Town Launches Project Website with Emphasis on Soliciting Resident Input and Engagement
Town Administrator Michael Mullen and Dighton Development and Industrial Commission Chairman Daniel Higgins are pleased to officially announce that the town has partnered with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District to begin drafting an Economic Development Plan for the town.
The Town of Dighton is utilizing funds from a Community Compact Cabinet (CCC) Best Practices Program grant awarded to the Town in 2021 to create an Economic Development Plan. The Economic Development Plan will help town officials plan for managed economic growth in the community and future infrastructure investments while capitalizing on the culture and character of the town.
Dighton’s recently reinvigorated Development and Industrial Commission plans to lead the advancement of the town’s Economic Development Plan through an ongoing partnership with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). Lizeth Gonzalez from SRPEDD will serve as the lead consultant and oversee the project.
SRPEDD’s District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program will also provide matching funding that will enable Dighton to complete a comprehensive Economic Development Plan.
“The Economic Development Plan will allow us to foster growth within Dighton in commercial, industrial and small business sectors with a special focus on the economic contributions of the agricultural character in town,” said DDIC Chairman Daniel Higgins. “As we develop this plan, it will be incredibly important to engage residents in the process to ensure the plan reflects the interests of all community members while simultaneously promoting a more sustainable local economy.”
The creation of an Economic Development Plan was identified as a goal in the Town’s 2014 Master Plan. As part of the Economic Development Plan, the DDIC and SRPEDD will identify underutilized or vacant facilities that have the potential to be repurposed to catalyze economic development and growth. The plan will lay the groundwork for policy and funding for future economic development.
The site will be a resource for all community members throughout the process of creating the plan and will serve as a hub of information. On the site, community members can stay up to date with the latest news about the plan, learn of upcoming meetings or events and sign-up for email notifications.
“The scope of the project will be a comprehensive, collaborative effort alongside numerous stakeholders including the town’s business owners, residents and visitors. Alongside the Development and Industrial Committee, we will work to establish a plan that focuses on planning for and fostering enhanced economic development, which will greatly benefit Dighton’s business sector and complement the town’s character,” Gonzalez said.
The public engagement process will begin with a survey that will be shared in the coming weeks. The results of the survey will inform the recommendations of the Dighton Economic Development Plan and be presented at future meetings related to the study. Additional details regarding the survey will be shared soon.
Workshops will also be held as the Plan elements are developed in order for goals to be identified and action items to be outlined.
“The Economic Development Plan will serve as a blueprint for commercial and industrial development within the town that will support local business growth, based on the priorities of and input from Dighton residents,” Town Administrator Mullen said. “A main goal of this project will be to create a plan that assists us to shape and sustain Dighton’s economic development efforts to strengthen our local tax base. We are extremely excited to once again partner with SRPEDD to begin this process and look forward to the opportunities that will be identified as part of the plan.”
Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Gonzalez at lgonzalez@srpedd.org.
About the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District:
SRPEDD serves a regional community of 27 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts. Their work is place-based and community-focused, meaning they work to formulate and implement plans that will achieve quality of life improvements on the ground, and to ensure that these plans reflect the expressed needs of civically-engaged local communities.
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