Notices The preparation of this report has been financed through the Massachusetts District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program. The views and opinions of the Old Colony Planning Council expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. This District Local Assistance Study was prepared by the following members of the Old Colony Planning Council staff under the direction of Pat Ciaramella, Executive Director. Project Manager Eric Arbeene, AICP, Senior Community Planner [email protected] Supporting Staff William McNulty, Senior Transportation Planner [email protected] Andrew Vidal, GIS Manager [email protected] Acknowledgements Old Colony Planning Council would like to thank all of the people who contributed to the completion of this Study. Old Colony Planning Council worked collaboratively with the Town of Bridgewater’s Community & Economic Development Department to complete this analysis. We also thank Bridgewater State University for allowing us to survey the students, faculty and staff of the University. Town of Bridgewater Town Council Dennis Gallagher, President, Councilor at Large Tim Fitzgibbons, Vice President, Precinct 2 Aisha Losche, Precinct 1 Sandra Wright, Precinct 3 Dr. Kevin Perry, Precinct 4 Peter Colombotos, Precinct 5 William Wood, Precinct 6 Francis Sousa, Precinct 7 Edward Haley, Councilor at Large Town of Bridgewater Town Manager Michael Dutton Town of Bridgewater Community & Economic Development Department Andrew DeIonno, Director Lisa Sullivan, Executive Assistant Leslie Dorr, Office Administrator Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) OCPC Officers President Frank P. Staffier Treasurer Christine Joy Secretary Fred Gilmetti COMMUNITY DELEGATE ALTERNATE Abington David Klein Christopher Aiello Avon Frank P. Staffier Charles Marinelli Bridgewater Sandra M. Wright Brockton Robert G. Moran, Jr. Preston Huckabee, P.E. Duxbury Valerie Massard, AICP George D. Wadsworth East Bridgewater Richard O’Flaherty Easton Jeanmarie Kent Joyce Halifax John G. Mather Hanson Robert Overholtzer Phillip Lindquist Hanover Peter Matchak Kingston Thomas Bott Pembroke Daniel Trabucco Plymouth Lee Hartmann, AICP Plympton Christine Joy James Mulcahy Stoughton Robert E. Kuver Forrest Lindwall West Bridgewater Eldon F. Moreira Nancy Bresciani Whitman Fred L. Gilmetti Daniel L. Salvucci Delegate-at-Large Troy E. Garron OCPC Staff Pat Ciaramella Executive Director Janet McGinty Fiscal Officer Jane Linhares Grants Monitor/ Secretary Patrick Hamilton AAA Administrator Lila Burgess Ombudsman Program Director Jane Selig Ombudsman Program Assistant Jim Watson, AICP Comprehensive Planning Supervisor Eric Arbeene, AICP Senior Community Planner Jimmy Pereira Community/ Transportation Planner Bruce Hughes Economic Development/ Community Planner Andrew Vidal GIS Manager Charles Kilmer, AICP Assistant Director/ Transportation Program Manager Ray Guarino Senior Transportation Planner William McNulty Senior Transportation Planner Paul Chenard Transportation Planner Kyle Mowatt Transportation Planner Shawn Bailey Assistant Transportation Planner Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 3 II. Project Background ............................................................................................................................. 10 A. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 10 B. Study Area ....................................................................................................................................... 10 C. Previous Studies .............................................................................................................................. 12 III. Existing Conditions .............................................................................................................................. 16 A. Trade Areas ..................................................................................................................................... 16 B. Population ....................................................................................................................................... 18 C. Households ..................................................................................................................................... 18 D. Household Composition .................................................................................................................. 19 E. Age Profile ....................................................................................................................................... 19 F. School Enrollment ........................................................................................................................... 20 G. Income ............................................................................................................................................ 20 H. Educational Attainment .................................................................................................................. 21 I. Race & Ethnicity .............................................................................................................................. 22 J. Market Segmentation ..................................................................................................................... 22 K. Land Use .......................................................................................................................................... 27 L. Zoning.............................................................................................................................................. 28 M. Environmental Constraints ............................................................................................................. 30 IV. Public Input ......................................................................................................................................... 31 A. Consumer Survey ............................................................................................................................ 31 B. Strengths, Opportunities & Challenges ........................................................................................... 35 V. Retail Market Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 38 A. Existing Retail Inventory ................................................................................................................. 38 B. Retail Opportunity Gap Analysis ..................................................................................................... 39 C. Retail Market Potential ................................................................................................................... 41 D. Worker Retail Potential ................................................................................................................... 42 VI. Residential Market Analysis ................................................................................................................ 43 A. Housing Units by Type .................................................................................................................... 43 Downtown Bridgewater Plan Page 1 B. Age of Housing Stock ...................................................................................................................... 43 C. Occupancy Characteristics: Tenure & Length of Stay ..................................................................... 44 D. Residential Vacancy ........................................................................................................................ 44 E. Housing Cost Burden ....................................................................................................................... 44 F. Housing Sales & Pricing ................................................................................................................... 45 G. Recent Sales by Unit Type ............................................................................................................... 46 H. Building Permits .............................................................................................................................. 47 I. Rentals............................................................................................................................................. 47 VII. Central Square Traffic Analysis .......................................................................................................... 49 A. Existing Traffic ................................................................................................................................. 49 B. Historical Growth ............................................................................................................................ 51 C. Analysis of Preferred Redesign Option ........................................................................................... 51 D. Parking ............................................................................................................................................ 52 VIII. Conclusions & Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 55 A. Market Analysis