Conference 7.286::digital

    If this is the property just off Rt2 on the Leom/Lanc line, DEC
    has owned this for some time. The house on top of the hill is
    used for meetings(I think), thats why there's a parking lot light.
    When the purchase was first announced, it was supposed to be the
    R&D facility. Don't know if this has changed.
    
    Bob Mc
    

    I believe it's going to be for Bill Demmer's groups (LTNs, etc).
    
    wmw

Being a 10 year resident of Lancaster may i say Lord help the groups
that move in there if they have to use the Clinton Telephone exchange!

    What paper?

< Note 224.4 by HPSCAD::FORTMILLER "Ed Fortmiller" >
                                     -<  >-

    re : .4

    The Worcester Telegram and Gazette, last evenings paper 11/25.

	The land has been owned for about 5 or 6 years but no
	mention as to what was going in there.

  If the site is off Route 117 near I-190, it won't be on the 
Clinton phone exchange because it is too far from the Clinton line.
What's wrong with the Clinton exchange? I know this is off the
subject but I'm curious.

    DEC owns land abutting Rt 2. at the Lancaster/Lunenburg exit
    (Rt. 70 toward Lancaster, no number toward Lunenburg).
    
    I believe that DEC's ownership of this land led to a lawsuit some years
    back.  They'd leased the land to a farmer.  One of his cows got loose,
    walked out on Rt. 2, and got hit by a car.  The driver sued DEC (and
    settled out of court?). 
    
    -- Ward

    re .-1:
    
    right story, right route, wrong exit. It was near the Westminster
    plant.

Although this is off the original note, it does concern Lancaster.

The Clinton phone exchange is in serious trouble. It is an old mechanical 
switch installed a long time ago. At least one large Clinton company has 
threatened to leave if the problemns don't get fixed. (i think LFE).

The symptoms are varied, but some examples follow:

I get aproximately 2 wrong numbers per week per phone. You see, if you try to
dial a long distance number from Clinton to a (617) exchange and forget the
1-, you get some seemingly random number in a locally available exchange,
rather than some error signal. 

When i dial a long distance (617 or out of area) number, about 40% of the time
i have to redial it some number of times because:

20%	system responds to 1- or some subsequent number
	w/ new dial tone (btw modems don't recognize this "feature)"

50%	fast busy (re-order) a trunk somewhere along the line isn't available.
	A phone Co repair person said the trunk from Clinton to Worcester
	(our only "link" to outside world) gets worse in rain because of 
	leaks!

20%	twilight zone - after dialing numbers, a few clicks then nothing

10%	Message: Unable to complete call ...

When i do get a line, about 75% of the time it's too dirty for significant
dial-up modem work.

Many people whose word i trust say they have tried to call me when i was home 
but the phone didn't ring.

The funniest problems are the cross connections. These ebb and flow. I havn't 
had one in over two months now, but earlier i got one a week or so for a few 
months. 

Overworked or broken ANI - about 5-10% of the long distance calls are
intercepted by an operator to get your number for billing. My modem doesn't
speak english!

i could go on and on (as if i already hadn't), but this probably isn't
the right place.

BTW - if you have a 365-, 368- exchange, call the Clinton Chamber of commerce 
as they are soliciting complaints for funnelling to NYNEX...

    Calling the 365 exchange from Hudson gives us a lot of problems.
    The most common problem being is that after dialing the number the
    line just appears to be dead.  Also have problems getting wrong
    numbers when dialing the 365 exchange.  And yes the problem does
    seem worse during a good rain storm.  Now I don't know where the
    problem is but the 365 exchange is the only one that gives us
    problem so my blame goes to Clinton.  Hudson has a new switch.

    	.9 had a nice synopsis. Just wanted to concur. I lived in Clinton
    for about 9 months, and had constant aggravation. Also, no touch-tone
    (of course, due to the primative routing system) I asked when I
    moved in when the town would be upgraded, and they said they had
    "no plans". I can't imagine why not...
    
    	Ed

    The existing Lancaster facility has a Westminster number.
    
    If New England Telephone doesn't replace the old stepper exchange
    in Clinton by the time we open up in Lancaster, and our building
    falls within the Clinton geographical service area (as does most
    of Lancaster, but probably not all), then we may simply take foreign
    exchange service out of Westminster or some other local central
    office.  There are several examples; the Concord sites use Acton
    numbers, and the Wilmington plant uses Woburn numbers (which are
    really delivered from Winchester).  To do this, we pay a mileage
    charge on each such phone line.
    
