Published in the January 18, 2017 edition
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Planning Board has begun laying the groundwork for updating the town’s Master Plan.
State law requires planning boards to create a Master Plan in order to “provide a basis for decision making regarding the long-term physical development” of a municipality. According to the law, a Master Plan must be “consistent in its policies, forecasts and standards.”
In a phone interview with the Villager, Planning Board member and Master Plan Committee Chairwoman Heather Sievers said the board has launched a survey located at www.LynnfieldMasterPlan.org as the first step for updating the plan.
“We are supposed to update the Master Plan every 10 years,” said Sievers. “The last time we did it was in 2002, so we are a little behind. It will give us a read about important issues and what are the town’s needs.”
Sievers said the updated Master Plan will seek to address nine areas: Open space and recreation; natural resources; historical and cultural resources; public facilities and services; transportation; economic development; housing; and land use and zoning. She said the Master Plan must include an implementation section as well.
According to Sievers, the survey has 59 questions. Depending on the responses given participants will not have to answer all of the questions.
“The survey should take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete and all responses will be confidential,” stated Sievers in a copy of the Master Plan survey obtained by the Villager. “Only surveys with answers to all asterisked questions will be included in the final results.”
The survey touches on a variety of different areas. Its first nine questions are “purely theoretical and aim to find out what types of development might be acceptable to the Lynnfield community.” One question asks residents if they are open to “transforming the Center shopping area on Main Street into a mixed-use development including both commercial and residential units.” Some of the other hypothetical questions include seeking feedback on repurposing the Reedy Meadow Golf Course; what should happen to the Bali Hai property; and if residents are in favor of other types of housing in town in addition to single-family homes.
Another survey question asks residents if the town should adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA). According to the survey, if the town adopts the CPA it would result in a small, one to three percent surcharge on residents’ real estate tax bills that would be “combined with a limited amount of state funding and used for the purchase of property for open space, outdoor recreation, affordable housing and historic preservation.”
The survey also asks residents questions about whether they support building a new library, fire station, police station, rail trail and multi-generation recreation center as well as expanding the Senior Center. Residents are also asked if they are satisfied with the amount of open space facilities in town; its roads and sidewalks; and if the town should invest in renewable energy resources.
According to Sievers, the deadline to participate in the Master Plan survey is midnight on Saturday, Jan. 28. If residents are unable to access it online they can pick up a hard copy at either the library or Senior Center.
“People can fill it out and turn it back in at either the library or Senior Center,” said Sievers.
After the Jan. 28 deadline has passed, the Planning Board will review all the responses received, Sievers said. The Planning Board will hold public meetings about the survey results at a later date.
“The results of the survey will define what the public meetings will focus on,” said Sievers.
Additionally, Sievers said the Planning Board will be working with the Capital Facilities Planning Committee (CFAC).
“We want to coordinate with them so we come up with the same plan,” she said.
