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State governments need to decide what strategy they will adopt 
to insure balanced regional development and what types of incentive- 
control systems they will employ. Should the Commonwealth estab- 
lish a State-chartered, nonprofit corporation empowered to acquire 
land and plan and develop new communities? Should the State author- 
ize groups of cities and towns to acquire, purchase, or take by eminent 
domain noncontiguous tracts of land for open space, transportation 
corridors, utility purposes or for privately developed new com- 
munities? Should the exercise of such powers be subject to the approval 
of a regional planning and development agency? Should the State 
(through the Department of Community Affairs, Commerce and 
Development and/or the Department of Natural Resources) designate 
land areas in which the State has a special interest? Could the State 
planning agencies prepare and administer direct land use and develop- 
ment controls which would insure that new community development 
would meet State objectives? 
In this chapter three new community development strategies are 
evaluated. Each strategy is considered in terms of its political and 
financial feasibility and the public benefits it is likely to offer. The 
first strategy would authorize existing regional planning agencies to 
assume some of the powers of a regional development authority and 
to plan for new community development in their region. The second 
strategy calls for the establishment of a State development corpo- 
ration to build new communities. The third strategy provides for the 
establishment of new community development districts which would 
be financed by the State but run by a board of directors made up of 
community representatives. 
STRATEGY NO. 1 
Providing regional planning agencies with the power to act as 
industrial and economic development authorities. 
Description 
Legislation presently exists which provides for the industrial 
development of cities and towns through the establishment of indus- 
trial development finance authorities.” The creation of these authori- 
ties must be preceded by the finding that (1) unemployment or the 
threat of unemployment exists in the municipality or (2)-seeurity 
against future unemployment and lack of business opportunity is 
required in the municipality. By attracting new industry to the 
municipality or by substantially expanding existing industry, it is 
assumed that the industrial development finance authorities can help 
to combat these problems. Two or more contiguous municipalities 
may agree to consolidate their respective industrial development 
financing authorities into a single authority.” These authorities can 
acquire and sell land but they do not have the power of eminent do- 
main. The general laws of Massachusetts provide for the creation of a 
State industrial finance board which on the request of any city or town 
can establish a local industrial development finance authority. 
In 1966, 1967, and 1968 the Massachusetts Department of Com- 
merce and Development proposed enabling legislation that would 
allow all regional planning agencies to act as industrial or economic 
2 Massachusetts General Laws, sec. 772, ch. 40D. 
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