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Town of Northbridge |
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Community Planning & Development 14 Hill Street Whitinsville, MA 01588 Mailing Address: 7 Main Street Whitinsville, MA 01588 |
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Community Development Plan |
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Community Development Plan Program: Introduction & Overview
On January 21, 2000, Governor Paul Cellucci and Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift issued Executive Order 418, a measure designed to help communities plan for new housing opportunities while balancing economic development, transportation infrastructure improvements and open space preservation. The impetus for the Executive Order was the Governor's commitment to creating housing opportunities for families and individuals across a broad range of incomes.
In Governor Cellucci's "State of the State" Address, the Governor said, "To keep our economy strong, we must expand the supply of housing that is affordable across a broad range of incomes. We need housing for parents making the transition from welfare to work. We need homes for the police officers, the firefighters and the teachers who want to live in the community where they work. We also need housing for the young people who want to raise a family in the community where their families raised them."
In that spirit, Executive Order 418 directs the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction and the Department of Economic Development to provide assistance to cities and towns for community planning. The order makes available up to $30,000 in planning services to each of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts for the creation of a Community Development Plan.
Planning for the future is not simple; it involves understanding and balancing the needs of people of all ages and income levels. Each community is unique -- and accordingly each faces a unique set of challenges regarding future planning and development. The complex housing and transportation issues facing a burgeoning suburb are not the same as those confronting an older industrial city or town where economic development and reuse of existing buildings may be more pressing concerns. Planning may require hard choices about which resources need the most protection and where development can occur most appropriately. |
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Funding for the Northbridge Community Development Plan provided by a grant from the Executive Order 418 Program, through the Department of Housing & Community Development, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Executive Office of Transportation & Construction, Department of Economic Development, and Administered by The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission.
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Massachusetts |