    Since these plants were installed, both Concord and Wilmington have
    improved their COs (Wilmington may still be in the works), but we
    haven't changed numbers.
          fred (formerly of corp. telecom)

on the otherhand - Hudson suffered with their mechanical stepper for 6 
years

One note - as long as they don't upgrade your exchange from the 
mechanical, they are unequipped to charge you for local calls by the 
minute.  For us in bolyston (with local service all the way to auburn)
this is a plus.

    The junk yard on Rt 70 which is about 1 mi south of the proposed
    site has a Leominster number.  Of couse he could be paying extra
    for a FX line.

    I at one time worked at the Howard Johnson's that was just across
    from the Lancaster site, we had a Leominster phone number. The site
    is right next to the Lansacter/Leominster town line.

i have since found out that LFE, one of Clinton's largest employers at
around 230 people, threw their hands up and got a special trunk installed
to West Boyalston (sp?), and now use an 835 exchange (not 368/5).

That is always an option to DEC and other large users, but to individuals
it's a bit unrealistic.

    If anyone is interested....seen in the January issue of  Central
    Mass Business Digest.  "In Lancaster, Digital Equipment Corp. already
    has begun work on the water treatment plant that will enable
    construction of a four building campus-style complex which is expected
    to have 2000 employees by 1992"
    

    It has been more than a year since anyone replied to this topic, can
    someone update on the progress of the Lancaster facilities. I heard the
    project was delayed for several reasons, is it true?  Does anyone know
    when the buildings are going to be completed?  I also would like to
    know the exact location of these facilities. 
    
    Many thanks.
    

    I just talked to some people slated for the Lancaster facility over
    the weekend.  The building is intended for the Mid-Range Systems
    Engineering group and it's on the same property as Lancaster House.
    It is currently on indefinite hold along with a lot of other major
    capital expenses.

    The location is at the junction of Rt 2 & Rt70 (south of 2 and west
    of 70).
    
    			70
    			70
    	2222222222222222222222222222222222222
    		   here 70
    			70

    
    
     There was an article in the local paper <Townsend Common> a month
    or so back about the Lancaster building. The problem with construction
    at the time was no water. They drilled two 1k feet wells that were
    dry holes. The article also stated that the town of Lancaster didn't
    have enough water capacity right now to supply town water to the
    site. Supposely the town is drilling a couple of new wells and will
    have the capacity after they come online. Whether construction will
    begin after that is anybody's guess.
    
    
     -mike
    

    
    I am confused.  There are people who said the project is on hold.
    There are also people who said DEC will break ground and start
    the construction this summer.  Which is true??? 

    
    
     Being a home owner 2 miles away from the proposed site I am very
     interested in this facility being built. Talking to some locals
     last week and another reason for the delay is that Lancaster 
     can't handle the sewage that will come out of DEC (no jokes please)
     and that DEC will build its own sewage treatment plant. There is
     also talk of other proposed business's utilizing DEC's treatment
     plant....Tune in again tomorrow....
    
     Mike Lefebvre
    

< Note 224.22 by ANGORA::WCHIN >
>    I am confused.  There are people who said the project is on hold.
>    There are also people who said DEC will break ground and start
>    the construction this summer.  Which is true??? 

These statements may not be contradictory. A construction company can break
ground on a project and then let it sit for a year before any sign of a build-
ing appears. And the ceremonial groundbreaking may occur months before the
real thing occurs.

    There was an article in the Worcester Telegram a few weeks ago.
    The Leominster and Lancaster city fathers had agreed that the sewer
    lines could be run to the proposed Lancaster facility.   There was
    some consternation that nearby industrial sites couldn't connect
    even though the lines would be running in front of their facility
    (some warehouse or something?)   Anyway, no mention was made of
    running city water.

    Does anyone know the current status of the Lancaster plant?  Will
    building continue given the present state of Digital's economy?
    Is the project still being delayed?  What is the timetable for
    completion?
    
    Thanks, Ken

    Can anyone out there give an update on the Lancaster plant's status? 
    Does anyone know if it is still going to be built etc...
    
    Thanks, Ken

    
    
    reply : to whom it may concern
    
    
    
    Well I drive by the site almost everyday and have noticed that they've
    broken ground and they seem to be laying some sort of pipeing. So some-
    thing has begin....
    
    
    b

re: laying pipe.

