A two-year comprehensive planning initiative for the City of Chelsea is nearing its conclusion.
City Manager Fidel Maltez provided an update on the comprehensive plan, Chelsea ¡Pa’Lante, Onward!, in a communication to the city council this week.
“The content of the plan, which you are familiar with at this point, now blends the vision statement that was crafted by the community, our six core goals, and the strategies we’ll use to accomplish them with the existing conditions report done on Chelsea and the framework for growth that will support all the goals we are setting out to achieve,” Maltez stated. “We are now entering our final phase – ¡Pa’Lante, Onward! This is the opportunity to share back, revise, and adjust as we head to our final approval seeking process with the Planning Board and ultimately, the City Council.”
Residents are encouraged to view the full draft plan in both English and Spanish at palante.chelseama.goy and may submit feedback via our online form on the website or by emailing palante(@chelseama.gov, according to the city manager.
“This month, the City is conducting the final engagement push at the following events,” Maltez said. “City staff will host a table at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Tuesday, September 15, from 3-7 p.m. in Chelsea Square, 179 Winnisimmet Street, offering an informal, drop-in setting for residents to learn about the plan while they shop local. Chelsea ¡Pa’Lante, Onward! Open Office Hours will be on Thursday, September 17 from 3-5 p.m. in City Hall, Room 305, 500 Broadway, giving residents a more focused setting to ask detailed questions of planning staff and our consultant team from Utile.”
Finally, the Chelsea Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, third floor of City Hall, 500 Broadway, where the Planning Board will see a brief presentation and take public testimony on the plan.
“Following the informational public hearing, the plan will proceed to two formal votes,” Maltez said. “The Planning Board is scheduled to vote on Chelsea ¡Pa’Lante, Onward! at their meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Following the vote of the Planning Board, the plan will be formally submitted to the City Council for your review, public hearing, and vote.”
Maltez encouraged council members to share the dates and resources with their constituents and to attend where possible, both to support resident participation and to hear firsthand the feedback generated.
“Staff will continue to keep the Council updated as we near the finish line of this monumental planning effort,” Maltez said.