The Master Plan Committee
The Plymouth Master Plan Committee is now meeting. Most meetings will be held in a hybrid fashion and all meetings are open to the public. We hope to hear from you. Click below to be linked to the Master Plan Committee page on the Town website for more information.
Master Plan Committee Members
Steve Bolotin, Chair - Planning Board
Kevin Canty, Vice Chair - Select Board
Robert Morgan - School Committee
Rick Vayo - Economic Development
Joseph Hutchinson - Committee of Precinct Chairs
Kathy Castagna - At-Large
Arthur Desloges - At-Large
Tara Killory - At-Large
C Peter Svahn - At-Large
Staff Support: Lee Hartmann
Upcoming Community Listening Sessions: Offer Your Views on the Future of Plymouth
Town Wide Community Forums
Come Learn About Plymouth And Make Your Voice Heard
Plymouth is holding a series of Workshops on specific topics critical to planning for our next decade. Information will be provided by the experts helping the Town assess its needs and plan for our next decade. Come learn the facts about our community and offer your thoughts as to what you would like to see in Plymouth.
Master Plan Forum on Economic Development
What do we want to see for economic growth in Plymouth?
Updated 10/28/24
Plymouth faces a number of challenges as both the size and demographics of our community change. This is particularly noticeable in our economy. 87% of the revenue raised to operate the Town now comes from residential taxpayers. Most people working in Plymouth don't live in Plymouth - principally because the wages for the many of the types of jobs in Plymouth (restaurant, retail, hospitality) are not sufficient to allow people to afford to live in our community. But Plymouth is seeing growth in areas which would allow more opportunities for people to live and work here, particularly in the medical/social services fields. Click below to see the presentation provided to the community at the recent Master Plan forum on the status of the Plymouth economy.
Plymouth Kicks Off its Master Plan Process!
Almost 200 People Came Out To Offer Their Ideas For Plymouth''s Next Decade!
If you couldn't make it don't worry, this won't be your only opportunity to be heard. We will be doing more events of different sizes on different days at different locations throughout Plymouth.
For those who want to see the presentation from last night's meeting we thank Local Seen (PACTV) who recorded it:
https://youtu.be/tL9iCMuJFEQ?si=e_ZtCXvBLEryuXLJ .
For those who want do the exercise that was done in the room (and submit your thoughts about Plymouth's priorities), you can do so on the Master Plan website:
Master Plan Proposal for Town Meeting
This fall, Town Meeting will be asked to fund the next Plymouth Master Plan, which is intended to focus on the needs of Plymouth for the next 10 years (2025-2035). This will include hiring a consultant (or more likely a team of consultants) to gather information, provide analyses, and help prepare the actual document. To guide those seeking to apply for that work, the Planning Board has adopted the Scope of Work prepared by the Master Plan Task Group, which can be found below. That scope directs consultants to present proposals which focus on three critical issues:
- The next master plan must be specific to Plymouth - meaning that it must recognize how unique Plymouth is (in its geography, history, population, and economy) and provide guidance on the issues it faces.
- In preparing the next master plan, the most important component is participation by the residents - giving them numerous and differing ways to provide their thoughts, concerns, and ideas for addressing the challenges being faced by the community.
- The final document that is the next Master Plan must contain proposals which are measurable and implementable - so that those in Town government have guidance as to what they need to do and the residents have a way of tracking whether it is actually being done.
In the coming months the Master Plan Task Group will be discussing this scope with various Town government bodies, public interest groups, and residents concerned about shaping the direction of Plymouth for the next decade. I hope you will attend and participate - and as always ask me any questions you may have.
Master Plan Task Group Gap Analysis
Report on the Current Plymouth Master Plan
The Master Plan Task Group was asked to review the existing Plymouth Community Master Plan to determine how it has been followed by the Town and how we can make our next master plan update even more successful. The Gap Analysis Report contains its findings and recommendations. Those were presented to the Planning Board on November 30, 2022, which adopted the report and directed the Task Group to proceed with creating a scope of work for a new Master Plan update which will need to be funded by Town Meeting. Below are the slides for the presentation to the Planning Board and the final Gap Analysis Report.
Master Plan Task Group - Interviews
Economic Development - June 16
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Economic Development - June 16
Guest Speakers:
Stephen Cole, Executive Director, Plymouth Regional Economic Development Foundation
Amy Naples, Executive Director, Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce
Joanne Zygmunt, Senior Economic Development & Environmental Planner OCPC
Land Use - July 14
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Economic Development - June 16
Karen Grey, Executive Director, Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts
David Gould, Director of the Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs
Malcolm MacGregor, former Chair Plymouth Planning Board
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Lee Filson, Executive Director, See Plymouth
Michael Tubin, Chair, Historic District Commission
Malissa Kenney, Plymouth Bay Cultural District
Ellie Donovan, Executive Director, Plimouth Patuxet Museum
Housing - July 28
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Historic Preservation/Tourism - June 30
Peggy Whalen, Director of Community Development
Tony Green, Director Pinehills LLC
Russ Shirley, Plymouth Housing Authority
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Jonathan Beder, Public Works Director
Eric Cody, Water Conservation Committee
Francis J. Gay, Interim Administrator, GATRA
Charles Kilmer, Assistant Director & Transportation Program Manager, OCPC
Funding - Date TBD
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Water & Transportation - Date TBD
Bill Keohan - Chair, Community Preservation Committee
Master Plans
Planning for Plymouth's Future
The Town’s Master Plan is a document which identifies the goals for the Town as set by the residents. Not only is having a Master Plan a good idea, it is actually a State requirement. But despite the importance of this document, the fact that the Planning Board is obligated to prepare and maintain it under State law, and the time and expense that goes into it, many people have no idea what it is. So here are answers to some of the most common questions asked about our Master Plan:
What is the purpose of the Master Plan?
