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2 Rivers rep summarizes regional plan changes and housing targets
Summary
Sandy, Braintree’s 2 Rivers representative, told the select board the regional future land-use and housing sections are being updated to reflect state housing targets and that the commission’s finances are solid despite some federal grant losses.
Sandy, the town’s 2 Rivers representative, gave the board an overview of recent regional planning work and the commission’s finances. She said the regional plan’s future land-use and housing sections are being revised to align with state housing targets and the maps are intended as guidance, not a replacement for local zoning.
"These maps do not override local zoning maps or anything like that," Sandy said, adding that the maps are meant as a guidance document. She told the board that Braintree’s draft future land-use map places most of the town in rural tiers and identifies limited village-center areas. Sandy also noted the state has assigned Braintree a housing target "like, in the 40 to 50" range and that some local stakeholders have raised concerns about impacts on agricultural land and water resources.
Sandy addressed funding and grants, saying regional finances are "very solid" but that some federal programs, notably a BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant that helped hazard mitigation planning, are no longer available. She said the state budget does include a 3% increase for regional planning commissions. The board thanked Sandy and said they would rely on follow-up briefings and the draft materials when the planning commission posts its documents and holds the required hearings.
