NORFOLK — Town Administrator Justin Casanova-Davis is pleased to announce that the Master Plan Steering Committee has released a master plan draft and is seeking community feedback prior to a formal vote on the document later this month.
The draft master plan can be viewed here.
Representatives from the Steering Committee will be available to answer questions and collect feedback at the Norfolk Farmer’s Market this Wednesday, June 5, at Town Hall. The Master Plan Steering Committee is expected to take a final vote on the plan this summer.
Cities and towns in Massachusetts are encouraged to develop a master plan every 10 years or so as a way to guide their growth and development. It uses data and public input to create a unified vision for the community that current and future town leaders can lean on to make decisions, prioritize investments, and allocate resources. Norfolk adopted its last master plan in 2007.
“A lot has changed in town over the past 17 years, and Norfolk will continue to face increasingly complex challenges in the decade to come,” Town Administrator Casanova-Davis said. “This master plan reflects the town’s values and priorities and sets a clearly delineated course for Norfolk through 2035.”
The Steering Committee has been assisted in this effort by members of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The process, which began back in January 2023, has engaged more than 1,100 residents and business owners in Norfolk via dozens of forums, surveys, focus groups, interviews and other community-based events.
Norfolk’s master plan draft is broken into eight separate sections: Economic Development, Land Use, Housing, Transportation, Open Space and Recreation, Historical and Cultural Resources, Community Facilities and Services and Community Health.
Along with setting specific goals, the master plan draft recommends dozens of implementation strategies, including zoning bylaw changes, improved municipal budgeting practices, strategic infrastructure investments, potential partnerships with public and private organizations, enhanced open space and recreational assets, historical preservation needs and commercial tax base growth opportunities.
Some specific recommendations include:
- Expanding water and sewer infrastructure to unlock commercial growth and private investments.
- Updating zoning to encourage increased housing and economic development growth in the Town Center and along Route 115/1A.
- Working with large property owners, including the state, to redevelop former industrial and institutional properties.
- Investing in sidewalks, walking trails and bike paths, to better connect neighborhoods and reduce reliance on vehicles.
- Highlighting and protecting Norfolk’s unique historic, social and cultural resources.
- Improving the town’s operational and capital budgeting processes.
- Adopting sustainability policies such as green construction standards, switching to an all-electric municipal vehicle fleet and increased EV charging stations.
“This draft master plan contains a number of thoughtful, practical strategies to help the Town of Norfolk plan for the future,” Town Administrator Casanova-Davis said. “I encourage every resident to read it over and provide feedback before the Steering Committee’s final meeting.”
Residents can also offer comments through an online survey available here.
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