Master Plan Required Research and Data
Return to Master Planninng Process
The effort required to complete the municipal master plan will include extensive research/data collection, coordination with Local, Regional and State agency officials, document preparation, public workshops and periodic status briefings with the Planning Board, Board of Selectmen and Town Officials.
The municipal master plan will be created in two distinct phases. The first phase reflects Acushnet's need to prepare an overall strategic planning framework while simultaneously addressing an immediate need to formalize policy on Land Use and Housing. Three tasks will be accomplished in this phase:
1. Prepare the Goals and Policies element. This effort will include
- Conduct a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) public workshop to identify the primary issues, which the municipal master plan should address (within the context of traditional master plan elements).
- Conduct a comprehensive visioning process to establish a community vision with specific goals for each of the traditional master plan elements.
2. Develop the Land Use element of the master plan
3. Develop the Housing element of the master plan.
This approach will enable an initial global view of the Town's challenges and opportunities and establish a single vision for Acushnet's future. The goals for each of the master plan elements will clarify how the Town intends to achieve its vision and demonstrate linkages between these elements. This step is necessary to proceed toward full development (i.e., establish specific objectives, timeframes, implementation action plans, etc.) of each master plan element. Due to increasing land development pressure, the Town's leadership (i.e., Selectmen and Planning Board) has stated an urgent need to complete the Land Use and Housing Components of the municipal master plan. Finalization of these two elements will mark the completion of the first phase of this project
The second phase will be the completion of the remaining elements of the municipal master plan (i.e., economic development, natural and cultural resources, etc.).
