the case for planning ahead
DESCRIPTION
THE CASE FOR Planning Ahead . Presented by: Jennifer Goldson, AICP JM Goldson community preservation + planning Sept 20, 2013 C.40B Training Lowell, MA. Why Plan Ahead?. Be pro-active about housing instead of just reactionary Plan ahead to gain control of community development - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Presented by: Jenn i fe r Go ldson, A ICPJM Goldson communi ty prese rvat ion + p lann ing
Sept 20 , 2013C.40B Tra in ingLowel l , MA
THE CASE FOR PLANNING AHEAD
Be pro-active about housing instead of just reactionary
Plan ahead to gain control of community development
State recognizes these efforts and gives credit = more local control over development Prior municipal action Certification
WHY PLAN AHEAD?
What a community does prior to an application must be considered by the subsidizing agency in determining a project’s eligibility. Comp Permit Regulations (760 CMR 56.04(4)(b))
defines “prior municipal action”For example:
Inclusionary zoning Multi-family zoning districts C.40R Smart Growth Zoning Overlay Districts Also: local funds for development project, disposition
of municipal land, creating a housing trust, fund local homebuyer program
PRIOR MUNICIPAL ACTION
Certification allows denials of 40B applications to be upheld (for 1-2 years)
First, must have an approved Housing Production Plan (HPP) that includes: Housing Needs Study Goals Strategies
Regulatory ID specific development sites Characteristics of preferred development
Second, approve # of new affordable housing units Approved HPP readies community to obtain “certification”
CERTIFICATION
Public Process
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO
DETERMINE LOCAL HOUSING
STRATEGIES
OBJECTIVES FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
A. Provide & receive informatio
n
B. Allow public to
shape plan
C. Develop public
support
Facilitated public workshop
Online survey (or paper survey)
Focus groupsOne-on-one
Interviews
Traditional public hearing
Presenting at regular board/committee meeting
Other?
KEY ENGAGEMENT METHODS
Which methods have you had experience with in a planning process? How successful were they at engagement?
Traditional Public Meeting Community Workshop
BEST PRACTICES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
① Visibility: local coverage, announcements,
direct invitations to stakeholders② Convenient time & location③ Extra amenities – go above
expectations: Child care, food, raffle
④ Appearance of exclusivity & RSVP advanced commitment
⑤ Clearly explain meaningful & direct impact
The power of certification Help determine policy for future
development
What i f you had to get a babysitter, leave work early, skip dinner, or, worse, skip NCIS to attend a publ ic meeting?
Would you sti l l come out?
JM GOLDSON’S TIPS TO GET PEOPLE OUT
TIPS FOR RUNNING THE WORKSHOP
Educate through questions in an interactive style
Don’t bog them down in the details Of course, we all know about using jargon
TIP 1: PRESENT THE DATA, BUT MAKE IT INTERESTING
About 30% of people in this room may be considered low-
income; This reflects the proportion of low income
households in your town.
TIP 2: LET PEOPLE AIR FEELINGS UPFRONT
Pretty reasonable
point of view, I’d say…
APPROACH FOR SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIES WITH CITIZENS
Don’t begin with a blank sheet, give citizens some ideas first to react to
Build on past plans, policies, & actions Confirm, challenge, or build
Use small discussion groups with mix of multiple choice and open-ended questions to discuss
Foster discussion by leaning toward an informal feeling – put citizens at ease
TIP 3: YES, BUT GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
Evaluate priorities identified through community process to: Determine feasibility of strategies & sites
Helpful to have a development consultant on team Ensure priorities address housing needs – circle
back to the data analysis and tie priorities directly to needs
Should have a municipal entity responsible for the plan to do this reality check (housing partnership, planning board, ad hoc task force)
TIP 4: DON’T SKIP THE REALITY CHECK
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THOUGHTS?
Jennifer M. Goldson, AICP, ownerJM Goldson community preservation + planning
office. 617-990-4971cell. 617-872-0958
email. [email protected] facebook. www.facebook.com/JMGoldson
blog. www.jmgoldson.com
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