Welcome to the Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan Project Page
This webpage is the online hub for the Town’s Local Comprehensive Plan with up to date information and notice of upcoming events and meetings. We encourage you to check in regularly and engage in this collaborative process to develop a plan for Barnstable’s future.
Your voice matters – this is our community’s plan and we are seeking input from residents, business owners, and workforce members alike in order to envision what Barnstable should be over the next 10 to 20 years. What kind of place do you want Barnstable to be in the future? How do you want to see Barnstable evolve? What do you want to see preserved? We encourage you to be a voice for the issues that you care about.
What is a Local Comprehensive Plan?
A Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) defines a long-term vision and growth policy that guides the future of a Town, for an established duration, generally over the course of 10 to 20 years, that anticipates and guides development, land use, infrastructure, and resource protection ultimately defining a targeted action plan for future work and resource allocation with respect to the community’s vision, values and expectations. The plan serves as a guide and resource for elected officials, board members, and residents when considering future decisions including policies related to development, infrastructure, the economy, and resource protection.
What is the Process and Overall Timeline for this effort?
The Town of Barnstable is approaching the Local Comprehensive Plan update in two phases: Phase I (approximately 18 months) is a community data/existing conditions evaluation and community visioning process; and Phase II (approximately 12 months) is the development of topic-specific goals and a strategic action plan.
LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE
A Local Comprehensive Planning Committee (LCPC) has been established to steer the development of the Local Comprehensive Plan and the process in accordance with the framework defined within the Final Local Comprehensive Plan Committee Memorandum.
The purpose of the LCPC is to better facilitate and communicate the planning process, and engage the greater community in the planning effort. The Committee shall unify Barnstable’s villages around a publicly-developed, consensus-based, comprehensive plan for future growth, development, and resource protection.
During Phase I, the LCPC will implement a robust civic engagement program, to identify the community’s challenges and opportunities, and shape a community vision statement. Draft products crafted by the LCPC will be accessible from this webpage for review and comment as efforts progress.
During Phase II, the LCPC will bring forward the findings of Phase I’s community engagement to develop a strategic comprehensive plan for achieving the community’s vision to guide the Town’s future efforts and resource allocation.
Upon its completion, the LCPC shall submit the final draft Local Comprehensive Plan to Town Council for its consideration and adoption of the Plan.
PHASE 1: EXISTING CONDITIONS & COMMUNITY VISIONING
Phase I of the Local Comprehensive Planning process will be a community visioning effort. The formulation of a vision statement is an effort intended to unify Barnstable’s villages around a publicly-developed, consensus-based statement for future growth, development, and resource protection. Village-specific input will be an important part of the process. In addition to addressing town-wide issues, examining the character of the seven villages, planning to preserve their individual character, and identifying village-specific focus areas will be important aspects of the local comprehensive planning process.
Barrett Planning Group LLC. has been retained to assist with the Phase I process. Barrett Planning Group LLC. will collaborate with a team of consultants including Dodson & Flinker (Landscape Architecture and Planning), Horsley Witten Group (Engineering), FXM Associates (Economic Planning and Research) and McMahon Associates (Transportation Engineering) to develop and implement a civic engagement plan for the visioning process in collaboration with Town staff and the Local Comprehensive Planning Committee.
Community outreach efforts will be coordinated to engage Barnstable residents of all ages, both seasonal and year-round, as well as property owners, and other stakeholders. Input will be collected from residents of all seven villages, including their civic associations, and well as from less traditionally represented groups.
PHASE 2: COMMUNITY GOALS
Phase II of the Local Comprehensive Plan will develop topic-specific and location-specific land use goals and a strategic action plan for achieving the community’s vision. The strategic action plan will include specific performance measures in order to track progress towards achieving the Town’s overall vision and specified goals.