Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text
Canton Rte 138 Planning Meeting 041019 - notes
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MEETING MINUTES CANTON MASSDEVELOPMENT SITE READINESS PROGRAM ROUTE 138 KICK-OFF MEETING TOWN OF CANTON, MA APRIL 10TH 2019, 1-2:30 PM 1. INTRODUCTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... ALL PRESENT: • CHARLIE ASPINWALL, TOWN ADMINISTRATOR • CHRISTINE MADORE, MASSDEVELOPMENT • DAVID MCCARTHY, PLANNING BOARD AND MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE • SONJA GRAUDS, MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE • EMILIO MAURO, MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE, FINANCE COMMITTEE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE • PATRICIA MCDERMOTT, PLANNING BOARD, WALK BIKE AND HIKE COMMITTEE, SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE • GREG PANDO, ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS • LAURA SMEAD, TOWN PLANNER • ED WALSH, BUILDING COMMISSIONER NOT PRESENT: • CHRIS CONNOLLY, BOARD OF SELECTMEN 2. GRANT DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES ............................................. LAURA SMEAD AND CHRISTINE MADORE • Town was awarded $75,000 in MassDevelopment Site Readiness technical assistance services, which will not have to be paid back • The Site Readiness Program technical assistance aims to boost the Commonwealth’s inventory of large, well-located, project-ready sites; to accelerate private-sector investment in industrial and commercial projects; and to support the conversion of abandoned sites and obsolete facilities into clean, actively-used, tax-generating properties.
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• Route 138 is Canton’s most heavily traveled arterial • A main location for the town’s commercial base • Location for future development • Large lots, vacant/underutilized land • Hodge podge of zoning and mixes of uses • Development on Route 138 needs to be shaped carefully to avoid “strip mall style” development, minimize traffic problems and safety issues, and to create an environment that will be aesthetically pleasing. • Generally, the needs to be a stronger design identity, create a sense of place, destination stores, restaurants, or other community resources as a draw. • Good time to look at a strategic plan and vision for the Route 138 corridor. The Town is updating its comprehensive Master Plan, and the MassDOT will likely implement infrastructure improvements for safety, pedestrian, and cyclist access in the next 5 years. 3. HEAD-START / MINI BRAINSTORMING ABOUT ROUTE 138 AND SCOPE OF WORK .................................... ALL • Desire to understand how existing conditions in the Route 138 corridor are contributing to the gradual increase in commercial and industrial vacancies and what can be done to capitalize on the corridor’s attributes with hopes of revitalizing the area. • Project would include a market analysis of the area, and what barriers existing to development identified in the market analysis (e.g. zoning, density, land uses, infrastructure, etc.) • The group present was open to discussion of residential uses in certain locations (for example, as a part of a mixed use development), if that were a necessary outcome of the market research findings. However, preference is to focus on the commercial and industrial land uses. • General discussion how there is a desire and need for more restaurants, retail, grocery, other community services in the area for the people who live and work along the corridor • Discussion of traffic, no pedestrian/bike/transit access, need for infrastructure upgrades • Should coordinate MassDevelopment work with MassDOT work and put them in touch with each other from the very beginning. • Other pieces of the project would include a fiscal impact analysis based on different market development scenarios. This is especially important if we start including residential. • Third piece of the study would be zoning review and actionable recommendations. Possibly other recommendations around design guidelines, marketing support, or wayfinding as needed.
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Specific rezoning maps, bylaw ideas, process changes (e.g. permitting, design review), or infrastructure updates (e.g. streetscape, wayfinding) needed for revitalization of the area. Steps: Project initiation: Monthly meetings with stakeholder group, assemble the technical assistance consultant who will meet with project leadership and interview other key stakeholders, review existing documents, tour the corridor, and coordinate with MassDOT. Market Analysis: Profile the local market for commercial and industrial real estate in Canton and the local region in order to inform the economic potential of existing and other uses along the corridor. Rent levels and occupancy or retail, commercial, industrial and office space in Canton shall be reviewed. Fiscal impacts of different scenarios would also be studied. Barriers Analysis: Canton’s zoning would be reviewed to identify barriers. Community outreach: At least one visioning workshop to include the Town, the public, and other stakeholders with identifying a vision for what is wanted and needed along this corridor. Create an online survey for more public comment. Could also have a secondary workshop when specific market information and strategies are known, and then hold a stakeholder workshop to vet focus areas and specific strategies. Final report and presentation: A final report and presentation would summarize all the efforts, and describe the final revitalization strategy and outline implementation steps that could be incorporated into the Master Plan, recommended to MassDOT, and implemented at Town Meeting. Timeline: Project will last about 6-8 months. • Project management, partners • Laura Smead, Project manager • Current invited group (Partners), plus invite a member of Canton Association of Business and Industry to attend meetings • Consultant firm (e.g. MassDevelopment to reach out to Horsley Witten Group, Camoin Associates, possibly other) 4. NEXT STEPS ............................................................................................................................................ LAURA SMEAD • Invite Canton Association of Business and Industry representative to the stakeholder group • MassDevelopment to send Memorandum of Understanding for Board of Selectmen to sign at their next meeting (23rd or 30th); MassDevelopment will reach out to potential consultants • Schedule monthly working group meetings for Wednesday afternoons