Commentary by Frank Schroth

How many planning board members does it take to screw in a master plan?

Apparently, only one. It was estimated there were approximately 50 residents in attendance at the most recent Master Plan roundtable discussion. The focus was on promoting a healthy Milton. There were representatives from Milton Hospital, Bike Milton, Sustainable Milton, and the Historical Commission .  .  . and one Planning Board member, Emily Innes. The other 4 members were absent. The majority of members have been absent from all but 1 of the 5 public sessions held on Milton’s Master Plan.

This spotty attendance by Planning Board members creates an impression, intended or not, that interest in the process of developing this plan is not there. Whether this is due to a belief that we already have an adequate plan, do not need a plan, or this is not the proper way to develop a plan is not clear. Whatever the reason, Town Meeting does not share that point of view. In a standing vote taken at last May’s town meeting 149 members voted for the $100,000 funding of the second phase, 45 voted against it.

At the upcoming town meeting there is an article that recommends reformatting the zoning bylaws to put special permits in an appendix. In their comment the warrant committee notes “Since originally written in 1938, the zoning laws have become increasingly cumbersome to use as each special permit and changes have been added.” There are 15 special permits being moved. Is that a reasonable number or a result of gaps in zoning? If they are no longer relevant does that imply they were just spot zoning? As it happens there are two other articles to be taken up that would add two more special permits (Articles 37 and 38).

A master plan is a strategic document that outlines how a town may address and accommodate issues and concerns regarding land use – parks, housing, commercial development, etc. It may or may not result in actual zoning changes. That said, there seems to be a fundamental strategic difference of opinion between town meeting and the planning board. On the one hand there is a belief that a master plan that identifies what should be preserved, what should be changed, and what should be planned for (e.g. affordable housing) has merit. On the other, there appears to be an opinion that things have been moving along just fine and when a property issue arises.  .  . we have a special permit for that.

Ms. Innes has been driving this process and the other members of the board are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what comes out the other end. It might be a better process and a better outcome if all were more fully engaged. You can learn more about the current phase of the master plan here. The next forum which will focus on “Vibrant Mixed Use Districts” will take place Wednesday, April 30th at Glover School beginning at 7:00pm.

If you enjoy cycling then you should check out the Bike Milton Facebook page. They are doing a great job of highlighting issues, topics, and events of interest to local bicyclists. May is Bike Month and they are sure to be all over that. It is a great resource and a great group.

Another local organization that is frequently in the news is the Milton Animal League. They have been working tirelessly on building a new shelter. Most recently, they appeared at a Board of Selectmen’s meeting to gently prod them into action in moving forward with a location for their new facility. It is likely to be on town owned land off Randolph Avenue. In the meantime they found it a bit easier to build a new web site. Check it out. They have listings for both dogs and cats and a lot of helpful info for pet owners.