The New Fall Line Up

September 6, 2024 Sundays @the Barn Comments (0)

Mark your calendars

We’ve got a great set of topics for discussion. Looking forward to seeing you @the Barn¹ 3:45-5:15 on:

September 22nd – Pursuing Smart Growth.

Smart growth is an overall approach of development and conservation strategies that can help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, socially diverse, and resilient to climate change.

Join us when Stephen Cole, Executive Director of the Plymouth Foundation – a private non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life in our region through smart economic growth – discusses the Foundation’s efforts to preserve the character of our community by actively supporting government and private-sector initiatives to attract, retain, and strengthen employment opportunities and increase the community’s commercial and industrial tax base.

Please RSVP so we know you’re coming

October 6th – Understanding the Plymouth Land Bank

Kevin Canty will present the status of the Plymouth Land Bank, what it is, and why it’s needed.

Plymouth already has some of the most restrictive residential zoning in the entire Commonwealth, and still new subdivisions are being built. That is because Plymouth can’t prevent developers from building what is allowed by existing residential zoning. Moreover, our commercially zoned land is being converted to apartments though an “affordable” housing loophole in State law (Chapter 40B) which allows developers to completely ignore Town zoning laws.

Plymouth wants to manage its natural resources and control new residential development – to prevent land from being developed the town needs to own it.

November 3rd – The State of the Fourth Estate

Join Plymouth Independent Editor and CEO Mark Pothier, Pulitzer Prize winner Robby Robinson, and Troy Finn as they talk about what has happened to local media, how the Plymouth Independent is facing those challenges, and how we can help:

Decline of Newspapers: A significant number of local newspapers have closed or drastically reduced their staff and coverage due to declining advertising revenue and readership. This has resulted in the creation of “news deserts,” where communities have little to no access to local news.
Rise of Digital Outlets: While newspapers have declined, there has been growth in digital-only local news outlets. However, many of these outlets are startups with limited resources, and they often struggle to achieve financial sustainability.
Financial Challenges: The traditional business model of local journalism, heavily reliant on advertising, has been disrupted by the rise of online platforms. This has led to widespread financial struggles for local news organizations.
Impact on Communities: The decline of local journalism has had negative consequences for communities, including decreased civic engagement, less accountability for local officials, and a greater spread of misinformation.

January 12th – Planning for the Holtec Property

Earlier this month, the Town of Plymouth and Holtec International issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to develop a Master Plan for the 1500± acre Holtec Property. This is an exciting step in the town’s effort to proactively engage in the planning of this site.

We spoke of the potential of this property earlier this year. and we’re hoping to get an update on this effort by someone involved in the RFP. Those unfamiliar with this property are encouraged to visit the PHATS website to learn more about the PHATS Concept.

Download a copy of the RFP here.

February 23rd – Wastewater Treatment CAC update

As many will recall, the Board of Selectmen appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) in 2024 to provide public input and oversight to the proposed expansion of the wastewater facility located at the headwaters of Eel River.

Join us to hear an update on the CAC regarding the town’s efforts to rerouter ~3 million gallons per day of wastewater effluent from the outfall pipe to Camelot Park.

Sundays @the Barn is an informal gathering of neighbors (or anyone else for that matter) interested in socializing and discussing issues face-to-face. It’s a venue to exchange ideas and conduct civil discourse (what a concept). We [try to] meet monthly to talk about a diversity of topics that could/are impacting Chiltonville and/or Plymouth in general. All are welcome, it’s free to attend, and more often than not, there are refreshments served. ↩︎