By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The results from the Visioning Plan survey are in.
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) consultants Andrea Harris-Long and Sarah Scott presented the Visioning Plan’s survey results during the Planning Board’s July 26 meeting. The 2022 Spring Town Meeting appropriated $10,000 in the fiscal year 2023 capital budget to allow the Visioning Plan, also called “Lynnfield 2040: Shaping Our Future Today,” to be undertaken. A Community Compact grant from the state is also helping fund the project.
The survey covered topics such as town government, infrastructure, housing, economic development and “sense of community.”
While Scott said 855 people “accessed” the Visioning Plan survey, she said people did not answer every question. She said residents were able to answer the survey’s questions online or in paper form.
“We wanted people to think about the future of Lynnfield over the next 10 to 20 years,” said Scott. “Not just the day-to-day. I think it was a great turnout when you look at the town’s population.”
Scott said 79 percent of responders identified public health and safety as either very important or important. Scott also said responders’ categorized social opportunities for youth, seniors and others; community-wide communication and infrastructure; access to health and social services; and shared services with neighboring towns as “the most important community issues.”
Town government
Scott said 81 percent of respondents stated that municipal finances and taxes was Lynnfield’s greatest challenge. She stated that 73 percent expressed concerns about maintaining municipal facilities, and 70 percent are concerned governance.
In response to a question from Planning Board member Ed Champy, Scott said 92 percent of respondents stated they believe a well-functioning town government is important.
“It means that people don’t think it is going the absolute best, but they also don’t think it’s going poorly,” said Scott. “It was 40 percent one way and 40 percent the other.”
There were several respondents who criticized local officials’ approach to governing.
“The town government is horrible,” one respondent wrote. “They do whatever they want without regard to the residents.”
Another respondent stated that local officials need to “make the Town Meeting process less painful.”
“I am sick of these people being allowed to talk and talk and talk,” the individual wrote. “Most of them are not speaking the truth, but nobody at the town level ever responds to set the facts straight.”
Harris-Long said town officials should focus on raising more awareness about different initiatives. She noted that a number of respondents expressed a desire for more parks and trails, but she said a lot of people in town don’t know the Planning and Conservation Department is working to address those areas through the Lynnfield Woodlot and Willis Woods conservation areas on upper Main Street.
“There is a lot of work going on with parks and trails, but it seems as though the community doesn’t know that,” said Harris-Long. “I think there is also a misunderstanding around property taxes because a lot of people stated their taxes are too high. But the town’s tax rate is lower than other communities. Property values have gone up and properties are being assessed at a higher rate.”
Infrastructure
Scott said a number of respondents expressed concerns about the condition of the town’s sidewalks, with 28 percent stating it was “very important” and 34 percent stating it was “important” for the town to address. She also said respondents are concerned about the “lack of bike paths” for children to use.
“There were a lot of concerns about the water infrastructure,” added Scott. “There was also a lot of support for getting the rail trail done. There was also a need to diversify recreation options for all ages, including options that are not sports.”
Scott also noted that there were respondents who expressed interest in the town opening a community swimming pool and constructing a dog park. She also said there were respondents who are interested in getting a new Lynnfield Public Library built along with a recreation center and an arts/cultural facility.
Housing
While Scott said 54 percent of respondents stated that their housing needs are being met, she said 40 percent of respondents “expressed fear about future housing instability.”
“When we pulled out that subset of the data, seniors were more likely to experience housing instability,” said Scott. “Two-thirds of people who moved to Lynnfield in the past three years had a difficult time finding housing.”
Planning Board Vice Chair Kate Flaws said, “Market conditions are not going to allow more affordable senior housing to be built” in town. She said one way to address the problem is allowing seniors to rent out rooms in their homes to help them “stabilize costs” or by updating the town’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Bylaw.
“We don’t have affordable housing in Lynnfield,” said Flaws.
One respondent stated that, “Taxes are getting out of control and making it difficult for regular, longtime residents to live here.”
There were also a number of respondents who expressed concerns about overdevelopment, especially large “McMansions” getting built.
“Stop the building of mega mansions,” one respondent wrote. “It is destructive and harmful to those who have more modest living accommodations.”
Economic development
Scott said the survey’s results revealed that 21 percent of respondents want the town to pursue more economic development opportunities while 34 percent stated no and 45 percent stated maybe.
A theme that emerged from the survey’s results was a number of people stated The Centre at Lynnfield shopping plaza on Main Street should be revitalized.
“It is embarrassing how run down it is,” one respondent wrote. “We need stores, bakers, etc. there and not three banks.”
Another respondent added: “The center of town is hurting. We need a local gathering spot, i.e. a coffee shop or restaurant and need to work on getting a pharmacy back in town.”
“Sense of community”
The survey asked respondents about the town’s “sense of community.”
Scott said 64 respondents stated that the town was “very welcoming” to families with young children while 42 percent stated the town was “very welcoming” to seniors and 40 percent reported Lynnfield was “very welcoming” to young adults between the ages of 19 and 35.
On the flipside, Scott said the survey’s responses revealed the town was “not very welcoming” for people whose first language is not English, people of color and low-income people.
Scott said respondents were asked what was their “vision for Lynnfield” moving forward.
“I would like to see the town retain its character,” one respondent wrote. “Neighboring towns such as Middleton have become so overcrowded and congested with traffic that I breathe a sigh of relief when I get back home after driving through them.”
There were also residents who criticized the MAPC and the Planning Board for undertaking the Visioning Plan.
“Please leave Lynnfield as it is,” one respondent stated.
“We moved here because it was a small town. That’s the way we like it.”
Another respondent added: “Let’s try not to make Lynnfield something it’s not: A city.”
Harris-Long said the Visioning Plan’s survey results revealed, “There seems to be a lot of aversion for change here.”
Next steps
Harris-Long said the next step for the Visioning Plan is compiling the survey’s results into a report.
“The next phase is doing a little bit more engagement,” said Harris-Long. “We will have a draft report that we will share with the Planning Board. Once all of you are comfortable with it, we will share it with the public and will give the public the opportunity to comment on it.”
Planning Board member Page Wilkins noted that very few teenagers responded to the survey, but a number of parents and guardians completed it. She suggested that Harris-Long and Scott reach out to school officials to see if the Student Councils at the secondary schools would be interested in meeting with the two consultants to allow their feedback to be included in the report.
Harris-Long expressed her support for Wilkins’ suggestion.
“That would help us fill in some of the gaps we had,” said Harris-Long.