Sharon officials advance development plan, focus on downtown, walkability and safety

SHARON – Town officials are moving forward with an update to Sharon’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), a state-mandated document that will guide land use and growth over the next decade. At an April 22 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission focused on economic development – one of three core priorities identified for the update, alongside conservation and farmland preservation, and housing.

Officials and residents centered their discussion on the importance of preserving the unique tranquility of the downtown, with plans to accentuate the existing infrastructure and improve walkability. Some even proposed the creation of a farmer’s market at Veterans Field.

The POCD, which is required to be updated every decade, is due at the end of this year. It was last updated in 2006.

Janell Mullen, a local land use professional, has been consulting with the Commission, and meeting with local interest groups since last fall to gain input on how to modernize the plan.

The April 22 session focused on walkability, commerce, culture, infrastructure and safety. These items were selected based on results from a public survey distributed by Mullen and the P&Z Commission last winter. The town received 190 responses representing approximately 7.5% of Sharon’s population.

Mullen asked the Commission to propose terminology to describe the economic hubs in town. Stanley MacMillan Jr., longtime building inspector and fire marshal, proposed the distinction of an “uptown” and “downtown.” Uptown, a term he used for the area when he was growing up in Sharon, would be the shopping center and surroundings on Gay Street. He posited a “downtown” district as the stretch of Route 41 between the intersections of Hilltop Road and Route 4, including the Sharon Playhouse.

P&Z Vice Chair Betsy Hall stipulated that the residential homes along the Sharon Green should be largely protected from conversion to commercial ventures. “We don’t want to be Salisbury, we don’t want to be Kent,” she said.

Mullen said the survey results indicated a desire to preserve what residents see as the tranquility of Sharon’s village life.

She said that spurring “vitality,” a key word in the survey results, doesn’t necessarily mean more business, but “accentuating” existing businesses via walkability and community infrastructure that promotes people being out and about amongst the town’s various hubs.

Safety, she said, is a key aspect of vibrant town life, which spurred conversation about parking issues on West Main Street and speeding through the center of town.

Several commissioners brought up the robust arts and crafts community in Sharon, and how to promote cultural programming. Mullen brought up the possibility of a farmers and makers market in Sharon, similar to seasonal fixtures in nearby Northwest Corner towns like Kent and Cornwall. Veterans Field was suggested as a possible location for such an event with access to restrooms, parking and children’s play facilities.

Mullen and the Commission will resume the conversation at next month’s planning session, scheduled for May 27, with a focus on conservation and farmland protection. As with all planning sessions, the meeting will be open to the public.