TOWN OF HOPKINTON , RI 2016 Comprehensive Plan Approved by the Hopkinton Planning Board: May 4, 2017 Adopted by the Hopkinton Town Council: (date) TOWN OF HOPKINTON 2016 Comprehensive Plan April 2016 Hopkinton Town Council Frank Landolfi, President Thomas Buck, Vice President Barbara Capalbo David Husband Sylvia Thompson Town Manager William McGarry Town Clerk Elizabeth Cook-Martin Hopkinton Planning Board Alfred DiOrio, Chair Joshua Bedoya Thomas Holberton Frank Sardone Amy Williams Hopkinton Planning Department James Lamphere, Town Planner Sean Henry, Planner Hopkinton GIS/IT Department Edward Vasquez, Director Planning Consultant Mason & Associates, Inc. David Westcott, AICP Nancy Letendre, Esq, AICP Benjamin Delaney ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Recreation Commission Mary Sawyer, Recreation Director Mark Hammond, Chairperson Kevin Ryan, Secretary Patrick Gengerella Diane James Conservation Commission Harvey Buford Dorothy Gardiner Gary Marsh Lucas Marsh Deborah O’Leary Affordable Housing Partnership Jared Rhodes Mary Karlsson James Maloney Sharon Davis Hopkinton Land Trust Marilyn Grant, Chairperson Carol Baker Cynthia Johnson Mary Gibbons Thomas Thompson Sarah Windsor W. Edward Wood Hopkinton Historic District Commission Glenn Bradfield, Chairperson Carl Devin Richard Prescott Theresa Prescott Patricia Fontes Town Staff William McGarry, Town Manager David Palmer, Chief of Police Tim Tefft, Director of Public Works Mary Sawyer, Director of Recreation Town of Hopkinton 2016 Comprehensive Plan Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 FORMAT OF UPDATE ............................................................................................................................... 1 REGIONAL COORDINATION .................................................................................................................... 1 CONSISTENCY WITH STATE GUIDE PLANS ............................................................................................ 2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ......................................................................................................... 2 COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................................... 4 RECREATION, CONSERVATION AND OPEN SPACE ..................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 7 FUTURE RECREATION NEEDS ............................................................................................................... 15 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2017 ............................................................................................................... 15 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 16 Recreation Goals .............................................................................................................................. 16 Conservation Goals .......................................................................................................................... 18 NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 21 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 21 STATE GUIDE PLANS ............................................................................................................................. 28 PUBLIC COMMENT AND SURVEY FINDINGS ......................................................................................... 28 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2016 ............................................................................................................... 28 GOALS, POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 29 Natural Resources Goals ................................................................................................................. 29 Historic and Cultural Resources Goals .......................................................................................... 32 PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES ............................................................................................... 35 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 35 PUBLIC SERVICES .................................................................................................................................. 35 ENERGY .................................................................................................................................................. 40 TOWN FACILITIES ................................................................................................................................. 46 PUBLIC COMMENT ................................................................................................................................ 48 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2016 ............................................................................................................... 50 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 51 CIRCULATION ........................................................................................................................................ 56 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 56 FUTURE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ...................................................................................................... 59 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2017 ............................................................................................................... 59 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 60 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................. 62 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 62 PUBLIC COMMENT AND SURVEY FINDINGS ......................................................................................... 66 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2016 ............................................................................................................... 66 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 66 Town of Hopkinton i HOUSING .................................................................................................................................................. 71 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 71 PUBLIC COMMENT ................................................................................................................................ 85 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2016 ............................................................................................................... 85 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 86 LAND USE ................................................................................................................................................ 92 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 92 DENSITY AND GROWTH CENTERS ........................................................................................................ 92 NATURAL HAZARDS .............................................................................................................................. 93 PRESERVING RURAL CHARACTER AND VILLAGES ........................................................................... 100 PUBLIC COMMENT AND SURVEY FINDINGS ....................................................................................... 103 ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO 2016 ............................................................................................................. 103 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES ....................................................................................................... 104 GOALS , POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 114 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................... 119 APPENDICES APPENDIX A – COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE RESIDENT SURVEY AND SURVEY FINDINGS APPENDIX B – RECREATION , CONSERVATION AND OPEN SPACE INVENTORY APPENDIX C – NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY APPENDIX D – PUBLIC FACILITIES INVENTORY APPENDIX E – CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Town of Hopkinton ii List of Figures FIGURE 1: POPULATION BY SEX AND AGE COHORTS, 2010 ........................................................................... 4 FIGURE 2: AVERAGE ANNUAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BY FACILITY ..........................................