LYNN — After over a year of work, the draft for Vision Lynn: A Comprehensive Plan is ready for the people of Lynn to see. Principal Planner Aaron Clausen and Associate Planner Lauren Drago presented the draft of the 20-year vision for the city to the Human Rights Commission Tuesday evening.
The plan is broken up into three different sections: vision, values and strategies; land use and urban reform; and infrastructure and implementation. In order to hear from Lynn residents about what they want for their city, Vision Lynn planners put out surveys, did interviews, attended big events, and conducted media outreach.
“What we boiled it down to is these three vision statements, that Lynn will be a city that’s safe and comfortable, that Lynn will be a place where everyone has access to what they need to have a fulfilling life whether it’s housing, transportation, jobs, etc.,” Drago said. “And that finally, Lynn will be a city to be proud of with strong, diverse, and connected communities that take care of each other.”
She said that the theme of “taking care of each other” was very prominent in the feedback they received.
The plan then goes into how to make this vision a reality.
“With that big picture vision in mind, we move into the second chapter, which is really focused on land use and urban reform,” Drago said. “What it really boils down to for us is housing, jobs, and financial sustainability.”
Within the plan is a map where the planners found parts of the city that can be enhanced and other parts that can be completely transformed.
“We know that building housing is an important aspect of keeping housing affordable,” Drago said. “Jobs was listed as a very high priority for constituents with this plan.”
For Lynn’s financial sustainability, Drago said, the goal for the city is to have a healthier and diversified fiscal perspective. She added that the planners are interested in building more commercial and industrial spaces to boost revenues, which would in turn reduce the burden on taxpayers.
While this is a plan that would be implemented over the course of 20 years, the planners also have some short-term goals. Some of those include continuing to support small businesses in the city, zoning reform, and improving school buildings.
With the draft for Vision Lynn out, the next step is to hear public comment. Along with receiving feedback through email and calls, the planners will be hosting office hours and doing presentations.
“It’s really the last chance for people to weigh in on the draft before we move forward with finalizing it,” Drago said.
The public comment period will be open until May 15. Afterward, planners will move forward with seeking endorsement from City Council on June 13, before seeking a hearing and adoption from the Planning Board.
