It’s been a long time in the making, but at last, Mattapoisett’s Master Plan will get an overhaul and update now that the committee of volunteers has been sworn in. Their first meeting was held on December 9.
This meeting and the entire Master Plan process will be navigated through completion by Southeastern Region Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) with Grant King as the SRPEDD guide. King said early on in the meeting that, while SRPEDD would be involved, that role would be to act as advisers, consultants, and the recording secretary for the committee. He said SRPEDD had guided the Town of Marion in recent years as that town wrote its updated master plan.
“[SRPEDD] Should be considered your editors in chief,” said King.
It is a large committee with 19 members, but committee member Katherine Connelly wondered whether the committee fairly represented a diverse cross-section of the entire community. King responded by turning the question back to the committee, asking its members to decide if the committee comprises all sectors. He said based on the town’s population data, that would, in fact, be the case.
Mattapoisett’s population has been described as aging. The 2010 census indicates that 96 percent of the town’s population is white, 1 percent African American, with all other racial groups comprising the balance. Income levels were pegged at $68,000 per intact household, and nearly 50 percent of the population at that time was between ages 45 and 65. In 2010 the number of residents stood at 6,400.
Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker said he thought the committee reflected the community with the exception of young people below the voting age. He had stated in the past that, because young people would be inheriting the community, he believed they should have a voice in the drafting of a Master Plan that would affect their future. King assured the committee that the Master Plan process would be viable, saying, “Don’t get lost in the numbers.” He said, given the caliber of the individuals who volunteered for a seat on the committee, “The quality is there; you are very competent and focused.”
Regarding the Planning Board’s authority over the process and the final document, King said that the state guidelines indicate that only the Planning Board need approve the final plan before it goes to Town Meeting, but that most communities seek residents’ input. On December 9, all five Planning Board members: Tucker, Janice Robbins, Arlene Fidalgo, Nathan Ketchel, and Karen Field, were present and Planning Board Administrator Mary Crain.
Representing other town board or community organizations on the committee: Colby Rottler (Finance Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals), Bob Burgmann (Capital Planning), Sandra Herring (Tree Committee), Paul Osenkowski (Mattapoisett Land Trust), Robin Lepore (Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path), Carole Clifford (Mattapoisett Museum and Mattapoisett Woman’s Club), Carlos DeSousa (Marine Advisory Board), and Shirley Haley (Council on Aging). Other members are Mary Dermody, Mike Rosa, Kate Haley, David Horowitz, Paul Criscuolo, Donna Shea, Chrystal Walsh, Cecile Sanders, Aaron Smith, and Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent.
King said that moving forward, the committee should plan for workshops in preparation for drafting the new plan a year from now. He said he wanted the group to tackle matters such as land use, housing, and economic development first. To help jump-start the process, he asked the members to review master plans from other committees, including Marion’s.
The committee will meet again on January 6 and February 3 at 7:00 pm. A workshop will be held on February 21 at 6:30 pm. All meetings are public and will be duly advertised with login/call-in details.
Mattapoisett Master Plan Committee
By Marilou Newell