Presented by: Jenn i fe r Go ldson, A ICPJM Goldson communi ty prese rvat ion + p lann ing

Sept 20 , 2013C.40B Tra in ingLowel l , MA

THE CASE FOR PLANNING AHEAD

Be pro-active about housing instead of just reactionary

Plan ahead to gain control of community development

State recognizes these efforts and gives credit = more local control over development Prior municipal action Certification

WHY PLAN AHEAD?

What a community does prior to an application must be considered by the subsidizing agency in determining a project’s eligibility. Comp Permit Regulations (760 CMR 56.04(4)(b))

defines “prior municipal action”For example:

Inclusionary zoning Multi-family zoning districts C.40R Smart Growth Zoning Overlay Districts Also: local funds for development project, disposition

of municipal land, creating a housing trust, fund local homebuyer program

PRIOR MUNICIPAL ACTION

Certification allows denials of 40B applications to be upheld (for 1-2 years)

First, must have an approved Housing Production Plan (HPP) that includes: Housing Needs Study Goals Strategies

Regulatory ID specific development sites Characteristics of preferred development

Second, approve # of new affordable housing units Approved HPP readies community to obtain “certification”

CERTIFICATION

Public Process

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO

DETERMINE LOCAL HOUSING

STRATEGIES

OBJECTIVES FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

A. Provide & receive informatio

n

B. Allow public to

shape plan

C. Develop public

support

Facilitated public workshop

Online survey (or paper survey)

Focus groupsOne-on-one

Interviews

Traditional public hearing

Presenting at regular board/committee meeting

Other?

KEY ENGAGEMENT METHODS

Which methods have you had experience with in a planning process? How successful were they at engagement?

Traditional Public Meeting Community Workshop

BEST PRACTICES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

① Visibility: local coverage, announcements,

direct invitations to stakeholders② Convenient time & location③ Extra amenities – go above

expectations: Child care, food, raffle

④ Appearance of exclusivity & RSVP advanced commitment

⑤ Clearly explain meaningful & direct impact

The power of certification Help determine policy for future

development

What i f you had to get a babysitter, leave work early, skip dinner, or, worse, skip NCIS to attend a publ ic meeting?

Would you sti l l come out?

JM GOLDSON’S TIPS TO GET PEOPLE OUT

TIPS FOR RUNNING THE WORKSHOP

Educate through questions in an interactive style

Don’t bog them down in the details Of course, we all know about using jargon

TIP 1: PRESENT THE DATA, BUT MAKE IT INTERESTING

About 30% of people in this room may be considered low-

income; This reflects the proportion of low income

households in your town.

TIP 2: LET PEOPLE AIR FEELINGS UPFRONT

Pretty reasonable

point of view, I’d say…

APPROACH FOR SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIES WITH CITIZENS

Don’t begin with a blank sheet, give citizens some ideas first to react to

Build on past plans, policies, & actions Confirm, challenge, or build

Use small discussion groups with mix of multiple choice and open-ended questions to discuss

Foster discussion by leaning toward an informal feeling – put citizens at ease

TIP 3: YES, BUT GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO WORK WITH

Evaluate priorities identified through community process to: Determine feasibility of strategies & sites

Helpful to have a development consultant on team Ensure priorities address housing needs – circle

back to the data analysis and tie priorities directly to needs

Should have a municipal entity responsible for the plan to do this reality check (housing partnership, planning board, ad hoc task force)

TIP 4: DON’T SKIP THE REALITY CHECK

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THOUGHTS?

Jennifer M. Goldson, AICP, ownerJM Goldson community preservation + planning

office. 617-990-4971cell. 617-872-0958

email. jennifer@jmgoldson.com facebook. www.facebook.com/JMGoldson

blog. www.jmgoldson.com

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