Services

Air quality analysis—Gary Roux
Assistance accessing and interpreting data readily available on the Internet, including U.S. Census, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, MA Department of Education, and more—Molly Goren-Watts
Bicycle/pedestrian planning—Jeffrey McCollough
Brownfields cleanup assistance – Erica Johnson
Built environment and health—​Becky Basch
Ity/County Health Improvement Planning – Becky Basch
Climate action and clean energy—​Catherine Ratté​​
Data research, analysis, and report writing—Molly Goren-Watts
Economic development planning—​Lori Tanner
Economic and demographic analysis at various geographic levels (neighborhood to regional)—Molly Goren-Watts
Emergency preparedness planning—​Chris Goshea
Environmental justice planning—​Jeff McCollough, Catherine Ratté​​
Farmland preservation—Becky Basch, Patty Gambarini
Fee-for-service consultation including demographic analysis, socio-economic analysis, needs assessment, program evaluation, and reporting—Molly Goren-Watts
Food security—​Catherine Ratté​​, Becky Basch
Geographic Information System—​Todd Zukowski, Jacob Dolinger
Grant proposal writing – Catherine Ratté
Grants administration
Growth management—Ken Comia
Guidance in data-driven decision-making processes and development of indicators to guide strategic work—Molly Goren-Watts
Hazard mitigation—​Mimi Kaplan
Highway corridor planning—Gary Roux
Historic preservation—Shannon Walsh
Historic resource surveys—Shannon Walsh
Homeland security--Todd Zukowski
Housing planning and development—​​Ken Comia
Housing rehabilitation program administration—​​Shirley Stephens
Land use and zoning—​Ken Comia
Local pavement management—Amir Kouzehkanani
Mapping and graphic design- Todd Zukowski
Mapping of Census 2010 data at the municipal, census tract, and block group level—Molly Goren-Watts
Monitoring and development of regional economic, health, education, transportation, and social well-being indicators—Molly Goren-Watts
Municipal operations—​Eric Weiss
Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Climate Adaptation – Emily Tully
Open Space Recreation Planning – Mimi Kaplan
Parking studies—Gary Roux
Pavement and sidewalk management—Amir Kouzehkanani
Planning Board Assistance – Ken Comia
Policy analysis and health impact assessments for public and private sector decision-making—Molly Goren-Watts
Procurement assistance for state and federal compliance – Erica Johnson
Public facility and infrastructure improvements – Erica Johnson, John O'Leary
Regional data on PVPC’s website—​Molly Goren-Watts
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)Gary Roux
River protection—​Patty Gambarini
Roadway safety audits – Gary Roux, Khyati Parmar
Scenic byway planning and project development—​Patty Gambarini
Sidewalk inventory and condition assessment—​Jeff McCollough
Socioeconomic studies at various geographic levels on topics ranging from foreclosure trends to the impacts of the Community Preservation Act within the region—Molly Goren-Watts
Sustainability—​Catherine Ratté​​
Tax-advantaged housing rehabilitation
Traffic counting—Amir Kouzehkanani
Training in accessing, manipulating, analyzing, and interpreting data—Molly Goren-Watts
Transit planning—Dana Roscoe
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)Dana Roscoe
Transportation planning studies—Gary Roux
Travel demand modeling/forecasting—Gary Roux, Rana Al-Jammal
Urban design—​Corrin Meise-Munns
Water supply protection—​Patty Gambarini

Local Technical Assistance

PVPC offers local technical assistance (LTA) to member communities in many planning areas. Typical LTA projects include review of development proposals or zoning amendments, use of the PVPC library, information from the Data Center, traffic counts on local roads, and assistance with local grant applications.

Larger projects, such as preparing a master plan, a new zoning bylaw, or a zoning map, are charged individually on a fee-for-service basis. Often PVPC works with member communities to secure federal and state grant funds in order to make the work possible.

LTA Specifications:

  • LTA requests must be made by a member community’s commissioner or alternate, or by another bona fide municipal official or body, such as a city planning board, historic commission, or town engineer. 
  • Communities with professional staff are eligible for two free person days of assistance per request; communities without professional staff are eligible for three free person days of assistance per request.
  • Each LTA request must be different in substance (no continuations of ongoing projects).

Continuing, Comprehensive, and Cooperative Planning Process

Average Annual Daily Traffic

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Average Daily Traffic

American Farmland Trust

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

American Heritage Rivers Initiative

American International College

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations

Approval Not Required

American Planning Association

Aquifer Protection District

Air Quality Index

Air Quality Index

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (of 2009)

Automatic Traffic Recorder

Average Vehicle Ridership

Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee

Business Improvement District

Bicycle Level of Service

Best Management Practice

Bridge Management System

Board of Appeals (or Adjustment)

Board of Health

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

Commercial Area Revitalization District

Community Action Statement

Central Business District

Cape Cod Commission

Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield

Community Development

Community Development Action Grant

Community Development Block Grant

Centers for Disease Control

Community Development Corporation

Community Development Fund

Community Development Plan

Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation

Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

Community Enterprise Economic Development

Citizen Housing and Planning Association

Community Housing Development Organizations

Capital Improvement Inventory System

Capital Improvements Plan (or Program)

