Swampscott 2025 vision comes into focus

SWAMPSCOTT – Times, residents and, most notably, viewpoints have changed since Swampscott last embarked on a master plan for the community in 1971, so Swampscott officials are inviting the community to a public forum May 21 to envision what the town will look like in 2025.”Basically, it’s to set the vision for what people want in town for the next 10 years, and it’s really going to set the stage for the committee and the (state planners) in the planning process,” Swampscott Town Planner Pete Kane said Sunday.The Town of Swampscott, with assistance from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and under the direction of Kane and a town Master Plan Committee, will be completing a Master Plan this year. This document will include goals, policies and strategies to accomplish these goals on topics including housing, economic development, historic and cultural resources, open space recreation, and transportation.While committees have in past years studied individual topics that the plan will include – such as reviewing zoning bylaws, or studying a potential historic district – Swampscott last approved a Master Plan in 1971.The Master Plan Committee was formed last month and is made up of seven at-large members of the community as well as 11 members of various town committees and leadership positions.But the plan is a multi-faceted and multi-step process that relies on community feedback, and the plan committee and the MAPC will be holding a public visioning session on Thursday, May 21 at Swampscott High School to kick off the process.The forum this month will give the public an opportunity to learn about the master planning process, share their thoughts about Swampscott’s future, and to present what they might like to see in the town’s future.The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with an open house where attendees can get information and materials. Kane said participants will then be divided into groups where planners will give an overview of the planning process, and the groups will be asked questions about the community’s strengths, challenges, and potential opportunities. The overarching goal of the night is to have each group come up with different visions for what Swampscott will look at in 2025. The most popular, shared visions will be used by the committee to help guide the plan development and to establish initial goals and strategies for future events. All town residents, business owners and employees who work in Swampscott are invited to participate in the forum.”This is to help us set the foundation of what the community needs,” Kane said of the event.To learn more about Swampscott 2025, visit http://bit.ly/swampscottvision2025.