MASTER PLAN 300

This Plan - the first in Middleton for nearly 20 years - was based on public input in the form of community forums, working groups, targeted outreach, and community surveys.  It will cover the years leading up to the Town’s 300th birthday in 2028 – thus, the name “Master Plan 300”.  The Master Plan Committee, with approval from the Planning Board, worked for two years with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to put together a plan based on the Town’s “Vision for the future”.

Click here for a full copy of Master Plan 300

Click here for Executive Summary only

Click here for Implementation Chapter only

What is a Master Plan and Why?

Master planning for a community like the one the Town of Middleton has undertaken is a process whereby a community evaluates its historic and present-day assets and imagines how and where it should grow in order to leave a legacy for the next generation. The vision statement the Town initially developed will help its residents and business owners identify overarching priorities for the preservation, enhancement, and growth of different areas, and sets the tone for a wider array of more specific master plan elements and goals that can inform decisions on policies, by-laws, and zoning regulations, and provide mutual certainty and predictability for residents and businesses alike.

According to Chapter 41, Section 81D of the General Laws of Massachusetts, a Master Plan is “a statement through text, maps, illustrations or other forms of communication, that is designed to provide a basis for decision making regarding the long-term physical development of the municipality…”  Under this statute, the following nine elements of a Master Plan are identified:

1.            Goals and policies
2.            Land use
3.            Housing
4.            Economic development
5.            Natural resources
6.            Open space and recreation
7.            Services and facilities
8.            Transportation and circulation
9.            Implementation