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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-12-13 Master Plan Implementation Committee Minutes Master Plan Implementation Committee, December 13, 2021 In Attendance (via Google Meet): Members -Jon Strauss (chair), Meredith Barnes-Cook(vice chair), Jay Dowd, George Koehler, Sean McDonough, Hollie Williams, Stan Limpert Absent: Kelly Cormier, Chris Nobile Staff: Andrew Shapiro (Director of Community and Economic Development), Jean Enright (Planning Director) and Dan Beckley(Staff Planner) Immediately prior to calling the meeting to order at 5:02 PM, Jon Strauss read aloud the following statement: Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, this meeting of the Master Plan Implementation Committee will be conducted via remote means. Specific information and the general guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to attend this meeting can be found on the Town's website, at www.northandoverma.gov. For this meeting, members of the public who wish to watch the meeting may do so on their televisions by tuning to Comcast Channel 8 or Verizon Channel 26 or online at www.northandoveream.or . No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted,but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts,we will post on the Town of North Andover website an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting. If the public would like to participate in public meetings,please email your question/comment prior to or during the meeting to ashapiroC&northandoverma.gov. The question/comment will be read during the proceedings and responded to accordingly. Public Comment No public comments were received by either Jon Strauss or Andrew Shapiro prior to the start of the meeting. Approval of minutes of the Noverncr 15, 202I meeting Jay Dowd suggested that in the second paragraph of the Website section under New Business "...the board identified as guiding development in the town..."be changed from MPIC to Select Board. Stan Limpert moved the minutes be accepted with this change. Jay Down seconded. The vote was 7-0 in favor, motion passed. Old Business: A. Community Preservation Committee Open Meeting in December Dan Beckley reported on potential projects presented to the Community Preservation Committee by various groups and individuals. The projects were: 1. Improve the Town boat ramp into Lake Cochichewick on the north end of the lake near Routes 125/133. 2. Develop an invasive species inventory on some town-owned open space, with the idea of eventually replacing the invasive species with native species. 3. Make the triangular area in front of Stevens Library a more usable space for library patrons. 4. Create a cross-country course on town-owned land near the Stevens Estate. 5. North Parish Church would like to modify their landscaping so as to alleviate erosion and parking problems. 6. The Historical Society presented a list of projects they would like to undertake at the Stevens Center on Massachusetts Ave: (i)making it more handicap accessible; (ii) preserving historical records; (iii) improving exhibits. Dan also reported that staff has discussed possibly asking the CPC to support creating a boat landing on the Merrimack River. The town owns land on Riverview Street that could be used for this purpose. B. Master Plan Implementation Status Report Jon Strauss reported that he had added a column to our Master Plan Implementation Worksheet. The column is titled Current Status, Level of Enactment. The goal is to provide a short summary suitable for public consumption of the status of that strategy—is it being addressed, will it be addressed in the future, is there a report that addresses this strategy, etc. He provided draft responses for the Economic Development and Transportation elements to serve as examples, and invited the teams for the other elements to provide similar summaries for the strategies within their elements. Following this, Andrew Shapiro interjected with an item not on the agenda but he wants to see on the agenda for the next meeting. The item is a Master Plan Implementation website. He showed to committee members a draft plan for such a website. There followed a discussion of such a website and several suggestions were made. Dan Beckley was tasked with developing a draft web page based on the plan and suggestions made during the meeting. The draft web page will be discussed at the Jan. 10 meeting. New Business A. Mills to Hill Trail Jon Straus announced that the Town received two grants from the State, totaling $140,000, for design and permitting a trail connection between Main Street and the Mills to Hills trailhead, going along, and possibly over via a board walk, Osgood Pond. This connection satisfies a strategy in the Master Plan, and is identified in the Downtown Improvement Plan. More funds will be required to complete this project. Andrew Shapiro identified the following as potential sources for the funds: the Town's capital budget process, the Community Preservation Committee, or possibly some of the Town's funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act. Andrew Shapiro said the Town had received a grant of$75,000 through the State's Housing Choice Program to undertake rezoning of the downtown. This is an activity called for in both the Master Plan and the Downtown Improvement Plan. When the state funding is in place, the Town will issue an RFP for a consultant to take a fresh look at the downtown area: to investigate expanding the downtown area, to look at different land uses, and to examine dimensional requirements. Adjournment: Stan Limpert moved to adjourn, and Jay Dowd seconded. The vote was 7-0 in favor. The meeting adjourned at 6:00 pm. Next meeting: January 10, 2022 at 5:00 PM..