2021-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Planning Board also endeavored to review a Much has changed since the adoption of the proposal to create a Community Activity Center Town's current Comprehensive Plan in 1998. Overlay District over much of the existing C-1 Assessing these changes together in consideration of Commercial Zoning District submitted by Mashpee the challenges and opportunities we face in the near, Commons to support their proposed expansion plans. mid,and long terms is a critical and timely community This review took place beginning in Spring 2021 and exercise.On the heels of social distancing,mask wear- through the Summer before ultimately terminating ing, remote/virtual meetings and other challenges before any action was taken. spawned by COVID-19 the Town embarked on a tri- partite development agreement process alongside the This year, long-serving Planning Board mem- Cape Cod Commission and Mashpee Commons. bers Dennis Balzarini and Mary Waygan were re- While this process proved difficult and did not yield elected to continue serving you and the Board is the intended result it did expose the absolute necessity thankful for their knowledge and commitment to the for thoughtful and collaborative community education role. Additionally, the Board welcomed Mr. Ed Pesce and engagement as future plans are considered of Ed Pesce Engineering as the Board's consulting whether it be for development,redevelopment,or con- engineer and also Ms. Chrissy MacDonald as the servation. My department's efforts will be laser- Board's recording secretary. After departures of the focused on providing the Mashpee community the long serving former consulting engineer and recording data and information necessary to define and under- secretary it is a pleasure to have a full staff comple- stand the issues as well as the platform to voice your ment once again. thoughts regarding the direction of the Town moving forward so that consensus based decisions can be Unless otherwise posted, the Planning Board made in consideration of best practice and local con- conducts public meetings on the first and third ditions. Wednesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Mashpee Town Hall.Board meetings are televised live Facilitating the creation of a more balanced local on Channel 18,and public information is always avail- economy is a primary focus of the Planning able on the Planning Department and Planning Board Department.The housing market on Cape Cod contin- pages on the Town's website. ues to decline in terms of its affordability and accessi- bility to the masses. The average age of residents is Respectfully submitted, continuing to get older, the average household size John Fulone, Chair continues to decline, and housing becomes more and more inaccessible. These trends are unsustainable and I am eager to work with you all on solutions to these Report of the complex issues. Planning Department The Planning Department has enjoyed continued collaboration with Boards, Committees and Commissions this year notably with the Affordable To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Housing Committee and EDIC. The town sponsored Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: affordable housing project awarded to Housing Assistance Corporation/Preservation of Affordable As we close 2021 and look forward into 2022 Housing at 950 Falmouth Road, now referred to as there is much to look forward to from along-term LeClair Village is underway and in the queue for tax planning perspective. In my last annual report to the credits with the Massachusetts Department of Town I described the efforts of the Planning Housing and Community Development. Further, the Department to facilitate acommunity-driven process Town is moving forward with a workforce housing to update the Town's Local Comprehensive Plan. I am project at 108 Commercial Street in a joint effort with pleased to report that the Town has hired a consultant, the EDIC and Affordable Housing Committee. The Weston & Sampson to assist Planning staff and the Town will be seeking to identify a developer for this Planning Board lead you through this process. This site following a feasibility analysis sometime in 2022. long-term planning work is so critical towards under- standing the issues faced and the community's priori- ties in how to address them. 131