ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
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The Work of the
Economic Development Committee
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) is dedicated to helping create opportunities for economic development through desirable business attraction, retention, growth, and expansion.
We work as partners to develop a climate conducive to maintaining the quality of life in this great Town of Hopkinton.
Read more about the EDC's Vision and Priorities below.
On this page
Past Economic Development Studies
Over the years, the Town of Hopkinton has conducted several Economic Development studies and efforts:
On November 1, 2023, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) voted to withdraw the suggested amendments. The proposed zoning changes would have enabled mixed use and compact residential development in certain areas of the town. Read more about that decision below:
At the local level, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) works to understand and support community and economic growth in our small town. The past few years have brought significant upheaval in economic, labor, and real estate markets in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and other national and global factors. Therefore, the EDC stays flexible and adaptable to take advantage of funding opportunities as they arise, while at the same time maintaining the long view toward a cohesive, comprehensive strategy for growth and development.
More about the Committee:
About the Economic Development Director:
The Economic Development Director position was established in March of 2021 and the role was initially filled by a consultant. Anna Wells began in this role in February of 2022. Anna lives on a small farm Hopkinton with her husband and two kids. Her husband was born and raised in Hopkinton and his parents still live here more than 50 years later. They explored elsewhere in New England for a couple decades, then moved back to Hopkinton to raise their children in 2017. She was appointed to the Economic Development Committee in 2018, then was elected to the Select Board in 2019. She stepped down just before her term ended in 2022 to accept this position as Economic Development Director.
Economic Development Committee
Vision, Priorities, and
Strategic Objectives
In order to create a more vibrant and livable community, the EDC:
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Serves as a conduit between the commercial economic interests in Hopkinton, the municipal government, and the residents;
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Encourages the economic well-being and expansion of the existing commercial businesses located within the town;
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Responsibly assists in developing properties within the Town of Hopkinton in an effort to improve the aesthetics of the town while providing additional revenue;
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Reviews Town ordinances, policies, and practices to determine their impact on existing and proposed commercial endeavors; and
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Pursues outside sources of funding for necessary and desired projects in Hopkinton, so that vital progress can be accomplished with minimal impact to the residential tax rate.
The documents below detail the Hopkinton EDC's
vision, priorities, and strategic objectives.
They are live Google Docs, regularly updated.
The EDC's priorities are informed by:
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the Town of Hopkinton's 2002 Master Plan and 2022 Master Plan
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the results of interviews conducted as part of the Municipal Technical Assistance Grant (2019; see more about MTAG here);
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the 2020 Master Plan Survey - view the summary and open-ended responses; and
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the EDC's months-long visioning process called the Opportunity Campaign.
Please contact awells@hopkinton-nh.gov with any questions.
Economic Development Committee's 2023 Priorities
Additional information about selected projects can be found here:
Interested in joining our committee? Please fill out this application.
The Committee meets on the 1st Wednesdays of the month, or as needed.
Please see the meeting schedule here.