Ipswich Community Development Plan




The ​Ipswich Community Development Plan
has been updated for 2021-2036! 
Click here to download a pdf of the final plan.

Click here to view the DRAFT CDP Implementation Matrix, May 2021.

Click here to view a Story Map of the Plan developed by Summer Intern Reed Dolan.

An executive summary document, including goals and strategies, can be downloaded and printed here: CDP 2021-2036 Executive Summary

Click here to listen to an audio file of the CDP Plan.

Throughout 2021, CDP Steering Committee members have been presenting the Plan to boards, committees, and other community groups. Presentation slides used for these presentations are here: CDP Presentation. 

Background and Process:
In early 2019, a Community Development Plan (CDP) Steering Committee was appointed and convened to guide the process to update components of the Town's CDP and develop a new 2021-2036 Plan. 

CDP Steering Committee members include: 
Kerrie Bates, Director, Ipswich Recreation Department
Jacob Borgman, Resident
Andrew Brengle, Open Space Committee Representative
Carolyn Britt, Planning Board Representative
Chris Doucette, Finance Committee Representative
Philippa Drew, Resident
Peter Eliot, Resident
David Feldman, Open Space Committee Representative
Betsy Frost, Business Owner
Don Greenough, Housing Partnership Representative
Gordon Harris, Town Historian/Historical Commission Representative
Walter Hartford, Finance Committee Representative
Luke Hourican, Resident
Ingrid Miles, Resident
Chris Morse, Architectural Preservation District Commission Representative
Carl Nylen, School Committee Representative
Ann Orcutt, Business Owner
Will Paulitz, Conservation Commission Representative
Ed Rauscher, Select Board Representative
Christine Sandulli, Resident
Kathleen Spinale, Resident
Jay Stanbury, Resident
Sheila Taylor, Director of Senior Services, Ipswich Council on Aging
Helen Weatherall, Resident
Kevin Westerhoff, Planning Board Representative
Willie Whitmore, Select Board Representative
Clark Ziegler, Resident

The Town hired JM Goldson, LLC consultants to help with a Needs Assessment (Phase I), as well as the Phase II goal setting, development of implementation strategies, and completion of a final 15-year Community Development Plan Update for the Town. 

Phase I of the CDP Update, completed in 2019 and early 2020, included development by the community of a Vision Statement and Needs Assessment. Here are the Main Takeaways from the research and public engagement process conducted during Phase 1 in 2019. The complete Phase 1 Materials are below. 
Needs Assessment + Appendices (large file, make take a few moments to open)

Click here to review slides summarizing CDP work completed in 2019 & 2020. This presentation was given to the Ipswich Rotary in March, 2020.

Phase II: The Phase I Vision Statement and Needs Assessment, as well as components of the 2003 and 2008 CDP Updates, have been incorporated into the Phase II process, which was begun in February 2020 and proceeded through February 2021. Draft strategies were completed in the summer of 2020: CDP Vision, Goals, and Strategies DRAFT 7-27-20. The Steering Committee spent 2020 & 2021 discussing, reviewing, and revising the Draft CDP Update. 

For more information, contact Kristen Grubbs in the Planning Office at kristeng@ipswichma.gov or 978-356-6607 x2. 

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The 2003 Ipswich Community Development Plan was developed under the guidance of the Town’s Growth Management Steering Committee and the Department of Planning & Development. The Plan was adopted by the Planning Board on July 24, 2003, and accepted by the Board of Selectmen on September 15, 2003. On October 20, 2003 the Ipswich Special Town Meeting accepted both the Plan and a process for its implementation, including:
  • A general bylaw requiring town boards and commissions to consider the Community Development Plan when making decisions relative to the Plan.
  • The establishment of the Community Development Plan Task Force to oversee the implementation of the Plan.
The focus of the Community Development Plan is primarily on three topics: Housing, Economic Development, and Transportation. A fourth important topic, open space, was addressed in detail in the Town’s 2000 Green Ring Plan and in the Town's Open Space and Recreation Plan (under revision in 2019). Also integrated into the Plan is the Ipswich Town Character Statement, which was adopted by the Planning Board on September 2, 2004.

Maps found in the 2003 Ipswich Community Development Plan are:
Fig 1-1 Land Suitability Map
Fig 1-2 Land Use Guide Plan
Fig 3-1 Housing Action Map
Fig 4-1 Economic Development Action Map
Fig 5-1 Transportation Action Map
Fig 6-4 Zoning Map
Fig 6-5 1999 Land Use Map
Fig 8-1 Transportation Inventory Map

In the summer of 2007, recognizing the need to incorporate a more specific focus on resource efficiency and sustainability issues, the CDP Implementation Task Force reconvened to propose additions to the goals, policies and action steps included in this Plan. The 2008 CDP Amendments were adopted by the Planning Board on March 27, 2008.