Donovan Property Masterplan
Location: Norwell, Massachusetts
Date completed: 1998
Client: Norwell Planning Board

The historic Donovan Estate and the 30 acres of meadows which surround it are one of the last rural landscapes in Norwell.

When the Town of Norwell bought the 175 acre Donovan Estate they knew that part of the property would have to be developed to fund the project. Dodson Associates conducted a public participation process to identify appropriate uses for the site, and developed a masterplan for conservation and development, including a plan for a senior housing community on 45 acres of the site. Dodson Associates developed a detailed development RFP and worked with the Planning Board to select a developer for the property. The firm also worked with Attorney Mark Bobrowski to develop revisions to local bylaws necessary to allow the plan to proceed. As a result of this extensive pre-planning and pre-approval process, a developer has purchased the 45 acre development site for more than twice what the town paid for the entire Donovan Estate. Construction is now proceeding on the new development, which will disturb only some 15 acres of the property.

 

The masterplan provided for extensive buffers to streams and
wetlands, and concentrated new development in a
pedestrian-friendly village.
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