Westfield's New Master Plan Report Finished. See For Yourself

WESTFIELD, NJ - The proposed final draft of the Town of Westfield’s Master Plan Reexamination Report is finished and residents can get a look at it in advance of the Dec. 2
Planning Board meeting, where it will be presented and voted upon for adoption.

A Re-Examination Report is a reassessment of a municipality's current Master Plan that is
required by State law every ten years. Westfield’s current Master Plan was adopted in 2002,
and was last amended in 2009.

The release of the report, posted on the Town’s website, represents the final phase of a nearly
year-long initiative, during which time the Town and its consultant, H2M, facilitated an
extensive community input-driven process to capture and incorporate the feedback of residents,
commercial property owners, and local businesses through four community workshops, two
focus group workshops with seniors and business owners, a summary presentation to the
public, and an online survey.

The survey captured more than 67,000 responses and 4,500 comments, all of which are
viewable online, along with an overview of the Reexamination process. All participants had the
opportunity to weigh in on a variety of areas derived from the existing Master Plan – Vision,
Commercial/Mixed Use Development, Land Use, Transportation, Downtown Economic
Development, Community Facilities, and Historic Preservation -- as well as a Downtown area
parking assessment.

“As I’ve said from the beginning of this process, the findings of the Master Plan Reexamination
should be a reflection of the community at large, and I’m so pleased with the level of
engagement we received to capture a tremendous amount of valuable feedback,” said Mayor
Shelley Brindle. “The adoption of this plan will be integral in mapping an exciting next chapter
in Westfield’s future.”

The findings of the recently completed Pedestrian & Bike Plan, along with those of the
upcoming Strategic Parks Plan (expected in early 2020), will also be utilized alongside the
Master Plan Reexamination Report to inform the Town’s planning decisions.

“This nature of this undertaking was unprecedented in terms of integrating these various plans
and studies to provide Westfield with a holistic, long-term road map for our future,” added
Mayor Brindle.

In addition to the proposed final report, the Town’s website also has detailed Master Plan
Reexamination background information, FAQ, and community workshop highlights, all of which
can be found at www.westfieldnj.gov/futurewestfield.

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