or reconstructed; housing developments now exist, along with a growing business park, a new hotel, restaurants, and a golf course. Veterans of the Army Security Agency have also expressed interest in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly twenty-five years.
On the political side, a comprehensive disposition process has been ongoing since 2003 charged with determining the future governance of Devens. During 2005 and 2006 it was determined that the governance scenario best suited for the regional stakeholders was to create a new independent town. On October 24, 2006, a vote to confirm the disposition recommendation for future governance was voted down by 2 of the 6 stakeholders the adjoining towns of Harvard and Ayer (residents of Shirley, the Devens residents, MassDevelopment and the Devens Enterprise Commission supported the resolution). On November 7, 2006 during the State elections the second opportunity to vote on Devens disposition had only Harvard voting against the scenario with the towns of Ayer and Shirley supporting Devens as a town. Devens disposition will now be determined by another disposition process or by the State legislature. Residents of Devens vote in either Harvard or Ayer but still have no elected representatives that have municipal authority on Devens. MassDevelopment maintains the utilities such as gas, electric, and water; and contracts out public safety services such as firefighting and police.
Devens residents are represented by an elected committee, the Devens Committee,[2] that is an advisory committee to MassDevelopment.
Devens is a non-operating school district. It currently contracts with the town of Harvard for educating children from 6th grade to 12th grade and the town of Shirley to educate children from pre-kindergarten to the 6th grade. However Devens is the home of the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. Parker is a public charter school with students from about 30 towns in the central Massachusetts area.
Although no longer an active military installation, Fort Devens is still used by the Army Reserve Command. The base is currently home to the headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which is responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in the New England region. It was the home of the 2nd Infantry Brigade from 1958 until the unit inactivated.
References
1. MassDevelopment
2. Devens Committee
External links
★ Devens RFTA: Devens Reserve Forces Training Area Web Page
★ devenscommunity.com: information about the current status of redevelopment in Devens
★ devenscommittee.org: information for Devens residents
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