Assawompset Ponds Complex and Nemasket Watershed Management Plan Released for Public Comment |
SRPEDD’s Environmental Planning Department is proud to release the Draft Assawompset Ponds Complex and Nemasket River Watershed Management and Climate Action Plan. Funded through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program, the Plan sets forth a program of activities that will improve watershed health and human quality of life, spanning land conservation, restoration, regulation, public education, and beyond. It was built with a steering committee comprised of community representatives and watershed stakeholders, and with public input gathered across six public workshops. The Draft Plan was presented to the public at a final “Meet Your Plan Open House” on July 14, 2022, which featured remarks from Senator Rodrigues and Representative Schmid, who, along with Representative Orrall, have been avid supporters of the ongoing work program. We are currently finalizing the Plan as we incorporate all of the feedback received.
We have begun to work with a team of local and state partners to address priority issues, specifically sediment removal in the Nemasket River, particularly in the Upper Nemasket, and removal of dense areas of fanwort and milfoil (aquatic invasive plants) from Long Pond. SRPEDD has formed, and is working with, a Sediment Committee that includes members from the Towns of Middleboro and Lakeville, MassDOT, the MBTA, the MA Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Middleboro-Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission. On Long Pond, we are working with the Towns of Freetown and Lakeville and the Long Pond Association. We are currently awaiting final authorization to proceed with a limited harvest of the invasive plants during the second week of August of this year! For more information, please contact Helen Zincavage at hzincvage@srpedd.org.
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Swansea to Update and Coordinate Three Long-Range Plans |
Swansea recently launched an ambitious and coordinated effort to update three major long-range plans for the community – the Comprehensive Plan (or Master Plan), the Open Space and Recreation Plan, and the Housing Production Plan. This 2-year effort benefits from several funding sources, including significant town funds, a large grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development, and District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA).
All three planning projects will include proactive coordination between Swansea Town Boards, Commissions, and Departments They will also feature an extensive “hybrid civic engagement program” (as detailed on page 19 of this year’s SRPEDD Annual Report). For example, in late May, the Comprehensive Plan project team hosted an in-person “Discovery Workshop” at the Swansea Police Department followed by an online, rolling event held via Zoom and through online activities available over the course of several weeks.
For more information, please visit the main project web page – www.srpedd.org/Swansea-Plan – to get a sense of the unique project branding, expanded civic engagement, and coordinated planning.
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Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Bike Plan Update
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The first phase of the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Bike Plan update is underway. SRPEDD staff have worked to define the goals of the study, started to gather pertinent data, and are preparing for a first round of public engagement. The goals of the plan are wide-ranging and ambitious and include the following:
- Support enhanced walking and bicycling connections to encourage a stronger sense of community;
- Identify opportunities for economic development and tourism through the strategic implementation of recreational bicycle facilities;
- Illustrate potential physical and mental health benefits gained by bicycling;
- Facilitate the development of the bicycle network by increasing support, knowledge, and funding for projects;
- Educate and inform on the benefits of planning projects implemented within this plan, the Regional Pedestrian Plan, and the Regional Transportation Plan by developing and distributing a set of educational materials for public use; and
- Prioritize connections that would enhance bikeability for underserved and vulnerable populations.
In coming weeks, the goals of the plan will be shared on the SRPEDD website to solicit feedback and make any needed changes. Stay tuned for more information and updates! Please contact Gregory Guertin - gguertin@srpedd.org with any questions about update.
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ORR High School Active Shooter/Hostile Event (ASHE) Job Aid Tool
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SRPEDD’s Homeland Security and Comprehensive Planning staff recently worked with Old Rochester Regional (ORR) High School officials, as well as police, fire, EMS, and emergency management personnel to create an Active Shooter/Hostile Event (ASHE) Job Aid Tool. This work product consists of a physical and a digital deliverable, both of which aid first responders in the event of an emergency at the facility. The need for pre-incident planning, detailed and clearly labeled building floor plans, and other pre-planned mutual aid and assistance has been clearly established by research and in “After-Action Reports” for many ASHEs across the country. This project seeks to meet that need through a low-cost, functional product that aligns with existing emergency plans and procedures in each community.
The first feature of the ASHE Job Aid Tool is a physical binder that is widely and readily available in the community (e.g., in each local police cruiser). This document features an easy-to-navigate, accurate map of the building, including agreed-upon room nomenclature, symbology (e.g., HazMat, dead ends, entrances and exits, etc.), as well as exterior “bird's-eye” imagery to keep responders on the same page in a chaotic situation. The binder can also include point-of-interest photos of key areas of the building, e.g. a complex auditorium for a school which may have odd corners in it, or the kitchen area of a building which may prove challenging to search and clear. The high-resolution orthographic map of the exterior can feature pre-designated areas, such as landing zones and command posts, as well as pre-determined traffic patterns.
