Unveiling Of Manchester's New Development Plan Set For Next Month

MANCHESTER, CT — A guide to develop Manchester over the next decade will be officially unveiled next month.

The official presentation by Manchester's consultant and town officials is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Workspace building, 901 Main St. A public draft of Manchester's Plan of Conservation and Development, called "Manchester NEXT," will be available to viewing at an open house at Workspace from noon to 7 p.m. that day as well.

An open house to view the plan has also been slated for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center at 153 Spruce St.

To formulate the Manchester Next package, the town hired a multidisciplinary team of planning consultants led by Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative. The community has been engaged in a "public planning process" that culminates with next month's open houses.

A plan of conservation and development typically is a long-range policy document that establishes the vision and goals for how a town wants to continue to grow over a 10-year period. The POCD is used to help guide and improve livability, economics, mobility, recreation, employment, housing, and resilience throughout a town.