5/28/09
Town leaders say they will use responses from a recent town-wide survey to begin formulating a new master plan for Milton.
The current master plan has not been updated in over 30 years.
Selectman Marion McEttrick said she is impressed with the responses to a recent survey by the Planning Board.
“It’s a good exploratory research tool for us. It’s a good way to start,” she said.
The survey, compiled by Planning Board member Emily Keys Innes, was available for two months on the town’s Web site. It included questions submitted by most of the town departments, asking residents questions about how they see the town’s future.
Innes said 693 residents filled out the survey, more than she was expecting.
“I had a private goal of 500 [responses]. We got nearly 700. That’s a statistically significant number,” she said. “I knew if we got 50 responses, it meant people weren’t interested.”
The survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey and featured multiple-choice and essay questions on various zoning scenarios the town could implement.
Most people who responded were residents between the ages of 36 and 54, a group accounting for over 60 percent all responses. The second-highest number was residents ages 55 to 64. Most respondents had also lived in town over 20 years.
Innes said she is still reading through some of the essay answers. The Planning Board plans to hold a public hearing once they have a presentation ready of the survey’s findings.
Innes said the results will also be posted online and be available in hard copy at Town Hall, the senior center and the library.
Selectmen Chair John Shields said he hopes the public will get involved. He also stressed that the Town Meeting majority would have to be in agreement with any zoning changing in the new plan.
“You’ve got to get as many people involved as possible if you want this master plan to be a success,” he said.
The town’s current master plan was put together in 1974 and updated in 1977.
Master plans are essentially blueprints for current land use and future developments, and sometimes include new zoning strategies.
Officials have said formulating a new plan, something likely to require extensive studies and hiring consultants, would cost the town up to $200,000.
The town could potentially apply for grants to cover the costs associated with a new plan.
Cities and towns use master plans to analyze current land use and determine areas for future development, including proposed amendments to zoning and/or land use.
The plans can include criteria such as open-space use, different variations on housing, community character, demographic, cultural standing, and transportation and parking issues.

– Scott MacKeen