Douglas Economic Development Commission Reorganizes, Eyes Downtown Zoning Changes for Fall

DOUGLAS — May 6, 2026 — Douglas revives its Economic Development Commission after a three-year dormancy, electing officers and targeting fall zoning changes. The four-member commission, meeting May 6 for the first time since losing quorum, unanimously elected Meg Schlesman chair, Ross Smith secretary, and Jim Farrell vice chair, with Carol Gogolinsky staffing the body as the town's Economic Development representative. The group identified two near-term zoning amendments for the November 2026 Town Meeting: adding farm-based restaurant and event uses to agricultural-zone use tables, modeled on Uxbridge's farm-to-table Uxbridge Locale, and permitting wineries, breweries, and distilleries in appropriate districts. Smith presented data from the 1998 Douglas Master Plan showing that actual school enrollment in 2025 stands at 1,077 students — down from 1,193 in 1999 and far below the plan's projection of 3,166 — and argued that 1,174 homes built since 1998 generate approximately $6.6 million annually in property taxes without the fiscal strain once predicted. The commission also flagged downtown parking, facade standards, and the unresolved gift of the Jackman riverfront parcel — currently in town attorneys' hands pending a soil analysis — as priority issues.