Norwell Zoning Implementation

Posted on September 6, 2019 at 12:20 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Norwell

Zoning Implementation Process

Updates

Thank you everybody who participated the Accord Park and Queen Anne’s Corner rezoning process! Your feedback has been instrumental in helping the Town of Norwell and MAPC understand what the community’s priorities are and where you would like to see the Town move in the future.

After the final community forum on Jan. 7, MAPC and the Town finalized the language of the zoning articles based on the feedback we accumulated over the three different forums. For now, the Town has decided not to move forward with the 40R Zoning Article for Town Meeting in May, but will continue to move forward with the rezoning for Accord Industrial Park. The Town is also going to pursue including residential as an allowable use by special permit along the Pond Street corridor.

Questions? Contact:

If you have any questions about the zoning proposal that the Town is bringing to Town Meeting, please reach out to Norwell Town Planner, Ken Kirkland, at [email protected].

For questions about the MAPC process, contact Josh Eichen at [email protected] or 617-933-0722.

About the Project

In a 2018, the Town of Norwell and MAPC created an Economic Growth Plan with the priority goals of:

Maintaining a fiscally strong town government
Maximizing efficiency in the town’s industrial park (specifically Accord—no changes are planned for Assinippi)
Introducing mixed use commercial and residential development
Addressing wastewater infrastructure capacity

The plan’s recommendations included changing the zoning at Queen Anne’s Plaza and Accord Park to accommodate new growth and the private investment needed to support that growth. In 2019, MAPC and the Town of Norwell collaborated again to write new zoning guidelines to implement the recommendations in the Economic Development Plan. During the fall and winter of 2019, we worked with the community to develop zoning changes to guide and regulate new development at Queen Anne’s Plaza and in Accord Park.

As part of this process, MAPC evaluated the net impact of zoning changes on the town’s finances, environment, and traffic and wastewater infrastructure. For any adverse impacts are identified, MAPC provided mitigation recommendations to help address them.

Community input was central to developing the new zoning guidelines. MAPC hosted three community workshops to center public input and feedback in the creation of the new zoning. Individuals who were unable to attend these public meetings can still access the materials we used for this project and view videos of each of the three presentations.

Throughout the spring, Norwell residents will have the chance to submit further feedback on the zoning proposal through planning board meetings. The proposal will appear on the warrant for the May 2020 Town Meeting and will require a two-thirds majority vote to pass. Make sure to connect with Norwell Town Planner Ken Kirlkland at [email protected] for more information about the Town Meeting.

Documents & Resources

Past Events

Community Workshop:
January 7, 2020

Agenda and Summary

Boards:

Proposed Zoning Bylaws Summary Matrix

Proposed Zoning Bylaws Map

Zoning Summary: Accord Inner Loop Business Expansion District and Accord Outer Loop/Cordwainer Drive Industrial Retention Sub-district

Zoning Summary: Pond Street Amenity Sub-district

Zoning Summary: Queen Anne’s Plaza 40R Sub-district

Queen Anne’s Plaza Smart Growth Overlay Organization and Design Framework

Feedback: How Well Did We Explain…?

Community Workshop:
November 19, 2019

Norwell Mariner article: “Norwell Pitches Zoning Changes for Queen Anne’s Corner and Accord Park“
Flyer
Presentation

Boards:

Frequently Asked Questions
Project Timeline
Accord Inner Loop Industrial Retention Sub District and Cordwainer Drive: Incentivize private development while supporting existing businesses
Pond Street Amenity Sub District: Amenities to support local businesses, workers, and residents
Queen Anne’s Plaza 40R Sub District: Mixed use commercial and residential development to meet community needs

Community Workshop:
September 24, 2019

Boards:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is zoning?

Zoning is the regulatory framework that guides development in a community. Local zoning bylaws are dictated by a community’s preferences for where residential, commercial, and industrial buildings should go. Zoning regulations can include specific requirements about the types of businesses or housing allowed in a certain area, and can sometimes set requirements for what buildings should look like. Community visioning meetings give community members the opportunity to craft a zoning framework to guide future growth.

Why is Norwell pursuing zoning changes at Queen Anne’s Plaza and Accord Park?

