September 2024 - Barrett Planning Group LLC

Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan Update Phase I

Posted on September 30, 2024October 7, 2024 by djensen

The Town of Barnstable and its villages sought to create a long-term guidance document based on shared vision, local values, and community consensus. This plan will provide a policy framework for growth and development of the community’s facilities and infrastructure, economy, and natural and cultural resources over the next ten to twenty years.

The scope of work for Phase I included data collection and an inventory of the existing conditions in the community and the creation of a vision statement based on civic engagement throughout Barnstable. Organized into natural, built, and community systems, we sought to organize Barnstable’s diverse and interconnected needs and challenges according to their component parts, which is a model of the Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Policy Plan. With input from more than 1,500 residents in the community survey, community presentations and workshops in each village, and other outreach, we aimed to create a living document that will shape Barnstable’s future.

Topics in the plan include groundwater, marine waters, freshwater lakes and ponds, wetland resources, open space and recreation, wildlife habitat, land use and development, drinking water supply, wastewater management, stormwater management, transportation and circulation, utilities and public services, population, housing, cultural and historic resources, and the local economy.

Town of Carlisle Master Plan

Posted on September 30, 2024October 7, 2024 by djensen

In April 2021, the Town of Carlisle hired Barrett Planning Group to help the Master Plan Steering Committee (MPSC) finish the Carlisle Master Plan. The planning process had launched in 2019 with another consultant, but COVID-19 put the entire project on hold. Eventually the MPSC charted a course for reviving the Master Plan and brought us on to help them reach the finish line. For a year, we worked closely with the MPSC to:

Update the existing conditions reports that had been prepared pre- COVID-19
Work closely with a subcommittee to develop and refine a GIS database with existing land uses and a buildout analysis
Finish a vision statement and overarching goals based on five community- identified values
Conduct two community forums and a community survey
Develop implementation strategies to achieve the plan’s goals
Conduct focus groups with key community partners to verify the feasibility and appropriateness of the draft strategies
Develop case studies of master plan implementation in similar towns
Draft the plan around Carlisle’s five community values, linking them to the master plan elements required by state law (G.L. c. 41, § 81D)
Develop an implementation framework for the Town

After publishing the draft Master Plan, the MPSC sponsored a one-month public comment period. We worked with the MPSC to address comments and revise the draft. The Carlisle Planning Board unanimously adopted the final Master Plan in May 2022.

Citizen Planner Training Collaborative Comprehensive Curriculum Revision & Update

Posted on September 30, 2024September 30, 2024 by djensen

Barrett Planning Group was delighted when the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC) hired us to lead a comprehensive update of their curriculum and training materials. With assistance from Horsley Witten Group and Freeman Law Group, we updated, revised, and reformatted the technical assistance bulletins, PowerPoint presentations, and instructor notes for eleven CPTC courses.

Roles & Responsibilities of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeal
Introduction to the Zoning Act
Special Permits & Variances
Introduction to Subdivision Control and ANR
Reading a Subdivision Plan
Site Plan Review
Vested Rights & Nonconforming Uses and Structures
Zoning Exemptions
Fair, Defensible Land Use Decisions
Creating a Master Plan (a course Judi Barrett piloted in 2007) Planning with Community Support

Plymouth Housing and Zoning

Posted on September 30, 2024October 7, 2024 by djensen

In 2023, the Town of Plymouth, NH, hired Barrett to analyze its housing needs and assist with zoning reform to encourage housing development. Funding for the project came from New Hampshire’s Housing Opportunity Grant (HOP) Program, which provides grants to communities interested in updating their land use regulations to increase opportunities for housing production.

The Barrett team was engaged to focus on three core initiatives for Plymouth:

Housing needs assessment to review Plymouth’s housing stock, community demographics, economic trends, and other relevant data
Regulatory audit of land use regulations related to housing (zoning, site planning review, subdivision regulations)
Zoning amendments consistent with identified community values, housing needs, and regulatory barriers

Barrett’s research and audit revealed a complex set of issues, particularly in relation to zoning. Land use ordinances that had been modified over time were now inconsistent and unclear. In addition, the long-standing conservative approach to development led to stricter dimensional regulations, substantially limiting opportunities for housing diversity and choice. These gradual changes rendered many properties nonconforming, making even simple building projects (a deck addition, for example) a challenge for many residents.

Led by Judi Barrett, our team proposed significant tactical changes to the Town’s land use regulations – all within the context of a participatory community planning effort co-led by the Town’s Housing Committee. Through interactive public forums, smaller focus groups, surveys, and educational materials, we gained public input and educated the community about the purpose and intent of proposed regulatory amendments.

The town demonstrated a remarkable show of support for zoning reform. In March 2024, the Planning Board presented a substantial slate of regulatory amendments to the community, and Town Meeting voted to adopt all articles with broad support.

