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Planning Board member Darlene Stone Adair speaking to residents as they passed through the line of posters that had stickers and post-its for residents to leave their feelings at an open house concerning the town’s ongoing comprehensive plan on Thursday. -
Laura Smead, J.M. Goldson’s project manager overseeing Williamsburg, said this is the most west and the most rural of a project that J.M. Goldson has undertaken, but added that since being in Williamsburg residents have, “hit the ground running.” -
A poster showing how positive public input was on Thursday, with all stickers grouped in agreement. -
Founder and owner of J.M. Goldson, Jenn Goldson, explained to residents in a 20 minute presentation that community input will be sought every step of the way, and last week was an opportunity to get a pulse on how community members felt about the core themes before strategies for core themes can be proposed by consultants.
WILLIAMSBURG — New development and the tax revenue it produces, more affordable housing options and more business: good.
Rural paradise, a genuine community asset: good.
But residents can’t necessarily have both.
This is the current inner conflict happening in the pulse of Williamsburg as the town’s first-ever comprehensive plan, which will steer the development for the next decade, takes shape.
Consulting company J.M. Goldson, hired to spearhead the process alongside the Planning Board and an advisory group, unveiled the “core themes” of the plan last Thursday in the Anne T. Dunphy school, where dozens came for an open house that was held over a four-hour period.
Core themes were drawn from surveys and listening sessions conducted by the town over the past two years, and include a desire for transit options or “community connection,” infrastructure improvements, promoting economic opportunity, planning for a population increase, and adapting to climate change since the town is prone to floods.
Laura Smead, J.M. Goldson’s project manager overseeing Williamsburg, said residents have “hit the ground running.” Explaining what she has heard, researched, and read over the past two months, Smead highlighted “the love of open space and the spirit of volunteerism people here have,” coupled with a desire to “modernize the community,” both technologically and economically.
“There’s a theme around assuming the town is going to continue to grow slowly, so how do we plan for that?” she said.
Founder and owner of J.M. Goldson, Jenn Goldson, explained to residents in a 20-minute presentation that community input will be sought every step of the way, and last week was an opportunity to get a pulse on how community members felt about the core themes before strategies for core themes can be proposed by consultants.
So how is the community feeling this early on? Undoubtably torn.
Jean O’Neil of the Planning Board said inner conflict is real in town.
“There are a few people adamant that we don’t want any more people in town,” and apologized if this makes the town seem reclusive or unwelcoming.
“I’m sorry, it’s not realistic — it’s not nice,” she said, about limiting newcomers. “There must be a way to make it all work.”
Podge Thomas of the Planning Board, who is herself a newcomer, said she hears the divided talk among residents as well.
The native of Britain who traveled the West Coast before making her dream home in Williamsburg, said that, “There’s a combination of people who don’t want to change and people who know that change is coming,” she said.
Planning Board member Darlene Stone Adair, who was speaking to residents as they passed through the line of posters that had stickers and post-its for residents to leave their feelings.
In her opinion, the open house wasn’t an accurate metric of town opinion.
“As you can see by the results here, there are a lot of people who are supportive,” she said. “But I think these people attending are the people who support it — it is preaching to the choir.”
She added, “So it will be interesting to see if these results continue through online commentary.”
Residents can voice their online opinion at: experience.arcgis.com/experience/48cdbeb137ac4c16932023495867fd3c
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
