Group says current vision similar to that of 2003 plan

By Theresa Knapp 

At a joint meeting of the Milford Planning Board and the town’s Ad Hoc Comprehensive Plan Committee on July 16, the group worked to fine-tune the vision statement at the top of the Comprehensive Plan. 

Town Planner Larry Dunkin said the town’s current consultant, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), was the same entity that authored (with the help of UMass Amherst Planning Department) the town’s last comprehensive plan in 2003.

To help finalize Milford’s vision statement for its current plan, MAPC had provided the committee with examples of vision statements from Bellingham, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Upton, and Woburn for comparison. 

The committee agreed those towns are not the same as Milford, especially in the areas of diversity and population size, and their vision statements do not fully align with that of Milford, which the committee agreed is very similar to what it was 21 years ago. 

Dunkin said, “I think, at least, that the [Milford] 2003 Comprehensive Plan vision statement is still better than those other examples that [MAPC] sent for comparison.” 

Committee and Planning Board member Joe Calagione agreed. “I don’t know that any of the others, in terms of set up, are any better than what we have; and in terms of the actual wording, I think, with some minor modifications to the existing one, that our vision and certainly the purpose of the plan is probably the same as it was 20 years ago - and our vision is very similar – so, with minor changes, it still is probably the closest that I would expect to what we would end up with in the final plan.” 

The committee will meet again on Aug. 13 when they could finalize the vision statement. 

The draft vision statement is available at bit.ly/3YtOpy1

The Milford Ad Hoc Comprehensive Plan Committee is working on a vision statement for the plan. The current draft, which will be revised, begins:

A Vision for Milford’s Future

Milford has always occupied a position of regional importance in south-central Massachusetts, providing jobs, goods, and housing opportunities for surrounding communities as well as its own residents. This Comprehensive Plan is intended to aid the Town in transforming its identity by embracing important aspects of its past and reinventing them with an eye towards the future… Because much of Milford is already highly developed, this plan focuses on management of existing resources and redevelopment…It provides strategies that will allow Milford to make the most of its existing strengths, while proactively addressing its weaknesses. 

This Plan is a guide for directing future growth and development; it is not a regulation or law. As such, it is up to the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board and Town Meeting to ensure that these recommendations are sensibly incorporated into Milford’s bylaws and policies. 

The draft vision statement is available at bit.ly/3YtOpy1