City of Methuen Master Plan

P RIORITIES FOR A CTION
Methuen’s 2007 Master Plan is comprehensive, covering nine distinct elements and having a horizon of
roughly 5-20 years. From discussions with the Master Plan Steering Committee, members of the
public, and leaders in the business community, it is clear that Methuen’s future quality of life is largely
dependent upon its response to a few key issues it is facing. A brief analysis of these topics follows, at
the outset of the plan, to orient readers’ minds to these major themes as they proceed to review the plan
in its entirety.
Keep Methuen in Business & Foster A Vibrant Downtown
Economic development offers numerous benefits to the quality of life in Methuen. By providing local
places to work, residents have job opportunities close to their homes, thereby lessening commute times
and fostering re-investment in the local economy. The opportunity to purchase locally-produced goods
and services likewise supports a commonly-held goal of preserving Methuen’s “small town feel.” And,
most importantly, the positive contribution Methuen businesses make to its tax base is critical to how
the City can continue to provide excellent services without introducing undue financial burdens on its
residents.
Nowhere is this goal better seen than in the City’s oft-articulated desire to have a vibrant downtown.
Whether it be enhancement of the existing downtown (roughly defined as the Gaunt Square area,
stretching along Broadway, Hampshire and Osgood Streets) or the creation of a new district, residents
clearly want to gather in a place that offers smaller-scale, more unique stores and restaurants than the
Loop provides. A 2004 Downtown Development Plan reviews all past planning efforts that focus on
the downtown area and proposes a multifaceted action agenda that seeks to accomplish this goal.
In 2006, the Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Advanced Management Development
Program selected downtown Methuen as its case study focus. Four teams comprised of executive-level
members with varied disciplines competed in a business plan presentation held in February 2007. The
four presentations provide the City with some compelling suggestions and “food for thought” as the
Master Plan seeks to help guide the future development of this critical part of the City.
The Master Plan affirms Methuen’s efforts to revive its downtown – replete with historic structures, the
success of downtown businesses could serve as a foundation for the public’s renewed interest in historic
preservation, volunteerism, and community pride.
Protect Methuen’s Remaining Rural Areas and Open Spaces, and Preserve Its Historic Character and Small Town Feel
Methuen continues to wrestle with how to best manage applications for development on its last
remaining areas of open space. Residential growth competes with economic development planning on a
regular basis, requiring the City to think carefully about the implications of long-term land use decisions.
The Community Development Board and the Zoning Board increasingly must seriously consider issues
of impact assessment and mitigation as environmentally sensitive and/or otherwise marginal lands are
being proposed for development.
The City’s remaining agricultural land is being converted to other uses. The loss of farms is manifested
in two key ways: scenic, open space is removed from the landscape, and community members lose the
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