Town of Otis Revitalization Committee Update
By Cynthia Fletcher
July 2025
During the past month, Revitalization Committee workgroups gathered and started creating the groundwork for projects leading to town revitalization. Past work in all areas is invaluable, and is being collected and categorized into files that will serve as a foundation and reference point for future work.
Survey. To collect community feedback, the committee will be conducting an anonymous survey with specific questions for full-time and seasonal residents, businesses, and non-resident Otis workforce or vacationers. Once a survey participant identifies with a demographic category, the survey will branch to questions intended for that particular group. The survey will be available on line as a link on the Town of Otis website, and accessible through QR codes displayed at various public locations. Printed copies will be available at the Town Hall. Survey responses will be collected over the summer and analyzed this fall. The outcome is expected to provide guidelines for future town projects and to assist in the Planning Board’s creation of a new Town Master Plan.
Promotion and Community Events. Revitalization Committee member Jackie Gentile has been working with the Otis Observer to create a promotion calendar for annual and community events. “Otis Is The Place To Be” on page three of the Observer will post upcoming events, and will direct you to the event’s host for details. Town Resident Katy Utenis has stepped up to organize the 2025/26 Otis Clean-Up Day event originally initiated by Robin Peterson, and supported by Highway Superintendent Derek Poirier and Terry and Larry Gould. Katy has a Facebook presence for this great upcoming community project: Otis Clean, Otis Green!
To expand summer dining options, the revitalization committee is working on the idea of a Tuesday night food truck with different cuisines. Stay tuned on social media for updates!
BCR. The working group focused on business, culture, and recreation will initiate conversations with existing businesses, compile incentive resources, and consider how to maximize the Town’s recreational opportunities, with an end goal of promoting potential new or expanded businesses in Otis. The group’s goals are long-term and as such will require much groundwork over time to build and launch various projects. Sub-committee meetings are held on Zoom; meeting dates and agendas are posted on the Town of Otis website.
Downtown. Revitalization Committee submitted a grant application to MassDevelopment Real Estate Services at the beginning of June, requesting technical assistance and planning advice regarding the vacant or abandoned properties in the downtown area, these being Terranova’s Market, the Olde Otis Inn, and Harmony Hall, as well as the McManus Store, which remains closed due to inadequate parking. The grant application further requests guidance in district improvement financing, and a corridor analysis to evaluate a downtown roundabout as an option to reduce traffic speed and improve town aesthetics. We will be notified by the end of August if the grant is awarded, launching this initiative. Updated information will be publicly posted as the project proceeds. We received several letters of support to accompany our application, from Otis residents and from local Representative Leigh Davis and Senator Paul Mark. Thank you all for your support!
Long-term workgroups pertaining to infrastructure critical to community well-being and economic growth, and services focusing on healthcare access, affordable housing, and population growth and retention, are upcoming.
Our regular meeting is the fourth Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Town Hall conference room. We welcome your participation.