Zoning changes at Queen Anne’s Plaza and Accord Park are being proposed to address two distinct challenges that the town faces:

Norwell’s tax base is overly reliant on residential sources. As the value of Norwell’s homes continues to appreciate, the tax burden on residents will also increase. This is especially problematic for individuals on a fixed income, such as older adults. Rezoning Accord Park to allow for more commercial and industrial uses will increase the non-residential tax base within Norwell, which will help offset increases in the municipal budget.
Norwell has a shortage of housing options for seniors looking to downsize or young professionals working on the South Shore. The South Shore is expected to face a significant labor shortage in the coming years, and housing has been identified as a key factor for ensuring the long-term viability of the regional economy. Constructing new multifamily housing at Queen Anne’s Plaza will help close a critical gap in the local housing market.

Where will the new zoning be implemented? What will it include?

How were Queen Anne’s Plaza and Accord Park selected as locations to implement new zoning?

Both of the town’s industrial parks were identified as locations for expanded development in the 2005 Master Plan. A 2018 study by MAPC found that Accord Park was best positioned for redevelopment because of its higher vacancy rates, lack of recent private investment, and removal from abutting residential districts.

Queen Anne’s Plaza is an ideal site for compact mixed use development because of its large lot size, location near access points to Route 3, and existing wastewater infrastructure. Redevelopment on the site is financially feasible and the owners of Queen Anne’s Plaza have expressed interest in developing housing on the site.

How will MAPC evaluate the fiscal, traffic, and environmental impacts of new zoning?

Fiscal: MAPC will conduct a fiscal impact analysis for potential zoning scenarios to evaluate the net contribution of new tax revenue.
Traffic: The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) is undertaking a traffic study of Pond Street and Washington Street to evaluate current traffic conditions and the added trip generation and direction from new zoning. CTPS will also evaluate opportunities for traffic mitigation and suggest best practices for a redesign of the Pond Street/Washington Street intersection.
Environment: MAPC will evaluate the potential for point and non-point source pollutants to impact water quality in Accord Pond and adjacent wetlands as a result of the new zoning. Net improvements in environmental quality are a goal for this project.

Once the zoning is written, how is it approved?

Once developed, the new zoning language will be submitted to the Board of Selectmen to review. The Board of Selectmen is required to refer a zoning article to the Planning Board withing 14 days.

The Planning Board then has up to 65 days to hold a public hearing and make a report to the Town Meeting.

Once reviewed by the planning board, the new zoning will be added to the Town Meeting “Warrant” (aka the agenda). The May 2020 Town Meeting will vote whether to adopt the new zoning: it will require a two-thirds majority vote to be adopted.

This sounds familiar. Didn’t the Town try this a few years ago?

Yes and no. There were two previous efforts to pass zoning changes in the two industrial parks, which failed to secure the needed two-thirds vote at Town Meeting. New zoning to allow housing at Queen Anne’s Plaza has not been proposed in the past.

Concerns related to the previous zoning resolutions centered primarily on the impacts of light and traffic from an expanded Assinippi Park on residential abutters along High Street. Focusing efforts on Accord Park and Queen Anne’s Plaza, which have no residential abutters, will hopefully mitigate this concern.

What steps will be included to ensure public input?

How can I get involved?

You don’t have to be an expert in zoning to get involved – you’re an expert in what you want in your community, so your voice counts. We’re looking for diverse perspectives and we’ll do our best to answer your questions and help you understand the basis of the process.

How can you get involved? Come to the meetings! We’ll be hosting community workshops in September, November, and December. In between, we’ll be crafting and refining zoning language based on what we hear from the public. In the spring, go to planning board meetings for more opportunities to give feedback.

If you can’t make a meeting, we’ll use this webpage to provide meeting materials and ways to give feedback.

The community’s role isn’t over once the zoning is written – it still needs to be approved by a two-thirds majority at Town Meeting in May 2020. Talk to you neighbors about the process and proposal, and come to Town Meeting to lend your voice to the final vote.

How can I stay updated on the process?

Is Norwell working on any other plans right now?

