Saturday April 7, 2012

NORTH ADAMS -- The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and city officials are hoping residents will take the time to weigh in on a draft of the city's comprehensive plan, "North Adams: Vision 2030," which was culled from input gathered at visioning workshops held in 2011.

The plan, which is available for download on the city's website, www.northadams-ma.gov, will map out a local vision for the city for the next 20 to 30 years.

"At the end of this process, my vision, and therefore my goal, is to have a comprehensive plan that is a broad based and actionable document; one that encompasses all areas of opportunity, a plan that will be our road map to growth and success," Mayor Richard J. Alcombright said.

BRPC Senior Planner Amy Kacala said the city will use the public comments to further refine the document, which has many pieces that are in the process of coming together.

"Currently we're drafting the content for the historic preservation and cultural resources portions of the plan," she said. "Next, we'll be working on economic development with a strong focus on the downtown."

According to Community Development Director Michael Nuvallie there will be a wave of workshops, draft proposals and commenting periods over the next several months as the document comes together.

"We also have boards set up, with parts of the documents on them and cards for commenting, at City

Advertisement
Hall and at the North Adams Public Library," he said.

According to the comprehensive plan, the vision for the city's future includes high-energy center for creative entrepreneurs, with diverse employment in the green industry and light manufacturing sectors; and access to education that includes a continuum of early childhood to advanced degree study, along with long-term planning of city investments, which address energy and climate concerns, improve service delivery and incorporate mechanisms to provide for financial stability.

Public comments can be submitted on the city's website or at the Office for Community Development at City Hall.

To reach Jennifer Huberdeau, email jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com