By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Northborough – Master Plan Committee Chair Fran Bakstran presented an update to the Northborough Board of Selectmen at its Sept. 23 meeting. Town Planner Kathy Joubert co-presented in lieu of Vice-chair Rick Leif who was unable to attend.
Bakstran reported that in the past 18 months the committee had met 16 times, held three public hearings, and sent two separate surveys to the public – garnering input from hundreds of residents.
She said that the Master Plan will serve as a road map for the community to follow over the next 20 years and will be the vision for the future and strategic outline. The plan is a policy guide and framework for development and zoning.
Bakstran emphasized that it is not a zoning ordinance, a regulation, a budget, a capital improvement program or other regulatory document.
Bakstran read the Master Plan’s Vision Statement:
“Northborough, a New England town incorporated in 1766, envisions a future where residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds are drawn to a thriving town that provides walkability and connectivity between open spaces, gathering places, commercial activity and neighborhoods.”
Joubert said that the Master Plan document is under review by the committee and is almost complete with seven of its eight chapters finalized. Chapters include Land Use; Natural, Cultural, and Historic Resources; Housing, Economic Development; Open Space and Recreation; Public Facilities; and Transportation.
“The final chapter … is our implementation plan and that is what the Steering Committee has focused on in their last couple of meetings,” Joubert noted.
The recommendations within each chapter have been divided up into short-term, mid-term and long-term. Short-term is anything from one to five years, mid-term is six to 10 years and long-term is 10 to 15 years. Financial implications were also considered.
“It’s a working document and again not everything is to be done in the first couple of years,” Joubert remarked.
She cited as an example economic development goals such as revitalizing the downtown and repurposing town owned buildings.
“One of the recommendations was for a dog park, it’s something we’ve talked about for several years here in town and we’ve had fits and starts about how do we get a dog park? And then as you know the dog park is becoming a reality,” Joubert said. “It was a short-term goal with a moderate priority.”
Implementation leadership was discussed at length. Which board or boards would be in charge of implementing specific goals?
Bakstran recommended that the Board of Selectmen create an Implementation Committee.
“It would be a smaller version of the Master Plan Steering Committee where the different boards and commissions and town departments are represented and this board must include our financial partners,” Bakstran explained.
Board Chair Jason Perreault thanked Bakstran and Joubert and the members of the committee for their hard work.
The committee will be holding a public presentation and public hearing Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Northborough Free Library, 34 Main St. Time to be announced.
For more information, visit www.northboromp.com.