Swampscott serving many masters

SWAMPSCOTT – “Fun,” “pretty,” “crowded,” and “full of possibility” were some of the many words residents used to describe Swampscott at a public visioning forum Thursday night. But residents also had a lot of ideas about the town’s future in common.”I was surprised about how much we agreed on,” said resident Al Pica. “We did come to a consensus on things.”Members of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Swampscott Master Plan Committee, and Town Planner Pete Kane held a Master Plan Visioning Forum Thursday evening at the Swampscott High School cafeteria. Attracting about 75 members of the Swampscott community and a few Lynners, the forum was the first public event of the Swampscott 2025: Master Plan effort. That effort will result in a document that includes a set of goals, policies and strategies to achieve these goals for topics including economic development, housing, historic and cultural resources, transportation, and more. The forum began with an open house where posters displayed data collected on Swampscott.Kane noted some of the information surprised him: the MAPC analysis revealed that Swampscott spends 1.7 percent of its budget on public works – the lowest in the North Shore. Meanwhile, residents’ educational attainment exceeds the state and county averages, and Swampscott has the lowest percentage of adults older than 25 years old who have not obtained a high-school degree.”We’re giving people some initial information about the community that they might not have been aware of and that they can think about,” Kane explained.Questions about Swampscott – What transportation improvements are needed? What amenities, destinations, or organizations most enhance your life in Swampscott? What kind of businesses would you like to see in town? – were also taped onto large sheets of paper where attendees could write their answers.Attendees were then split into groups and asked to discuss the town’s assets, challenges, and opportunities.”People seem really engaged,” said Matt Smith of the MAPC. “It seems like there are some active conversations happening.”As the various groups shared the results of their brainstorming, common themes emerged.The beach and proximity to Boston were among the most-cited town assets. Traffic and infrastructure were among the chief challenges. Key opportunities identified included a town-wide rail trail and other ways to increase walkability in town.”A lot of the feedback here affirms a lot of the sentiments we’ve heard already and presents a good consensus for the community,” said Andrew Steingiser, a member of the town Municipal Design and Master Plan committees.For others, the visioning forum taught them something new.”As a new resident planning on being here long-term, I wanted to see the direction the town wants to go in,” said Vivian Sparacio, who said she moved to town three years earlier. “I think it’s a good start.”