Norfolk will be holding two community workshops to gather input from residents on the town’s future, in an effort to meet the town’s affordable housing goals. The workshops, scheduled for July 17 and September 14, will be facilitated by JM Goldson, a consulting firm hired by Norfolk’s Municipal Housing Trust. JM Goldson specializes in community preservation and planning and will help draft the town’s housing production plan.
The July 17 workshop, scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. in Room 124 at Town Hall, will focus on the town’s affordable housing needs, goals, and development criteria.
Ray Goff, Norfolk’s Town Planner, says the workshops are designed to encourage community input about the town’s future.
“We’re looking for folks to give us their knowledge of the town, help us craft a direction and a plan that will work for Norfolk, and help us put some goals together that will work for the next ten years,” said Goff.
A housing production plan (HPP) enables towns to develop strategies to meet the state’s Chapter 40B regulations and achieve safe harbor status. Towns with a state-certified HPP may have some leverage against unfriendly 40B projects.
Norfolk’s existing housing plan has lapsed, and hiring a consultant to draft a new plan made sense, said Sue Jacobson, the town’s Affordable Housing Director.
“Without a consultant on board to navigate the waters and guide you through the process, it can take a lot more time,” said Jacobson.
Norfolk may soon be dealing with as many as seven different affordable housing projects, but a new HPP will have no effect on those developments, explained Goff. “This is for the town’s future.”
Jacobson adds, “The more people who participate in these workshops, the more it will help the consultants gather what the community is looking for.”
The second community workshop, slated for September 14, will focus on strategies to create more affordable housing in town, as well as determine appropriate sites for those developments.
Issue Date:
July, 2017
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