Do you have a question that’s not answered here?
Let us know! Contact:

Josh Eichen
[email protected]
617-933-0722

Expanding the Use of Value Capture for Transportation and TOD in Massachusetts

Posted on August 23, 2019 at 1:04 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

January 2017

Public investments in transit, highways, roads and other infrastructure generate value for nearby property owners. The term “value capture” refers to any strategy whereby a public agency “captures” a portion of the increased property values to help pay forthe infrastructure itself. Around the country, commonly used value capture tools include special assessments and taxes, tax increment financing, various forms of developer contributions, and joint development or other public sector real estate transactions.

In Massachusetts, value capture is being considered as one potential source that can be tapped to provide much-needed funding for a variety of state and local transportation projects. This study identifies opportunities for expanding the use of value capture in Massachusetts to pay for transit, other transportation projects, and infrastructure required to support transit-oriented development (TOD).

The study examines the Commonwealth’s current value capture tools, drawing on examples from around the country, as well as interviews with 35 state, regional and local officials. The study also considers the potential for value capture through five case studies of transportation and TOD projects currently planned or underway in Massachusetts. Based on this research, the study recommends a number of ways in which Massachusetts laws, policies, and regulations could be changed in order to encourage broader use of value capture for transportation and TOD infrastructure generally, with a special focus on transit.

Executive Summary

Full Report

Hot, Cool, Clean: Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities

Posted on August 14, 2019 at 3:58 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Hot, Cool, Clean

Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities

August 2019

Across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, municipalities are starting to embrace clean heating and cooling systems as important tools for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. With recent technological advancements and evolving markets and financing mechanisms, air-source heat pumps, ground-source/geothermal heat pumps, and solar thermal have emerged as viable alternatives to fossil-fuel heating systems and can often provide cooling as well.

MAPC’s new white paper and webinar, “Hot, Cool, Clean: Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities“ highlights the technologies and incentives that can provide municipalities with cost-effective, low-carbon solutions to heat and cool their public buildings.

Cover of "Hot, Cool, Clean: Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities"

Download the White Paper

Want to learn more?

Watch the Clean Heating and Cooling webinar below or at this link.
Download the webinar slides

Check out our Clean Heating and Cooling webpage

Climate Perspectives

Posted on August 14, 2019 at 12:02 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Koi fish sculpture with focus group quote: "You're just not really certain when the season really started. You get a warm spell and then it's cold again. There's just no predicting - it's too erratic now."

Climate Perspectives

Summary of Findings from Focus Groups with Workers in Construction, Farming, Home Health Care, and Fishing

Climate change is already visible across the Metro Boston region, forcing individuals and communities to cope with increasingly severe weather, unpredictable harvests and workplace conditions, and greater risks from vector-borne and heat-related illnesses. The Climate Perspectives project integrates focus groups and participatory art-making to collect individuals’ perspectives on the current and future impacts of climate change and emerging resilience strategies. The project focuses on industries and workforces with greater exposure to climate impacts and employees who serve climate-vulnerable populations as part of their work.

In 2019, MAPC facilitated four focus groups and conducted follow-up interviews with managers, employees, and representatives from the construction, farming, home health care, and fishing industries.

Download the full report here and see key findings below.

MAPC and collaborating artists are integrating the findings into an art installation, “Schools of Thought on Climate Change.” The installation helps communicate the focus group findings through sculpture and video and serves as a platform to collect additional perspectives from the public.

This project is a collaboration between members of MAPC’s public health, economic development, and arts and culture departments.

Questions? Contact Jeanette Pantoja at [email protected].

Read the Full Report

Key Findings

Home Health Care

Climate Impacts

Extreme temperatures and lack of adequate weatherization of clients’ homes undermines client and Personal Care Aide (PCA) health.
Poor air quality and increased allergens may be contributing to seasonal respiratory health issues among clients and PCAs.
PCAs have few alternatives to traveling during severe weather to provide care to their clients despite the difficulty and risks.
PCAs face additional mobility barriers during severe weather events caused by local authorities failure to plan for and accommodate PCAs need to travel during these events.
Storm-related risks include power outages that can lead to loss of power to clients’ medical devices.
PCAs do not feel adequately prepared for a climate-related emergency, but recognize the critical nature of their role.

