Master Plan Review Committee Update
Damascus
In November 2002, the Master Plan Review Committee (MPRC) held a kick-off meeting, inaugurating a fairly new outreach process that would provide the widest possible level of community participation in the Damascus Master Plan. This new method combines topic oriented "Task Forces" with an overall MPRC comprised of all Task Force members. With more than 200 members on our distribution lists, and over half of those assigned to at least one Task Force, the residents of Damascus have clearly shown their commitment to their community and its future. The M-NCPPC staff has appreciated working with such engaged and civically active residents.
Since April of 2003, the M-NCPPC staff has facilitated these Task Force meetings and listened to the community's input on the issues that are most important in planning for the future of Damascus. This phase of the Master Plan process is now winding down, and only two Task Forces are still holding meetings to complete their evaluations. The staff met internally during August to begin the process of synthesizing the information received during the Task Force process. The Land Use and Transportation Task Forces plan to conclude their meetings in late October or early November allowing the staff to complete the process of merging the evaluations of the Task Forces to present to the full Master Plan Review Committee at a series of meetings in November and early December.
During that process, the MPRC will review and provide comments on the final reports of each Task Force. With that input from the community, the staff has prepared the Staff Draft of the Master Plan. The major elements and recommendations of that document have been presented to the MPRC for review before it was presented to the Planning Board on Thursday, September 30, 2004.
Once the Staff Draft is presented to the Planning Board, and the Board receives comment from the community on the Staff Draft, a new phase of the Master Plan process will begin. To allow all members of the MPRC to be apprised of the work that has been underway in the various Task Forces as the Task Force phase begins to conclude, a brief synopsis of the issues can be reviewed below:
- Land Use Task Force (pdf, 181KB)
- Town Center Task Force (pdf, 173KB)
- Environment Task Force (pdf, 91KB)
- Parks, Trails, Open Space, and Community Facilities Task Force (pdf, 117KB)
- Housing and Historic Preservation (covered under the Land Use Task Force (pdf, 84KB)
Date of last update September 10, 2004