Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

187 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 system, a government that over the years has worked hard to address their needs, and now we are starting to see businesses expand and flourish,” Burney adds. Then there’s the nearly 2000 acres of conservation land, extensive trail networks, and boundless recreation opportunities. Residents and visitors alike can visit one of the town’s many conservation areas for hunting, fishing, wildlife spotting, cross-country skiing, and hiking. You can head down to Town Beach for some public swimming or take in an afternoon at Settlers Crossing Golf Course for some time on the green. The area is also home to almost 1000 acres of permanently protected farmland, which means there’s always a farm stand or market to stop at for fresh fruits and veggies. “We have a lot of active people farming – from large areas to small independent farms. That’s a large part of the town’s identity and I think people are really attracted to that,” Burney says. Lunenburg is also just a quick ride to Worcester for any big city needs that may arise. “We have easy access to the second largest city in New England, as well as to smaller cities that provide a wide variety of services that a lot of small towns can’t offer,” Burney adds. The town of nearly 12,000 is undergoing a bit of a renaissance in recent years with new businesses taking up residence, improvements being made to infrastructure, and the undertaking of a new all-encompassing master plan that is starting to take root. While the town is considered a bedroom community to nearby Worcester, Lunenburg’s business community is beginning to expand. Burney reports, “It’s been mostly businesses that are owned or operated by people in town, supplemented by a couple of larger corporations, but we are starting to see the needs and the wants for services expand and businesses are finding ways to address that and locate in town.” Helping things along is Lunenburg Central, a TOWN OF LUNENBURG, MASSACHUSETTS warehouse development that recently broke ground in the town’s industrial corridor. The 400,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution facility will feature large blocks of Class A warehouse space that can be subdivided into smaller sections. “They’ve been terrific to deal with and have partnered with the community every step along the way,” Lemieux says. “They’ve been very communicative and have been working with the town on all our public safety concerns, if any, with added traffic.” The project has spurred on even more industrial development, with a parcel of land across the street being looked at for a similar project. “It’s making that whole corridor really expand and adding to what’s available for the tax base for the town without a huge impact on our schools and other resources,” Lemieux notes. Lunenburg is also working on a new master plan that will help drive business to the area, and hopefully have the added benefit of lowering taxes. “I think the master plan will hopefully