The Town prepares a Master Plan “to provide a basis for decision making regarding the long-term physical development of the municipality.” It is a policy document for Plymouth’s future growth and development.
How is the Master Plan different than our Zoning map?
The Zoning Map identifies only the areas where development can occur and what can be built. The Master Plan addresses all aspects of community life.
Who prepares the Master Plan?
Really, it is the residents. The Planning Board oversees the process, a Master Plan Committee coordinates it, and outside experts gather the information, but the content comes from the views of the community.
What goes into the Master Plan?
There are some areas the Master Plan are required to address under State law. Those are:
Land Use
Housing
Economic Development
Natural and Cultural Resources
Open Space and Recreation
Municipal Services and Facilities
Transportation
But the Master Plan isn’t limited to these areas, and the Planning Board can include other items of concern to the future of the Town.
Who decides the goals that are included in the Master Plan?
The residents decide, based on their vision of the Town and its priorities. This is done through what the State describes as “an interactive public process, to determine community values, goals and to identify patterns of development that will be consistent with these goals.” That typically involves numerous public forums, focus groups, and surveys. This is why the process of preparing a Master Plan typically takes a number of years. For example, the Town began the process of updating our current Master Plan in 1997, and the plan wasn’t issued until 2004.
How often do we update our Master Plan?
There is no definitive time under State law, which says only that updates or extensions may occur “from time to time.” Our current town wide Master Plan was issued in 2004.
Do we have just one Master Plan?
We have only one town-wide Master Plan, but given Plymouth’s size and our village centered approach, we do have separate Master Plans for certain areas such as the downtown/waterfront, the villages, and the airport.
When are we updating our Master Plan?
We are starting the process now. I am currently the chair of the Master Plan Task Group, a committee made up of 9 residents working with Planning Department staff who have been charged by the Planning Board with looking at our Master Plan to see where we have been successful, where we have faced challenges, and where things have changed such that we should be looking at new approaches and areas to present to the residents for their consideration.
What has the Task Group found?
We are still early in the process, but overall we have seen limited success in achieving some of our short-term goals and challenges in advancing our long-term vision. For example, a short-term goal was to create a redevelopment plan for Cordage Park, and that is something the Town has accomplished. An example of a long-term goal was to achieve 10% affordable housing, and that is something the Town has not accomplished.
There are ongoing goals - items which will always be part of Plymouth planning, such as economic development, preservation of open space, and natural resources protection. These are the types of issues where the means of working toward the community's targets will change over time.
Are there new areas the Task Group is looking at?
Most definitely. The Master Plan is intended to be a guideline for Plymouth’s future. That means we are looking Plymouth in light of how it, and the world around it, has changed. As just a few examples, Plymouth has seen (and is expected to continue to see) continuing population growth, along with changes in demographics. The way the economy and work force operate have dramatically shifted. Environmental sustainability and climate resilience have become necessities. These and other issues will cause Plymouth to approach our next Master Plan very differently than in the past.
Another issue that will have be addressed in our next Master Plan is how we intend to pay for the Town’s needs and goals. This was not part of our last Master Plan update, even though the State requires that the Master Plan include an:
"Implementation program element which defines and schedules the specific municipal actions necessary to achieve the objectives of each element of the master or study plan. Scheduled expansion or replacement of public facilities or circulation [transportation] system components and the anticipated costs and revenues associated with accomplishment of such activities shall be detailed in this element. This element shall specify the process by which the municipality's regulatory structures shall be amended so as to be consistent with the master plan."
Including the “specific municipal actions necessary” to pay for scheduled maintenance and replacement can serve as guidance for our representatives to plan and budget accordingly, something Plymouth has historically not done well.
How can we make the Town follow the Master Plan?
Because this is a policy document, not a set of regulations, it can’t be strictly “followed”. But we can, and should, require our representatives to abide by principles and focus on the goals it contains. That is why I have proposed a Town bylaw which requires anyone presenting any matter for a vote before the Town to identify where in our Master Plan that issue is addressed, and how our Master Plan supports it.
To see the Plymouth Master Plans, click on the link to the Town's website above.
https://www.plymouth-ma.gov/planning-board/pages/master-plans.