Existing Plans

The Town has several existing plans which identify many strengths for the community to build from. As part of this initiative, planning documents and programs from the Town, Bridgewater State University, and the Commonwealth, were reviewed to understand the Town’s existing vision and goals related to downtown revitalization and maximizing the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD).

Town of Bridgewater Comprehensive Master Plan, 2022:

Click here to view the Comprehensive Master Plan

The Comprehensive Master Plan envisions a future in which Bridgewater continues to embrace its historic heritage and charm while welcoming opportunities for growth, change, and economic prosperity. Professional Town staff, committed volunteers, elected officials, and citizens will realize this vision through hard work and respectful collaboration. The Town will cultivate strong partnerships with state institutions and leverage these relationships for the betterment of the community. The Plan looks at existing conditions related to land use, transportation and circulation, housing, economic development, natural, cultural, and open space resources, and facilities and services, and identifies goals, policies, and recommendations for each category.

The Master Plan includes the following goals:

  • Create, maintain, and promote pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure. 

  • Improve downtown access for all modes, including supporting the reconfiguration of Central Square and parking management. 

  • Improve public transit efficiency and connections between transit and other modes. 

  • Encourage a mix of housing types with convenient walking and biking access for residents. 

  • Use “smart growth” approaches to develop housing in a sustainable manner. 

  • Encourage collaboration between the Town, businesses and property owners, representatives of BSU, and local and regional Chambers of Commerce to support economic development in Bridgewater.

  • Strengthen, support, and enhance the character of the Town’s businesses districts. 

  • Provide the necessary infrastructure to meet the Town’s community development needs. 

Downtown Community Development Master Plan, 2014:

Click here to view the Downtown Community Development Master Plan. 

The Downtown Community Development Master Plan addresses the revitalization of Bridgewater’s Central Square and the surrounding area, which currently faces deteriorated sidewalks and roadways, high vacancy rate and business turnover, and deteriorated public and private buildings. The plan looks at opportunities for branding and marketing, a façade improvement program, parking and circulation, potential streetscape improvements, identifies focus areas for investment, zoning recommendations, and considers off-street utilities.

The “Focus Areas for Investment” section investigates six redevelopment sites for their potential to activate Bridgewater’s streets and neighborhoods as well as contribute to the goals of the Housing Production Plan, including underutilized lots on Broad Street, Summer Street, Spring Street, and Hale Street.

Housing Production Plan, 2017:

Click here to view the Housing Production Plan. 

The Housing Production Plan includes a comprehensive housing needs assessment and details housing production goals and strategies aimed at meeting the Town’s housing needs over the next five years (2017-2022). The Plan includes a summary of key demographic and housing supply characteristics, a synopsis of development constraints and limitations as well as detailed goals and strategies to increase the production of affordable housing in Bridgewater. 

Findings from the Housing Production Plan include:

  • The average household size in Bridgewater decreased from 2.81 persons in 2000 to 2.73 persons in 2010. A significant majority (70.6%) of households in Bridgewater consist of 3 people or less.

  • According to Town Assessors Office 2017 data, approximately 60.8% of all housing units in Bridgewater are single-family structures.

  • In 2014, approximately 43.1% of renters in Bridgewater spent more than 30% of their household income on housing-related costs and are considered to be “cost burdened”.

  • With the recent increases in safe yields and its continuing efforts to expand supplies, the Water Department does not expect water supply to be a significant constraint on development for the foreseeable future.

  • Bridgewater does have a number of sidewalks in town, but many suffer from access problems. The Town also lacks adequate bicycle infrastructure. These walking and bicycling conditions are not unbeknownst to the Town and have prompted it to adopt a Complete Streets Policy in 2016.

Goals of the Housing Production Plan include:

  • Create, maintain and preserve affordable housing so that at least 10% of units are affordable.

  • Create, maintain and preserve affordable housing in and around the downtown, specifically focusing on multi-family units and mixed use buildings.

  • Create affordable housing on town owned properties and through adaptive reuse of existing buildings. 

  • Prioritize affordable housing or infill development on abandoned or vacant properties. 

  • Ensure existing affordable housing units are preserved for long-term affordability.

Bridgewater State University, Institutional Strategic Plan, 2018

Click here to view the BSU Institutional Strategic Plan. 

The BSU Institutional Strategic Plan establishes primary goals, objectives, and an implementation plan, which describes the paths by which the institution achieves its strategic priorities and goals. While explicit goals related to expanding partnership between the Town and University are not included, the Institutional Strategic Plan does note programmatic goals that could be great opportunities for Town and University collaboration including:

  • Expand internship, service learning and community service opportunities

  • Advance student life skills, citizenship, civility, institutional pride and a welcoming environment 

  • Serve as a convener of partners across the region to build economic, cultural and intellectual capacity 

  • Serve as a regional catalyst for economic, cultural and intellectual engagement 

Commonwealth Of Massachusetts, MBTA Communities, 2021

Click here to learn more about the MBTA Communities program. 

The Town of Bridgewater is considered an MBTA Community because the Town hosts a commuter rail station. The MBTA Communities Program , adopted in 2021, is a law which requires:

  • MBTA communities have at least one zoning district of reasonable size which permits multi-family housing by-right within 0.5 miles of a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station

  • The minimum gross density must be 15 units per acre 

  • There must be no age restrictions associated with the housing

The goal of the law is to promote transit-oriented development (TOD). MBTA commuter rail communities must be in compliance with the law by  December 31, 2024. The Town has submitted an Action Plan which was approved, and identified existing compliance with the new law, including the 40R Waterford Village Smart Growth Overlay District located 0.5 miles from the commuter rail station. Changes to the existing district may be necessary, including changes to the district boundaries, use schedule, and parking requirements. 

Non-housing characteristics important for consideration in the MBTA Communities district include: 

  • Access to the transit station (currently located within the BSU campus) 

  • Wastewater capacity 

  • Walkability 

  • Bus access for BAT to district 

  • Safety