The Town of Salisbury is launching a Phase 2 update of the 2008 Salisbury Master Plan. This work will build on Phase 1, which began in 2022. The Town of Salisbury has contracted Barrett Planning Group to assist in the development of both phases of this plan.
What is a Master Plan?
A Master Plan is a comprehensive, long-term plan that municipalities in Massachusetts are encouraged to adopt, as authorized under MGL c. 41 § 81D. The plan can cover many different topics or elements and is meant to last for at least ten years. A good Master Plan provides a high-level blueprint for what a community wants their town to look like at the end of the plan’s lifespan and recommends a series of strategies for achieving that vision. The plan is divided into chapters for each element, and each chapter has two main components: an inventory and assessment section that succinctly summarizes existing conditions and an implementation section with goals and recommendations based on the needs and opportunities identified in the inventory and assessment section.
Having a Master Plan benefits Salisbury by providing a cohesive and comprehensive vision for the Town that future planning efforts can rely on as a foundation. This document will help guide decision-making for future boards and committees and give developers an idea of what the residents of Salisbury want. The planning process also encourages community members with different interests to come together, hear each other’s voices, and hopefully come to some common understanding.
Phase 1: 2022
Phase 1 updated several sections of the Town's 2008 Master Plan. In cooperation with Town Staff and a local Master Plan Committee, Barrett Planning Group crafted existing conditions reports and new sets of long-term goals and strategies for the following five elements: land use, transportation, community health, climate change, and economic development. The plan was adopted by the Salisbury Planning Board in October 2022.
Phase 2: 2025
Phase 2 will focus on four key elements: housing, natural and cultural resources, open space and recreation, and community facilities and services.
The housing element will contain an assessment of population growth and demographics, household, and housing data sufficient for someone to understand Salisbury’s development history and to see how housing policies have influenced the size and make-up of the local population.
It will identify and analyze existing and forecasted housing needs and objectives including programs for the preservation, improvement and development of housing. This element will also identify policies and strategies to provide a balance of local housing opportunities for all Salisbury residents.
The natural and cultural resources element will focus on preserving and enhancing scenic, water, ecological, and historical and cultural resources. It will examine the relationship between the natural environment and the built environment as the community has evolved, and document conditions requiring special protective and preservation measures.
This element will provide an inventory of the significant natural, cultural and historic resource areas of Salisbury and policies and strategies for the protection and management of such areas.
The open space and recreation element will outline strategies and actions to preserve and enhance open space areas in the community and meet the recreational needs of Salisbury residents. Open space and recreational resources include neighborhood, community-wide, and regional parks, as well as trails, golf courses, aquatic facilities, protected open space, and other publicly available outdoor and indoor facilities.
This element will provide an inventory of these recreational and resources and open space areas, and policies and strategies for the management and protection of them.
The community facilities and services element will help Salisbury plan for schools, libraries, law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical services, child care, senior care, arts and culture, and infrastructure. Municipal and school services help attract residents and businesses to the community and keep both residents and businesses over the long term. In addition, planning ahead for infrastructure such as public drinking water, sewer service, telecommunications, and stormwater facilities matters both for managing the community’s debt obligations and protecting the public health and welfare.
This element will identify and analyze existing and forecasted needs for facilities and services used by the public.
