Ed. Note:  The following invitation is from Ben Daviss of the Walpole Planning Board who is leading the project to update the town Master Plan, particularly the parts related to economic development.  This is our chance to play a role in bring the Master Plan into the 21st century and to affect the future development of the town.  CCB

Walpole’s planning board and a group of citizen volunteers invite you to join in a series of discussions about Walpole’s economic future.  The discussions, open to the public, will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Walpole’s town hall.

Walpole’s residents have indicated that they would like to see an expansion of our town’s economy as long as that expansion doesn’t come at the expense of our natural environment, open spaces, and small-town rural character.  But what exactly does that general principle “look like” when we try to apply it?

This question is one that our community needs to answer together.  The outcome of the discussions will shape the draft of an economic development section to be included in Walpole’s master town plan.  The discussions will be held through the fall and winter and a draft of the economic development section is scheduled to be created in the spring of 2010.

If you can’t make a meeting but have comments, please leave your ideas and suggestions on the planning board’s website at www.walpoleplanningboard.org.  (Yes, our comments section is open and working again.)  Click “Your ideas and suggestions” under the “Citizen Input” tab and a message box will open.  You can post any length of message and it will be made part of the record of our discussions.

Our first meeting is on Tuesday, September 22, at 7 p.m. at the town hall. 

We hope you’ll join us.

SOME POSSIBLE SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION IN THE MONTHS AHEAD

1.  Commercial development.  Does Walpole need additional kinds of retailers?  If so, what kinds?  How do we recruit them?  Are Walpole’s districts zoned for commercial activities too large, too small, or the right size?  Should regulations governing commercial building in town be changed?  If so, how?  Formally or informally, should the town take steps to find a new buyer for North Meadow Plaza?

2.  Industrial development.  Walpole’s industrial park at the south end of town is often criticized. Can it be improved?  Do we need additional land zoned for industrial use?  If so, where should it be?  What kinds of industries are acceptable and not acceptable in our town?  What companies or kinds of industries would complement those already here and make them stronger?

3.  Agriculture and timber development.  Parts of the agricultural economy are troubled while organic farmers and community-supported agriculture and other forms of direct sales to consumers is growing.  How can Walpole best ensure the continuation of its agricultural economy?  Our town also has large stands of timber that can be harvested commercially.  How can Walpole capitalize on these resources to ensure the continuation of land-based production as a key element of our town’s economy?

4.  Home-based businesses and cottage industries.  Home-based businesses often are operated by people with specialized skills who earn comfortable incomes.  They also keep commuters off the road, add value to residential buildings by adding space and the capacity for technology, and often create part-time or full-time jobs.  However, studies over decades have shown that an expanding population increases – not reduces – taxes in a town.  Should Walpole encourage home-based businesses, discourage them, or do nothing particular about them?

5.  Economic development and new building.  Does economic development necessarily mean new commercial or industrial building?  Should we do anything to encourage or discourage economic expansion on land not zoned for it now?

6.  A locally-oriented economy.  What can or should Walpole do to encourage the creation and continuation of businesses that are based on the use of local resources?

7.  Promoting Walpole.  Should the town endorse a volunteer citizens’ group or some other means to promote Walpole to the regional economic community and to attempt to recruit businesses to our town?