Community feedback guides next steps in Athol’s master plan update

ATHOL – The Master Plan Committee met to review feedback from the first public meeting for the town’s master plan update and discuss how that will guide the next phase of the process.

Adam Duchesneau, a senior planner with BSC Group, the consulting firm assisting the town, presented a summary of feedback gathered during the Feb. 10 community meeting, including results from a voting exercise and written comments on draft master plan goals.

“We thought it was a pretty successful event,” Duchesneau said at the Zoom meeting on Feb. 18. “I think we counted about 35 members of the public in attendance, including members of this committee, which was great to see, especially given the conditions that evening.”

Duchesneau said the voting exercise was used to gather feedback on draft goals and confirm whether priorities developed during earlier master plan versions are still supported by residents.

“A lot of these were pulled from the work that was done in 2024, and we wanted to see if a lot of these still held water after a couple of years,” he said. “It seems like a lot of them did, based on the feedback.”

Duchesneau reviewed the results, pointing to the goals that received the highest number of votes in each category.

On economic development, participants focused heavily on goals tied to downtown activity, including attracting new small businesses such as restaurants and breweries, supporting existing businesses, and expanding public events.

“The top priorities for economic development reflect a strong community desire to revitalize downtown and strengthen the local economy,” Duchesneau said.

Housing was another area that drew strong interest, with residents emphasizing expanded housing options, including senior housing, and supporting new housing in already developed areas such as downtown.

Climate resiliency goals also stood out, particularly those centered on integrating climate considerations into everyday planning, reducing flood risk, and strengthening stormwater infrastructure.

While reviewing the natural and cultural resources options, Duchesneau pointed to one goal that clearly ranked above the rest.

“The far and away leading vote-getter here was to adopt the Community Preservation Act,” he said.

He explained that the CPA would allow the town, with voter approval, to raise dedicated funds for projects such as historic preservation, open space protection, recreation, and affordable housing.

Transportation priorities also drew strong engagement, especially those focused on improving roadways and pedestrian infrastructure, and building community support for Athol’s potential inclusion as a stop along the Northern Tier Rail Project.

Public health feedback centered largely on food access, with goals aimed at reducing food insecurity and expanding access to healthy, locally-produced food receiving the most support.

Duchesneau said written comments on facilities and services included multiple references to Athol’s schools, particularly the high school. Committee member Rebecca Biallecki said the comments reflect ongoing discussion about aging school buildings and the costs tied to major infrastructure decisions.

“I think everyone agrees we need an improved high school,” Biallecki said. “I think there’s a lot of disagreement about whether we need to knock down what we have and start over, versus renovating and adding on to our existing school building, and the affordability of it.”

Looking ahead, Duchesneau said the project team plans to meet with the Selectboard on March 3 and the Board of Planning and Community Development on March 18 to review the project timeline, summarize work completed to date, and share feedback gathered through the community survey and public meeting. A second public outreach effort is planned for April 11.

The Master Plan Committee is scheduled to meet again March 25. Duchesneau said the consulting team aims to share draft objectives later in March, with a full draft master plan targeted for review by the end of April.