Page 10 - BusinessWest April 14, 2021
P. 10

 Community Spotlight
Palmer Looks to the Future with Optimism
By Mark Morris
As the nation recovers from a year of dealing with COVID-19, Palmer Town Manger Ryan McNutt looks to the future with optimism.
While larger cities had to contend with high COVID infection numbers and revenue losses from business taxes, Palmer maintained low
“Right now, there are three alternative plans for how the east-west rail will be configured, and Palmer has a stop in each scenario.”
infection numbers and relies more on residential taxes, which remained stable.
These days, as many people in the larger metropolitan areas work from home, there is no certainty they will return to five days a week in the office. That dynamic, McNutt believes, gives Palmer a real opportunity. With the average home price in Palmer at $191,000 compared to the
Greater Boston area average of more than a half- million dollars, he wants to take advantage of this moment.
“The ability to start a family and work toward the American dream is much more difficult to afford in the Greater Boston area and much eas- ier in our area,” he told BusinessWest. “We may see a change in working conditions where office workers spend up to four days a week at home, which would allow them to live in Western Mass. and take advantage of our affordability.”
McNutt is creating a marketing plan to reach out to the Boston area as well as other densely populated urban areas to promote the value and quality of life available in Palmer and surround- ing areas.
One huge boon for Palmer in this regard would be the proposed east-west rail project. The plan to offer passenger rail service from Pittsfield to Boston has been included in the federal infra- structure plan about to go to Congress. McNutt said east-west rail would be transformative for his town.
“Right now, there are three alternative plans for how the east-west rail will be configured, and Palmer has a stop in each scenario,” he said. Though many steps remain before the plan wins approval and comes to fruition, town planners
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     10 APRIL 14, 2021
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
 Palmer
at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1775 POPULATION: 13,050
AREA: 32 square miles COUNTY: Hampden
TAX RATE, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL: Palmer, $22.63; Three Rivers, $23.28; Bondsville, $23.67; Thorndike, $23.62
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $41,443 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $49,358
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Town Manager; Town Council
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Baystate Wing Hospital; Sanderson MacLeod Inc., Camp Ramah of New England; Big Y World Class Market
* Latest information available
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