Among the accomplishments achieved, this package of zoning amendments:

Reduced the minimum lot size for single family homes, bringing many properties back into conformity with zoning and enabling greater density in future development
Created additional categories of housing within the zoning ordinance and reduced barriers to developing smaller multi-unit dwellings in select districts
Overhauled the open space residential development ordinance
Provided for the ability to place multiple dwellings on a single lot
Reduced permitting barriers for accessory dwelling units
Majorly reformed off-street parking requirements

This outstanding feat was made possible by the efforts of the Town’s Housing Committee and Planning Board, Planning Department staff, community, and all involved.

Attleboro Housing Needs Assessment

Posted on September 30, 2024October 1, 2024 by fuelmedia

In 2023, the City of Attleboro hired Barrett Planning Group to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment. The
study was a directive of newly elected Mayor Catherine DeSimone in order to better understand and
advance the City’s housing gaps and strategies. In support of the project, Mayor DeSimone appointed a
seven-member Housing Needs Assessment Steering Committee to guide the process.
Working with the steering committee and the Attleboro Department of Planning and Development, the
Barrett team has developed a draft comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment comprised of two
essential components:

Phase one includes a data-driven needs analysis focused on three areas: an inventory of existing conditions, gaps between housing stock and needs, and barriers to housing.
Phase two expands upon this research by outlining housing goals and strategies to address the housing needs determined from phase one, as well as input from the community. These recommendations include strategies for zoning, planning, housing advocacy, and increased capacity for addressing housing needs.

One of the most significant recommendations is a proposal to establish an Affordable Housing Trust, a key municipal tool for creating and preserving housing for low- and moderate-income households. The City is moving forward with this recommendation and has begun exploring the process of establishing a trust with our assistance.

As is the hallmark of many of our projects, we employed a strong community engagement process to complement and inform our research and recommendations. This process included an initial online community survey and two in-person community meetings. Using open discussion and interactive stations during each meeting, we solicited feedback on a number of topics including housing types, housing needs and potential strategies.

At their September meeting, the Housing Needs Assessment Steering Committee approved the draft plan, which Barrett will then present to the Municipal Council later this fall. In the meantime, our team continues to assist the City with other projects, including an update to the City’s 2012 Comprehensive Plan and a newly-launched Route 1/1A Corridor Study.

Tisbury Town Plan

Posted on September 30, 2024January 10, 2025 by fuelmedia

When the Tisbury Planning Board embarked on the town’s first-ever town-wide master plan, they chose Barrett Planning Group to lead the planning process. As the primary hub for ferry and barge traffic entering Martha’s Vineyard, Tisbury’s Vineyard Haven terminal serves as the only year-round gateway for transporting goods and people to and from the island. Tisbury also has unique challenges in protecting coastal and inland water resources, preparing for sea level rise, and providing affordable homes for year-round and seasonal workers. To address these and other critical needs, the Town asked us to accomplish the following tasks:

Develop a community engagement plan

Analyze existing conditions and trends, and prepare recommendations for all the core components of a master plan under Massachusetts state law (land use, economic development, housing, open space, and recreation, natural and cultural resource areas, in ; identifying key issues and opportunities; and proposing recommendations and an implementation plan. The process was done concurrently with the development of the commercial district vision plan, prepared by Dodson & Flinker.

Our data driven analysis of the existing conditions looked at several key topics, including land use and zoning, natural resources and sustainability, housing, economic development, open space, transportation, community services and facilities, and governance – all aspects vital to Tisbury’s growth and future.

Master Plans are guided by more than just data, they’re guided by community vision. Using open houses, surveys, workshops, and stakeholder sessions, we employed a comprehensive community engagement plan to gain public insight. Working hand in hand with a dynamic Master Plan Steering Committee (MPSC), we engaged a wide perspective of ages and groups, including town staff, officials, business owners, both year-round and seasonal residents, and students. We were thrilled to have a high school student on the MPSC, who added valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing younger generations. .

At the conclusion of the nearly two-year process, we presented a 300-page plan that addressed eight key areas of municipal concern. Among the recommendations was a restructuring of the town government from Town Administrator to Town Manager, giving more authority to the town’s lead executive. This was critical for increasing the Town’s governance capacity and improving the decision-making process. Other recommendations included regionalization of infrastructure, zoning reform, encouraging more mixed-use development, and development of a land management plan. The plan also prioritized encouraging policies that increase equitable and sustainable housing choices to meet the needs of the community.

The Planning Board unanimously adopted the plan in April 2024, and several recommendations are already in the implementation stage. The contributions and support of municipal leaders, business owners, and residents formed the foundation of this collaborative effort, keeping it on track and leading to positive change. In December 2024, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-MA) gave Tisbury’s Master Plan the 2024 Best Comprehensive Planning Award for a Small Community.

Month: September 2024

Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan Update Phase I

Town of Carlisle Master Plan

Citizen Planner Training Collaborative Comprehensive Curriculum Revision & Update

Plymouth Housing and Zoning

Attleboro Housing Needs Assessment

Tisbury Town Plan

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