I do not believe that has anything to do with the proposed DEC facility.
I believe that is a gas pipeline that has existed for years.

    
    
    oh well, it looked promising.....
    
    
    
    b

    Laying (re-laying?) the gas pipeline MAY be a good sign.  The Lancaster
    House (Woods) Meeting Facility has a survey map of the area that
    indicates a gas pipeline right through the middle of the Digital
    owned property.  Moving that may be the first step in preparing
    the site for construction.

Re: Promising

Actually it does have something to do with a DEC facility. The Gas lines cut 
diagnolly across the property, the work that was being done was the movement
of the gas lines to go around the edges of the property. 

I never heard whether the Lancaster Selectman gave Digital the R&D approval 
for all 5 buildings; I heard that they had approved 1 building but the paper
claimed that Digital wanted a blanket approval for the whole site. 

Sorry, I don't know any more than that

    Someone within DEC said that he heard the Lancaster plant was being put on
    ice at the same time the Argonaut and PRISM projects were cancelled and 
    seems to think that the cancellation of these projects was the reason. 
    He said that the people associated with Argonaut and PRISM were going
    to be the largest occupants of the facility.  Can anyone confirm or
    deny this info?
    
    Ken

    
    Re: .33
    
    	Lancaster was supposed to be used to consolidate all of the MSB
    groups (currently in LTN1, LTN2, BXB1, BXB2 and perhaps small groups
    in other places) into one location.  The grass-roots discussion of
    Lancaster seemed to die away last summer.  (I just recently left MSB.)
    Whether it is still officially "on" or not I don't know.
    
    								-craig

    re:.33
       I was on Argonaut up here. Whet you stated was the way we heard
    it also.
                                Denny

    As I was reading through the Montachusett Review ( a weekly/bi-weekly
    area newspapaper) I noticed an interesting short paragraph in one of the
    articles called "1989 A Year of Triumph Turmoil and Tragedy".  This
    is what it said, "Leominster received a grant to provide sewer services
    to a proposed Digital Equipment Corporation facility in Lancaster. The
    city raised additional funds for the project".
    I didn't realize that Leominster had ever received the grant.  Does
    this mean that the plant is still going to be built?  Anyone have any
    further updates?
    
    Thanks, Ken

    
    	I was looking for information on the Lancaster plant, so
    	I tried calling the phone number entered into the ASKENET (I
    	believe) conference, but to no avail.  The message was "You
    	have reached the Acton facility, but the number is not in serv-
    	ice."
    
    	Was the line disconnected, or did it never exist?  It is in
    	the newest DEC phone book.
    
    	Any information about the phone number or the facility would
    	be greatly appreciated.
    

================================================================================
Note 516.12               The 'alleged' Lancaster plant                 12 of 12
MILKWY::SLABOUNTY "My mind is on the blink ..."      31 lines   1-FEB-1990 09:49
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    	[Does this mean that DEC will definitely be building the plant,
    	 seeing how they have $1M tied up in the sewer line alone?]
    
    	From "The Montachusett Review":
    
    	Leominster has received the final approval on a $2.2M sewer
    	line which will connect the proposed DEC plant in Lancaster
    	and allow for further development of the Derby Farm property
    	and Pioneer Park.
    
    	The grant award was first announced in the fall of 1988, but
    	the plan had to receive approval from the state.  The grant
    	was awarded by Amy Anthony, secretary of the Executive Of-
    	fice of Communities and Development.
    
    	Mayor Stephen A. Perla said he was pleased final approval had
    	been gained - "This is really an important step in opening up
    	that section of Route 2 for development", he said.
    
    	DEC has committed up to $1M for the project, and Lowell Develop-
    	ment Corporation has chipped in another $200K.  Perla said,
    	"We're not certain exactly how much the project will cost us.
    	It may come in higher.  It may come in lower than the $2.2M
    	figure."
    
    	A side benefit to the project is that residents of the Mechanic
    	and Harvard Street area will be able to tap into the sewer line.
    
    							Shawn L.
    

    There's a For Sale sign on the Digital Lancaster property today.  282
    Acres.  Anyone interested?  Does anyone want to guess at the price tag? 
    (I guess about $10 mill.)
    
    Actually, I'd hate to see it developed. Since this Spring, I've been
    seeing coyote and deer on the property.  They've had a nice sanctuary
    for a long time.  Does anyone want to chip in and create a nature
    reserve? 8)
    
        Kath