Chelmsford Committee Considers Viles Square Historic District After Decade of Inaction

CHELMSFORD — June 8, 2026 — Chelmsford's Linus Squares Strategic Action Plan Committee opened formal discussion of a possible local historic district for the Viles Square area of North Chelmsford after more than a decade of inaction on the idea. Linda Prescott of the Chelmsford Historical Commission told the committee that all commercial buildings in the square are already inventoried, that historic marker signs are available at no cost to property owners, and that a local district would give the community more control over exterior changes than a National Register listing — particularly against Massachusetts Department of Transportation projects. Evan, the town's Director of Community Development, cautioned that "literally nothing has changed in Viles Square" despite the idea appearing in planning documents for over a decade, and recommended against outreach to property owners until after a planned MassDOT public hearing on the locally initiated Viles Square intersection redesign, now at 25 percent design. The committee agreed to take up the historic district question again at its August 17 meeting. Separately, the committee learned that the Rare Road Foundation donated $10,000 to fund accessible playground equipment at Vernon Park, to be combined with Community Preservation Committee money.