Preliminary Goals

 

Please see yellow highlighted areas for comments submitted by Rich Lemoine, for 5-7-03 meeting.

 

 

Land Use

·        Preserve the town’s rural character.

·        Enhance the town center.

·        Provide buffers between residential and other land uses.

·        Maintain existing overall residential and commercial densities.

·        Reference the towns present Zoning By Laws and make recommendations for update

 

 

Natural and Cultural Resources

·        Protect, promote and improve appropriate access to natural and cultural resources with special emphasis on the river.

·        Control non-point pollution and other activities that affect water quality and quantity.

 

Economic Development

·        Expand the economic base in order to provide additional employment opportunities, and to broaden the property tax base.

·        Provide for the sale of goods and services currently lacking.

·        Make Tyngsborough more of a destination location instead of a “pass-through town.”

*    Specifically look at Middlesex Road for prudent build out opportunities.

 

 

 

Housing

·        Encourage new housing development to fit into the existing design and character of the community.

·        Maintain existing housing stock in good condition.

·        Provide a diversity of housing types affordable to people with a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.

·        Recognize Tyngsborough’s  DHCD Affordable Housing Plan as a tool to provide systematic growth and new housing opportunities.

 

Community Services and Facilities

·        Provide excellent public services and facilities; improve the relationship between schools and the community.

·        Increase the number and type of social gatherings, community events and cultural activities.

·        Identify if additional public buildings or capital improvements are required (ie: senior center, fire station…)

 

Open Space and Recreation

·        Protect existing open space and increase recreational facilities and opportunities.

·        Preserve key open space parcels.

·        Improve public awareness of open space and access to it.

·        Maintain and manage recreational resources efficiently.

·        Develop trails and greenways to link open space and provide access.

·        Improve the Town Center with open space elements.

·        Protect upland buffers to water and wetlands.

·        Protect and enhance wildlife habitat in and around water resources

·        Identify the adequacy of recreation fields for youth sports. 

 

 

Transportation

·        Improve access among locations within the Town and enhance access and connections to surrounding communities.

·        Provide additional cross-river access.

·        Improve traffic safety.

·        Provide appropriate pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

·        Increase public transportation options.


 

Preliminary Goals and Objectives

 

Land Use

Preserve the town’s rural character and enhance the town center.

 

·        Preserve rural character.

·        Retain farmland; support local growers and producers

·        Hold events of traditional rural character (i.e. bean suppers, 4-H clubs)

·        Have annual town day

·        Identify those features of the Town which make it unique and define its character

·        Enhance the town center

·        Connect the various components of the center with walking paths and green space.

·        Consider making the town center more dense.

 

 

Natural and Cultural Resources

Protect, promote and improve appropriate access to natural and cultural resources with special emphasis on the River.

 

·        Maximize the potential of the River as a recreational resource, focal point of the Town, and explore its potential commercial benefits.

·        Support ___ plans to develop bicycle/walking paths along the River’s edge.

·        Work with the GLTS to develop a plan to increase access to the River.

·        Promote recreational uses of the River.

·        Acquire new property along the river while improving management of currently-owned property.

·        Develop an outreach plan and expand media programs to educate citizens on the Town’s history and heritage.

·        Promote/provide information about existing natural resources.

·        Develop a natural and cultural resource management plan.

 

Economic Development

Expand the economic base in order to provide additional employment opportunities, goods and services currently lacking and to make Tyngsborough a destination location instead of a pass through Town.

 

·        Increase cultural and artistic venues to attract visitors.

·        Develop a marketing plan identifying natural and cultural resources and their connections so that visitors are given the sense of multiple reasons to come to Tyngsborough.

·        Develop a plan to identify and encourage the type of businesses that would make the Town a destination location.

·        Make better use of existing resources including open space, the old Town Hall and other resources as a way of attracting visitors.

·        Identify and develop necessary infrastructure to support business growth.

·        Consider developing commercial clusters in neighborhood locations.

·        Expand, improve and promote historic district as a way to attract more businesses and shops as well as visitors.

·        Develop business-friendly policies.

·        Attract anchors and long-term establishments.

·        Review potential economic development role of Middlesex Road area.

 

 

Housing

Provide a diversity of housing types  affordable to people with a wide range of socio-economic  backgrounds.

 

·        Provide programs to assist first-time home-buyers.

·        Develop grant structures to encourage the restoration and maintenance of older homes.

·        Continue with the current CPA program.

·        Consider limiting “tear downs” and rebuilding of very large homes (“mansionization”).

·        Consider zoning and other land use regulations to help increase housing densities in locations  identified as desirable for such housing (e.g. inclusionary zoning, incentive zoning, cluster zoning, encouraging accessory apartments)

·        Delineate areas of town where multi-family housing is appropriate and desirable.

·        Develop a pro-active plan for 40B housing to guide such development in a way that is best suited to the Town.

 

Community Services and Facilities

Provide excellent public services and facilities; improve the relationship between schools and the community,; increase the number and type of social gatherings, community events and cultural activities.

 

Schools

Increase/improve the relationship between the schools and the community

·        Increase community involvement in the schools.

·        Incorporate local history into the school curriculum.

·        Involve students in community activities.

·        Open schools after hours for use by the community.

 

Meeting Space

Increase the number and vary the type of social gatherings, community events and cultural activities.

 

·        Provide appropriate space for social and community events.

·        Increase the number and types of activities available.

 

Services and Facilities

Provide efficient and effective services and well-maintained facilities.

 

·        Improve water and sewage services and infrastructure.

·        Improve emergency response time in some neighborhoods.

·        Support proposal to combine Senior Center, Fire Station and Police sub-station.

 

 

 

Open Space and Recreation

Protect existing open space and increase recreational facilities and opportunities.

 

·        Increase access to the River and develop a bicycle/walking path.

·        Develop a system of open spaces linked by bicycle and walking trails.

·        Improve public awareness and access of existing resources by providing information regarding existing resources.

·        Develop a plan which prioritizes open space parcels in terms of their desirability for protection measures.

·        Explore various means of protecting open space including alternatives to purchasing.

·        Create more open space in the Town Center.

·        Protect remaining large parcels, scenic and cultural landscapes.

·        Ensure environmentally healthy water and wetland resources.

·        Ensure efficient management and maintenance of open space and recreational areas.

 

 

 

Transportation

Improve access among locations within the Town and enhance access and connections to surrounding communities.

 

·        Establish a railroad train station.

·        Enhance LRTA services.

·        Improve transportation connections with Lowell and Nashua.

·        Develop a sidewalk plan prioritizing needed links between pubic facilities, schools, and other centers of activity and neighborhoods.

·        Support plans for constructing a second bridge.

·        Improve traffic flow by improving signage, enforcing traffic laws, introducing traffic calming measures and other means.

·        Plan for temporary traffic problems by requiring that developers submit projected traffic impacts of construction projects.

·        Identify problem areas and upgrade major secondary roads which need improvements.