MAPC Build-Out Figures Available
As part of Governor Paul Cellucci’s Community Preservation Initiative, each city and town in Massachusetts will receive a build-out analysis detailing the amount of growth potential that the community could encounter under current zoning standards. The point of these exercises is to make local leaders aware of the growth potential within their jurisdiction, but also within the region and state-wide, so that communities can plan for growth.
Sudbury received its build-out analysis at a meeting of the Board of Selectmen on January 22, 2001. Representatives from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council introduced the initiative and its relevance to Sudbury, and presented the data results. The final results indicate that Sudbury could grow to more than 30% of its current population, with more than a 30% increase in new home construction (2000 new homes), with 33% more school-aged children, and the need for more water, roads and solid waste disposal.
Sudbury has known that there is significant growth potential since 1997, when a similar analysis was conducted for the Strategic Planning Committee. The efforts of the Planning Board to write and implement the Master Plan are a direct consequence. The recommendations contained in the Master Plan stress the need to plan for growth, including the means of financing a larger population. Strategies such as preserving land from development, limited increases in commercial development, and construction of amenities to increase quality of life all play a part in dealing with the growth that will occur.
Another local response to these numbers has been the decision of the Board of Selectmen and other boards to pursue adoption of the Community Preservation Act at this year’s local election and Town Meeting. This legislation gives the Town the ability to raise necessary funds to accomplish many of the Master Plan goals. A citizen’s initiative petition is currently circulating in order to place the question of adoption of the Community Preservation Act on the local ballot election held on March 26, 2001.
To view a spreadsheet of the results of the Build-Out Analysis Click Here. If you would like more information regarding the Community Preservation Act, the Trust for Public Land’s website is a good source of information, and can be accessed by Clicking Here.