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Date: 3/8/2022
WESTHAMPTON – The town of Westhampton is looking to update their Open Space & Recreation Plan for the next seven years.
As part of their initial steps, the Open Space & Recreation Committee – which was formed in the fall of 2021 – released a survey on their website for the public and landowners to fill out. According to the town website, responses to this survey will help inform the town’s Open Space & Recreation Plan and guide the community’s decisions about priorities for open space over the next several years. An update to the plan is a required first step for the town to apply for state grants that focus on land and recreation projects.
According to Laurie Sanders, the chair of the Westhampton Open Space Committee, the town received notification of funding from the state late last year as part of a bigger application that includes the updating of the Open Space & Recreation Plan, as well as a broader master plan for the community.
“[The survey] is a critical step,” said Sanders, when speaking on this process. “Really, what a plan is all about is a vision for the future, and I think it’s absolutely critical that we get as many people’s opinions to find what do they want Westhampton to look like, and how are going to make that happen.”
The survey will not only address the town’s forests, farms, vistas, but also outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the landscapes. “It’s that whole comprehensive look at what do we have, what can we improve that we already have, and what’s on our wish list,” said Sanders. “And factoring climate change…how some of these areas will be important in mitigating the effects of climate change.”
The last plan, which was formulated back in 2010, expired in 2017, according to Sanders. When the town does update the plan, it will be its own independent entity, but it will also fold into the town’s first ever master plan – which will include housing, transportation, economic development and social issues, as well as how the town will be able to respond to climate change.
“It’s so interesting seeing the previous plan and just seeing how some of the objectives have happened, which is good,” said Sanders. “But [now], the technology is so much better, the mapping is so much better … most people will complete [the survey] online, so we’re going to have much greater participation.”
By offering the survey online, Sanders believes that the Open Space & Recreation Committee will have a better gauge of what the broader community would like to see within the Open Space and Recreation Plan, rather than just a select group of individuals or just committee members.
“[The results] will really inform our action plan for the next seven years,” said Sanders, adding that it is important for residents and landowners of all ages to provide input. “I really want teenagers to take this too, because if you’re 15, you might be in a position where you’re on one of these committees … so you can really make a difference these next seven years. I’m excited about it. There’s a lot of overlapping interests in certain properties.”
March 10 is the last day for people to fill out the survey. To learn more about it, as well as the Open Space and Recreation Plan, visit https://www.westhampton-ma.com/home/news/open-space-recreation-survey-now-available.