The solicitation of nominations of priority development/redevelopment and priority protection sites was a "bottom up" rather than "top down" exercise to identify priority areas in the region for development and protection. This process was not intended to produce a comprehensive land use plan, but rather an identification of the "priority" areas as defined by each community.

In following this process, we did not address the larger "gray areas" that do not fit into a priority category. The appropriate analogy is the iceberg - we have focussed on that part that is above the water (the priority areas), but we have not forgotten the rest.

By asking cities and towns to identify the sites that are the "best" for development or in greatest need of protection, we have addressed one of our objectives, which was to: "stimulate local and regional discussion and consensus building on future development issues. Provide a framework for this discussion by forcing communities to think about where they do and do not want development."

To commence the process, SRPEDD mailed hundreds of nomination sheets and accompanying information to mayors, selectmen, planning boards, conservation commissions, industrial and economic development commissions, historic commissions, chambers of commerce, land trusts, environmental organizations, and citizens of the region. (See appendix 2). As nomination sheets were returned, they were reviewed by the staff and the Land Use Task Force of SRPEDD. Nominations were evaluated against regional land use policies, but were mostly consistent, and none were rejected due to an inconsistency.

The compiled nominations were then returned to the local mayors, boards of selectmen and planning boards for a local sign off. In one community, two nominations were dropped due to objections by the local planning board. Otherwise, there was a local consensus on the sites and areas nominated. All these sites were approved by the SRPEDD Commission on September 24, 1997

SRPEDD has developed a brochure of the priority development and redevelopment sites extolling the numerous and varied development sites in the region, including the 60 Economic Opportunity Areas designated by the state and local governments as priority development areas. This information will also be posted on SRPEDD’s site on the Internet (www.srpedd.org).

The designated protection areas will provide the basis for technical assistance to insure their permanent protection through zoning, acquisition, restriction of development rights, etc.