The Sharon Master Plan is a community-based effort, led by the Planning Board, to explore what the future of Sharon should look like and lay the groundwork for implementation of that vision. The Master Plan is to provide guidance, coordination and a road map for the future development/improvement for the Town of Sharon. Our community can use already completed studies on water, infrastructure, open space and recreation, housing production plan and the Post Office Square Masterplan help to identify the Town’s existing conditions which gives a baseline for understanding Sharon’s current state. These studies are a valuable tool for understanding how to support future needs, and can be part of answering the question of what does Sharon want to be in 10, 15 and 20 years. This type of long-term visioning occurs through a master plan process, which is a comprehensive study of the Town’s future goals and through a process of public engagement and input.

Process – Master Plan Steering Committee (MPSC)

The Planning Board is charged under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 81D to lead the master plan effort. The Board of Selectmen would appoint a Master Plan Steering Committee to oversee the development of a Comprehensive Master Plan. The committee will be composed of various elected and appointed members of town boards and select citizen stakeholders. This committee will meet under the direct oversight of the Planning Board and will report to the Planning Board on a monthly basis.

All committee members are to be residents of Sharon and appointed to a two (2) year term. The board is to meet monthly at a regularly scheduled time. The board should consist of no more than eleven (11) members. The town boards and committees which are required to appoint one representative include:

• Board of Selectmen
• Finance Committee
• Community Preservation Committee
• Conservation Commission
• Zoning Board
• Board of Health
• Water Management Advisory Committee
• A maximum of four (4) at large citizen stakeholders to be chosen through an interview process after publicly advertising for the positions

All other boards and committees are welcome to submit a representative for consideration to join the board.

Resources

The MPSC will work directly with a consultant to conduct, guide, and document the master plan effort. In addition to the consultant, Town staff assistance by the town engineer & assistant engineer, GIS coordinator and clerical support may be utilized. Residents willing to volunteer their professional services will be greatly welcomed and appreciated. Also, There may opportunity for a student internship to help with the data surveying, collection and documentation.

The Master Plan

The master plan initiative will be composed of three main phases. Understanding, Visioning and Implementation.

Understanding: The MPSC, with the assistance of the consultant, is to review the existing Housing Production, Water Infrastructure Plan, Open Space and Recreation Plan, and Office Square Master Plan and use information from the plans as required to define current conditions. In addition to revising the existing studies, the MPSC and consultant will develop studies on a variety of topics, including socio-economic diversity; current town infrastructure including buildings & roadways; etc.

Visioning: This phase of the master plan effort requires significant community outreach and participation for it to be successful. The board, with the assistance of the consultant, will build community interest and involvement by:

• Interface with community stakeholders through open public meetings, online surveys, interaction at community events, comment sessions, etc.
• Follow up charrettes to review & develop particular topics identified during the public outreach forums
• Solicit advice & recommendations from town boards and committees
• Build consensus and promote awareness & value

Implementation: The MPSC will evaluate the information gathered during the visioning sessions to determine a common interest and direction for the town. The board and consultant will develop a timeline of key milestone dates which list out the action items and recommendations required for the various Town committees to meet the approved goals. Once a well-developed plan is created, a warrant article will be proposed to both present and seek approval of the master plan at Town Meeting.

The Planning Board will interview interested participants for the four at-large seats on the Steering Committee and will make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for appointment. If you are interested in serving as one of the four at-large members, please submit letter of interest and resume to the Board of Selectmen no later than Wednesday, August 3 to:

Sharon Board of SelectmenTown Office Building90 South Main StreetSharon, MA 02067or via email to: selectmen@townofsharon.orgRead more: http://www.townofsharon.net/node/19423