Concord outreach group, consultants set engagement plan for MCI Concord reuse; workshops planned for late April

At a meeting of the Town of Concord community outreach subcommittee, committee members and the consultant team outlined a public-engagement strategy for the former MCI Concord site and agreed on near-term next steps, including a project website, targeted outreach by ‘zones,’ a pop-up at the town’s April 19 celebration and public workshops the week of April 28.

The outreach team said the program will center on two major public milestones — a visioning phase and a scenarios phase — supported by a project website, surveys and targeted small‑group conversations. "We're super excited to have you here," said John, a lifelong Concord resident and local business owner who is helping lead the outreach committee. "We want to make sure that we set this up to be as successful as we can." Rhiannon Sinclair, principal and city planner with the consultant team, described the two-milestone structure as a way to give staff time to prepare interactive workshops and to give residents multiple ways to respond: "If you can't come to one of the two workshops that are available, you can still engage online via the survey on the website," she said.

The consultants — including Rhiannon Sinclair, Kate (landscape architect and principal), Justina (project manager/planner) and members of Designing Justice Designing Spaces — presented a four-zone engagement framework. Zone 1 includes town staff, DCAM and the advisory board to dig into vision and act as ambassadors. Zone 2 focuses on directly impacted stakeholders (nearby residents, West Concord businesses, Friends of the Bruce Stream, state stakeholders) with targeted outreach and door‑to‑door contact. Zone 3 covers broader interested groups (renters, youth, formerly incarcerated people, environmental and community organizations). Zone 4 covers the general public via the website, digital surveys and public workshops.

Lisonbee Wong of Designing Justice Designing Spaces said the zone approach helps tailor methods and expectations: "For this group, we really want to be digging into what are their interests, opportunities, concerns," she said, describing targeted tools and interactive exercises for small meetings and workshops.

Committee members emphasized inclusivity and flexibility. Emily, a West Concord resident and commercial real estate lender on the subcommittee, urged varied meeting times and formats to boost participation: "To be able to offer a few different times is helpful," she said, calling for lunchtime, evening or Saturday options and alignment with other town events where possible.

On logistics and timing, the group agreed to pursue a pop-up outreach presence at the town’s April 19 parade and block‑party, then hold the first round of public workshops the week of April 28 to give staff breathing room after town events. The consultants proposed holding 4–5 public workshops organized around the two milestones so that each milestone has multiple sessions and online alternatives.

The team also agreed the consultants would draft a project website and share a proposed structure and brand look to the committee for review. The website will host FAQs, survey(s) — one focused on vision and another on scenario feedback — and interactive mapping tools. "We want any citizen to be able to go to the website and get 98% of their questions answered," John said.

Other items discussed: a three‑minute aerial drone video of the site produced by Minute Man Media Network to give the public a concise visual introduction; coordination with the Department of Corrections (DOC) and DCAM on site access and photography; and use of the town's "notify me" mailing list (Donna McIntosh, communications manager for the Town of Concord, said 294 people were signed up) to reach interested residents. Lee, a documentary/historic photographer, and other committee members asked staff to pursue DOC agreement for limited interior or perimeter photography; consultants said they would try to document detail views if DOC permits.

The consultants recommended using a consistent feedback template (start/stop/continue questions) across stakeholder meetings to make it easier to compile input. They also proposed targeted interviews or listening sessions with groups that are harder to reach — for example, organizations that work with formerly incarcerated individuals — relying on community partners rather than pursuing direct contact through DOC records.

The committee and consultants agreed on next steps: agency to draft the website and a proposed slide deck for the next advisory meeting; consultants to propose workshop dates and proposed venues and coordinate with Shannon (town staff) for calendar availability; use of the town's notify list and a pop-up on April 19 to publicize the workshops; and continued monthly meetings of the outreach subcommittee with off‑cycle meetings available with 48 hours' notice.

The meeting concluded with staff offering to share contact information for DOC liaisons and with the consultant team committing to circulate the slide deck, website mockups and a draft schedule for review.

The discussion recorded no formal votes or ordinances; the actions recorded are planning directions and agreed next steps rather than formal approvals.