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MPSC Notes 9/27/13
MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE
WORKING SESSION NOTES   
September 27, 2013  -  2:00 PM
Conference Room B, 3rd Floor, Town Hall



Voting Members Present:  Charlie Corley, Rodney Frias, Don Garcia, Sam Wong, Chris Yates
Ex Officio Members Present: Linda Ghiloni
Others Present:  Jennifer Burke, Kerin Shea, Michelle Ciccolo, Mary Ann Iarossi (VHB)
Members Not Present:  Terrence Joyce, Lorraine Nelson, Jim Quinn, Arthur Redding, Lynn Valcourt, Dave Stephens, Tony Marques, Len Belli, Brian Choquette, John Blood, Justin Provencher, Julie Torres, Chris Sandini, Michael Burks



Update
The Steering Committee went over the schedule.  From now on, the meetings will be “working sessions”.  Notes will be taken for informational purposes, but will not require a quorum for an official meeting or to approve minutes.

We will be reviewing 2 chapters per month & getting comments/edits back to VHB within a certain timeframe.  Members may comment at the working session meetings, or may email comments.  After the edits are incorporated, the draft chapters will be released to the public.  The first 2 chapters are Housing & Economic Development.  The second 2 chapters will be Transportation & Energy.  The third 2 chapters will be Open Space/Recreation & Historic/Natural Resource Preservation.  This will take us through the end of the year. Chapters to be reviewed in 2014 include: Introduction, Community Visions & Goals, Land Use, Public Buildings & Facilities, Public Health & Social Services, and Implementation.  Other items that also need to be completed are our Housing Production Plan & the update of our Subdivision Control Regulations.

We will do a lot of outreach when the draft chapters are released to the public.  Public comments on the first 6 chapters will be due January 2014.   This is not the only time that the public may comment.  The public will also have time to comment on the final document as a whole.  We hope to have the plan finalized by late spring/early summer 2014.

Review of DRAFT Housing Chapter
There were many comments to include in this chapter.

  • Incorporate the Town Clerk’s census, population & demo’s
  • Goals – starter homes, smaller homes
  • Market Cluster Development, OSRD
  • Add homes available to very low income
  • Density – land area or dry land area?
  • Compare density with other towns. Why is it important?  Services, sidewalks, transit
  • Check density figures – 80 per sq/mi?
  • When comparing with Ashland, must note differences why – commuter rail, lots of condos, affordable.  Put description or disclaimer.
  • Add chart for surrounding neighbor communities
  • Check Table #’s vs Figure #’s vs page #’s.  They are confusing.  Make one numbers & one letters perhaps?
  • Check page 3.9 – housing conditions.  Make sure it is consistent with Land Use chapter.  Each chapter lists a different timeframe for which most of the housing stock was built.
  • Add Cabot Ridge to the 40B section, page 3-19.
  • Footnote the definition of Fair Market Rent.
  • Compare the subsidized rental rate, as well as subsidized sales price.
  • Add the Affordable Housing Trust – to preserve affordable units too.
  • Add OSRD
  • Mixed-use zoning is allowed in C-1 only.
  • Add  recommendation to modernize C-1 zoning
- Are apartments allowed above commercial kitchens?
- Can you build up unless building is of a certain age?
- Revisit Bylaw
  • Add Senior Housing & Assisted Living
Review of DRAFT Economic Development Chapter
There were many comments to include in this chapter.

  • Adjust Intel’s numbers:  employee numbers & site square footage, etc
  • Rethink how Intel is mentioned.  
  • Add Central St, Cherry St & Apsley St to the industrial areas
  • Our labor force – has higher 2 income families than ____?
  • 2 income families impact after school participation, retail, entertainment, etc
  • Taxes – how do we rate in terms of cost per SF?  Hard to compare tax rate with neighboring towns.
  • Brigham Estate – what is recommendation? Currently zoned residential.
  • Transitional Zoning – areas between commercial & residential.  Use buffers, modest development, etc.
  • There is currently retail in the Tower St Mill.
  • Add to AROD – Apsley St?
  • Remove “ongoing façade program”.  It has run in past. Due to decreased HUD funding, recent grant applications have not been successful.
  • Expand use of 43D
  • Other Considerations - mention Transition Zoning again

Other Business
Please get any additional comments on the Housing and/or economic Development chapters back to Jen or Kerin by October 4th.  We will forward along to VHB for inclusion.  Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday October 25th at 2:00 pm.  We will be going over the Transportation & Energy chapters.

No members had any other questions or concerns at this time.


Minutes
There was no quorum to approve the minutes of March 14, 2013 & May 16, 2013.

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:47 PM.