Email this afternoon from Sarah Raposa, Town Planner –
The Medfield Planning Board is pleased to approve the Medfield Master Plan and sincerely thanks the Townwide Master Planning Committee members as well as the hundreds of residents, town board/committee/commission members, and staff that participated in the nearly two-year process. The Board is in the planning stages of developing a “master plan summit” meeting where pertinent town entities can periodically assess the Plan’s progress with implementation, and make adjustments, as necessary.
A VISION FOR MEDFIELD’S FUTURE: A Medfield that…
…retains its small-town feeling, even enhances the community’s feeling of being close knit, by welcoming newcomers and increasing communication between the Town and its residents, holding more festivals and events and using social media to communicate and stay connected.
… has created a range of formal opportunities for people to meet, to involve themselves in athletic and non-sports activities in a new and expanded Recreation Center/ Community Center, which provides family activities, and programs and other opportunities to for the community to gather. Intergenerational interaction is encouraged. Additional programs geared at older adults and teens support their specific needs for socializing and recreating.
… has continued to improve its downtown so that it is a vibrant living room for the Town’s residents to dine, shop and run into each other. The center has become more pleasing aesthetically and presents an improved pedestrian experience.
… reuses its vacated State Hospital and it is now a vibrant and vital part of the Town. The chapel has been converted to a cultural and arts center, the historic buildings have been renovated for a variety of uses, and the historic landscape provides opportunities for recreation including hiking, kayaking on the Charles River and enjoyment of the beautiful views.
… preserves and promotes its historic features by protecting historic structures and telling and promoting Medfield’s unique stories in a number of ways.
… connects and acquires additional open space and it is made available to residents for passive and active recreation. Natural features such as woods and lakes are protected for residents to enjoy.
…addresses traffic safety and congestion issues by providing alternatives to travel by automobile including safe and pleasant pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure as well as public transportation options.
… continues to support excellence in education by maintaining state-of-the-art schools and supporting the library in its efforts to provide life long learning and programing for all ages.
… attracts residents from diverse socio-economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds, celebrates this diversity, enriching the lives of all its residents.
… supports older adults who wish to age in place by expanding programming that provide opportunities for socializing, health and wellness, and transportation. Also provides appropriately designed and located, smaller and moderately priced housing units in which to downsize.
… provides a variety of housing types that are attractive to young adults, those who live with a disability, seniors, and others wishing to live independently or common quarters.
… diversifies its tax base so that more funding is available to pay for updating and expanding facilities and services, local jobs are created and more establishments locate in Town to expand the available goods and services and “things to do.”
…supports the expansion of its cultural and arts community, making it more accessible to all and integrating it into the Town’s creative economy.
…provides wholesome activities for teens, including places for them to “hang out,” activities and programs that help them reduce stress and prevent substance abuse and other unhealthy behaviors.
… attains sustainability and future resiliency goals including becoming carbon zero, increases its use of renewable energy sources, continues to recycle, is mindful of water usage, and implements other measures to protect the environment and mitigate for negative impacts of climate change.
…improves transparency and communication in town government and continues to engage citizens in decision-making and recruits a broader cross-section of volunteers. Public facilities are well-maintained, a preventive maintenance plan is systematically implemented, and state-of-the-art services are provided to all residents.
Sarah Raposa, AICP
Town Planner
459 Main Street
Medfield, MA 02052
Office Phone: (508) 906-3027
Work Cell: (339) 206-1773
sraposa@medfield.net
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