MONTAGUE — After two years of development by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and gathering community feedback, the Planning Board approved Montague’s Comprehensive Plan this week.

The 84-page plan is designed to act as a “blueprint” to help guide town officials in their decision-making across a range of topics. According to FRCOG Housing and Livability Program Manager Megan Rhodes, “the plan can see the overall vision of what the town will want” when it comes to future development.

Rhodes has been working on the Comprehensive Plan since 2022 through community outreach, surveys, town board and committee meetings, and draft feedback sessions. Montague’s former Comprehensive Plan dated back to 1999 and needed updating, and the town received a grant in 2021 to fund the update. According to the background portion of the Montague Comprehensive Plan’s website, a mix of climate change, changing demographics, and population and economic shifts contributed to the need for a large-scale update of existing plan.

The final draft of the Comprehensive Plan was presented to the Planning Board on Tuesday.

The plan includes a “Five Villages: One Future” vision statement that highlights the common goals, including nine key areas of climate, energy, open space, land use, housing, transportation, cultural and historic resources, economic development, and community facilities and services. The Comprehensive Plan has a breakdown of the existing conditions of these different subjects, divided into strengths and weaknesses of the existing infrastructure.

Rhodes noted that when community input on these goals was synthesized into the plan, common issues presented were the lack of affordable housing, a lack of community space in some of the villages and poor public transportation infrastructure.

“We heard a lot of pride about the outdoor spaces in Montague,” Rhodes said when asked about residents’ feedback regarding the town’s strengths. She added that with this pride for Montague’s outdoor spaces, residents expressed a desire for expanded community spaces and swimming locations that the Comprehensive Plan details.

The identification of issues and strengths within the nine key areas highlighted in the plan can inform the implementation of changes. Rhodes said during the Planning Board meeting that an implementation committee would be formed to look at the Comprehensive Plan recommendations. Although vast in their scope, some of the recommendations — such as implementing pedestrian-friendly and traffic-calming initiatives — are already underway.

Rhodes noted that when the town wants to begin addressing further improvements, FRCOG can help with planning, community outreach and technical assistance. With the Planning Board’s approval, the Comprehensive Plan will now be sent to the Selectboard for its endorsement, and eventually to a Special Town Meeting, likely in February.

Town Planner Maureen Pollock and members of the Planning Board praised Rhodes for the draft, with Planning Board Chair Ronald Sicard commenting, “It’s an excellent piece of work.”

A specific date for the Comprehensive Plan to be presented to the Selectboard has not been set, nor has a Town Meeting date. The final draft of the plan can be viewed at montagueplans.org.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.