Barriers to Resilience

Participants want more training on climate change. Specifically, they want to develop capacity around emergency preparedness and on the climate health issues.
Clients often need financial assistance for utilities and access to free or low-cost home weatherization.
PCAs do not have formal recognition as part of their client’s emergency response team. They specifically asked for personal identification to be carried on their person and placed on their vehicle, so that they can more easily attend to their clients during a severe weather event.

Resilience Assets/Strategies

PCAs share a strong commitment to their clients. This commitment and pride in their work motivates PCAs to persevere in a stressful and oftentimes poorly resourced work environment.
Focus group participants are members of the 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers union. The union facilitates access to information, training, and mobilization that can be leveraged to spread messages about climate change and build adaptive capacity among PCAs.
Temp or “relief” PCAs may be able to provide additional support to clients when the client’s primary PCA is unable to travel to them in the event of a storm or emergency

Farming

Climate Impacts

Warmer and less predictable seasonal conditions compromise crop planting, crop development, and harvests.
Erratic weather conditions and high summer heat undercuts the perceived benefit of a longer growing season.
Less predictable conditions also makes it more difficult to complete on farm improvements.
Farm operations may be inadequately protected to deal with the impact of extreme heat on worker health.
Mild winters, storms, and humidity contribute to the introduction of new pests and growth of existing pests.
More frequent precipitation contributes to work interruptions and poor soil maintenance. Humidity has also makes crop and hay storage more challenging.
Sea level rise and coastal storms combine to damage coastal cranberry bogs. One farmer anticipates having to eventually abandon his farm.
Cumulative climate impacts affect farmers’ ability to consistently bring products to market and undermines farmers’ efforts to sustain a stable base of customers.

Barriers to Resilience

Farmers need help understanding what changes to anticipate, including which crops varieties and livestock are more suitable for a changing climate.
Participants would like to see greater public and governmental focus on adaptation that is more reflective of their own sense of urgency.
Regulations can make it more difficult for farmers to adopt some adaptive practices, specifically composting.
Current regulations may not adequately account for changing climate conditions.

Resilience Assets/Strategies

Participants anticipate that farmers will increasingly utilize greenhouses and controlled environments to protect crops from highly variable weather conditions.
Farmers have increasingly adopted cover-cropping, silvipasture, and no-till practices as a way to promote soil health and protect soil from extreme precipitation and other climate impacts.
Solar arrays help control electricity costs and assist with climate mitigation.
Participants identified grant and technical assistance programs that have been supportive of their adaptation and resilience efforts.
Policies that support local food production, like institutional purchasing of local food, support the overall viability and resilience of smaller scale agriculture.

Fishing

Climate Impacts

Warming ocean temperatures are contributing to a northward shift in the range of many species.
The species that are locally increasing in population include both commercially-viable species and invasive species with disruptive impacts on local habitats and other species.
The frequency and breadth of emergency shellfish closures has increased following extreme precipitation events.
Fishing and processing facilities are vulnerable to damage from sea level rise and severe storms.

Barriers to Resilience

Resilience Assets/Strategies

Construction

Climate Impacts

Less predictable seasonal conditions impact project scheduling.
Warmer winter conditions allow operations to continue later into the year.
Climate change motivated changes to building codes and regulations influence the types of new projects.
Participants anticipate growing demand for resilience infrastructure.
Participants are more vigilant about worker heat exposure, but it is not an urgent concern.
Additional impacts include storm damage to worksites (e.g. power outages, flooding) and related increases to insurance costs.

Barriers to Resilience

The construction workforce is aging.
Cost, reliability, and convenience are barriers to adoption of clean energy equipment and technology.
Uncertainty about the anticipated long-term impacts contributes to a lack of urgency about climate change.
Participants perceive a lack of decisive government action on climate change. Some were skeptical about public commitment to new funding streams for resilience projects.
Participants do not perceive having full agency to determine how they will adapt. They see themselves as responsive to public policy and client needs.

Resilience Assets/Strategies

Construction promotes resilience through living wages, job security, and many opportunities for skill development.
Participants were not deterred by the notion of change. Adaptation is built into the culture of construction.
Participants described worksite policies and practices that promote worker health and enhance worksite sustainability.
Licensing boards have been effective in quickly building awareness and instituting change across the industry through new curriculum and licensing requirements.

