Wave of the Future: Hull Vision Statement

PREAMBLE

We the people of Hull seek to shape a future for our town that preserves and enhances its natural features and rich heritage, while providing the services and amenities that characterize a healthy, dynamic community. Hull's distinguishing characteristics are its spectacular coastal setting, its location in the harbor of a metropolitan region, and its small town identity. These molded the town's past, shape its present, and will provide the framework for its future. Although Hull's land area has been extensively developed, the natural peninsular setting of the town, with its diverse topography, varied landscape and views, and extensive beach front, continues to be its dominant feature and great asset.

We recognize that to nurture the qualities that are valuable to residents and visitors alike, we must establish and renew principles and objectives that will help guide our actions.

PRINCIPLES FOR THE FUTURE

• We should recognize, protect and enhance the qualities of the natural resources that make Hull such an unusual and beautiful environment.
• We should recognize that Hull has a dual, residential and seasonal character that can be and should be compatible.
• We should recognize and enhance our town's identity as a friendly, neighborhood-scaled, family-oriented, relatively affordable residential community.
• We should take advantage of Hull's separate and distinct neighborhood areas and districts, which have evolved from the town's history and topography, to meet its varying goals.
• We should recognize that visitors and summer residents come to Hull for its waterfront amenities, which should be enhanced to improve the experience, value, and revenues to the town.
• We should protect and enhance Hull's maritime character for commercial endeavors, marine recreation, and research.
• We should recognize that the quality of education is fundamental to the quality of life in the community, and work to provide an education program of the highest quality that prepares each student to develop as an individual, to be a moral and socially responsible citizen while preparing to be a productive member of society.
• We should work to expand public transportation of all types with careful planning so that economic and land use impacts are taken into account.
• We should consider each new development opportunity very carefully since relatively few opportunities for development remain.
• We should establish a process that ensures predictable, steady, and visible progress toward our goals.

OBJECTIVES FOR HULL

Waterfront

Hull Harbor Plan: Create and implement a comprehensive waterfront plan to shape and encourage appropriate uses along the waterfront.

Waterfront Uses: Opportunities should be pursued that enhance both recreational and commercial uses of the waterfront. Properly planned improvements should be compatible with residential and tourism uses. This may include dredging or water edge improvements where environmentally responsible and where economically feasible or where state or federal funds may be available as assistance.

Hull's Beaches: Beaches should be well maintained, and access provided through a planned process.

Economics and Business

Increasing Hull's Tax Base: Actions which contribute to an expanded and diverse tax base should be encouraged. In addition to encouraging appropriate opportunities for new development, an increased tax base should be achieved by improving the quality of existing uses.

Tourism and Recreation: Visitors and the recreational activities that attract them are a major contributor to the Town's employment and tax base; new uses and users that minimally impact the community and enhance the quality of life should be encouraged and supported.

Gateway to Boston Harbor: Hull should join in the initiatives underway to establish the Harbor Islands as a comprehensive park system by promoting itself as a gateway to the islands through water transportation connections, visitor information, and other appropriate amenities.

Small Businesses: Small businesses predominate in Hull; efforts should be made to aid these businesses and to encourage diversity in the size and nature of business activities.

Image and Identity

Hull: A New England Coastal Community: New development and improvements to existing properties should enhance the character of the districts in which they occur.

Civic Image and Civic Pride: Hull should work with its existing civic and cultural organizations and the local media to increase promotion of positive images of Hull that instill pride in residents, provide information about upcoming activities and events, and to convey Hull's special qualities, amenities, and opportunities.

Hull and its History: Hull's past is interesting, important and unusual; it is an attraction to visitors. Opportunities to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the past are encouraged.

Clean-up Campaign: Hull should undertake a major clean-up campaign to provide visual and aesthetic improvements throughout the community. This may range from cleaning trash from highly visible locations to encouragement and direct support of private sector building and property improvement efforts. Many small improvements can substantially improve the town's image.

Beautification: Hull should beautify its entry points and main roadways with landscaping and other improvements to enhance the image of the town, welcome visitors, and link its districts.

Ongoing Maintenance: Hull should create a long-term maintenance strategy for Town facilities and communicate it to its citizens so that there is a greater understanding of priorities and appreciation for progress.

The Waterfront: An Opportunity for Research: Establish Hull as a recognized center of information on coastal and marine issues by bringing its unique natural resources to the attention of agencies and academic/research institutions.

Planning and Development

Developable Parcels: Since few undeveloped parcels, either private or town owned, are available, care should be taken in their disposition in terms of future use and benefit to the community.

Hull's Neighborhoods and Districts: Hull is composed of distinct neighborhoods and districts. The future development of Hull should further define and accentuate the best qualities of each district, rather than creating town-wide themes.

An Opportunity for a Special Recreation and Tourism District: The area near Nantasket Beach should be improved to create a more attractive pedestrian environment and reinforce the special qualities of this unique seaside destination.

Regulatory Mechanisms: Hull should review, modify as appropriate, and enforce its zoning, building code, signage ordinance and other regulatory mechanisms consistent with its planning efforts.

Amenities and Open Space

Community Center: A community center should be created as a central meeting place for the town, and provide recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities year around for both adult and youth. This center should serve the greatest number and range of residents possible.

Open Spaces: Hull's beaches, parks, the Weir River area, Straits Pond, and other resources provide Hull with high-quality and diverse open space areas. Hull's planning should concentrate on preserving, protecting, and enhancing public open spaces.

Scenic Viewing Areas: Locations, such as Pemberton Point, are special places which should have park-like improvements to accommodate residents and visitors seeking the vistas found there.

Hull and the Arts: Enhancement of opportunities for the creative arts should be encouraged as both an amenity for residents and an attraction for visitors.

Education and Youth

Educational Quality: The quality of the Hull school system is integral to the quality of life for the town; efforts should continue to enhance the school system in order to provide an excellent environment for Hull's youth.

School Facilities: A high quality physical environment for the schools should be established and maintained.

Curricula Utilizing Hulls Natural Resources: The Hull school system should develop curricula that capitalize on the town's unique natural setting. Support for such an effort could be sought through federal and state funding sources, university and research institutions, and other institutions such as museum and aquariums.

Involve Youth in Community Action: The youth should be participants in activities undertaken to address the community's future in order to help foster a sense of pride in and responsibility for the community. Such involvement should be a coordinated effort between the Town of Hull and its schools.

Public Process

Setting Priorities for Town Services: Hull should use the opportunity of this planning process to help prioritize capital and maintenance programs and inform its citizens of progress to increase understanding of the Town's efforts.

Identify Funding Sources: Hull should undertake a focused effort to identify and pursue State and Federal sources of financing and funding to undertake projects which further the goals established in the Master Economic Revitalization Plan.

The DCR and Nantasket Beach: A permanent and regular liaison process should be established with DCR and the town representation to ensure continued cooperation and coordination on both short-term and long-term issues and to allow conformance of MDC operations, maintenance, and improvements with town goals and initiatives.

Ongoing Public Involvement in Future Planning: Hull should institute processes, such as workshops, forums, and newsletters, to encourage and continue broad public involvement in planning and town government.

Transportation

Access between Hull and Other Places: Hull should improve public transit to and from Hull by working with the MBTA and others to increase access by bus, regional rail networks, bicycle, and passenger ferry. Any significant expansion of water transportation should be carefully coordinated with land use planning and other goals of the town.

Access within Hull: Means for improving north/south linkages within Hull should be pursued for public transit such as a local trolley, for bicyclists, and for pedestrians. Such improvements should acknowledge varying needs according to season and age groups.