Downtown Master Plan Eyes July Vote

By Dave Vieser — The latest revision of the Downtown Master Plan was presented at Monday night’s Town Board meeting, with a tentative vote on the plan scheduled for the board’s July 20 meeting.

Town officials said the latest changes address concerns about confusion created by portions of the plan’s narrative and graphics, while also adding recommendations related to tree preservation, protection of existing architecture and traffic patterns.

On Monday, eight residents spoke at the meeting. One speaker offered support for the plan and the other seven relayed concerns about traffic, eminent domain and tax implications. Many expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the plan’s conceptual nature.

“I think there’s just a major concern in regards to the language of a vision and creative abilities that leaves things still really just clear as mud for our community,” said Erin Egan of Pine Street.

At the conclusion of the public hearing Mayor Denis Bilodeau thanked residents for their comments.

“We will take the feedback we received this evening very seriously,” he said. “This plan is a big piece of our town’s future, and we intend to do it right.”

The plan was first unveiled last fall following an 18-month planning process involving consultants. It was met with opposition from many downtown residents over issues including traffic flow, road extensions, property acquisition and the proposed relocation of the police station.

Town officials said many of those concerns stemmed from maps and visions intended to be conceptual. In response, they paused the approval process and held additional listening sessions.

A revised version released in April addressed many of those concerns, town officials said. Additional listening sessions were held in May to gather public feedback. The latest version, released this month, incorporates comments received during those meetings, according to town staff.

With no Town Board meeting scheduled for early July, July 20 will be the next opportunity for the board to consider adopting the plan.

Bilodeau repeatedly encouraged residents to continue to share their feedback with town staff and elected officials ahead of the July meeting.