The second deliverable is an online and “walkable” 3D virtual copy of the building, easily linked to and navigable on phones, tablets, and laptops. This deliverable allows law enforcement to virtually tour every square foot of a building to get a clear sense of its interior spaces and gain perspectives that can provide key locational or tactical information in the event of an ASHE.
Over the next several years, SRPEDD’s Homeland Security and Comprehensive Planning staff hopes to expand upon the recent ORR High School ASHE Job Aid deliverable and successful workflows established during its creation. We will actively seek to create further such tools, working in partnership with other local schools and public safety officials. Our goal is to help create a safer, well-prepared region.
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Upper Nemasket River Public Engagement Process Concludes |
For the past two years, a team of engineers, scientists, and planners, with guidance from a local steering committee, have been modeling and studying a range of alternative interventions for the Assawompset Pond Dam, the Upper Nemasket River Channel, and the Wareham Street Dam. SRPEDD, on behalf of the Towns of Lakeville and Middleborough, was the recipient of a technical assistance award from the SNEP Network, and received hydrological modeling services from Horsley Witten Group. In partnership with Landscape Architect Emily Vogler, funded through the Taunton River Stewardship Council, we’ve been collecting public input to envision the future of the river, identify challenges to ecological health and recreation, and identify and prioritize potential management solutions.
On the evening of June 28, 2022, residents from Lakeville and Middleborough came together with the project team to discuss the results of these studies and how they factor in with community hopes for the future of the Upper Nemasket River. In this final of three public meetings, the project team presented the pros, cons, and potential effects of options for enhancing river flow, mitigating floods, and improving habitat, including:
- Pursue a sediment trap installed into the river;
- Remove the Wareham Street Dam;
- Widen undersized bridges that act as pinch points constraining the river; and
- Consider alternative designs for the APC Dam.
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated. Your attention and ideas were invaluable to moving forward! If you would like to re-review any of the materials from the meeting, or if you were unable to attend and wish to explore these options, please visit our project webpage. Some of the material is quite technical - please do not hesitate to reach out to hzincavage@srpedd.org with any questions. We will also post the final project report to this page when it is complete.
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Dighton Launches Preparation of Economic Development Plan |
Just like many small towns across the Commonwealth, Dighton seeks growth that actively protects its rural and natural character while creating opportunities for commercial redevelopment, fostering small business-friendly policies, and opening the door for new innovation centers. To balance these goals, the town recently launched preparation of a detailed Economic Development Plan. The 18-month project, funded by the Community Compact Cabinet, District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA), and SRPEDD’s Municipal Assistance Program, seeks to create realistic strategies that can help Dighton build upon its unique, small town assets to create economic activity around them.
This summer, the project team will launch a town-wide survey and hold public events to gather key input from
residents and business-owners. For more information, please visit the project web page –
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Climate Leaders, the New Green Communities Program
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The Green Communities Program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), started in 2010 with 35 communities. Now, it has expanded to over 286 municipalities across the Commonwealth, including 18 throughout the SRPEDD region. With the passage of the State Climate Act and release of the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030, DOER seeks to offer additional opportunities and resources to communities who participate in the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program. The new program is tentatively called “Climate Leaders.” This voluntary program seeks to incentivize municipalities to implement clean energy and climate-friendly policies, community engagement, and sustainable transportation programs. DOER is interested in receiving feedback on the new program from municipalities and energy-related stakeholder groups with whom they collaborate, by August 5, 2022. Please visit their website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/green-communities-division for more information.
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Updating SRPEDD’s Municipal Assistance Program for FY'23 |
With the new fiscal year underway, SRPEDD is proud to continue its tradition of providing 40 hours of free technical assistance to each community we serve. This year, SRPEDD’s Municipal Assistance program features an online application, examples of previous and possible uses of such assistance, a sample project, and tracking table to provide estimates of how your community is using its Municipal Assistance time.
For more information, please visit www.srpedd.org/Municipal-Assistance or reach out to any SRPEDD staff member. We look forward to working with you to advance your projects! Please note that the deadline for FY'23 applications is April 15, 2023.
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What is BIL and How Can it Help Your Community? |
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is the largest long-term investment in the nation’s infrastructure in nearly a century. With over $100 billion available through a wide variety of programs, there are many opportunities for communities to access this historic funding. The programs included range from improvements to roads and bridges, investment in public transit, upgrades to airports and ports, investment in passenger rail, expansion of electric vehicle chargers, upgrades to power infrastructure, investment for more resilient infrastructure, removing lead pipes, increasing high speed internet access, and investment in environmental remediation.
For a list of all funding opportunities under BIL, please see the fact sheet entitled Competitive Infrastructure Funding Opportunities for Local Governments at
SRPEDD is diligently working to track opportunities through BIL and assist member communities in preparing and applying for these new opportunities. If you are interested in applying, SRPEDD may be able to help. Please contact jjones@srpedd.org for more information.
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88 Broadway
Taunton, MA 02780
Phone: 508-824-1367
Fax: 508-823-1803
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