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program

Congestion Management Process

Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission

Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area

Compressed Natural Gas

Carbon Monoxide

Council of Governments

Commonwealth Procurement Access and Solicitation System

Community Preservation Act

Citizen Planner Training Collaborative

Capitol Region Council of Governments

Community Service Block Grant

Combined Sewer Overflow

Department of Conservation and Recreation

Department of Environmental Protection

Division of Employment and Training

Department of Housing and Community Development

Direct Local Technical Assistance

Department of Energy Resources

Department of Revenue

Department of Transportation

Department of Public Works

Developments of Regional Impact

Executive Order

Production of affordable housing across a broad range of incomes 

Economic Assistance Coordinating Council

Economic Development Administration

Economic Development Council

Economic Development District

Economic Development Data and Information System

Economic Development and Industrial Corporation

Environmental Impact Report

Environmental Impact Statement

Environmental Justice

Environmental Notification Form

Economic Opportunity Area

Executive Office of Administration and Finance

Executive Office of Economic Affairs

Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Site Assessment

Economic Target Area

Federal Aid

Functional Classification (of roadways)

Federal Housing Administration

Federal Highway Administration - An agency of the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical support to each state for constructing, improving, and preserving America’s highway system.

Federal Highway Administration

Franklin Regional Council of Governments

Federal Transit Administration

Greenhouse Gas

Geographic Information System - A system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth.

Geographic Information System

Global Positioning System

Housing Appeal Committee

HAPHousing

Holyoke Community College

Housing Development Support Program

Housing Innovation Fund

Home Modification for Individuals with Disabilities Loan

Highway Overlay District

Historic Overlay District

Homeownership Opportunities Program

High Occupancy Vehicle

Housing Preservation Grant

Housing Production Plan

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Invitation for Bid

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991

Intelligent Transportation Systems

Job Access and Reverse Commute

Jacob's Ladder Scenic Byway

Jacob's Ladder Trail

Joint Transportation Committee

Local Board(s) of Health

Limited English Proficiency

Local Housing Authority

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Low Income Housing Tax Credit

Level of Service

Local Option Transportation Tax

Local Pavement Management System

Light Rail Vehicle

Local Technical Assistance

Massachusetts General Laws

Hazardous waste cleanup regulations

Uniform procurement law for local governments

Zoning

Planning/comprehensive permits

Smart growth zoning and housing production

Smart growth school cost reimbursement

Subdivision control

Expedited permitting

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

Massachusetts Geographic Information System

Minority Business Enterprises

Massachusetts Development Finance Agency 

Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act

Massachusetts Geographic Information Council

Massachusetts Historical Commission 

Massachusetts Housing Partnership

Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency

Municipal Incentive Grant

Massachusetts Municipal Association

Memorandum of Agreement

Massachusetts Office of Business Development

Massachusetts Office on Disability

Memorandum of Understanding

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Montachusett Regional Planning Commission

Metropolitan Statistical Area

Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices

Martha's Vineyard Commission

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

National Association of Regional Councils

New England Association of Regional Councils

Non-Federal Aid

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended)

National Highway System

Neighborhood Housing Services program

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

Nitrogen Oxide

Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Transportation Safety Board

Old Colony Planning Council

Overall Condition Index (Pavement)

Open Space and Recreation Plan

Pavement Condition Index

Priority Development Fund

Purchase of Development Rights

Peak Hour Traffic (or Trips)

Payment in Lieu of Taxes

[Metropolitan] Planning Funds

Pavement Management System 

Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area

Pavement Management Users Group

Planner on a Disc

Public Participation Process

Planned Unit Residential Development

Pioneer Valley Regional Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority

Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp.

Rental Development Action Loan

Regional Employment Board

Regional Education and Business Alliance

Regional Economic Models, Inc.

Request For Proposal

Request for Qualifications

Request for Response

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Roadway Inventory Files

Revolving Loan Fund

Regional Planning Agency

Regional Pavement Management System

Regional Transit Authority

Regional Technology Corporation

Regional Transportation Plan

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

Small Business Administration

Supplier Diversity Office 

State Implementation Plan (for air quality)

Sustainable Knowledge Corridor

Single Occupancy Vehicle

Special Permit

Special Permit Planning

Site Plan Review

Statewide Planning and Research Funds

Single Room Occupancy

Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District

Springfield Technical Community College

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

Surface Transportation Program

Targeted Brownfields Assessment

Transportation and Community System Preservation [Pilot Program]

Transportation Demand Management

Transfer of Development Rights

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century

Tax Increment Financing

Transportation Improvement Program

The Literacy Project

Turning Movement Count

Traditional Neighborhood District

Transit Oriented Design (or Development)

Transportation Research Board

Trip Reduction Ordinance

Transportation Systems Management

Urban Growth Boundary

Urban Land Institute

University of Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute

Unified Planning Work Program

Urban Revitalization Development Grant

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Public Land Survey

Underground Storage Tanks

Vehicle Miles Traveled

Volatile Organic Compound

Vehicle Occupancy Rate

Ware Adult Learning Center

Weatherization Assistance Program

Women-owned Business Enterprises

Wellhead Protection Area

Western New England University

Water Quality Management Plan

Westfield River Watershed Association

Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committee

Water Supply Protection [District]

Westfield State University

Zoning Board of Adjustment (or Appeals)