Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee consists of seven members: one member of the Select Board and six persons appointed by the Select Board for a term of 3-years.  The appointees will be either members of the Sterling business community or registered voters of the Town who are interested in promoting business development in Sterling.

Mission

The purpose of the committee will be to promote industrial, commercial, and agricultural business development within Sterling; to provide advice to the Select Board on economic development policy; to meet and work with current Sterling businesses and prospective businesses; to coordinate its activities with the activities of the Industrial Development Commission and the Agricultural Commission; and to work cooperatively with businesses and state agencies to retain current businesses and attract new businesses to Sterling.  

Creation

Article 11 of the November 13, 2012 Special Town Meeting amended the General Bylaws to add Chapter 71 to create the permanent Economic Development Committee.

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Public Forums on Economic Development

The Planning Board and Economic Development Committee jointly sponsored a forum on economic development, held at the 1835 Meetinghouse on the evening of Wednesday March 6th. The program was repeated Saturday morning March 9th. The forums were intended to educate the public on the importance of economic development, its impact on local tax bills and municipal services, our opportunities for economic development, and what types of businesses and industries people want to see in Sterling.

Here are some forum materials for your review:

The Planning Board will use the public input from the forums as a guide to revising the Town's Zoning Bylaw. There will be more public forums later this year once our revisions are ready. Stay tuned!

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Current Projects

Promotional Map/Brochure: Using a grant from the North-Central Chamber of Commerce, the EDC has completed a promotional map/brochure for new residents and visitors that highlights all the things that make Sterling special: dining, lodging, shopping, services, health and wellness, our farms, recreation resources, and historic resources.  The brochure can be found on the Town's website here and here

Town Center Building Façade Design: The EDC is working with an architect to prepare a façade improvement design for the commercial buildings in our town center. This effort, coupled with the planned improvements for the town center (sidewalks, parking, landscaping, lighting, etc.) will go along with the beautification of our town center. We hope to have the design ready this summer so we can begin reaching out to our town center building owners.

Wayfaring Signage: The EDC has prepared a design for a wayfaring signage program that will result in approximately ten signs being placed throughout town that will direct drivers to our points of interest. The EDC is now seeking funds to manufacture and install the signs.

Improvements to Town Beach: The EDC has worked with the Recreation Committee, Department of Public Works, the Town disability staff and the Town Administrator to make improvement to Sholan Park, our Town beach.  Disability and access improvements are complete and include grab bars/handles, wider doors, a concrete entry platform, and a fresh coat of paint.  Several trees that were safety hazards near the buildings have been removed and more harvesting is planned for this fall.  A major goal for the fall is to complete installation of stormwater mitigation at the end of Hall Avenue to minimize beach erosion and contamination of the pond.  Using additional funds made available from the Commonwealth, further stormwater efforts along the margin of the parking lot are being investigated along with installation of a rain garden, new BBQ grills, and new signage.  The work is tentatively anticipated to occur during the springtime of 2024.

 

Board Members

Name Title
James Patacchiola Chair (06/30/2024)
Maureen Cranson Board member (5/2023)
Paul Cathcart Member (06/30/2024)
Mike Pineo Member (06/30/2023)
Mark Stoever member (6/30/25)