Voices on Climate

MAPC Artist-in-Residence Hortense Gerardo worked with filmaker Monica Cohen and the Boom House to interview two people effected by climate change: fisherman Jamie Bassett and farmer Dave Dumaresq. The short “video-lets” integrate into the Schools of Thought art installation, but also serve on their own as powerful reminders of the current costs of climate change and how people are adapting innovatively.

Art Installation

Artists Carolyn Lewenberg and Nia Holley crafted four separate groups of fish using gloves and materials from each industry: for example, burlap for farmers, gauze and scrubs for home health care workers, fishing nets for those in the fishing industry, and orange safety netting for construction workers.

In the “Schools of Thought on Climate Change” installation, the koi hang among lanterns printed with quotes from the focus groups. Viewers can read how climate change effects people’s livelihoods: species migration, storm damage to soils and equipment, power outages, and extreme heat risks to both outdoor workers and consumers of home healthcare. Viewers can also learn about actions people are taking to respond and prepare: clean energy adoption, worker safety training, and partnering with institutional buyers to develop markets for new seafood products, including invasive species.

Read our Planning101 blog post for more!

This project was conceived, designed, and created by: Carolyn Lewenberg, Daniel Koff, Hortense Gerardo, and Nia Holley (2019); Materials: mixed media, wire.

Where Can I See It?

Coming Up:

Past Installations:

Wake Up the Earth Festival, Jamaica Plain: May 2019
Cambridge Arts River Festival: June 2019
Boston GreenFest and Tech Expo: August 2019
City of Boston Racial Equity and Climate Roundtable: November 2019
MetroCommon 2050 Speaker Series: Climate Equity Forum: December 2019

Medford Parks and Open Space for Climate Resilience

Posted on July 12, 2019 at 2:14 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

MAY 2019

Medford Parks and Open Space for Climate Resilience

The project was conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) with funding from the City of Medford and Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant as part of its 2019 Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Using the latest climate science and data and ongoing City climate vulnerability assessments, we evaluate the climatic, geomorphological, and environmental conditions of the City’s park system, spatially analyze how the park system intersects with key components of the City’s infrastructure, vulnerable populations, and ecological resources, and create design recommendations that enhance climate resilience across Medford’s people, places, and environment.

The climate risks that cause Medford the most significant vulnerability are inland flooding from extreme precipitation events, extreme heat, sea level rise with storm surge in the late century and extreme weather events such as nor’easters, hurricanes, and ice storms.

The following are identified as key strategies for successful green infrastructure in park system planning:

Engage communities on the benefits and designs of green infrastructure;
Maximize the benefits of green infrastructure solutions within a physically connected network;
Enable equitable access to parks and green infrastructure within system planning; and
Specify actions and funding sources to effectively implement at scale.

Download the Plan Here

Health Lens Analysis of Urban Agriculture Policy in Cambridge

Posted on May 24, 2019 at 12:14 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

FEBRUARY 2019

Medford Parks and Open Space for Climate Resilience

Cambridge, MA

The following are identified as key strategies for successful green infrastructure in park system planning:

Engage communities on the benefits and designs of green infrastructure;
Maximize the benefits of green infrastructure solutions within a physically connected network;
Enable equitable access to parks and green infrastructure within system planning; and
Specify actions and funding sources to effectively implement at scale.

Documents

Download Full Report

Blog Post

Wrentham Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report

Posted on April 10, 2019 at 11:47 am. Written by Elise Harmon

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

MAY 2018

Health Lens Analysis of Urban Agriculture Policy

Urban agriculture has increasingly been recognized for its potential to improve public health in variety of ways –in addition to increasing cultivation of healthy foods, it can strengthen the social fabric of a community,encourage physical activity and mental health, and deliver ecological benefits. Emergent technologies also show promise for hydroponic and vertical food-growing businesses.

