From the Executive Director- Framing the Future – the new Regional Policy Plan

Over the past year, the Cape Cod Commission worked to update the Regional Policy Plan. The result is a document that is true to the Commission’s mission to balance environmental protection with economic progress. The plan provides a vision, growth policy, and goals-based framework for the region that recognizes the 15 distinct communities, each of which contribute to the region in their own unique ways. The plan is flexible to accommodate local differences, while maintaining its integral role in guiding and coordinating growth and development and protecting the region’s important natural and cultural resources.

The plan provides the policy framework for both the Commission’s regulatory and planning work. For the past decade, the Commission has focused on increasing capacity and expertise to develop regional plans and provide technical assistance to communities.  The Regional Policy Plan is supported by issue-specific regional plans, including those focused on water quality, economic development and transportation, and together, the visions, goals and objectives of these plans outline a path forward toward a strong and resilient region that supports vibrant communities and quality of life on Cape Cod.

I would like to thank Commission staff for their hard work, Commission members for their guidance and support in the development of this plan, and the Cape community, including town staff and elected officials, for their comments that helped shape the document to ensure that it meets the needs, both present and future, of Cape Cod.