People trickled into the lower level of Abbot Library Saturday to share thoughts and visions for Marblehead’s future. The town used a state grant to hire the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to help draft a new master plan for 2027-2037. The town’s plan hasn’t been updated since 1989.
A master plan is a non-binding, big-picture roadmap for how the town could grow and evolve through 2037. It will guide local decisions about land use, housing, transportation, historic preservation and more. It does not create new laws, but it gives direction and coordination across town departments, boards and committees.
The plan aims to help answer questions like:
- Where should new housing go?
- How can we preserve historic areas?
- How can we prepare for climate change?
- What public investments are most needed?
“A master plan is the 50,000-foot-level plan,” explained Brendan Callahan, director of the Marblehead’s Department of Community Development and Planning, who was there Saturday. “It will help drive decision-making over the next 10 years. And with the override passed, it’s a really good opportunity for the community to say what they would like to see… over the next decade.”
The plan is being developed by an advisory committee made up of members of the Planning Board, town staff, board liaisons, business owners and residents.
The draft plan is packed with interesting data about the town’s population, finances and more. A few examples:
- Population is 20,334
- Twenty-three percent of the population is aged 65 and over, up from 15% in 1990.
- Median income has grown 32% in real terms since 1989. It is now $165,859.
- Marblehead is home to 9,098 businesses with 6,037 workers
- Eighty-three percent of residents own their homes.
- From 2021-2025, streets with the most vehicle crashes were Pleasant Street (101), Atlantic Avenue (84) and Washington Street (35).
- The town is vulnerable to flooding and/or future sea level rise in key areas, including Devereux Beach, Goldthwait Reservation, Ocean Avenue and the bottom of the Neck.
Ultimately, the Planning Board will approve the new master plan, with a goal date of spring of 2027.
Callahan urges residents to offer input by taking a 15-minute survey at marbleheadma.gov/marblehead-2037-master-plan/.
