Edgartown looking for board members

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The Edgartown planning board is looking for town residents to join a master plan steering committee to begin developing and revising a new master plan.

The committee will begin work early next year, and develop goals, prepare a request for proposal (RFP) for consultant assistance, and establish areas of focus. The committee is also responsible for holding public comment and visioning sessions and work with other town boards. 

Planning boards are able to create master plans through Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, 81D. Master plans typically have a 10-year useful lifespan. Edgartown’s current master plan was last updated in 1990.

When complete, the master plan will act as a roadmap for the Edgartown’s long-term goals, focusing on natural and cultural resources, economic development, housing, land use, open space, facilities and services, transportation, energy, climate, housing production, harbor and marine, and municipal vulnerability.

“A master plan helps the town to make short-term decisions that support long-term goals,” planning board administrative assistant Douglas Finn said in a press release. “It brings clarity — and defensibility — to every decision-making process.”

The board expects to hire a special consultant to guide the town through the two-year process.

“We want to hear from residents, businesses, boards, and committees, to find out what’s important to them,” planning board member Lucy Morrision said in the release. “We want to consider and include these ideas and opinions, so we can build townwide consensus and support for the final plan.”

Residents interested in serving on the committee can contact Douglass Finn at 508-627-6170. Letters of interest should be sent to planningboard@edgartown-ma.us or Master Plan Steering Committee, c/o Edgartown Planning Board, P.O. Box 5130, Edgartown, MA 02539.