Working Group Meetings
(formerly Advisory Committee)
Working Group Meeting, Oct 23, 2019
Carlisle Master Planning Advisory Committee Meeting
Raising Awareness about the Master Plan Consultant Funding
prior to the Town Meeting on April 29th.
Advisory Committee Kick-off December 12, 2018
Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
MPAC KICK OFF MEETING SUMMARY
December 12, 2018
Carlisle Public School Cafeteria
Carlisle’s Master Planning Steering Committee facilitated the kickoff meeting of the Master Planning Advisory Committee.
After a brief round of introductions by everyone in the room, MPSC Chair Janne Corneil provided an overview of the master plan objectives and process. Thereafter, attendees broke into five table groups to talk at greater length about their motivations for joining MPAC: what topics or issues do they hope a master plan will address?
Several themes emerged across those conversations, listed here by the number of mentions in the report-outs:
Natural resources and environmental sustainability (8)
Infrastructure repairs / expansion / improvements (8)
Economic activity (7)
Town center/community cohesion (7)
Building a future-oriented plan with a robust process (6)
Population diversity (5)
Housing diversity (4)
Master plan with realistic and funded implementation (4)
Protect/preserve historic resources (4)
Transportation (3)
Other (3)
A more detailed list of the themes is attached.
MPAC members indicated interest in participating in “info sessions” on a variety of topics. The Master Plan Steering Committee (MPSC) has been working to organize these sessions. A notice of two sessions will be sent out as soon as the participants and venues have been confirmed. Tentative dates are Wednesday February 27th at 6:30PM and Wednesday March 27th at 6:30PM.
MPAC members raised questions of clarification regarding whether MPAC is an official town committee and thus bound by OML. The MPSC has conferred with Town Counsel and determined that since the MPAC does not deliberate or vote on topics or produce reports, we are not required to adhere to OML. The only gray area is that the MPSC voted to form the 40-person committee so the MPAC could be construed as a body created to inform and advise the MPSC which would make it subject to OML. To avoid any issues, we have been advised that the MPAC should be reformed by the master planning consultant once they are under contract. In the meantime, we will continue to prepare meeting summaries, publish presentations and updates on the master plan website (www.carlisleplan.org). We will continue to ensure that the master planning process is completely transparent and open to the public.
SUMMARY OF THEMES
Natural resources & environmental sustainability
Sustainability
Awareness of natural resources
Preservation of wildlife
Identify and plan for future environmental issues
Sustainability $$
Climate change and energy sustainability (clean energy/solar panels)
Maintain goals of conservation and education
Outdoors and natural resources
Infrastructure repairs / expansion / improvement
Carlisle 97% covered by internet
More internet providers/coverage
Wifi transmitters
Infrastructure (power outages)
telecommunications/ internet
No infrastructure (water/sewer)
Bury wires
Lower level gas leaks
Economic activity
Attract a good mix of commercial business
Economic stresses
Future revenue?
Cowork space -- office buildings
Revenue generating opportunities
Raising revenue
Old home day generating money -- Fundraising
Town center / community cohesion
Town center can be a real asset if we focus ( underutilized, disconnected)
Town center/ enriching community
Community center-- all ages
Community center for people of all ages
Things to do/ places to go
Knitting town together
Highland building
Future oriented plan with robust process
Desire for planned direction for town
Create a town of the future
Working together on a plan
Iterative strategic planning
Avoiding myopia (starting planning process from the beginning and connecting new ideas to other modern structures/techniques)
Professional planner
Population diversity
Help the town to attract younger families and keep existing families
Encourage younger people to move in and older to stay
Diversity
Lack of less expensive housing leads to lack of new generations; Carlisle becoming retirement community because of this
Nobody in 20ish age range
Housing diversity
Affordable housing
Diversity in housing and transportation
Less expensive Housing for young/old
Running out of space for housing
Outdated zoning regulations
Realistic & funded implementation
Determine realistic goals
How to create a plan that will actually be implemented
Master plan needs funding
Commercial are to offset paying for this plan
Protect/preserve historic resources
Preservation of antiques and homes
Historic elements of town preserved and kept up (properties in center)
Stone walls keep up
Retain town charm with development
Transportation
Connecting the town so kids/people can walk or bike around
Younger generations looking for walkability
Transportation- traffic
Other
Sports fields and facilities
Values of Carlisle
Town governance