Media Mentions
Ludlow at work on plan
Sunday, June 20, 2010
By SUZANNE McLAUGHLIN
smclaughlin@repub.com
LUDLOW - The town can encourage its commercial and industrial growth by making it easier for developers to obtain the necessary permits to locate here, according to an economist with the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University.
Nancy Lee, an economist with Northeastern University, told a committee that is creating a master plan for the town that potential private sector developers want to know how quickly permitting can take place.
She said the town should post permitting procedures on its website along with check lists and flow charts for the procedures.
She also recommended a central point person for permitting procedures such as the town planner.
The economic study is being done in conjunction with the town's master plan.
The economic study evaluates the town's economic strengths and weaknesses and identifies practical strategies to promote private sector investment.
Lee, in a meeting with the committee last week, said that in many areas, such as proximity to highways, quality of the school system, proximity to colleges and traffic issues, the town is on a par with other communities that have done similar surveys.
"It will be up to the town how it uses this information," Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Senior Planner Jessica Allan said.
With a $100,000 appropriation from Town Meeting, the town is developing a master plan with the help of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and some University of Massachusetts regional planning graduate students.
The Master Plan Committee, formed in May 2009, consists of 15 town officials and citizen volunteers. The plan is expected to be completed by December.
Town Planner Douglas Stefancik said the master plan will guide initiatives of the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen for years to come.
A master plan could determine whether there is support for a Community Preservation Act bylaw, for example, and whether residents think there is a need for more open space or affordable housing.
It also could guide the town regarding whether residents would support initiatives for higher density housing and where they feel additional residential, commercial and industrial development should be located.
For more information about the master plan, visit the Master Plan website at www.ludlowmp.org or call Stefancik at 413-583-5624 or Allan at 413-781-6045.
