Middleboro residents give final input on master plan

MIDDLEBORO — Residents had their final opportunity Wednesday, July 30, to provide input on the master plan that will guide Middleboro’s development and priorities over the next decade.

Held in the basement of the public library, the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District presented the draft plan it has been developing for more than a year.

Informed by community surveys and direct dialogue with residents, the plan covers nine focus areas: land use, housing, economic development, open space and recreation, natural and cultural resources, sustainability and resilience, services and facilities and transportation.

Each section includes a clearly defined goal along with strategies to achieve it. During the workshop, residents had the chance to identify which strategies they feel should be prioritized.

For example, under housing, the primary goal is to “support sustainable housing growth.” To meet that goal, planners proposed three strategies: implement the town’s Housing Production Plan, support mixed-use housing development in key areas and create design guidelines in the historic districts to encourage contextually sensitive growth.

At the meeting, residents selected the strategy they felt the town should focus on first. All three will be used, said Taylor Perez, SRPEDD director of housing and research, but public input will help determine the order in which they’re implemented.

“Our hope is that we haven’t suggested anything that residents are like, ‘Where did you come up with that?’” Perez said. “But if, for some reason, people were resistant to an idea, we’d pull back on that. Since it’s all driven through the workshops and surveys, we hope that folks identify with it.”

Some categories include more than one goal. In the land use section, for instance, goals include evaluating zoning bylaws to align with the town’s vision and encouraging development compatible with existing uses.

For economic development, the plan outlines three strategies: focus growth in areas suitable for mixed-use, commercial and industrial development, support and enhance the agricultural economy as well as support the local business community.

Recent improvements to open space, such as the skate park at 48 Wareham St., informed the goals in that section of the plan: preserving open space, creating new recreational opportunities and improving access to natural areas.

Goals for natural and cultural resources include protecting significant habitats and preserving historically important locations. These work in tandem with sustainability goals, which focus on creating opportunities and preparing for hazardous weather.

In the area of services and facilities, the plan calls for increasing access to municipal services, improving infrastructure and supporting public safety.

Transportation goals include improving traffic safety and increasing access to town amenities.

Many of the proposed strategies will depend on funding. However, much of the money is expected to come not from Middleboro tax dollars but through grant funding — something the master plan is designed to support.

“What’s nice about writing a master plan is it’s a great way to queue up future grant applications,” Perez said. “If the town of Middleboro decided they wanted to go after a HousingWorks grant or a federal grant program, if you have it written in a master plan, you can reference it and say, ‘Hey, we did all of this planning work.’”

“We try to connect the dots in the plan from a strategy to a potential grant program,” she added.

Following Wednesday night’s workshop, planners will complete the final draft and expect to release it to the public between the fall and the end of the year.