A MASTER PLAN FOR NORTHFIELD Northfield, Massachusetts 2014 Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC with Community Circle, Community Preservation Associates, and AECOM ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE AND ROUNDTABLE Richard Fitzgerald, Chair Brian Brault Dianne Cornwell Kevin Leger Steve Malsch Jack Spanbauer Gwen Trelle Jill Fortier Sue Ross Alex Stewart Kathy Wright NORTHFIELD PLANNING BOARD Richard Fitzgerald, Chair Robert Hall James Holloway Tammy Pelletier CONSULTANT TEAM Martha Lyon, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC Daphne Politis, Community Circle Brian Barber, Community Preservation Associates Bill Giezentanner, Community Preservation Associates Jeffrey Maxtutis, AECOM …and the concerned citizens, business‐owners, Town officials and staff who devoted time, energy and imagination to the making of this Plan. A Master Plan for Northfield TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................. i 4 Implementing the Plan ......................................................................... 31 Implementation Plan Components ................................................... 31 1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Implementation Plan Committee ...................................................... 31 Increasing Capacity to Implement the Plan ...................................... 32 2 Northfield Today: Existing Conditions ................................................. 9 Thirteen Top Recommendations ....................................................... 32 Area & Population ............................................................................ 9 Ripe Apples ........................................................................................ 34 Historic & Cultural Resources ........................................................... 9 Plan Concept ..................................................................................... 37 Open Space, Recreation & Natural Resources ................................. 10 Key to the Implementation Tables .................................................... 40 Housing ............................................................................................ 12 Implementation Tables ..................................................................... 41 Employment & Economic Development .......................................... 13 Goal 1: To promote preservation of open space and Town Facilities & Services ................................................................ 14 natural features ........................................................... 41 Transportation & Circulation ............................................................ 15 Goal 2: To promote opportunities for recreation and Land Use & Zoning ............................................................................ 17 community gathering .................................................. 49 Goal 3: To promote economic development town‐wide ......... 59 3 Northfield Tomorrow: Plan Foundation .............................................. 19 Goal 4: To preserve and revitalize Main Street ........................ 69 Guiding Principles ............................................................................. 19 Goal 5: To maintain public facilities, improve public Six (6) Underlying Themes ................................................................ 20 services, and enhance communication ........................ 83 Vision ............................................................................................... 21 Goal 6. To expand housing opportunities and support Goals & Objectives ........................................................................... 22 neighborhoods ............................................................. 99 The Public Voice .............................................................................. 23 Goal 7: To enhance transportation and circulation Key Opportunities & Challenges ....................................................... 29 systems ........................................................................ 109 Goal 8: To promote Northfield’s history and culture ............... 119 Zoning ................................................................................................ 133 Element Summary Matrix ................................................................. 137 Appendix A: Summary of Public Input (separate volume) Appendix B: Inventory (separate volume) A Master Plan for Northfield (page intentionally blank) A Master Plan for Northfield EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A MASTER PLAN FOR NORTHFIELD The 2014 Northfield Master Plan is the result of a twelve‐month process and may be viewed in its entirety at the dedication and hard work of the Master Plan Steering Committee, Town the Town of Northfield website: department staff, elected officials, the Consultant Team, AND Northfield www.northfield.ma.us citizens. All committed time and shared ideas about what and how to preserve what is best about the Town, and what is important to change in order to positively direct Northfield into the future. The plan’s purpose is to define the ways and means for making Northfield a better place to live, work and play. To achieve this purpose, the planning process followed three main steps, outlined below. EIGHT MASTER PLAN GOALS VISION & GOALS 1. To promote preservation of open space and natural features The first step involved developing a vision for the future, one that builds on the past, but focuses on moving forward. This vision, presented on page iii, 2. To promote opportunities for recreation and community represents what the Town WANTS for its future, and a set of goals and gathering related objectives, developed by Master Plan participants, provides a means of fulfilling the vision. 3. To promote economic development town wide To define the vision, goals and objectives, the Master Plan Steering 4. To preserve and revitalize Main Street Committee met a total of 28 times, held three Town‐wide public forums, hosted two focused roundtable discussions and three mini‐visioning sessions, 5. To maintain public facilities, improve public services, and and conducted visioning workshops with middle and high school students. enhance communication To complement this, the Consultant Team held interviews with Town department heads, committees, boards and commissions, and met with key 6. To expand housing opportunities and support neighborhoods business people. Additional discussions took place on a Master Plan Facebook page, as well as through the social media site I‐Neighbors. 7. To enhance transportation and circulation systems 8. To promote Northfield’s history and culture INVENTORY & ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING CONDITIONS Step two involved developing an understanding of the Town’s existing resources, or what Northfield HAS. The Consultant Team documented Note: the numbering of the goals, 1 through 8, does not correspond with importance. Page i A Master Plan for Northfield these resources by conducting research, reviewing relevant documents, and Town, and the ambiance created by these interviewing Town department heads, and committee, board and commission members. The Consultant Team then assessed the resources, Supporting the rural landscape through an economy that enhances the identifying key issues, opportunities and challenges facing the Town. viability of working lands and conserves natural lands Chapter 3 of the plan includes a summary of this inventory, and Volume II contains the complete inventory documentation. Retaining small town character by guiding the look and location of future development so that it is in keeping with the rural and historic features of Northfield IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The final step involved defining HOW the vision, goals and objectives can be NORTHFIELD VOICES fulfilled. The Consultant Team and Master Plan Steering Committee met with outside experts, interested parties, Town department heads, and members of the public and developed a series of strategies for achieving the The plan was developed with input from residents, business goals, and the result is a detailed implementation plan. This plan, found in owners, Town officials, staff and volunteers, collected in a Chapter 4, forms the core of the Master Plan by providing specific action number of forums. These included: steps to take, defining priorities and identifying the individuals and/or organizations needed to carry out the action steps. 28 Master Plan Steering Committee Meetings 3 Town‐wide public forums UNDERLYING THEMES 2 Roundtable discussions 3 Mini‐visioning forums During the planning process, six themes emerged – themes discussed by many participants, and mentioned often. They included the following: Visioning with middle and high school students Creating more opportunities for community gathering – places to go; places that convey a sense of belonging and a sense of place Interviews with department heads, committees, boards and commissions Taking a proactive role in communication with potential future owners of the former Northfield campus, and working toward a plan for mutually Discussion on Facebook page and I‐Neighbors social beneficial re‐use media site Working to develop a resilient economy, one that connects to natural features, agricultural and historic heritage Preserving and enhancing the natural and historic features of the Page ii A Master Plan for Northfield VISION IMAGINE Northfield… sometime