Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rpdi Matrix topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Essex commission approves memo criticizing RPDI use matrix, attaches alternative rating sheet
Summary
The Essex Economic Development Commission voted to approve a memo responding to the Planning Commission's RPDI use matrix, citing subjective and directional attributes and attaching an alternative numeric rating sheet to guide evaluations.
The Essex Economic Development Commission voted June 4 to approve a response memo to the Planning Commission's proposed RPDI (Resource Preservation District Industrial) use matrix, and agreed to attach the commission's alternative rating sheet.
Commission members said the Planning Commission's proposed attribute wording was often directional or subjective, making consistent evaluation difficult. Irene argued the headings should be neutral and recommended switching to a simple numeric scale that indicates whether a given use would increase or decrease each attribute. "You just want to indicate whether or not jobs related to this use would increase or decrease," she said, urging a clearer, neutral rubric.
Members discussed examples they said illustrate the tradeoffs in RPDI: adding restaurants or day care can serve tenants and support businesses, while heavier industrial uses risk undermining recreation and town-plan goals. Several commissioners emphasized that planning decisions should reflect the needs of tenants and existing businesses, not only landowner interests.
After line-by-line edits to the draft memo (including updating the memo date, neutralizing headings, and clarifying instructions for numeric ratings), the commission agreed by voice to attach the commission's prior mockup rating sheet as an illustrative example and to submit the memo to the Planning Commission. The chair called for a voice vote; the motion carried.
Next steps: the approved memo and the attached alternative rating sheet will be submitted to the Planning Commission as the EDC's formal advisory response. Commissioners said they intend to continue outreach to RPDI tenants and to ask the Planning Commission to pair the matrix with on-site visits and concrete examples.
Context: The discussion followed a developer request that would expand allowable industrial-type uses in the RPDI. The EDC framed its role as providing feedback on the evaluation tool (the matrix) rather than making a specific land-use decision on any one proposal.
