In its 50th year, the Concord Historical Commission is teaming up with the Planning Division on a yearlong process to develop a community-wide Historic Preservation Plan for the 21st century.
The Concord Historic Districts Commission will be a key partner.
According to the town manager’s office, the plan “will support the integrated, cross-disciplinary approach of Concord’s 2018 community plan, Envision Concord: Bridge to 2030” and the goals of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which is charged with orchestrating “the largest and most inclusive observance in our nation’s history” in 2025 and 2026.
The town last had a preservation planning document 20 years ago, and “dramatic societal and environmental changes helped reshape the approach to and practice of preservation,” the announcement said.
New national preservation priorities include expanding the narrative to reflect a more complete and inclusive American story; supporting sustainability while preparing for and responding to climate change and extreme weather; addressing the housing crisis; and bolstering economic vitality in the wake of the global pandemic.
The town will work with Heritage Strategies, LLC, a preservation consulting team that has developed plans for scenic byways, communities, National Heritage Areas, and World Heritage Sites across the country as well as locally with Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area and the towns of Sudbury, Lenox, and Falmouth, among others.
The project kicked off with background research in Concord’s historic resources, programs, policies, partners and stakeholders.
Stakeholder and public forums will be hosted by the CHC, the town, and the consultants from Heritage Strategies in the coming months to gather direct public input. Recommendations and a final report will be completed in late 2024.
For more information and to stay up to date as the project evolves, see the dedicated webpage: https://www.concordma.gov/3479/Historic-Preservation-Plan-Project.
To receive an email notification about upcoming events, workshops, and more, go to the Town’s webpage and sign up under Notify Me for Historic Preservation Plan Project.
