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.