Kelley's Corner Approved, So What's Next?

After a proposed amendment to Article 17 and a vote that needed to be hand-counted Monday night, Acton voters narrowly approved funding of $277,000 for Kelley's Corner at Annual Town Meeting.

The Finance Committee recommended funds for Kelley's Corner by a 6-3 vote.

Kelley's Corner and town center funds were voted on separately following approval of the amendment. 

Tellers were asked to count voters on the Kelley's Corner funding.

Voters wound up supporting the Acton center traffic funds.

The Town voted to adopt the goals and objectives of the Acton 2020
Comprehensive Community Plan at the 2012 Annual Town Meeting. Following the adoption of the Plan, Selectmen created the Acton 2020 Implementation Committee to facilitate the process of implementing recommendations in the Acton 2020 Plan. Consistent with the Plan priorities, the Acton 2020 Implementation Committee has focused on ways to begin the transformation of Kelley’s Corner.

The original funding proposal of the article was:

A: Kelley’s Corner Improvement Initiative $ 277,000
B: Acton Center Traffic Study 45,000
Total: $322,000

The approval of the article now provides Acton with:

• Community driven design guidelines and zoning bylaws that create a viable framework for new and redevelopment
• Preliminary engineering plans that identify and prioritize infrastructure improvements. It is expected that the completion of work funded under the article will position Acton to leverage significant private, state and federal investments in Kelley’s Corner.

Kelley's Corner is the intersection of Routes 111 (Massachusetts Avenue) & 27 (Main Street). Residents say they feel strongly about preserving and enhancing what makes Acton special and unique, including its rural characteristics, historic buildings and landscapes, and its village centers. And Kelley's Corner is a part of that vision.