The Town of Arlington, through the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), issued the Public Land Management Plan (PLMP) in January, 2023. The goal of the project was to create a management plan for Town-owned open space, recreational land, and other natural resources in line with other Town plans. The plan was funded through a Community Preservation Act grant. The PLMP details a structure for maintaining and managing relevant lands, provides analysis of the policies that govern the lands in question, and advises on the treatment of such lands, including recommendations of best practices. This first edition of the plan includes large public lands, small conservation parcels, parks and fields, and monuments, open spaces, and gardens. Future editions will add concerns like playgrounds, courts, and specific sports fields concerns. The PLMP will be revisited in 2025 and scheduled for updates and additions every three years.

KZLA helped to produce the plan. Representatives of town departments participated in the Public Land Management Working Group to advise the process. The Working Group includes staff from the departments of Planning and Community Development, Recreation, Public Works, and from the Town Manager's office. Members of the Open Space Committee, Conservation Commission, and Park and Recreation Commission also participate, along with a resident of Arlington.

The work was conducted in four phases.

Phase 1 – Assessment of public open space resources and inventory of their current uses

This phase included identifying Arlington’s open space resources in Town plans, reports, and maps, and conducting site visits to understand current conditions. The Public Land Management Working Group identified ongoing management practices and priorities. The findings were reported on April 14, 2022.

Phase 2 – Identification and analysis of state and local legal/regulatory environment pertinent to Town management of open space

KZLA identified the federal, state, and local regulations applicable to the management of sites in this study, such as Article 97, Wetlands Protection Act, and other pertinent laws and regulations. These constraints may shape management practices across different types of lands. The second phase of the PLMP process was completed on May 25, 2022 following input from the Public Land Management Working group.

Phase 3 – Survey of best management practices for municipal-scale open space recommendations for plan implementation

Best management practices were recommended based on the Town's current approaches to public land management and examples from case studies. Given the variety of uses and land types, sometimes even within one property, different management practices often apply to the same site. Priorities were recommended based on costs of implementation and the Town's staffing capacity. This phase was conducted during the summer of 2022. The Working Group met on September 8th to review KZLA's suggestions. Input was then sought from other staff and committees to supplement the Working Group's expertise, including the Cemetery Commission, Garden Club, Historical Commission, and the Engineering and Tree Divisions of the Department of Public Works. A follow-up meeting of the Working Group was held on October 26, 2022 to review input from these stakeholders and provide further feedback.

Phase 4 – Production of final open space assessment reports and maps; submission of the management plan to the Town

A public forum was held on December 12, 2022 to present the preliminary PLMP findings. The final draft of the Public Land Management Plan is available for download.

The PLMP RFQ, KZLA's response, and contract are available for download.

Environmental Planner and Conservation Agent David Morgan manages the Public Land Management Plan. Please send questions and comments to dmorgan@town.arlington.ma.us.