Newburyport’s Master Plan
December 11th, 2007One of my frustrations, although it is interesting, is that there seems to be a pattern, that with new influx of folks, that there is often a push for the goals for Newburyport to change.
One of the things I like about the Newburyport Master Plan is it’s supposed to be a long term guide that was developed in a super-duper democratic process. And to repeat myself (see previous post), folks like John Moak, Ann Lagasse and Jim Stiles contributed to the Master Plan’s existence. And it was voted on by the Newburyport City Council to boot.
One of the things the Master Plan assumes is that Newburyport’s Central Waterfront would be mostly park, and that parking would be found somewhere else.
I understand Mayor John Moak’s frustration of wanting to get the parking thing done once and for all. But aside from the fact that it goes against all the surveys from the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority since 2000, it also goes against the tenet of the Newburyport Master Plan.
And all this chit chat about having more development down on the Central Waterfront. Well that is addressed in the Newburyport Master Plan as well. The answer is “No.”
I hear rumblings of municipal politicians wanting to “redo” the Master Plan.
Yes, the Newburyport Master Plan is a “living document.” And I do understand that folks who have moved here since 2001 might not be aware of the Newburyport Master Plan.
But, good grief, can’t we make up our mind to stick with a decision/guide and just get on with it?
It may not be perfect. Nothing is perfect. But if we as a city want to change our municipal goals every 2-5 years, how frustrating and exhausting.
And maybe, it could be a good idea to trust the judgment and the wisdom of a huge diverse number of folks who came up with the Newburyport Master Plan, even though everyone might not agree with everything that could be in there. That document is as close to a consensus as I have seen in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
For those who are really, really interested, the Newburyport Master Plan can be found at:
http://www.cityofnewburyport.com/Master%20Plan.pdf.
Mary Eaton
Newburyport