Economic Development

• Winchester is a wonderful place to live and a big part of that is our small businesses, grouped mostly in the Town Center. We have seen renewed growth and interest in 2024, with the opening of several new restaurants within a short timeframe.

• At the same time, Winchester has a comparatively small amount of commercial real estate which leads to a greater burden on homeowners; as such, I would focus on initiatives to grow and expand our small businesses.

• As a member of the Select Board, I would:

  • Maintain the present real estate classification system, without attempting to shift the burden to our (small) commercial and industrial property base or without creating exemptions that shift the burden among commercial properties.

  • Prioritize mixed-use development in the Town Center and other key corridors (like North Main Street) that allow for commercial property to be intermixed with multi-family residential, often on the same parcel, which drives footfall and vibrancy throughout our town’s densest business district.

  • Work with the Town staff to implement technology solutions to digitize and streamline approvals, permits, applications, and other processes to make Winchester an easy town in which to operate a business.