Fair Haven planning board launches master-plan outreach, forms subcommittees

At its regular meeting, the Fair Haven Planning Board of Adjustment reviewed progress on its master plan, set public outreach dates and constituted subcommittees to shepherd the work.

The board chair said the master-plan survey was distributed this week and will remain open for four weeks, with a possible one-week extension if response rates warrant. The chair urged residents to take the survey and “encourage everybody to engage with it and, and fill it out,” and asked board members to help promote it via social channels.

The board will staff a planning table at two upcoming events to gather input: Love Where You Live Day (Sunday, April 26, 1–4 p.m.) and Fair Haven Day (Saturday, June 13, beginning at 5 p.m.). The planner will attend both events to engage the public and collect feedback.

Members approved formation of a steering committee and several subcommittees focused on specific elements of the master plan. The chair read the membership list: the steering committee will include the chair, Dave and Peter Messezny (from the zoning board); utilities will be led by Dave and Rich Cardella with Jim O’Brien and Paul Kinsella as members; recreation and open space will be led by Patrick Brandonetti and include Mark Olsen, Bonnie Torchiva, Robin O’Neil, Joe Rogan, Brian Clark and DJ Breckenridge; land use will be led by Andrew Anderson with members Todd Leader, Frank Forte and Chris Cornell (Michael Criscola declined). The board voted to constitute the committees and authorize them to work with planner Michael Sullivan and the steering committee.

The chair also announced that the borough applied for and received additional assistance for the business-district portion of the land-use element from a group called Local Planning Services. The chair said Local Planning Services will provide pro bono support and that Sullivan will coordinate how that assistance is integrated into the process.

During public comment, Carolyn Ferguson, a River Road resident, urged the board to include representation from the Fair Haven Business Association on the business-district work, saying, “That feels like a miss to me.” The chair invited the association to propose members or present to the subcommittee at the open houses. Robin O’Neil introduced herself as a member of the recreation, conservation and open-space subcommittee and said she looked forward to helping at the Love Where You Live Day table.

Next steps: the survey will close after its posted window unless extended; the planner will schedule topic-specific open houses and public engagement sessions informed by survey results and will work with the new subcommittees to advance the master plan.