Acton 2020 Committee Looking for Local Input on Major Town Topics

The Acton 2020 committee, responsible for overseeing the development of the next Comprehensive Community Plan for the Town of Acton, is holding three open meetings in March to seek advice on  the which must be understood  before specific strategies and action plans are developed.

The public is encouraged to attend to contribute their thoughts on these topics -  Thursday March 3rd, Wednesday March 9th, and Saturday March 12.

The first meeting is titled “Eat, Work, Shop: Economic Development in Acton”, and will be held  Thursday March 3^rd at 7:00 PM at Acton Town Hall. We will consider these questions: Do Actonians want to live in a more self-contained community, with enough of our own retail establishments and industry to reduce the need to drive to employment, entertainment, recreation, and shopping venues? Or do we prefer to let other towns host the businesses we patronize and instead, emphasize the more rural and/or bedroom-community characteristics of the town? If economic development is pursued, what kind should be encouraged and where should it be located?

The second meeting is titled “How can we love cars and hate traffic?: Getting around Acton”, and will be held Wednesday, March 9^th at 7:00 PM at Acton Town Hall.  Acton has several key traffic pinch points that cause frustration for all. What can the town do to help alleviate car congestion? And what about those who are unable to drive? Are Actonians willing to use more public transportation if it were offered? Are there enough people clustered in the right places to make a public transportation system viable? Will investment in bike paths and sidewalks and public transit help alleviate traffic? Or are the costs of such undertakings really worth the benefit? Come help the Acton 2020 committee evaluate how Acton residents and visitors can get around town better.

The third meeting is focused on Housing in Acton:  Where, how much, what kind, and for whom?, and will be held on Saturday, March 12^th, 2:00 – 4:30 PM at Acton Town Hall. Every new housing development built in Acton seems to generate discussion. Some people feel that we need more housing of a certain type, e.g., affordable housing, 55+ communities, more dense housing, less dense housing. Others are of the opinion that any more housing will overtax town resources – especially the schools and water & wastewater systems – and will cause more traffic. Many residents express concern that additional development has potential negative impacts on our town character (e.g. that it will gobble up open space or that it will not be designed to fit in with Acton’s historic character). The Acton 2020 committee invites residents to come by and help us think through what the right balance is for Acton.

The Acton 2020 committee has a website at acton2020.info with more information about the comprehensive community plan process, and a blog at acton2020.info/blog to gather community comments. You can also contact the Acton Planning Department at (978) 929-6631 with any questions.