Acton Master PlanDuring 1989-1991 a team led by Rick Taintor assisted the Acton Planning Council and Planning Department in preparing a new comprehensive plan for the Town. As the analytical and public participation elements of the project progressed, several key issues were identified, including the preservation of Acton's historic, village-centered character and the control of commercial strip development. In many cases existing regulations, on which recent residential and commercial growth had been based, were inconsistent with the objectives of the Town's officials and citizens. Because of the complexity of the changes being considered, it was important to balance the technical work of the Planning Council and consultants with regular outreach to residents. In addition, Acton's Open Town Meeting form of government required an extensive educational process, since the approval of two-thirds of participating voters would be necessary to adopt any zoning changes.The Master Plan was developed through an iterative process that included several sets of public hearings and workshops: first, to identify major issues and concerns; then, to discuss preliminary statements of goals, objectives and strategies; and finally, to present the specific regulatory proposals that were developed to implement the plan. The planning team developed innovative strategies to address the identified issues within the context of Acton's existing regulatory framework and administrative capacity. The recommended strategies were designed both to accommodate reasonable commercial growth and to reinforce the residential New England character of the town. The plan called for future growth to be shifted away from commercial strips and directed instead into new, compact "village" centers containing a mix of commercial and residential uses. Mixed-use development was also encouraged in existing nonresidential areas through the use of planned unit developments that permit flexibility of land uses and densities within overall performance standards. New standards for residential development promote cluster development and affordable housing through the provision of density bonuses. The regulatory recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan were adopted in their entirety by the 1990 Annual Town Meeting and a subsequent Special Town Meeting, demonstrating the Town's enthusiasm for the policies and strategies developed during the planning process. The Acton Comprehensive Plan received the 1991 Outstanding Planning Award for Comprehensive Planning from the New England Chapter of the American Planning Association. In 1998 Rick Taintor was again selected by the Town to prepare a comprehensive update of the Master Plan. Responding to the changes in the economic climate occurring over the decade, the update features significant adjustments to the 1991 plan's policies and strategies to address the shift in growth from commercial to primarily residential.
TAINTOR & ASSOCIATES, INC.
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