The City of Cambridge has a legacy of promoting public health through initiatives and partnerships that increase healthy food access. And, the City and region contain several non-profit, school-based, and for-profit urban agriculture-related entities and programs. Responding to the interest in urban agriculture and recognizing the benefits it can deliver, in recent years, Cambridge has focused efforts on developing a policy and strategies to promote and allow more urban agriculture activities in the City. In 2017, Cambridge successfully passed public health regulations and a zoning ordinance for beekeeping, and it is actively developing policies and guidance for farming, henkeeping, and the sale of agriculture products.

Concurrent with the policy and guidance development, the Cambridge Public Health Department partnered with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to conduct a Health Lens Analysis (HLA) with the objective of taking a closer look at the urban agriculture policy’s potential implications for public health. The HLA investigates potential health impacts of urban agriculture as they relate to four determinants of health: social, economic, nutritional, and environmental factors.It makes recommendations for ensuring the urban agriculture policy is implemented in such a way that promotes health, mitigates negative health impacts and promotes equitable engagement in urban agriculture.

Top Recommendations to Improve Resilience

Infrastructure:

Establish a shelter that can serve the community for multiple days, is ADA compliant, can include showers and cooking facilities, and provide back-up power generation. Consider the Delaney School as an option.
Relocate the Department of Public Works complex including the building, salt shed, and other facilities outside of the floodplain.
Improve and upgrade communication equipment and strategies for public safety and municipal staff, particularly during emergencies. Ensure there are back-up strategies that will function in the event of loss of electricity and internet, such as redundancy towers.

Society:

Create a more cohesive Local Emergency Planning Committee and work to create a better more cohesive Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
Create a plan to protect residents during emergencies and extreme weather events for Bennett Gardens and other Housing Authority facilities.
Increase the size of the Senior Center.
Expand Food Pantry operations to include all residents and increase hours during time of emergencies and extreme weather events.
Create back-up potable water options during emergencies and extreme weather events.

Environment:

Re-evaluate existing stormwater bylaws. Ensure bylaws address water quality issues and green infrastructure opportunities for stormwater management.
Create a new Open Space and Recreation Plan that prioritizes connected open space and acquiring land that prioritizes resiliency and climate/natural hazard mitigation.
Restore the lake systems in town for water quality, recreation opportunity, and flood mitigation.

Wrentham Community Resilience Building Summary of Findings Cover

Download the Complete Findings Here

Workshop Materials:

Wrentham Social Vulnerability Infographics

Wrentham Climate Vulnerability Infographics

Wrentham Critical Infrastructure Map

Chelsea Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report

Posted on April 10, 2019 at 11:20 am. Written by Elise Harmon

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

MAY 2018

Wrentham Community Resilience Building: Summary of Findings

Wrentham received a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to participate in the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. The program provides support for municipalities to plan and implement key climate resilience actions using a community-based, multi-disciplinary, participatory planning effort.

Participants in the workshop brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise from their diverse local experiences and fields. Each group identified the City’s social, environmental, and infrastructure-related vulnerabilities and identified actions to address them.

The group identified the following as areas of concern:

Neighborhoods	Society	Infrastructure	Environment
West Wrentham	People with disabilities*	DPW Complex	Lakes
Lake Pearl	People with Medical Rehabilitation needs*	Well pump stations	Non-contiguous open space
Town Center	People with mental illness*	Wells	Drinking water
Wrentham Outlets	Senior citizens	Utility Substations	Non-point pollution
	Court House employees	Eagle Dam	Taunton River Basin
	Family pets	Crocker Pond Dam
	Low income individuals	Red Dam
	*These individuals are all serviced in medical/professional facilities located in Wrentham	Route 121

Top Recommendations to Improve Resilience

Infrastructure:

Establish a shelter that can serve the community for multiple days, is ADA compliant, can include showers and cooking facilities, and provide back-up power generation. Consider the Delaney School as an option.
Relocate the Department of Public Works complex including the building, salt shed, and other facilities outside of the floodplain.
Improve and upgrade communication equipment and strategies for public safety and municipal staff, particularly during emergencies. Ensure there are back-up strategies that will function in the event of loss of electricity and internet, such as redundancy towers.

Society:

Create a more cohesive Local Emergency Planning Committee and work to create a better more cohesive Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
Create a plan to protect residents during emergencies and extreme weather events for Bennett Gardens and other Housing Authority facilities.
Increase the size of the Senior Center.
Expand Food Pantry operations to include all residents and increase hours during time of emergencies and extreme weather events.
Create back-up potable water options during emergencies and extreme weather events.

