Select Board accepts master plan after 15‑month drafting process

The Sandown Select Board voted to accept the town’s new master plan after a 15‑month drafting process led by planning consultants and a volunteer steering committee.

The plan, which committee members said was completed on schedule and slightly under budget, lays out eight chapters covering land use, housing, economic development, historic and cultural resources, public facilities and services, open space and recreation, resiliency and climate, and transportation and mobility. "While bordered by larger neighbors, Hampden prides itself on being a vibrant and resilient small town offering an exceptional quality of life to its residents, visitors, and businesses," said Luke, a VHB planning consultant, summarizing the plan's vision statement.

The committee said the process included an immersion day, stakeholder interviews, an economic development roundtable, two public meetings, a pop‑up event and an online community survey. Committee members reported the plan is already being used as a reference for grant applications and departmental planning. One committee member noted the project finished slightly under budget by $605.01.

Committee members and consultants emphasized implementation as the critical next step. "This is the end of the planning process but the beginning of a long period when you need to implement what's written in the plan," Luke said, urging the town to consider forming an implementation or championing committee because the municipality currently lacks a full‑time town planner.

Select Board discussion was brief. A motion to accept the plan was made and the board approved it by voice vote. No roll‑call tally was recorded in the minutes.

The plan will serve as guidance for the planning board and other town departments; department heads said they plan to use relevant action items in their work. Select Board members and some committee members noted the town's large share of undeveloped open space and demographic trends — an aging population and smaller household sizes — as central drivers for chapters on housing and open space.

The board did not take further formal action beyond acceptance. Next steps discussed included communicating the plan to town boards and identifying short‑term priorities and funding pathways for implementation. The committee recommended pursuing state and federal grants for resilience and open‑space projects and forming a standing implementation group to track progress.

The town now has an accepted master plan intended to guide zoning, permitting and conservation decisions and to support future grant applications.