The Select Board approved, and the Planning Board adopted, a non-binding 10-year Master Plan outlining Swampscott’s goals and priorities for community development, land use, housing, open space, historic resources, climate resilience, energy mitigation and sustainability.
“Adopting this plan tonight does not require the plan to do any specific thing,” said Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Principal Planner Carlos Montanez. “What it does is give every committee and every board in Swampscott a shared framework.”
Senior Planner Christa McGaha presented the Master Plan during a joint meeting Wednesday night. The final document reflects more than 18 months of work by the Master Plan Committee, town staff and MAPC.
“The document before you this evening reflects a shared vision of the future of our community and provides a framework to help guide planning, policy and investment decisions in the years ahead,” McGaha said. “We look forward to working to advance the community’s vision and to thoughtfully implement the plan’s goals and recommendations in the years ahead.”
The planning process began in 2024 with a community survey. Three public forums were held in 2024 and 2025. The Planning Board reviewed a draft of the Master Plan in January 2026 before opening it for public comment through April. Most public comments were incorporated into the final plan. The final report was transmitted to the town on May 15.
“Not everyone agrees on a single point, but the community can collectively live with the direction we formed together,” Montanez said. “That’s what this plan reflects.”
The planning process identified six themes that helped shape the town’s vision for 2035:
- Preserved and enhanced core identity
- Thriving neighborhoods and quality of life
- Vibrant community hubs and economic vitality, with Humphrey Street, Vinnin Square, Anthony’s Pier 4 and the Hadley School identified as key focus areas, Montanez said
- Sustainability, mobility and climate resilience
- Public space and gather
- Governance and engagement
There were also eight planning elements, that “do not operate in silos,” Montanez said:
- Economic and community development
- Land use and zoning
- Housing options and neighborhoods
- Transportation and mobility
- Open space and recreation
- Public facilities and services
- Historical and cultural resources
- Climate, sustainability and mitigation
Montanez also highlighted short-term priorities slated for implementation between 2026 and 2028:
- King’s Beach water quality remediation
- Stormwater and green infrastructure
- Seawall and coastal flood protection
- EPA consent decree
- Rail Trail completion
- Safe routes to school
- ADA accessibility and complete streets
- Bluebikes expansion
- Missing middle housing through zoning reform
- Affordable Housing Trust capacity building
- ADU program implementation
- Decarbonization and weatherization outreach
- Downtown and Vinnin Square activation
- C-PACE commercial sustainability program
- Small business facade and storefront improvements
- Waterfront and recreational economy development
Going forward, the Planning Board will use the plan’s goals and strategies to guide permit reviews, zoning amendments and land-use decisions, while the Select Board will reference the document during budget deliberations, capital planning and policy discussions, Montanez said.
Planning Board Vice Chair Angela Ippolito said the board has relied on the current Master Plan in “just about every zoning article that we’ve passed over the past 12 years.” She also noted that “probably 85%” of the current Master Plan was completed or is still ongoing. Other items were deemed not needed or pushed to a later timeframe.
“It’s been very well executed upon, and I think we can look at a lot of the major moves that we made in town and rely on the Master Plan,” Ippolito said. “It gives us a basis for direction…These are really critical documents that have been well researched, well discussed, well throughout with a lot of expertise behind them. It’s just a wonderful document to use as a guideline.”
Montanez also suggested the creation of a Master Plan Implementation Committee to champion the plan, coordinate implementation and track progress. Milton and Arlington have “proven capacity strengthening structures,” Montanez said.
The next comprehensive update to the Master Plan is expected to start between 2030 and 2034.
The final draft of the Master Plan is available on the community development page on the town website.
