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The Planning Process
The Hatfield Comprehensive Plan is proposed as a two-year project, with the first year focused on elements to “set the table” with residents and businesses. There are major considerations for our Town and a longer time frame enables us to ensure that our planning response is grounded in a more inclusive and thoughtful process.
Elements in the first year (2022-2023) involve the following:
• Organizing the Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPC). The CPC serves as a steering committee for the project and identifies members who will serve as “captains” for each plan chapter
• Holding regular meetings with the CPC, providing an opportunity for all residents to learn about the project
• Developing a Comprehensive Plan website where all documents are shared among the members and interested residents
• Assembling data and mapping across planning chapters to inform visioning and planning conversations
• Conducting surveys and listening sessions that seek input from three key audiences – youth, older residents, and farmers. All residents will have an opportunity to respond to a survey.
• Identifying Connecticut River flood impacts on Hatfield based on projections that can be calculated from existing analyses
• Providing workshops for town staff and interested residents related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Delivering a specialized climate curriculum program for students and teachers
• Recruiting 5 to 7 individuals to join in chapter working groups with their “chapter captain” from the Comprehensive Plan Committee
• Conducting two community meetings to learn, explore and identify big ideas and vision for actions to be addressed through each chapter
Elements in the second year (2023-2024), will involve the following:
• Conducting chapter working group meetings related to each plan chapter
• Drafting each chapter with photos and illustrations
• Holding monthly meetings of the Comprehensive Plan Committee to review highlights from chapter working group meetings toward identifying important threads, themes, and highest priority actions for the Town
• Research and identify climate resilient farming practices and incentives that could work for Hatfield and then conduct workshop for farmers on resilient farming approaches
• Regulatory review of existing code that includes recommendations on farmland protection, housing production, development standards, and age-friendly elements
• Organizing listening sessions around draft plan chapters
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Finalizing draft plan chapters
