Harwich officials are looking to break their reliance on outside consultants by bringing the town’s primary long-term planning document under local control. During the Tuesday meeting of the Local Planning Committee, members discussed a proposal to purchase professional design software and acquire original editorial files from consultants Tighe & Bond. The move is intended to allow the town to update the Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) internally as a living document rather than paying for professional revisions every time a small change is required.

Board member Brian Power questioned if the town had exhausted opportunities to take over the technical management of the document. I could see little tweaks needed from now until it's voted on, and I'd rather not feed the consultants for every small change, Power said, noting that Adobe software for government use is available at a significant discount. If we have the resources to update it, it proves it's a living document and won't just sit on a shelf. Town Planner Christine Flynn agreed to investigate the current contract and whether the editorial files can be released to the town. Motion Made by B. Power to approve the minutes from August. Motion Passed (6-0-0).

The committee is currently navigating the final stages of the draft plan, which serves as a ten-year roadmap for the town's development, environment, and infrastructure. This effort comes as Harwich faces significant environmental hurdles, including data showing that 90% of coastal embayments are impaired, a reality that has recently pushed the Conservation Commission toward stricter native landscaping mandates. Barbara Nickerson reported that her recent presentation to the Conservation Commission was met with appreciation. I walked the Conservation Commission through the presentation. It was positive, and they were thankful for the update, Nickerson said.

Coordination with other town bodies is central to the committee's strategy for the May Town Meeting. Ed McManus volunteered to provide updates to the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals to build consensus early. We want to walk into Town Meeting saying we have the voted support of 18 boards and 37 committees, McManus stated. Flynn noted that formal letters of support from key boards, including Health and Historic, are being targeted for the end of December to bolster the plan's standing before the warrant deadline in February.

Public feedback continues to shape the document's finer details. Flynn highlighted beautiful, detailed written feedback from Library Director Jenny Hewitt, while Mary Jones noted that residents have submitted comments regarding the town's schools. Specific localized concerns were also raised, including a request to explicitly identify West Harwich as a National Register District. Sally Urbano felt we were weak on historic stuff regarding West Harwich, McManus noted. We should evaluate if we want to include specific goals for National Register Districts. Power also pointed out that higher-quality photos he provided of East Harwich were missing from the latest draft and should be swapped in before the plan is finalized.

Looking ahead, the committee intends to launch a marketing campaign in early spring to educate voters on how the LCP helps leverage state and federal funding, potentially saving taxpayers significant sums on large-scale projects. Chair Garrett Kern emphasized that the goal is not to reopen the entire drafting process but to showcase the final product. We’ll need a marketing campaign in early spring. Not to ask what people think—that ship has sailed—but to show them this great plan. It’s a biopsy of the state of Harwich, Kern said. Due to scheduling conflicts and a lack of a quorum, the committee will skip its October session and reconvene in November to finalize the draft after the current 60-day public comment period concludes.