Section 9 – Five Year Action Plan

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

The Indian River

 

 

                                                           

                                                         

 

 

 

 

  Five-Year Action Plan 

 

 

West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation Goals are to:

1.  Preserve the Town’s charm, rural character, and sense of community

2.  Protect key natural resource areas

3.  Provide passive and active recreational activities for all Townspeople

 

 

Purpose of the Action Plan

 

Each of West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation goals will require a complex series of activities and actions to take place over a long period of time.  This Action Plan is designed to help keep us “on task,” focusing the myriad, wide-ranging efforts of many Town officials and volunteers toward the achievement of our open space and recreation goals.  This Action Plan is based on the Town’s current needs, and it may change as the Town’s needs change.  As a result, the Open Space Committee will schedule an annual “Plan Review” to evaluate progress in the Plan’s implementation and to modify it as needed.

 

A Collaborative, Town-wide Approach

 

In order for the Plan to be implemented successfully, each action listed in Table 9-1 will require many Town boards, committees, and interested residents to play pivotal roles.  The initials in the “Who’s Responsible” refer to the group or groups which will be responsible for spearheading and/or contributing to a specific action. 

 

 

 

Key to Abbreviations

 

BOS - Board of Selectmen, OSC - Open Space Committee, ConCom - Conservation Commission, PB - Planning Board, ZBA - Zoning Board of Appeals, TM - Town Meeting, WD - Water Department, WC - Water Commissioners, BOH - Board of Health, MVPC - Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, PR - Parks and Rec., COA - Council on Aging, HC - Historic Commission, BI - Building Inspector, MPC - Mill Pond Committee, MRWC - Merrimack River Watershed Council, ECGA - Essex County Greenbelt, LAC – Land Acquisition Committee, ADA – ADA Committee

RC – Roads Committee

 

                                                                                                                        

 

 

 

Continued on next page

Five Year Action Plan, Continued

Table 8-1:  Goals and Objectives

 
Goals

Objective

Action

Who’s Responsible

Year
1,2,3

Protect  key parcels

Define and implement

Land Bond protocol

—      OSC

—       LAC

1
 

 

Formalize a process for managing land acquisition projects

—      OSC

—       LAC

1
 

 

Maintain priority parcel list

—      OSC

 

1-5
 

 

Identify sources of non-tax-based funding for land acquisition and/or protection

—   West Newbury Land Trust

—   State grants

—    Gifts or private grants

—      OSC

—       BOS

1-5
 

 

Investigate and enact the Community Preservation Act

·         OSC

·         BOS

·         TM

2
 

 

Analyze Town’s 40B/affordable housing requirements

·         PB

·         ZBA

·         HC

·         BOS

·         OSC

 

 
1,2,3

Protect water supply and quality

Develop additional well fields

·         WD

1-5
 

 

Analyze groundwater and surface water protection needs

·         WD

1-5
 

 

Increase resident awareness about private well maintenance and protection

·         WD

2-5
 

 

Identify and certify vernal pools

·         ConCom

2-5
 

 

Pass Surface Water Protection Bylaw

·         WD

·         BOS

1
2

Preserve the Town’s character within land development projects

Integrate open space preservation efforts  into the planning and permitting process for subdivisions and development

·         OSC

·         ZBA

·         PB

·         ConCom

1

 

Continued on next page

 

Five Year Action Plan, Continued

Goal

Objective

Action

Who’s

Responsible

Year

2

Preserve the Town’s character within land development projects

(continued)

Limit visual impact of land development (via design, “green neighborhood” zoning, etc.)

·         PB

·         OSC

·         ZBA

·         ConCom

1-5

 

 

Before land is developed, assess trail potential and work to acquire trail easements when possible.

·         PB

·         OSC

·         ZBA

—   ConCom

1-5

 

 

Pass bylaw to require all fill to be certified as “clean.”

·         PB

·         BOS

1-5

 

 

Adopt demolition delay order for historically significant structures

·         PB

 

 

 

Enforce the Shade Tree Act

·         BOS

1-5

2          

Implement Open Space Land Management Plans

Develop Town-wide land                     management policy and schedule

·         OSC

·         ConCom

·          P&R

·         BOS

1

 

 

Develop management plans for individual parcels

·         OSC

·         P&R

·         ConCom

1-5

 

 

Increase awareness and use of Town open space and trails

·         OSC

2-5

 

 

Post open space and recreation  information on Town web site

·         OSC

·         P&R

2

 

 

Assign stewardship for open land and athletic fields

·         BOS

·         P&R

·         OSC

2

 

 

Increase existing and future opportunities for river access

·         OSC

·         P&R

 

 

 

Create environmentally responsible turf management plan for ballfields

·         P&R

2

 

 

 

Encourage volunteer programs

for maintaining open space (scouts, school groups, etc.)

—      OSC

—     P&R

·         BOS

1-5

 

 

Investigate adding recreational programs: swimming, sledding, summer camp, nature camps, teen program, etc.)

·         P&R

2-3

 

Continued on next page

 

Five Year Action Plan, Continued

Goal

Objective

Action

Who’s Responsible

Year

2          

Implement Open Space Land Management Plans (continued)

Define and enforce rules for use for each Town-owned parcel

·         OSC

·         P&R

·         ConCom

2

 

 

 

Address parking issues for each parcel

·         OSC

·         ConCom

·         P&R

3

 

 

Investigate a Town-funded manager/overseer position for managing Town-owned land and enforcing policies

·         BOS

·         P&R

·         OSC

2

 

 

Investigate building amphitheatre behind Page school to enhance school use of parcel

·         OSC

·         P&R

2

 

 

Analyze medium-to-long- term playing field needs

·         P&R

4

2

Establish Town-wide trail system

Define model for trail system (public, private, etc.)

·         OSC

 

1

 

 

Implement trail management plan

·         OSC

1

 

 

Inventory existing trails within Town land

·         OSC

2

 

 

Identify potential trails within existing Town land

·         OSC

2

 

 

Map existing trails available to the public

·         OSC

3

 

 

Create and map additional trails as needed

·         OSC

4

 

 

Analyze connecting Town trails with trails in  surrounding Towns

·         OSC

5

3

Increase access to and awareness of Town’s historic and open space assets

Preserve existing architectural character of Town (via historic district, scenic roads, etc.)

·         OSC

·         HC

4

 

 

Inventory historic homes in Town

·         OSC

·         HC

3

 

 

Inventory stone walls

·         OSC

·         BI

4

 

 

Establish reconstruction/repair guidelines for Town roads to adhere to Scenic Roads Bylaw

·         RC

·         OSC

·         BOS

1-5

 

Continued on next page

 

Five Year Action Plan, Continued

Goal

Objective

Action

Who’s Responsible

Year

3

Increase access to and awareness of Town’s

historic and open space assets (continued)

Develop and update Open Space Web Site

·         OSC

1-5

 

 

Continue to evaluate and increase handicap accessibility to open space and recreation sites.

·         BOS

·         P&R

·         ADA

 

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