Volunteers Needed - Master Plan Committee

It’s time to plan for the future in Swampscott, and we need your help. The process to develop a new Master Plan for the community recently got underway when the Board of Selectmen hired the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on January 21, 2015, to create this important document.

So what exactly is a Master Plan? It’s a broad-reaching document that will help guide the community over the next ten years – regarding such topics as housing, historic and cultural resources, open space, public facilities and services, transportation, economic development, sustainability, and land use/zoning. This document will allow Swampscott to be proactive in the type of development and needs analysis that we want, rather than reactive.

An integral element to the development of this plan is local leadership. The Board of Selectmen is establishing a Master Plan Committee that will work along with the Town Planner to guide this document development and truly make this a community effort. The Master Plan Committee will have an active role in ensuring broad public input and participation by a diversity of constituents. Committee members will be responsible for serving as Master Plan ambassadors at community events whenever possible and will be asked to attend and take leadership roles at public forums as the plan is developed.

The Master Plan Committee will meet at least six times during the planning process to check in on outreach efforts, review MAPC analysis, discuss proposed recommendations, and keep the project moving efficiently. Active participation by the Master Plan Committee is critical to this project’s success.

In order to provide a broad representation on this new committee, the Selectmen have selected a number of boards that they would like to have represented as committee members. In addition to representatives from town boards, they intend to appoint general residents.

Are you a Swampscott resident? Are you interested in the future of the community? Have you been looking for a way to become engaged in the direction of the town? If this sounds like you and you don’t currently serve on a Swampscott board or committee, we’d love to have you on the Master Plan Committee.

Letters of interest need to be submitted to the Town Planner, Pete Kane, by March 16th. The letters should state your interest to serve on the committee, why you feel you’d be a good fit, and your contact information. You may send this as an email (pkane@town.swampscott.ma.us) or by standard mail (Planning Dept, 22 Monument Ave, Swampscott, MA 01907). Due to timing, email would be recommended. The Board of Selectmen will make the final appointments to the committee at their meeting on March 18, 2015. The Master Plan Committee may start meeting as early as late March.