I would like to take this opportunity to share an overview of the Plymouth Foundation, the critical work we do to support Plymouth’s economy, and the many positive impacts we’ve had on our community. We are proud of the progress we’ve made in advancing our mission, and I invite you to take the time to get to know us better.
The Plymouth Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works closely with a variety of local stakeholders here in Plymouth, including town departments, small businesses, and community organizations. We are committed to supporting initiatives that create economic opportunities, improve infrastructure, and enhance the quality of life for all residents. I am the Foundation’s only paid employee. Our nonprofit’s 13-member all-volunteer board includes local leaders with diverse expertise, ranging from banking and business ownership to municipal leadership, architecture, development and academia. Our board’s collective experience is key in helping us execute our projects in a way that is inclusive, thoughtful, and designed to deliver long-term benefits to the town.
The Foundation has been a driving force behind several key initiatives that continue to make a significant difference in Plymouth:
- The Annual Blue Future Conference: Now in its fourth year, this event brings together regional decision makers and international industry leaders to discuss the future of the marine economy, offering networking opportunities and fostering collaboration and investment.
- The Blue Future Awards: The Anchor Institution award and STEAM award recognize individuals and organizations that contribute to the growth and success of the blue economy, a sector vital to Plymouth’s economic future.
- Annual Children’s Business Fair: This event boasts more than 60 percent participation among all Plymouth 5th graders. The program was launched in collaboration with the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Plymouth Public Schools to encourage young innovators by providing a platform for them to showcase their entrepreneurial talents, helping to cultivate the next generation of Plymouth’s business leaders.
- America’s Hometown Laureates: This program celebrates the important role the arts have in our local tourism economy and elevates Plymouth’s cultural heritage by recognizing local poets and promoting the town’s rich history and traditions. The town’s Poet Laureates have participated in international programs putting Plymouth on a list with iconic global cultural cities, such as Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Prague.
- Co-Working and Small Business Development: We aggressively pursued grant funding to study the local economy, learn our advantages and strengthen our outputs. We worked for three years to attract sufficient investment to launch a co-working space downtown to meet demand for office space. We anticipate launching the space by Summer 2025. We also work closely with the downtown-waterfront business merchants to enhance their technical capacity to respond to the unique challenges in Plymouth’s central business district, including workforce development and training.
In addition to these programs, we have fought for, and won, more than $7.9 million through competitive grants. Every dollar was spent in Plymouth to advance the community’s stated goals. These initiatives, along with our ongoing work to support local businesses, artists, entrepreneurs, and workforce development, are just a few examples of how we are investing in Plymouth’s future. We are not a development firm. We are a small non-profit with limited resources, but we are proud of the partnerships we have built and the community we continue to serve.
We respect and support the right of any individual or group to voice their concerns and offer suggestions for improvement. However, comments made recently during a planning board meeting lack merit and undermine attempts to expand the town’s tax base and provide relief to residents. The mission of the Plymouth Foundation is to support sustainable economic growth that benefits everyone in Plymouth, and we are deeply disappointed by the tactics being utilized to malign that mission.
I am disheartened by false claims aimed at discrediting the work of the Plymouth Foundation, and the long-awaited economic development project we are managing. As the executive director of this Plymouth-based nonprofit, which has been serving our community for over 25 years, I am compelled to address some of the scurrilous misinformation being propagated by an unscrupulous out-of-state personality.
Among our current economic development efforts is a land use project. Fifty years ago, the Town of Plymouth acquired a parcel by eminent domain to expand a landfill in Cedarville. The landfill has long-since been capped and rendered inoperative. In 2019, the Town of Plymouth tasked the Plymouth Foundation to return the parcel to the tax rolls and attract an investor to create jobs. The 35-acre site along Hedges Pond Road has been in the works for the past 10 years. The Cedarville Steering Committee led the conversation and determined the types of development that would be allowed and preferred. The project has been carefully reviewed through a standard statutory approval process, including Town Meeting, which unanimously voted in 2018 in favor of the Steering Committee’s proposed zoning changes. Subsequently, the project has been reviewed by the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board, ensuring the opportunity for community engagement. To be clear, the Foundation did not request the zoning changes, and we began managing the project after the 2018 Town Meeting.
The project is aimed at providing:
- Improvements to infrastructure and public safety: $2 million from the sale of the site is explicitly to be used for much-needed traffic improvements at State Road and Hedges Pond Road. The town will work with the state to engineer and build a remedy to the traffic concerns.
- Economic output: jobs and ownership equity will be created to support families in Plymouth.
- Fiscal return: the town will receive an estimated $900,000 – $1.2. million in real estate tax revenue annually, based on the plan submitted to the Planning Board.
- Environmental conditions: the site is adjacent to a capped landfill. The order of conditions for a permit will ensure the landfill is not disturbed and creates accountability measures for any disturbances.
Our expectation is that this project will continue to move forward and will result in a positive impact for the community. Land use projects like this one are a small segment of what we do.
At the Plymouth Foundation, we believe that economic development is about building a strong, sustainable community where all residents can thrive. We remain committed to working with the town, local businesses, and all members of our community to achieve this vision.
– Stephen Cole
Cole is executive director of the Plymouth Foundation.