2005 Existing Conditions (PDF)
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WINDHAM MASTER PLAN 2005 Windham Planning Board Nancy Prendergast, Chair 2005 Eileen Maloney, Chair, 2004 Windham Department of Planning and Development Alfred Turner, Director Rebecca Way, Planner Existing Conditions and Analysis – October 2004 VOLUME I of II Taintor & Associates, Inc. in association with Appledore Engineering Howard/Stein-Hudson 20 Unicorn Street Newburyport, MA 01950 Phone 978.462.0404 • Fax 978.462.0107 Acknowledgements This Master Plan was developed over the term of two Planning Boards: Windham Planning Board, 2004 Windham Planning Board, 2005 Eileen Maloney, Chairman Nancy Prendergast, Chairman Nancy Prendergast, Vice Chairman Ross McLeod, Vice-Chairman Ross McLeod, Secretary Ruth-Ellen Post, Secretary Walter Kolodziej, Member Walter Kolodziej, Member Philip LoChiatto, Member Philip LoChiatto, Member Pamela Skinner, Member Pamela Skinner, Member Ruth-Ellen Post, Alternate Bruce Breton, Selectmen Representative Bruce Breton, Selectmen Representative Margaret Crisler, Selectmen Alternate Roy Dennehy, Member – no longer active as of September 2004 Special thanks to Alfred Turner and Rebecca Way And sincere thanks to all who participated in the planning process, including: James Adams, Bruce Anderson, Al Barlow, Earl Bartlett, Dana Call, Greg Cappiello, Alan Carpenter, Margaret Crisler, Jennifer Colvin, Kevin Cyr, Ronald Cyr, Eric DeLong, Anthony DiFruscia, Kara DiFruscia, Bev Donovan, Chris Doyle, Karl Dubay, Elizabeth (Betty) Dunn, Diana Fallon, Barry Goldman, Lynn Goldman, Peter Griffin, Leo Hart, Carl Heidenblad, Nicole Hirsch, Roger Hohenberger, Mike Joanis, Susan Jortberg, John Kelly, John LaRochelle, Fred Linnemann, Lisa Linowes, Margo Logan, Brian McNamara, Tom McPhereson, John Mangan, Jack McCartney, Charles McMahon, Don Messier, Bruce Moeckel, Wayne Morris, Kathy Narkewich, Eric Nickerson, Chris Nickerson, Rex Norman, Dave Poulson, Carol Pynn, Dennis Root, Marc Samsel, Pat Schena, Tim Schreiner, Dennis Senibaldi, Thomas Seniow, Galen Stearns, Miriam Stolz, Dave Sullivan, Dennis Tremblay, Joan Tuck, Mary Lee Underhill, Ralph Valentine, Joseph Vinhais, Bill Wallace, Kevin Waterhouse, Carolyn Webber, Joyce Wong, Pat Yatsevich, and Glen Yergeau. Table of Contents ENVISIONING WINDHAM’S FUTURE ............................................................................... 1 The Process – Windham’s Assets and Liabilities .................................................................. 1 WINDHAM TODAY / WINDHAM TOMORROW ............................................................................. 3 OLD VALUES NEW HORIZONS ± VISION STATEMENT.............................................................. 5 PRIORITIES FOR ACTION ................................................................................................... 7 Alleviating Traffic and Improving Transportation Options ................................................. 7 Growth Management: Maintaining High Quality Public Services and Facilities.............. 10 Ensuring Long-term Water Quality and Supply Protection and Wastewater Treatment .... 12 LAND USE............................................................................................................................... 15 Land Use Trends .................................................................................................................16 Land Use Analysis...............................................................................................................20 Buildout Projections............................................................................................................29 Impact Fees and Growth Management ............................................................................... 30 POPULATION & HOUSING ................................................................................................ 33 Housing ............................................................................................................................... 37 Population and Housing Issues and Challenges ................................................................. 44 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 47 REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT.................................................................... 48 Regional Economic Development Trends ........................................................................... 49 PROFILE OF WINDHAM’S ECONOMY........................................................................................ 50 Profile of Existing Businesses ............................................................................................. 51 Geographic Distribution of Existing Businesses................................................................. 54 Employment and Wages ...................................................................................................... 56 Tax Base.............................................................................................................................. 61 CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES ...................................................................... 75 Land Available for Economic Development........................................................................ 76 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES ............................................................................... 76 Loss of commercial land base ............................................................................................. 76 Access to Development Sites ............................................................................................... 76 Route 28 Corridor...............................................................................................................77 Public Infrastructure...........................................................................................................77 COMMUNITY FACILITIES................................................................................................. 79 UTILITIES............................................................................................................................... 87 NATURAL RESOURCES & OPEN SPACE........................................................................ 99 Topography and Geology.................................................................................................... 99 Soils................................................................................................................................... 100 Farmland Soil.................................................................................................................... 103 Slope.................................................................................................................................. 105 Forest Resources............................................................................................................... 105 Fish and Wildlife Resources.............................................................................................. 106 Rare Plants, Rare Animals and Exemplary Natural Communities.................................... 107 Agricultural Resources...................................................................................................... 109 Water Resources................................................................................................................ 109 State Water Quality Assessment........................................................................................ 113 Water Quality Summary.................................................................................................... 114 Wetlands............................................................................................................................ 115 Floodplains ....................................................................................................................... 115 Groundwater Resources.................................................................................................... 116 Potential Threats to Water Resources............................................................................... 118 Open Space........................................................................................................................ 120 Open Lands Inventory ....................................................................................................... 120 Trails/Greenways .............................................................................................................. 124 Regional Open Space Plan................................................................................................ 125 Potentially Developable Lands ......................................................................................... 125 Lands of Interest................................................................................................................ 125 Current Regulatory Programs for Natural Resource and Open Space Protection ........... 129 RECREATION & CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................. 131 Recreational Resources..................................................................................................... 131 Athletic Programs ............................................................................................................. 131 Recreational Facilities ...................................................................................................... 132 Cultural