Pizza, Palaver and Planning In Southbridge

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KenO’Brien

Todays’ Southbridge News featured a front pagearticle titled “Master plan generates interest, ideas.”

Mark Ashton wrote, “Maybe the timing was finallyright, or the stars were properly aligned for a change.
Maybe it was a matter of putting enough information into enough hands in enoughoffices and organizations that their group efforts could no longer be ignored.
Maybe it was just the free pizza.
Whatever the reason, or reasons, last Wednesday’s Master Plan Visioning Meetingin Southbridge Town Hall drew….nearly a hundred people…”

If it’s a multiple choice test, I’ll mark “C” as themost likely answer.

The article goes on to state, “DaphnePolitis, one of four representatives from Community Preservation Associates,the firm hired (by way of a grant) to work with Cassandra Acly and the town’sEconomic Development and Planning Department to build a brighter future for thetown….
‘A master plan is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity,’ Politis told her audience,reminding them that the last ‘official’ plan was issued back in 1963…”

Well, if that was the last “official” plan, whatwere the rest of these and why did we spend money on them?

Was the money simply spent, as Sir Edmund Hillary said as to why heclimbed Mount Everest, “Because it’s there”?


What do we have to show for it?
-------------------------------------------------------------------Southbridge mulls growth in stages Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onNovember 14, 2006SOUTHBRIDGE - Southbridge is taking another look atgrowth - in stages.Officials are considering five-year, 10-year andlonger term plans for the town. They've discussed creating the town's firstmaster plan since 1965.With that in mind, they have invited the public toattend the next Town Council Planning and Development Subcommittee, slated for7 p.m. Dec. 7.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Focus on downtown planningWorcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onOctober 20, 2005SOUTHBRIDGE - Officials say a meeting this weekendon a redevelopment plan continues the work of other meetings and plans over thepast decade to revitalize the downtown area."But this is going to go further, because nowwe are actually working on a plan for redevelopment, a master plan for thedowntown area," Economic Development Director Cassandra M. Acly saidyesterday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Southbridge asks for schools study onuses for new and old buildingsWorcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onDecember 18, 2004SOUTHBRIDGE - A study of possible uses for thepresent high school could be done by late spring, opening the way for theSchool Building Committee to begin new school plans for the town.Town Manager Clayton R. Carlisle expects toadvertise in February or March for a proposal to study uses for the high schoolbuilding. He said the study could be done over the next two or three months.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Plans on growth and needs requirefeedbackWorcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onOctober 9, 2003SOUTHBRIDGE -- Residents who wonder about the impacton the town of a 150-house subdivision are among those being urged to attendthe Long-Range Planning Steering Committee meeting at 6:15 tonight in theMcKinnon Council Chamber at Town Hall.The meeting will review ideas the committee hasdeveloped over the past year to address the town's economic, housing andrecreation needs through a community development plan.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Southbridge told to plan for its futureWorcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onNovember 22, 2002SOUTHBRIDGE -- The town's strengths are itsaffordability, public services, open space, highway access, housing diversityand historic, walkable downtown.What Southbridge lacks is jobs for less-skilledworkers, an access road to a proposed industrial park, diversified retailbusinesses and tough enforcement of codes on deteriorating housing.Those were among the findings of about 30 residentswho met last night at Mary E. Wells Middle School ….

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meeting on town's growth tomorrowWorcester Telegram & Gazette, Published onNovember 20, 2002SOUTHBRIDGE -- The Economic Development Departmentwill hold a ``community visioning meeting'' tomorrow night to begin planninghow to deal with the residential growth expected over the next few years.``We know development is coming, so let's have it goour way,'' Economic Development Director Cassandra M. Acly said yesterday.``This is a chance for us to decide what we want our town to be like.