On Screen, Reading Development Is Impressive. But Will It Happen?

READING, Ma. - Before going any further, take a look at the picture. Just behind Reading Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios on the big screen is the picture of a Reading street. Recognize it? There are trees, a bike lane, and two lanes of traffic. Anyone have a guess?

The truth is, the street doesn't exist. But if what the Reading Select Board saw Tuesday night becomes a reality, that street will become part of a new development that will turn a seldom visited area of town into a thriving campus-like community complete with an arts center, new parks, restaurants and businesses.

Bounded on one side by Ash Street and on the other side by the commuter rail line, it was called the Eastern Gateway District by Delios. Many Reading residents just know it as the Walkers Brook area. Delios joined with David Gamble of Gamble Associates, an urban planning and design group, to update the board on an area with great potential, and with equally great hurdles.

Gamble's PowerPoint was mesmerizing as he took photos of what is, and showed what it could be. The idea is to transform the area behind Market Basket and connect it with downtown. The centerpiece would be the empty building next to Reading Municipal Light, a building that Gamble said would make a perfect arts center with a park in front and connections to downtown. Throughout the presentation Gamble played to his audience, including the Arts Reading leadership who had just made their own presentation and had spoken of the need for a central arts building in town. It was certainly not Gamble's first presentation.

"Its taken an intensive amount of planning to get to this point," said Delios, who added the project could "breathe new life into the area."

Delios and the town's economic development team have held meetings with land and business owners in the area, as well as with residents of Ash Street. It's already been a long process. Nothing will happen overnight and the timeline could reach 20 years depending on the extent of the project.

There's also the matter of the current businesses. The half dozen current companies, like Sartell Electrical Services, were represented at Tuesday's meeting. Gamble's presentation included them and he was just general enough in his comments that none feared a town bulldozer was headed their way. But clearly their participation is key to the project. Another key is the current town Department of Public Works. Moving the DPW - the Camp Curtis Guild idea is still on the table - would open valuable space and the DPW is the one puzzle piece the town actually owns.

About that park in front of the potential arts center and next to RMLD. Right now it's a parking lot, one that is scheduled to be repaved in a week. The slide with the park looked great, but as RMLD General Manager Coleen O'Brien said, the contract is signed and the asphalt is coming. O'Brien also said she'd be happy to move the RMLD offices but reminded all who were listening that it meant the RMLD's 50-plus bucket trucks and other equipment would need a new home as well.

The bigger point in the presentation was to make sure the Select Board approved of the direction town officials were taking. With the board apparently on board, the town will press on. Want more? The town's website has more information on the project.

What's a board meeting without hearing more on the town's ongoing tussle with the Mass Department of Transportation. The latest is a light the MassDOT is utilizing at the end of Walnut Street, a very bright light. Residents don't like it and town officials don't either, especially because MassDOT failed to tell the town in advance what it was doing. In addition, the work is starting at 6:30 a.m., earlier than allowed by town regulations.

There was a presentation by Arts Reading regarding their second town event. It will be held Oct. 5 on the town common from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include 15 organizations and five performing groups. There's more information on their website.

With all the new construction in town, there was a discussion on Air BnB absentee owners. "It's a brave new world that needs to be looked at," said board member John Halsey ... the Climate Advisory Committee is suggesting EV charging stations behind the CVS. One year after Reading became one of 52 towns banning plastic bags, the total today is at 122 ... the board discussed and agreed to changes in its liquor license policy and will invite license holders to a public hearing on the changes Oct. 15.