Somerset hires first town planner, selects master plan firm

The new town planner is a former Somerset woman instrumental for nine years with the Taunton River Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council for Somerset, who’s worked in this field for nearly 20 years while holding a degree in environmental geography.

SOMERSET — The new town planner is a former Somerset woman instrumental for nine years with the Taunton River Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council for Somerset, who’s worked in this field for nearly 20 years while holding a degree in environmental geography.

“I think she’s got exposure to just about everything,” Town Administrator Richard Brown said of Nancy Durfee, who will become Somerset’s first full-time town planner on Aug. 6.

Her salary of $67,500 was the top of the advertised range and the amount budgeted and approved at the annual Town Meeting in May, Brown said.

Durfee has worked as the town of Scituate’s coastal resource officer for four years, following a decade with the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District in Taunton as senior comprehensive planner through 2012.

Between those jobs Durfee, now of New Bedford, worked for two years for the Trustees of Reservations in Westport, overseeing 23 properties of educational programs to increase public awareness.

“What I liked about her background was she has a broad range of experience. She understands planning and she understands Somerset,” said Brown, who worked with several department heads reviewing the candidates.

There were only four applicants, and two were interviewed privately, he said.

“Early in the (interview) discussion she established relationships, and I recognized she would be a great addition to the staff and we would all work together,” Brown continued.

Durfee’s appointment comes at a two-fold and related juncture both Brown and Selectmen Chairwoman Holly McNamara emphasized.

A focus of the new planner’s job will be to oversee creation of an updated town master plan with the firm also chosen last week.

At a meeting of less than 10 minutes, the board approved Durfee’s appointment and the selection of VHB, of Providence, to perform the updated master plan. Brown recommended both.

Selectmen McNamara and Steven Moniz were present and authorized Brown to secure a contract with VHB. They were one of two firms bidding after the town meeting included $100,000 for the work to update a master plan last completed in 2006.

With expertise to handle land use, traffic, waterfront and much more, Brown said they see in VHB a company with the breathe of expertise with New England communities “to get the job done” and that “understood and was interested in Somerset.”

He said those in the field told him the amount of similar work available is significant, likely reducing the number of proposals. “I’m anticipating a good firm at a good price,” Brown said.

He opened the VHB of $99,750 after choosing the company from separate proposals and interviewing its representatives, he said. Maine Design Workshop in that state submitted the other two-part proposal and bid.

He said the master plan contract should be completed within the month and begin a 16- to 18-month process. The work would include town analysis toward economic development, land use patterns, housing, recreation, education and historic preservation, among the areas.

Public forums will be part of the process.

McNamara said VHB has an exceptional reputation, personnel with years of experience and she looked forward to their engaging the community.

After reading its 55-page proposal, McNamara, a structural engineer, said, “I was very impressed.”

While Somerset only builds about 10 houses a year, McNamara said, “It’s not about building out land, it’s about planning for the future.”

The aim of the master plan includes stabilizing the tax base after the closing of Brayton Point and Montaup, and having the town planner work with the new owners on reuse of those prime waterfront properties.

Repurposing of buildings and land include the vacant Wilbur School on Route 103, and the building start of a new 111-room Fairfield by Marriott hotel on Route 6, probably in the fall.

The owners are awaiting state permits to close a $750,000 deal with the town on the 14-acre site across from Home Depot.

“Just because there’s not a lot of land doesn’t mean we won’t be adapting and growing,” McNamara said.

She noted her advocacy for a town planner nearly a year ago. “The master plan and planner go hand in hand,” she said. “I’m happy to see that this has converged.”

McNamara said she met Durfee before the board’s vote on Wednesday. “We’re lucky to find someone with such a wealth of experience,” she said.

Durfee obtained her associate’s degree in environmental engineering from Bristol Community College in Fall River in 1999 and in 2010 obtained her bachelor’s in environmental geography, with a 3.9 GPA and scholarship at Bridgewater State University.

In 2014 she obtained a certificate in grant writing from Bridgewater, has obtained many grants and will be using that skill in her planner job to help secure funding, McNamara said.

When Brown was asked about the need to update a master plan completed  in 2006-07, he identified two factors since then: The closing of the power plants and that “the way we do business has changed since then.”

From Amazon Prime and everything delivered by UPS, from food delivered by Pea Pod or bought at Wal-Mart and Target super stores, Brown said “the nature of how people sustain themselves is different.”

The master plan he envisions will be relevant to what is happening today in Somerset, and looking forward to the future to the extent they can, Brown said.

Email Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com or call him at 508-676-2573.