Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein and Town Planner John Hansen invite community members to complete a survey in which they can provide input on priorities for the Town of Swansea’s new Comprehensive Plan and Open Space & Recreation Plan.
The Town of Swansea is in the beginning stages of updating its Comprehensive Plan and Open Space & Recreation Plan. The Comprehensive Plan, which was last updated in 2003, will serve as a roadmap for the Town’s future on topics such as Economic Development, Transportation, Housing, Land Use, Natural and Cultural Resources, Open Space and Recreation, Town Facilities/Services, Sustainability and more. As part of the plan, a vision for the future direction of the Town will be established and goals that align with that vision will be set, as well as implementation items related to those goals.
The survey, which can be accessed here, will guide the Comprehensive Plan Committee when creating the Town’s new ten-year Comprehensive Plan and seven-year Open Space and Recreation Plan.
The survey includes questions regarding both plans which will be clearly labeled throughout the survey. Survey responses will be used to guide the project team as the Town identifies the community’s main goals and establish a vision that will influence both plans.
“We encourage our community members to take a few minutes out of their day to fill out this survey which will provide vital information that will help shape our Town’s future,” Town Planner Hansen said. “With the help of their feedback, the Town will be able to create and implement a Comprehensive Plan that best reflects the needs and interests of its community members.”
About the Comprehensive Plan
The Town of Swansea was awarded $75,000 in state funding through the 2021 Community One-Stop Grant Program, with an equal local match in funding from Town Meeting, to update the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), a regional planning agency, was selected in early 2022 to assist with this Plan update, which will include public engagement and drafting of the Plan.
The Comprehensive Plan Committee was established this past spring to help guide the Plan’s development, which includes members from various Town committees/entities such as the Parks Commission, Beach Committee, Cultural Council, Redevelopment Authority, Housing Authority, Swansea Water District, and the Advisory and Finance Committee. Based on community engagement and feedback, the committee will ultimately provide a recommendation on the final draft to the Planning Board, who under State statute, has the responsibility to approve the Plan.
The public engagement process began with the survey which will help to identify residents’ opinions on the above-mentioned topics. Workshops will also be held as the Plan elements are developed in order for goals to be identified and action items to be outlined.
It is anticipated the Plan will take approximately 18 months to complete. Once approved, the Plan will continue to evolve as the action items are implemented. Semi-annual reviews of the Plan will be conducted to ensure the Plan’s success over the next 10 years, which is the typical life of such a document.
“The Comprehensive Plan’s public engagement process is instrumental in establishing a vision for the Town of Swansea’s future that is representative of its community members,” Town Administrator Aronstein said.
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