Resilient Westhampton Master Plan Wins Planning Award

The Town of Westhampton has been awarded the 2023 Comprehensive Planning Award by the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association for its 2023 Resilient Westhampton Master Plan.  At the award ceremony, held in Concord on December 8, 2023, Alison LeFlore, APA-MA President, said “We are impressed with the important work that Westhampton has undertaken to redefine and reimagine the role that Master Plans play in creating resilient communities.” Westhampton was one of five plans submitted for review to the Awards Committee which consisted of planning professionals from each region in the State.

Funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Action Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in 2021, Westhampton initiated a simultaneous Master Planning project alongside an update to the Town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan.

“It is the Town’s first Master Plan, our collective vision for the future and includes strategies and actions for the Town over the next 10-20 years,” said Susan Bronstein, former Chair of the Planning Board and Selectboard member.

The Master Plan Working Group consisting of Town residents and board members partnered with consultants to help with the process.  Weston & Sampson helped to manage the project and to integrate resilience planning and solutions throughout the plan.  Pioneer Valley Planning Commission assisted with data and mapping for the Plan, drawing on their regional knowledge especially for demographics, housing, economic development, and historic and cultural resources.  The Grinspoon Foundation Cooler Communities Program worked with school administrators, teachers and students at Hampshire Regional High School located in Westhampton to design student projects related to sustainability and climate resilience which were displayed for the community at the annual Westhampton Fall Festival in October 2023.

At the foundation of the plan, is a vision for a resilient, equitable, and sustainable Westhampton. The plan defines resilience principles at the outset, a new approach to shaping the themes within a Master Plan. “As a small rural community with abundant natural resources, strong community spirit, and a local economy based on farming, forestry, mining, and small home-based businesses, we recognized at the outset that climate change will impact the resources that Westhampton residents cherish most” said Teri Anderson, local project manager for the Town. Each element of the plan includes the role of climate resilience, equity, and regional context. 

There is a chapter that focuses specifically on social and community resilience.  The Town hired Human in Common, an organization specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training to host workshops offering residents, staff, and board members an understanding of what diversity, equity, and inclusion means, its importance to town government, and to build communication skills supporting effective dialogue around differences.

In addition, aligning the Resilience Master Plan process with the Open Space Plan update ensured that strategies for open space and recreation would relate directly to the vision for land use, natural resources, and other elements in the Master Plan.

The Plan emphasized the importance of public participation. Hundreds of community members, many Town staff, and several key community organizations were involved in the process.  Over 22 months, Town residents, board members, and staff carefully considered how the plan could best support residents, businesses, community organizations, and Town government.  It identifies areas of consensus, areas of differences, and seeks to balance solutions. It includes a detailed implementation plan to sustain the momentum generated through the process with tangible next steps for putting the plan into action.

The Selectboard is in the process of establishing the Master Plan Implementation Committee.  Interested residents should contact Doug Finn, the Town’s Administrative Assistant.

APA-MA President LeFlore said “Comprehensive master plans are constantly evolving and incorporating novel approaches. Many touch on sustainability, resilience, and equity, but few highlight these as fundamental principles in the way that the Resilient Westhampton Master Plan does. This Plan serves as an example for other communities.”