Saugus is on its way to a brighter future.
Town Manager Scott Crabtree, the Board of Selectmen, and the Saugus Planning and Economic Development Department partnered earlier in the week with the town’s project consultant — the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) — to host an online “Kick-Off Visioning Forum” for residents as Saugus begins the process of updating its master plan.
MAPC Senior Regional Planner Chris Kuschel began the meeting with a quick introduction of the project’s overall aims before handing the reins to MAPC Principal Planner Ralph Willmer, who then went into detail about the plan’s various components.
“We’re going to look at the current data and get your feedback to help define the goals and strategies and actions that should occur over the next 10 to 15 years,” Willmer told the nearly 50 residents in virtual attendance. “We would like you to help us understand what the most pressing challenges and opportunities are in Saugus.”
Last revised in 1988, the new master plan, titled Saugus United 2035, will build on the community’s vision, and recent planning studies, to propose strategies and recommend implementation actions to guide the town as it works toward its goals for the 15 years.
The in-progress plan currently includes three segments:
- The Baseline Report provides a snapshot of existing conditions in the town using existing data.
- The Roadmap is the main policy document consisting of vision and elements organized by themes that include Economic Development, Housing, Environmental Stewardship, and Transportation, among others.
- The Action Plan details implementation specifics, including responsibilities and time frames.
Creation of the master plan is expected to take two years, with its final stages projected to be completed by winter of 2021.
Now in the “Vision and Goals” stage, Kuschel said this phase is a crucial time for residents to work alongside town officials to produce a plan that engages the entire community and incorporates solutions for its diverse sets of needs.
“(This stage) articulates a future for Saugus, and that helps lead us towards various goals and recommendations for the plan,” he said. “It’s developed by the community, so we want to incorporate as many voices as possible.”
Aiding in the plan’s completion is the town’s advisory committee, made up of 23 local officials representing a number of various boards and committees, including town Senior Planner Alexander Mello, Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano, Superintendent of Schools David DeRuosi, Public Health Director John Fralick, Department of Public Works Director Brendan O’Regan, Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli, and Fire Chief Michael Newbury.
As plan ambassadors, committee members will provide updates and guidance, review various section drafts of the plan, and assist with community engagement.
“The result of this work is not going to be MACP’s vision for Saugus,” Kuschel said. “It’s going to be Saugus’ vision for Saugus.”
He later added: “Everything should eventually lead back to the overarching vision. If there are goals and strategies in the various elements that do not support the vision, it either means we need to go back to the vision and make some changes, or (it means) that goal and strategy is frankly not applicable to this master plan.”
Residents who missed the meeting will have plenty more chances to become involved as officials say this is only the beginning of what will be many meetings to come.
“This will stay open and we’ll continue to have open comment periods and continue to develop this as a fluid document,” Crabtree said.
He later said he hopes the open nature of the process will mean more residents become involved in the plan’s development.
“Any time you can have people participate in an open meeting like that, I think it’s always positive. You hope to get as many people as possible, and you want people from groups you wouldn’t ordinarily hear from to participate,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to work on. It’s not about an elected or appointed official, but more about our vision as a community.”