North Shore Task Force (NSTF)
The North Shore Task Force (NSTF) is a group of sixteen communities north of Boston working collaboratively on issues of regional concern. The goal of NSTF is to cooperate with and to assist each city and town in the task force to coordinate its planning and economic development so as to obtain maximum benefits for the North Shore district and for its cities and towns.
Member communities focus on a broad range of issues that impact the North Shore including sustainable development, equitable housing, transportation, clean energy, climate change and transportation. NSTF is guided by the principles found in the MetroFuture Plan, MAPC's regional development blueprint for the Boston metropolitan area.
To learn more about the communities in the region, view a map of MAPC communities and subregions or obtain additional information about each community on the MetroBoston Data Common Community Snapshots page.
Meetings
NSTF meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Peabody Essex Institute Library, 15 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA. Meeting dates are subject to change; please contact the Subregional Coordinator for more information.
Leadership
Each community has two representatives to NSTF, appointed by either its Mayor or Board of Selectmen. The committee Chairman is elected by the membership annually. An MAPC staff person also provides support to NSTF in the role of Subregional Coordinator.
Chairman: Brian Watson
What's New
MAPC’s North Shore Task Force and the UMass Wind Energy Center are co-sponsoring two workshops on wind energy siting, financing of renewable energy projects and associated issues. The January 14 workshop will deal primarily with wind energy siting issues and the February 4 follow up workshop will address financing of wind and other renewables, including case studies and model financing scenarios.
Both meetings are free and open to the public and will be held at 7:30 PM in the Gordon Room of the Peabody Institute Library, 15 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA.
January 14, 2010: Wind Energy Siting Workshop
- Roof mounted wind and alternatives to "pole-mounted" or horizontal axis wind turbines - Lynn DiTullio, UMass Wind Energy Center
- Summary and status of the Wind Energy Siting legislation- - Lynn DiTullio, UMass Wind Energy Center
- Brief summary of Net Metering- Jonathan Klavens, Klavens Law Group, P.C.
- Updates and success stories in siting wind turbines - large and
- small:
- Glenn Gibbs, Ipswich Planning Director
- Greg Cademartori, Gloucester Planning Director
- Experiences from other regional locations (Worcester, Medford, Maine)
Materials from the Workshop:
Wind Turbine Reform Legislation
Non-Pole Wind Turbines Presentation
Siting Wind Turbines in Gloucester
February 4, 2010: Financing Wind and Other Renewables
- Financing wind and other renewables projects
- Net metering in depth- what does it mean for your community?
- Case studies of successfully financed renewables projects
- Model renewables financial scenarios
Recent Projects and Presentations
Massachusetts Draft Ocean Management Plan Overview (October 2009)
June, 2009 Danvers Mixed Use I-1 Project
Project Background- Supported with funding from both the District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program and by the Town of Danvers, the Danvers Mixed Use Project initially worked with the Town to develop two model overlay district bylaws for potential use in the nine areas of Danvers zoned as Industrial One (I-1). MAPC conducted a review of existing documents and bylaws, conducted an I-1 uses survey, and held a Visioning and Scenario Building workshop to help Town staff and area residents identify and incorporate attractive design elements into both the Neighborhood Business and Waterfront Village Overlay Model Bylaws. Elements of Pictometry and Photoshop were used successfully to show before and after building design and placement scenarios.
Also, as requested by the Danvers Planning Board, MAPC:
- designed and presented a public program on the feasibility of using the 40-R program in the Downtown/Maple Street I-1 area;
- conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of dimensional and allowed uses within the four selected I-1 study areas;
- suggested revisions to existing zoning dimensions and allowed uses within the four I-1 areas; and
- developed cumulative project information and experience to narrow the focus of the project and drafted mixed use bylaws for targeted portions of the Danversport I-1 study areas, specifically the Waters River section of the Danversport neighborhood.
MAPC North Shore Task Force/ Salem State College/Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management/MassBays Program Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Adaptation Workshop
On March 12, 2009, fifty-two participants from across the region viewed Salem State College's Geography Department maps illustrating the expected impacts of sea level rise on the North Shore, heard case studies on how Scituate and Quincy are dealing with the problem, and learned about the StormSmart Coasts program to help shore communities deal with the impacts of sea level rise and climate change. For further information on the program, see the StormSmart Coasts website. See all PPTs for further contact information or contact North Shore Task Force Coordinator Sam Cleaves for further help.
- Mapping Sea-Level Rise
- StormSmart Coasts
- Scituate Flood Grant
- StormSmart Coasts - Quincy
- Current Climate Change Adaptation Initatives
2009 Danvers Mixed Use Project Background- Supported with funding from both the District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program and by the Town of Danvers, the Danvers Mixed Use Project initially worked with the Town to develop two model overlay district bylaws for potential use in the nine areas of Danvers zoned as Industrial One (I-1). MAPC conducted a review of existing documents and bylaws, conducted an I-1 uses survey, and held a Visioning and Scenario Building workshop to help Town staff and area residents identify and incorporate attractive design elements into both the Neighborhood Business and Waterfront Village Overlay Model Bylaws. Elements of Pictometry and Photoshop were used successfully to show before and after building design and placement scenarios.
Also, as requested by the Danvers Planning Board, MAPC:
- designed and presented a public program on the feasibility of using the 40-R program in the Downtown/Maple Street I-1 area;
- conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of dimensional and allowed uses within the four selected I-1 study areas;
- suggested revisions to existing zoning dimensions and allowed uses within the four I-1 areas; and
- developed cumulative project information and experience to narrow the focus of the project and drafted mixed use bylaws for targeted portions of the Danversport I-1 study areas, specifically the Waters River section of the Danversport neighborhood.
Project Documents
- 40R Overview for Danvers
- Cape Cod Commission Model Bylaws and Regulations
- Danvers VPS Top and Bottom Styles
- Danvers I-1 Areas
- Proposed Danvers Waterfront Industrial And Waterfront Village Use
- Stoughton Design Guides
- Town of Danvers Analysis
- Waterfront Village Bylaws
- I-1 Study Area Survey Letter
- 2008 I-1 Study Area Survey Results
- 2008 Danversport Site Visit
Questions?
For additional information, please contact the NSTF Subregional Coordinator, Sam Cleaves, AICP, Senior Regional Planner, at (617) 451-2770 ext. 2013 or via e-mail at scleaves@mapc.org.
