Town planner moves on after productive 6-year tenure

By Jay Turner

Local leaders have another key vacancy to shore up at Town Hall following the recent departure of Town Planner Laura Smead.

Laura Smead

A six-year veteran of the Planning Department, Smead leaves a long list of accomplishments and was widely praised for her efficiency, work ethic, and grant writing capabilities. She also spearheaded a sweeping update of the town’s comprehensive master plan, which articulates a long-range vision for the town’s future and will be used to guide both policy and development decisions over the next 15-plus years.

“Canton is a special community, and it has been a privilege getting to know so many knowledgeable, and dedicated residents and staff,” Smead remarked in an email to the Citizen.

In addition to overseeing the master plan update and successfully managing over $3.8 million worth of grants, Smead served as a key advisor for the Planning Board and several other town committees. She also guided Canton through the process of achieving “Green Community” status, helped the town adopt a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan to bolster its climate change resiliency, and played a key role in the creation of Canton’s Municipal Affordable Housing Trust.

Smead said she was proud of how quickly the community came together to support residents and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, and she was happy to play a role in that effort through a grant program for small businesses and a new emergency housing assistance fund.

Although she thoroughly enjoyed her experience working as a town planner, Smead said she’s excited for her next challenge as she assumes the role of senior planner for Boston-based JM Goldson LLC, a private firm headed by Jenn Goldson that specializes in community planning.

“I am excited to help lead a growing staff of planning professionals in a range of planning projects: master plans, housing analyses, open space plans, and land-use visioning, to name a few,” said Smead. “I am hopeful this new position will allow me to continue to grow my planning and leadership skills while also giving me a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home three days a week. With two young children, I highly value this for work/life balance.”

She notified key town personnel of her decision a few weeks ago and her official last day was April 7. “I will still live locally, so I’m sure I will continue to bump into friendly faces,” she said.

Canton’s town planner position is currently vacant and the Select Board plan to discuss next steps at its meeting on Tuesday, April 26.

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