Foster Means of Regional Competitiveness

Number of Pre-Permitted & Shovel-Ready Sites or Buildings within the Region that are ready for Development

Description:

Pre-permitting and shovel-ready designations are made to increase the expediency of development on properties by reducing the amount of work necessary between the purchase of land and the start of building.  Sites with pre-permitting need only the final site plan review and permitting related to environmental preservation (if applicable).  This process can take up to 90 days to complete.  Sites are designated shovel-ready after all permits have been acquired and a complete build out analysis has been completed.  The only steps still necessary are acquiring a building permit and making minor amendments to prior permits if necessary.  This process takes up to 30 days.

There was no change in the number of sites that were pre-permitted and a 50.0% increase in the number of shovel-ready projects in the Pioneer Valley between 2009 and 2010.

In 2010 the urban core had 6 pre-permitted sites, a significant increase from the previous year when there were not any pre-permitted sites in the urban core.  In 2010 there was 3 shovel-ready site in the urban core, which was a 200% increase from the previous year. The site was located in Springfield.

Data Source:  WestMass Development Corporation (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Pre-Permitted Sites Percent Change Rating NA     Indicator Trend Shovel-Ready Sites Percent Change Rating 200.0%

Back to Top

Annual Dollar Value of Transportation Improvement Projects Advertised for Bid that Rely on Federal and/or State Financial Resources

Description:

Transportation Improvement Projects included in this value are highway improvement projects identified through the Transportation Improvement Program report by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Franklin Regional Council of Governments and advertised by Mass Highway.  Between 2008 and 2009, the total value of transportation improvement projects advertised for the Pioneer Valley increased from $41,530,689 to $141,234,444, representing a 240.1% change.  The significant increase in the total value of transportation improvement projects in the Pioneer Valley region is a result of drastically increased federal funds directed through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

In the urban core, trends continued to be overwhelmingly positive for transportation improvement projects, though not quite as extreme as that of the region.  The urban core had an overall increase of 76 percent. All three urban core areas experienced a positive change.  Springfield had an increase of over 190 percent.  Holyoke and the Chicopee urban core areas increased by by much smaller percentages in 2009 (48.4% and 6.8% respectively).

Data Source: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Franklin Regional Council of Governments

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 76%

Back to Top

Access to High Speed Internet Service for Business & Residents

Description:

To measure high speed internet access, municipalities are broken down into three levels of available service which are: those where 10% or less of households have broadband access, towns and cities where 11%-50% of households have broadband access, and those places where greater than 50% of households have broadband access. Progress is measured by the number of municipalities that increased their access enough to be categorized at least one level higher.  Measurements for the previous years of 2007 and 2008 were based on estimates made by Western MA Connect with the data available at that time.  As of 2009, the accuracy of broadband access data has improved through survey and service modeling work conducted by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).  The MBI will continue to monitor the status of broadband access over the next five years.  Level of access did not change in the Pioneer Valley between 2008 and 2009. 

The urban core did not experience an increase in broadband access, as all of the municipalities already have more than 50% of households with access.

Data Source: Western MA Connect, Inc. and Massachusetts Broadband Institute

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 0.0%

Back to Top