Plan will help achieve goals for future mixed-use development
Do you live in Rockport? Are you interested in helping to shape a future vision for the Rockport commuter rail station area?
Join the Town of Rockport and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for a public forum on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 starting a 7 p.m. at Rockport Library, 17 School Street, to learn more about an upcoming project focused on “equitable transit-oriented development,” or eTOD.
eTOD brings a focus on equity to traditional TOD — or mixed-use development in a walkable neighborhood near transit — in an attempt to ensure that new opportunities in the area benefit a range of users. Rockport is working with MAPC to facilitate a community-driven planning process, which will help develop a mixed-use, mixed-income vision for the station area. A key outcome of the project will be amending zoning to help realize that vision and ensure Rockport adapts for the future.
Rockport has recently completed a community-wide visioning process as a follow-up to a study that showed the town faces several demographic challenges related to an aging and shrinking population. All factors could result in reduced school enrollment and less demand for local businesses. This eTOD study will focus on the implementation of some of the goals from that town-wide visioning process, such as making the town more attractive to families and young people by expanding commuting options – housing choices, attracting restaurants, grocery stores, co-working spaces and more.
For more information about the Rockport eTOD project, contact MAPC Senior Regional Planner Chris Kuschel at 617-933-0731 ([email protected] or visit www.mapc.org) or contact Herman Lilja, Chairman, Rockport Planning Board, at 978-546-5008.
This work is supported by a grant from the Barr Foundation.