Open Space Committee hires MVPC consultant to finish plan, sets mid-September outreach target

The Newbury Open Space Committee agreed July 14 to finalize its Open Space and Recreation Plan with assistance from Kaye of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, setting an internal target of early September for a consultant draft and aiming to submit the final packet to DCS before Thanksgiving.

Chair Bill Hoffman opened the meeting and moved to accept previously distributed minutes before the substantive discussion began. The committee then focused on Kaye's scope of work and the project schedule, endorsing Christina's schedule draft and asking Kaye to complete the narrative, action plan and formatting.

Kaye said the scope includes drafting the narrative, formatting the document and incorporating appendices and comments. The consultant estimated roughly 20 hours of work and told the committee, "September 1 is really, like, the latest I would get this to you," while noting competing commitments that could push the timeline slightly later. Kaye said any unused hours would be returned to the town for future LTA requests and that she would provide a letter of support from MVPC when the draft is ready for local review.

Why it matters: finishing the narrative and action plan and obtaining letters of support are required steps before the town submits its packet to DCS for review. The committee agreed to combine local board reviews, the DCS rough review, and the public meeting period into overlapping timeframes to avoid long waiting gaps.

The group also discussed public outreach. Members agreed to staff a table at Newbury Town Day (Aug. 15) to publicize the near-final draft, collect email addresses and direct residents to review materials when posted. The committee tentatively set a public meeting for mid-September (Sept. 15 was discussed) but said the exact date will depend on how quickly DCS provides a rough review; members recommended at least two to three weeks' notice for the public.

Committee members assigned follow-up tasks: authors named on specific sections will reply to or incorporate Kaye's June 29 comments in the shared document, Sadie and Kristen will coordinate local knowledge edits, and members agreed to have their section comments finished by the end of the week where possible. The committee scheduled a next meeting for Aug. 4 to prepare materials for Newbury Town Day and to set the final public meeting date.

Votes at a glance: Chair Bill Hoffman moved to accept the meeting minutes; a committee member seconded and the motion was carried by voice vote. Hoffman later moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and the committee voted unanimously to adjourn.

The committee will reconvene Aug. 4 to review outreach materials; Kaye will continue working on the draft and will circulate requests for local information as needed.