Comprehensive planning starts at home

When you think of comprehensive planning, do you think of housing developments and neighborhoods?

MVPC has the resources to conduct housing studies and analyses, prepare Housing Production Plans for communities, and conduct neighborhood revitalization and downtown redevelopment strategies and plans. For example, the Town of Merrimac, the Merrimac Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board recently adopted a Housing Production Plan, and it’s been formally approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).

What is a Housing Production Plan?

A Housing Production Plan is a proactive strategy for planning and developing affordable housing in a way consistent with the Town’s goals and objectives by placing affordable housing where the Town determines it most appropriate. Housing Production Plan’s give communities that are under the 10% affordable housing threshold of Chapter 40B more control over comprehensive permit applications as outlined in their plans.

Neighborhood Planning in Action

Another example of neighborhood planning is the Haverhill Lower Acre Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy. Funded through the Gateway City Action Grant program, MVPC worked with local neighborhood residents and stakeholders to develop and outline specific recommended actions which, when implemented, will advance the revitalization and redevelopment of an important downtown Haverhill neighborhood. The recommended strategies provided Haverhill with cost-effective, realistic action items which give the city the opportunity to assure that scarce resources are allocated in an effective manner, and targeted in such a way as to provide the greatest impact.