Environment:

Re-evaluate existing stormwater bylaws. Ensure bylaws address water quality issues and green infrastructure opportunities for stormwater management.
Create a new Open Space and Recreation Plan that prioritizes connected open space and acquiring land that prioritizes resiliency and climate/natural hazard mitigation.
Restore the lake systems in town for water quality, recreation opportunity, and flood mitigation.

Download the Complete Findings Here

Workshop Materials:

Chelsea Critical Infrastructure and Hazard Areas

Climate Change Posters

Designing Parks and Playgrounds as Green Infrastructure for Stormwater and Climate Resilience

Posted on March 27, 2019 at 5:32 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

In Chelsea, a man tries to get out of his car as a mix of snow and water flood it past its tires.

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

JUNE 2018

City of Chelsea Community Resilience Building: Summary of Findings

The City of Chelsea received a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to participate in the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. The program provides support for municipalities to plan and implement key climate resilience actions using a community-based, multi-disciplinary, participatory planning effort.

The group identified the following as areas of concern:

Neighborhoods	Society	Infrastructure	Environment
The Waterfront	Senior citizens	Stormwater infrastructure	Littering
Tobin Bridge/Route 1 Viaduct	Linguistically isolated residents	Schools located in flood zone	Air quality
Island End River Neighborhood commercial area	Students	Emergency and public transportation	Water quality
Shurtleff-Bellingham neighborhood	Chelsea residents working in Boston Seaport	Senior center	Toxic exposure with industrial waterfront uses
Western waterfront contaminated area	Low income individuals	Medical facilities/hospitals	Shoreline erosion
Bellingham Square	Renters	Housing Authority facilities
Addison Neighborhood		The Learning Center

Chlesea Community Resilience Building Summary of Findings Cover

Download the Complete Findings Here

Medford Square Master Plan

Posted on March 27, 2019 at 4:10 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Trees and flowers at PORT Park in Chelsea

Medford Square Master Plan

CHANGE FONT SIZE

MAPC >> Resources >> Report

MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Planning

JUNE 2018

The project was conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) with funding from the City of Chelsea as part of its Open Space and Recreation Plan update for 2018.

Chelsea has completed important planning for stormwater management, coastal flooding, and parks and open space. The intent of this plan is to build on existing efforts to create a framework for implementing green infrastructure through retrofits and/or redevelopment of Chelsea’s parks and open space.

The following are identified as key strategies for successful green infrastructure in park system planning:

Engaging communities on the benefits and designs of green infrastructure
Maximizing the benefits of green infrastructure solutions with a physically connected network
Enabling equitable access to parks and green infrastructure
Specifying actions and funding sources to effectively implement at scale

Documents

Medford Square Master Plan Executive Summary

Medford Square Master Plan

Appendix I: Existing Conditions

Appendix II: Market Analysis

Norwell

Zoning Implementation Process

Updates

About the Project

Documents & Resources

Past Events

Community Workshop: January 7, 2020

Community Workshop: November 19, 2019

Community Workshop: September 24, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

Hot, Cool, Clean

Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities

August 2019

Want to learn more?

Climate Perspectives

Key Findings

Home Health Care

Farming

Fishing

Construction

Voices on Climate

Art Installation

Where Can I See It?

MAPC

Medford Parks and Open Space for Climate Resilience

MAPC

Medford Parks and Open Space for Climate Resilience

Documents

MAPC

Health Lens Analysis of Urban Agriculture Policy

Top Recommendations to Improve Resilience

Infrastructure:

Society:

Environment:

Workshop Materials:

MAPC

Wrentham Community Resilience Building: Summary of Findings

Neighborhoods

Society

Infrastructure

Environment

Top Recommendations to Improve Resilience

Infrastructure:

Society:

Environment:

Workshop Materials:

MAPC

City of Chelsea Community Resilience Building: Summary of Findings

Neighborhoods

Society

Infrastructure

Environment

MAPC

Documents

Community Workshop:
January 7, 2020

Community Workshop:
November 19, 2019

Community Workshop:
September 24, 2019