WHAT DO THE FIVE TOWN PLANS HAVE IN COMMON?

KEY
£ A = A shfield// Ch = Chesterfield// Co = Conway// G = Goshen// W = Williamsburg
£ (4) = number of times that the item recurred among the 5 town plans.

FIVE TOWN COMMONALITIES ( STRATEGIES )

OPEN SPACE

• Attain a balance between residential development and the protection of natural, scenic and cultural resources. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Protect natural, cultural and historic resources by utilizing strategies such as acquisition, management, preservation and/or amendments to zoning by-laws, so as to retain the unique character of the town, while minimizing the impacts of development on these resources . A, Co, Ch, W (4)
• Allow and encourage open space residential development as a protection strategy. A, Co, Ch (3)
• Assure protection of water resources and wetlands resource areas. A, Co, Ch, W (4)

HOUSING

• Increase elderly housing opportunities. A, Co * , Ch, G, W (5)
• Encourage new housing development and/or the rehabilitation of existing housing in already developed areas such as village centers, existing neighborhoods. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Utilize smart growth principles – mixed use developments, higher densities, to accommodate growth while protecting open space and preserving community character. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Balance Residential Development with the protection of natural, scenic and cultural resources. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Balance Economic Development with the protection of natural, scenic and cultural resources. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Consider creating a mixed use village center (or utilize existing centers) that includes uses such as retail, office and residential. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Promote economic development in scale with the community. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Encourage the protection of working landscapes and understand both their economic and cultural significance to the town and the region. A, Co, Ch, W (4)
• Pursue economic development opportunities based on the natural, cultural and historic resources of the town and region, such as agriculture, local arts and tourism. A, Co, Ch, W (4)

TRANSPORTATION

• Utilize collected regional and local traffic data such as traffic volumes along key town roadways to determine changes resulting from growth in the region. Ch, G, W (3)

FIVE TOWN COMMONALITIES ( ACTIONS )

OPEN SPACE

• Utilize a variety of existing or new regulatory approaches (back lot, scenic roads, overlay districts, flexible development, impact zoning etc.) to manage growth and to protect open space. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Minimize impacts of new development on working landscapes by employing strategies such as identification, prioritization, pro-active protection, and/or amending zoning by-laws. A, Ch, G, W (4)
• Identify/prioritize lands for protection/development and initiate protection programs. A, Co, Ch (3)
• Inventory/monitor/evaluate (or develop management plan) for undeveloped town owned parcels. A,W, G (3)
• Employ overlay districts to protect water resources. A, Co, Ch (3)

HOUSING

• Increase the supply of affordable housing to meet the needs of the elderly and others via accessory apartment zoning and production of new, smaller housing units. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Adopt bylaws that will enable the town to increase supply of affordable housing, such as inclusionary zoning and accessory apartments. A, Co*, Ch, W (4)
• Amend/create zoning bylaws that incorporate smart growth principles (flexible development, adaptive reuse, master planned projects, etc.) so as to guide future development. A, Co, Ch,G (4)
• Focus new development in Village Center areas. A, Co, G (3)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Focus economic development efforts (including mixed-use) in and around the Village Center areas. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Revise bylaws to encourage home-based businesses. A, Co, Ch, G (4)

TRANSPORTATION

• Conduct preventative maintenance of roadways in order to increase their functional lifespan and minimize future costs. A, Co, Ch, G, W (5)
• Monitor pavement conditions over time and continue to prioritize repairs and upgrading in the most cost effective way by utilizing a pavement management program. A, Co, G, W (4)

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* Implement appropriate housing objectives as defined by FCRCOG.

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