Consultants present master-plan outreach findings; housing focus and HOP public forum set for May 28

Resilience Planning consultants Crystal and Steve presented the outreach-and-engagement summary for Milford's master-plan process and recommended folding Housing Opportunity (HOP) grant work into the master-plan schedule. The consultants said the outreach compiled responses from tabling, school open houses, a community forum, static displays at town hall and the library, and an online tool; the consultants recorded about 184 participants overall.

The presentation’s nut graf: the outreach found repeated, sometimes conflicting priorities — a strong desire to preserve Milford’s “rural small-town charm” while also identifying a need for more affordable and diverse housing options. That tension dominated discussion among committee members and informed a decision to emphasize the HOP grant’s market analysis and public forum in coming weeks.

Crystal, a consultant with Resilience Planning, told the committee that the final outreach report included a 70-page package (a 54-page main section provided in members’ packets and appendixes online) and that the team used both qualitative review and an AI tool to surface recurring themes. "We did utilize both our own reasoning and an AI software to help us generate what the major issues and findings were based on reoccurrence from the raw results that we received," Crystal said.

Key findings summarized by the consultants and discussed by committee members included: - Preservation and character: many respondents prioritized maintaining open spaces, forests and Milford’s town character and expressed opposition to large-scale residential developments in sensitive locations (the Oval and main-street corridors were specifically mentioned). - Housing: outreach respondents identified both a need for more affordable housing (for seniors, low-income families and younger residents) and resistance to "large multifamily" projects. Members repeatedly used the planning term "missing middle" to describe smaller multifamily options (ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, cottage courts) as potential compromises. - Local business and economic development: respondents favored locally owned shops and restaurants in the town center and voiced concern about chain stores undermining local character. - Conservation and infrastructure: respondents raised water-quality and habitat concerns (Sohegan River, heron ponds, local watersheds) and asked for better stormwater and wetland protections. Market Basket was repeatedly referenced in comments about an incident involving drainage maintenance and birds; committee members clarified that the drainage work was maintenance of older basins and that UNH Cooperative Extension is working on best-management practices to avoid impacts on nesting birds. - Facilities and connectivity: there was interest in a multigenerational community center and expanded sidewalks and bike infrastructure, paired with skepticism about costs and tax impacts.

Steve, a Resilience Planning consultant, framed the outreach summary as one of several inputs that should guide the master-plan vision and actions. He asked the committee to engage in the HOP grant work now so the grant’s market and housing-needs analysis (by RKG Associates) can inform the master-plan policy and future land-use strategy. "This is an opportunity to really get additional data, additional perspective, additional input that a lot of master plans wouldn't have the benefit of," Steve said.

Committee members pressed for clearer language in the summary bullets (for example, distinguishing "large multifamily developments" from smaller "missing middle" options), asked that the brief key-finding bullets be linked to underlying questions or pages in the full report, and recommended adding percentages or respondent counts for claims described as "many" or "strong support." The consultants confirmed the supporting, question-by-question statistics and raw responses were included in the appendices online for readers who want more detail.

Timing and next steps the committee agreed to: RKG Associates presented housing-needs data earlier in the month; RKG will present market analysis to the planning board on April 15; the multi-stakeholder HOP public forum will be held May 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the town-hall auditorium and will include interactive mapping and housing-type examples (the consultants and staff said an online version of the forum materials will also be published). The committee planned a follow-up meeting to coordinate outreach and publicity and asked staff to prepare a "save the date" and other outreach materials pointing to the project website.

The meeting also recorded one formal action: approval of minutes from the Dec. 18 draft (roll-call vote). That motion passed with the roll-call results recorded in the meeting transcript (Janet and Marie recorded as abstentions; other listed members voting yes). The planning-board presentation and the HOP public forum were described as next, nonbinding actions that will guide later master-plan drafting.

The consultants and staff emphasized that the outreach report should remain a working record: the appendices retain raw responses so future analysis can test whether attitudes shift, and the HOP grant outreach in May will add targeted materials and education on housing types.

Votes at a glance: - Motion: Approve minutes (draft dated Dec. 18). Outcome: Approved. Roll call recorded in transcript: Susan (yes), Patty (yes), Aaron (yes), Karen (yes), Mike (yes), Scott (yes), Kathy (yes), Janet (abstain), Marie (abstain).

Ending: Committee members asked staff to post the outreach materials and HOP resources prominently on the master-plan page, develop the May 28 materials (both in-person interactive maps and an online submission option), and circulate a save-the-date as outreach. The committee set a follow-up meeting for April 22 to finalize outreach logistics before the May forum.