Shrewsbury 2023 Candidate Profile: Beth Casavant, Select Board

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury voters in 2023 will have to make a choice in the select board race, where five candidates are competing for two seats.

Of those candidates, only Beth Casavant is returning to run for reelection. Select Board Chair Maurice DePalo, who was first elected to the select board in 1993, is not running for reelection.

Residents James Brown, Siobhan Costello-Weber, Carlos Garcia and Rajesh Uppalapati have filed to run in the hopes of picking up the open seat.

To help voters get to know the 2023 candidates, Shrewsbury Patch sent each one a questionnaire ahead of the May 2 election. Here's how Casavant responded:

Relevant experience

I am a graduate of Skidmore College and Framingham State University. Since moving to Shrewsbury in 2008, I have been an active community volunteer. I served in leadership positions on several PTOs and on the host committee for the Celebration in the Garden fundraiser to benefit the Shrewsbury Public Schools. I am an elected Town Meeting Member, served as a Trustee of the Shrewsbury Public Library, am the current President of the Shrewsbury Rotary Club, a trustee of Framingham State University and am currently in my second term on the Shrewsbury Select Board.

I have been involved in several town-wide initiatives, serving as a member of the campaign committee to renovate and expand the Shrewsbury Public Library, as the campaign manager for Community Supporters for Shrewsbury, and as a campaign strategist for Community Supporters for Beal and Community Supporters for Public Safety, helping to organize successful debt exclusion campaigns to build a new elementary school and a new police station respectively.
For the past 8 years, I have served as the Tournament Director for a local charity golf tournament, helping to raise critical funds for three local charities: Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, St. Anne’s Human Services and Westborough Food Pantry.

Why are you running for select board this year?

I am running to continue leading Shrewsbury in a way that prioritizes community engagement and focuses on improving the quality-of-life people experience each day. I have a proven track record of successful leadership, creative problem solving, balanced decision making, and collaboration resulting in the achievement of important goals and community driven initiatives. I have been keenly focused on long-term financial planning, and advocated for investments in fire and police, water infrastructure, mental health resources, education, and reliable municipal services. Stability and consistency of local leadership is critical to the overall health of our community. The Select Board has changed rapidly, with three new members joining the Board since I was first elected in 2017, and another joining in May. If re-elected, I will be the senior member of the Select Board having served for six years and possessing the experience and understanding needed to mentor new members and continue leading Shrewsbury toward a strong future.

What's one thing Shrewsbury is lacking right now, and what would you do about it?

Shrewsbury is lacking in enough affordable housing to meet the 10% minimum requirement set under Chapter 40B of Massachusetts General Law and will continue to attract large scale multi-family housing developments until that threshold is met. Under Chapter 40B, developers can override local zoning bylaws and local leaders have little room to deny or significantly modify development proposals. I support housing projects that create affordable housing and move us closer to safe haven from future 40B projects. Large multifamily housing projects in Shrewsbury are met with public resistance due to very real concerns around school crowding and the impact on infrastructure and resources. When a developer is intent on building under 40B in Shrewsbury, I favor entering a LIP (Local Initiative Partnership) agreement as a way for the Select Board to have a "seat at the table" and work with a developer to address those impacts with great success. Once 10% affordable is achieved, Shrewsbury will be able to only accept housing projects that meet the needs of the community as outlined in our Housing Production Plan and have greater control over our rate of growth from this type of development.

Shrewsbury's downtown area around the common is being studied for transportation upgrades and a new development at the former Beal School. What's your vision for this part of town?

Shrewsbury’s Master Plan identifies the Town Center as an area for transformation and "a focal point for bringing the community together through social, economic, cultural and civic activities." My vision for our Town Center is shaped by the feedback received through public forums, surveys and community meetings held on the topic, and the desire to rekindle the vibrancy of our Town Center and move beyond the vacant storefronts. A mix of residential and commercial development is essential to breathing life back into the Town Center. I recognize the benefit of the public-private partnership in being able to shape the project and address residents’ concerns. The residential component will expand available housing opportunities for people of different ages and income levels, while the commercial space will offer a gathering place for all to enjoy. Beal Commons is the first step in achieving the vision set forth in the Master Plan to make the former Beal School site and our Town Center “a potential focal point and destination.”

Shrewsbury is a WRTA member community, but only a small portion of Route 9 and the common area have fixed route service. Would you like to change the town's access to public transit in any way?

The WRTA is a valuable resource for those who depend on public transportation every day. The rising costs of owning a vehicle coupled with concerns around the climate impact of driving are just a few reasons why increasing access to public transportation is important. A multimodal study is currently underway to better understand how people are traveling, and data from that study could present a strong argument for broadening fixed bus route service.

Currently, Shrewsbury receives funding from the WRTA to offer transportation to individuals with disabilities and seniors over the age of 60 to get to medical appointments, the grocery store, the pharmacy, and the senior center. At its most recent meeting, the WRTA Board voted to continue fare free service through June 2024 and continue offering the on demand rideshare service, Via, which allows individuals to travel to locations in Shrewsbury and Westborough at a low cost using an app to schedule service.

Ultimately, increasing Shrewsbury’s access to public transportation through the WRTA comes down to funding and would require the Select Board to work collaboratively with our State Senator and State Representative to advocate for increased funding for regional transit authorities throughout the state, including the WRTA.

What's your favorite thing to do as an activity in Shrewsbury?

There is so much that I love about Shrewsbury! I like to participate in events that bring our community together like Food Truck Nights at Town Hall, the Farmer Market and The Town Expo held during the Spirit of Shrewsbury. My dog loves the meadow at Lake Street Park and the trail around Jordan Pond. Shrewsbury has so much to offer!