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Month: January 2026

The Stephen Palmer School Project

Posted on by alisa@barrettplanningllc.com

The Town of Needham is working with Barrett Planning Group and Gamble Associates to explore future uses for the Stephen Palmer Property, a former elementary school that was converted to multifamily senior apartments almost 50 years ago. The apartment building is managed by a private developer under a ground lease with the Town of Needham. Since the lease expires in 2027, the Town is considering options for repurposing the site.

Originally purchased by the Town of Needham in 1912, the property was developed as an elementary school in 1915. The school expanded to meet enrollment needs in 1930 and continued to operate until 1975. In 1977, the Town entered into a 50-year ground lease agreement with the current property management company to renovate the school as senior apartments, with space for the Town’s Council on Aging and Senior Center in the basement. As the end date for the current lease approaches, Needham must decide what is next for the property.

This planning process, led by Barrett Planning Group is intended to guide the process for determining the potential future uses on the site, including but not limited to preservation, open space, adaptive reuse, demolition, or new construction. The plan will answer questions like, should the site’s history as a school be preserved? What is feasible given site and market constraints? What future uses could meet the needs of the Needham community?

The project will include an analysis of site constraints and opportunities, three future land use scenarios, and one preferred future land use scenario for the site. Throughout the project, there will be a community engagement process that includes a project website with online engagement tools, three community meetings, and monthly steering committee meetings. The project will result in a vision plan for the future of the Stephen Palmer Property.

A Roadmap for Growth: Inside Attleboro’s Route 1/1A Corridor Study and Sturdy Neighborhood Plan

Posted on by alisa@barrettplanningllc.com

The City of Attleboro collaborated with Barrett Planning Group in 2025 to create a long-term plan for the Route 1/1A Corridor. This initiative focused on guiding future development, land use, and infrastructure enhancements along these key commercial roads.  Concurrently, MassDevelopment and the City of Attleboro engaged Barrett Planning Group and Horsley Witten Group to assess the neighborhood surrounding Sturdy Memorial Hospital and create a neighborhood improvement plan to support residents alongside the hospital’s growth. Together, these plans aim to improve mobility, safety, and economic vitality for the community.

The City of Attleboro’s Route 1/1A Corridor Study included a thorough review of past planning efforts, analysis of current City regulations and zoning, and community engagement efforts to understand the City’s future vision for the Study Area. Led by Barrett Planning Group’s Brenna Trollinger, AICP, the project provided an analysis of transportation and circulation patterns, multimodal transportation infrastructure, economic development and employment, environmental conditions, and land use within the Study Area. Community engagement included a meeting with neighborhood residents to hear about their needs and co-create a vision for the area’s future, a focus group with municipal staff, and a community survey. Ultimately, specific recommendations were made for zoning changes, infrastructure and public realm improvements, and economic development strategies to promote redevelopment and implementation. We are pleased to announce that the Plan received the 2025 Transportation and Mobility Planning Award from the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association in December 2025. 

At the same time, a partnership between MassDevelopment, the City of Attleboro, Barrett Planning Group, and Horsley Witten Group resulted in a comprehensive evaluation of the neighborhood surrounding Sturdy Memorial Hospital. Horsley Witten Group completed detailed environmental assessments for two potential redevelopment sites, while Barrett Planning Group led an extensive community engagement process to identify needs, challenges, and priorities. The teams worked closely with a neighborhood working group, conducted interviews and surveys, visited local businesses and institutions, and hosted a public meeting to refine strategies for neighborhood improvements while accommodating the hospital’s future needs. The project team shared the plan through an interactive and accessible ArcGIS StoryMaps presentation to communicate the plan to the public and further promote community involvement. The interactive StoryMap showcasing the plan can be viewed at https://arcg.is/0GHrjz1.

The resulting plans for both projects provide a roadmap for the City to make these neighborhoods more welcoming, walkable, and affordable, while strengthening it as a hub for healthcare and a thriving local economy.

Spotlight on Keene, NH – Project Update!

Posted on by alisa@barrettplanningllc.com

The City of Keene, New Hampshire, has engaged Barrett Planning Group to develop new ways to use property tax incentives to encourage housing growth. Having used New Hampshire’s 79-E Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Program to spur investment in Downtown Keene, the City wants to put two new 79-E housing incentives to work to develop more housing in and around the downtown area. This forward-thinking effort aims to support Keene’s community and economic development goals and help implement the City’s comprehensive plan. This project is a natural fit for Barrett Planning Group because we wrote the RSA 79-E Guidebook for New Hampshire Housing in 2024.

With an InvestNH Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) grant from the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, Keene wants to use the new features of RSA 79E to attract investment and unlock new development opportunities. Our work began in June 2025 and will formally kick off with a public workshop for the City Council in September. The workshop will cover both short-term and long-term tax implications, review current district boundaries, and explore how establishing a Housing Opportunity Zone or Residential Property Revitalization Zone could support more housing development in the community.

Additionally, we will meet with developers and investors to understand their goals and assess how the 79-E Program could align with and support their projects. Building on research we conducted for New Hampshire Housing in 2023, we will also look at what other communities, 79-E communities, are doing, compile effective practices, and develop recommendations tailored for Keene. Based on our findings, we will draft an initial resolution outlining the new program framework. The draft will incorporate feedback from City staff and include details such as project eligibility criteria, the duration of tax assessment relief, and a proposed district boundary map.

We will also host a public meeting to gather feedback from elected officials, developers, and other community stakeholders on the draft regulations and boundaries. We will finalize the resolution and present it to the City Council Committee using this input. In addition, to support successful implementation, we will develop an application form and user-friendly guidance materials to help City staff promote the program and assist both applicants and administrative staff through the process. Working on this initiative will be a memorable highlight for the Barrett team in 2025! We are excited to help Keene drive its revitalization efforts and provide for new housing.

Project Update January 2026:

Based on work throughout this project, the City of Keene is moving forward with a new Residential Property Revitalization Zone program – one of the first of its kind in New Hampshire. With input from City Council, focus groups, and interviews, the project team drafted a resolution to expand the boundaries of Keene’s existing RSA 79-E downtown revitalization zone and establish a Residential Property Revitalization Zone (RPRZ).

Under the RPRZ, property owners with qualifying structures can apply for temporary tax relief to significantly improve their homes. Keene has established specific public benefit requirements for this program, including the creation or preservation of housing units (especially creation of accessory dwelling units), promoting owner-occupancy, net-zero energy, climate resilience, and remediation. The goal of the RPRZ program is to revitalize existing housing stock by providing temporary tax relief for renovation projects that significantly improve qualifying residential structures.

The resolution was unanimously adopted by the City Council on December 18, 2025.

If our experience with planning and incentives for housing development could benefit your community, we would love to connect! Contact us at: bpg@barrettplanningllc.com