Douglas Master Plan Committee Reviews Open Space and Heritage Chapters, Secures CMRPC Funding

DOUGLAS -- March 18, 2026, Douglas Master Plan Committee advances open space and cultural heritage chapters with $10,000 CMRPC staff grant secured. The committee, meeting March 18, heard from planners John and Sam that the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission had approved an additional $10,000 in staff time through the District Local Technical Assistance program, providing what members described as enough support to "get us across the finish line." Draft action items reviewed Wednesday include completing the Mumford Riverwalk along a roughly one-mile Mechanic-to-Gilboa Street corridor, creating a parcel prioritization map to guide future conservation acquisitions, updating a lapsed ADA self-evaluation plan to restore eligibility for state accessibility grants, and resolving the murky ownership of Badluck Pond, a state-designated ecological site with no clear title dating to original King George land divisions. A 96-photo community contest, with participants ranging in age from 11 to 86, will supply the plan's cover image; winners are to be announced at a joint session with the Planning Board on March 26.