Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Franklin Regional Council
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Franklin Regional Council of Governments
FRCOG • The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is a regional organization offering a variety of programming, products and services, both on the municipal and regional level, to our member towns. • We serve the 26 towns of Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts with a population of 71, 372 (2010).
Project Background • The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and its Project Partners were selected as one of 45 regional areas, nationwide, to receive a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant. • This grant is funded through the HUD Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional planning efforts that integrate housing, economic development, energy, and transportation decisions, and increase regional and local capacity and incorporate sustainability into planning efforts.
Project Background • This is the region’s first Sustainability Plan which will synthesize past and present work on housing, transportation, economic development, infrastructure, land use and natural & cultural resources. • This Plan is intended to provide a foundation for policy change and projects at both the local and regional levels.
Overarching Goals • Develop a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development to help grow the region in a sustainable way by identifying specific local and regional projects, strategies, and policy changes. • Reach out to people with lower incomes or disabilities, and minorities, who may not typically participate in planning processes. • Educate people who live and work in the region about sustainability so they can make smarter individual decisions and work collectively towards progress.
Overarching Goals • Use a variety of mediums to expand public outreach initiatives, education, and data collection: – Internet Webpages, online surveys, email announcements – Print Press releases, newspaper articles, flyers, print surveys, maps – Interactive presentations, workshops and mapping exercises, electronic polling
Project Team Consortium Members: Consists of the FRCOG, FCCDC, FCHRA, NQCC, Community Action, Greenfield, Montague, Deerfield, and Orange. Steering Committee: Consist of Consortium Members, Project Partners as well as volunteers who want to become more involved in the planning process.
Key Trends in Franklin County • Projected 7% growth over the next 25 years equals 5, 100 residents or 3500 households. • Population is aging with 25% of population 65 years or older by 2035 (currently 14%). • Between 1985 and 1999 over one acre of land was developed for each person living in the region. • Most residential growth is occurring on rural roads.
Key Trends in Franklin County • In Franklin County many residents spend more than 35% of their income on housing (one-third of homeowners and nearly half of renters) • 71% live in single family homes and 40% of housing units were built before 1939. • 80% of residents that drive to work commute alone and 37% drive to another county for work. • The 2010 unemployment rate in Franklin County was 8%, the highest since 1992.
Project Scope This three year planning and implementation grant has three phases: 1. Establishing a Regional Vision for Sustainable Development 2. Creating a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development 3. Local Planning Activities for Sustainability
Phase 1 (2011): Establish a Regional Vision for Sustainable Development Phase 2 (2012): Create a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development Phase 3 (2013): Local Planning Activities for Sustainability
Phase 1 (2011) 1. Establishing a Regional Vision for Sustainable Development – Develop and distribute the Community Needs Assessment Survey – Conduct Goal Setting and Scenario Planning Exercises
Community Needs Assessment Survey • Community Action worked with Project Partners to develop the Community Needs Assessment Survey. • The goal of the survey was to ensure that the voices of people with lower incomes or disabilities and minorities were included in the planning process. • The survey was developed based on a previous version (2008) and expanded to address sustainability issues.
Community Needs Assessment Survey • Community Action, with help from partner agencies, distributed 2, 371 surveys (translated in Spanish & Russian) in Franklin County. • A total of 418 surveys were returned for the Franklin County region. GOALS: Involve people who may not typically participate in planning processes. Determine the needs of this population and incorporate them into our long term goals and strategies.
Preliminary Findings • In the past year, 70% of survey respondents in Franklin County had to borrow money from friends/family to pay for basics, compared with 45% in 2008. • Compared with 2008, 47% of survey respondents reported that they are financially worse off.
Preliminary Findings • The most prevalent reasons for being unemployed in Franklin County are: Disability (50%), Health Issues (37%), and Transportation (19%). • During the past year 51% of Franklin County respondents had Section 8 or other subsidized housing and 40% were unable to pay their heating and/or utility bills on time. • Approximately 50% of Franklin County respondents said they were not satisfied with their current housing because it is too small or heat and utilities are too expensive.
Goal Setting and Scenario Planning Exercises • FRCOG hosted three Sustainability Workshops to engage the public in the planning process. • Two workshops were held in the evening and one was held during the day. • Each workshop was held in a different part of the county – Greenfield, Orange, and Shelburne – in a Town Center and near transit service. • An online survey was sent to each participant (as well as those who could not attend) which asked them to rank a list of goals for each of the plan’s topic areas. GOALS: Educate people who live or work in Franklin County about sustainability. Demonstrate the link between the choices we make today about housing, energy and transportation and sustainability. Gain an in-depth understanding of how we want to grow and what we value. Involve more people in the planning process!
Goal Setting and Scenario Planning Exercises • 185 people completed the goals survey. • Over 100 participants attended one of the three workshops including 20 youth with twenty of our 26 towns represented. • 22 Consortium and Steering Committee members, representing 14 agencies, were involved in the Workshops as either Facilitators or Scribes. • 37 participants asked to continue to be involved in the Project and were added to the Steering Committee, which now consists of over 70 members. • Three High School Teachers asked to use the exercise in their classrooms.
Goal Setting and Scenario Planning Exercises Sample Agenda § Introduction § Overview § Regional Sustainability Goals § Break § Mapping Exercise § Discussion of Projects/Strategies § Summary of Exercise Results § Workshop Wrap Up
Goal Setting and Scenario Planning Exercises § § § Introductions Establish Guiding Principles – Franklin County is expected to grow by 3, 500 households by 2025. § Where should this growth go? § Where should housing growth not go? § What type of housing growth should occur? Housing Banking – Each table is given a set of flags which total 3, 500 housing units and the types of housing are based on current trends. Participants can use this bank or trade in housing for different types – such as infill development or accessory apartments. Housing Placement – Participants placed the housing on the map while following their guiding principles. Finalize the mapping vision. Does the map match the guiding principles?
Preliminary Results • Most participants were eager to trade in some portion of new single-family homes to redevelop vacant properties in town centers in order to protect important resources such as farmland. • Many tables noted a concern about our aging population and their housing needs. • The majority of growth was concentrated along transit lines and in town centers and often incorporated a Conservation Development approach or affordable housing. • Participants discussed the types of jobs needed and where to locate them.
Phase 2 (2012) 2. Create a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development • Develop a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development Ø Housing, Transportation, Economic Development, Energy, Land Use & Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural Resources • Create a public art display illustrating sustainability principles and goals for Franklin County
Phase 3 (2013) 3. Local Planning Activities for Sustainability – Local Master Plan for Sustainable Development – Town of Greenfield – Complete Streets and Downtown Livability Plan – Town of Deerfield – Low Impact Development (LID) Bylaws and Subdivision Regulations – Town of Orange – Downtown Cultural and Livability Plan – Town of Montague
Are we making an impact? Please identify any actions you plan to take to improve sustainability in the region: “Conserve energy at work and home. ” “Participating in this project, speaking to my parents about energy efficiency. ” “Ongoing effort to learn to grow vegetables. ” “I definitely want to start going to meetings. ” “Someday I would like to build an accessory apartment. ” “Reduce/combine trips. ” “We are building, so will look into renewable energy. ” “Put together a group of youth to explain what role they may play in the future of these considerations. ” “Finally have an energy audit. ”
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