Community and Master Planning
OCPC’s Comprehensive Planning team provides a range of technical assistance to towns and communities to update their Master Plans (sometimes also called a comprehensive or community plan). Mass General Law states that a plan “shall be a statement, through text, maps, illustrations, or other forms of communication that is designed to provide a basis for decision making regarding the long term physical development of the municipality…” A master plan is a guide for local public policy and guides projects and initiatives the town would like to work on over the next decade or longer. The creation or update of a master plan allows communities a chance to communicate between local government and residents to reflect on the towns strengths, weaknesses, and change over time. It allows residents to express their wants, needs, and hopes for the community.
State Requirements - M.G.L. c. 41, s. 81D directs Planning Boards to prepare a Master Plan with the following chapters (aka “elements”):
Statement of Goals and Policies
Open Space and Recreation
Land Use
Sustainability and Climate Change
Housing
Services and Facilities
Economic Development
Transportation and Circulation
Natural and Cultural Resources
Implementation Strategies
OCPC staff can help in small ways such as writing surveys or giving presentations, or many times we are contracted to do the entire process. Many large plans such as a master plan or open space and recreation plan are able to access DLTA funding. DLTA is District Local Technical Assistance, which is a pool of money that the state gives to each regional planning agency (RPA) to assist our towns with their planning initiatives.
Current Towns OCPC are assisting in 2023:
East Bridgewater
Laurie Muncy, Rhiannon Dugan, and East Bridgewater’s Town Administrator Charlie Seelig discuss next steps for creating East Bridgewater’s master plan.
