What is a Master Plan?
A Master Plan, or Comprehensive Plan, is a plan that identifies the overall future development scenario for a community, including present and future land use, economic development, housing, open space, and infrastructure needs. Generally, Master Plans are developed to be used by the community over the next 10-20 years, and to provide guidance on the smart and sustainable way to grow as a community. Many communities use Master Plans to budget Capital Improvements, determine priority lands for open space acquisition, prioritize zoning changes, a develop strategies for affordable housing production and economic development opportunities.
As Planning Board member Emre Evren explained at the first meeting of the Master Plan Committee, the importance of undertaking this comprehensive planning process at this time is critical. The last master plan was completed in 1966, and Granby is quickly changing and growing due to the growth pressures. Granby should have a current vision about how it wants to grow- both economically and in other ways. Residents have also expressed concern about protecting open space. A master plan process can prioritize areas to protect as open space and set out strategies for achieving this goal. Opportunities in agriculture should also be further explored.
If you would like more specific information on Master Plans, please refer to the following documents development by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in 2001 for their Planner On A Disk, an interactive tool developed for communities without professional planning staff on how to create a master plan.
- Legal Basis of Planning and Zoning
- Basic Elements of a Master Plan
- Thirteen Features of a Good Plan
- Making Your Plan Work
Click here for a Master Plan Final Draft (pdf).
Click here for Strategies of the Master Plan listed in order of priority (pdf).
If you would like to review the last Granby Master Plan developed in 1966, please click here.
Click here for a Granby Traffic Analysis Map (pdf).
Click here for a listing of the preliminary strategies for the Plan.
Click here for fact sheets for each of the master plan elements.