The Resilient Danvers Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation, and Resiliency (CASPR) Plan
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Climate change will affect all of us. Resilient Danvers is our campaign to take action and transform our energy and transportation systems, support thriving neighborhoods, and grow a diverse and sustainable economy.
Read the Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation, and Resiliency (CASPR) Plan.
Our Action Roadmap
This Action Table lays out the goals, strategies, and actions in each of the six focus areas of the CASPR Plan. Use the arrows to expand and explore the table and see the progress we've made towards implementing each action!
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Adopt the Stretch Energy Code and Municipal Opt-In Provisions to ensure new construction is designed for electrification and can meet net-zero performance standards, per Green Communities Criterion 5. 2025 Update: Internal discussions focus on BOS telling staff to proceed. | 11% |
1.1.B | Establish expedited zoning and permitting processes for new construction and significant rehabilitation projects incorporating on-site renewable energy and storage, as well as as-of-right renewable energy facilities per Green Communities Criterion 2. 2025 Update: Discussed but not started. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.2.A | Enhance existing incentives for homeowners to encourage energy efficiency and conversion of homes to all-electric systems. 2025 Update: Ongoing, every year the program is enhanced. | 0% |
1.2.B | Develop incentives to encourage energy efficiency and conversion of commercial and institutional buildings to all-electric systems. 2025 Update: Ongoing, every year the program is enhanced. | 100% |
1.2.C | Establish an energy use baseline inventory for municipal buildings and facilities, street and traffic lighting, and vehicles and adopt a plan to reduce energy use by 20% within five years, per Green Communities Criterion 3. | 75% |
1.2.D | Enable Commercial PACE by opting into MassDevelopment Program and develop supporting programs to drive participation. | 20% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.1.A | Relocate the Electric Department to a facility outside a floodplain and ensure the overall design and structure consider flooding and other climate hazards. 2025 Update: The search is currently under way and is related to the new DPW facility that is being planned. | 20% |
2.1.B | Implement short-term actions to increase the resilience of the Electric Department facility and all emergency response facilities to climate hazards. | 20% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.2.A | Establish and implement flood prevention measures that exceed the Town’s current standards to be eligible for the FEMA Community Rating System program in the future. 2025 Update: Revised Flood Plain Bylaw adopted at Feb 2025 STM | 100% |
2.2.B | Review guidelines for historic buildings to identify potential conflicts with energy-efficiency enhancements and identify appropriate solutions. | 8% |
2.2.C | Provide financial assistance to low- and fixed-income individuals for weatherization and efficient cooling. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Secure supply contracts that support new renewable energy development in the region via the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund and Energy New England Programs. 2025 Update: Town has explored this opportunity and further action is pending federal decisions. | 0% |
1.1.B | Identify neighborhoods and building clusters that are suitable candidates for geo-microgrid systems. 2025 Update: Town has explored this opportunity, but action is not feasible at this time. | 3% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.2.A | Implement policies and practices necessary to achieve SolSmart Gold level certification for the Town. | 53% |
1.2.B | Identify potential locations for large solar + storage developments on municipal, state owned, or underutilized sites, such as large surface parking areas. 2025 Update: Landfill solar project in the works. | 33% |
1.2.C | Provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable or alternative energy generating facilities, research and development facilities, or manufacturing facilities, per Green Communities Criterion 1. 2025 Update: Zoning code allows for renewable or alternative energy generating facilities in Danvers. | 100% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.1.A | Develop rebates that encourage more battery systems in Danvers with adders to solar net metering rates modeled on the Massachusetts SMART program. 2025 Update: Determining potential increase to solar and rebate program | 0% |
2.1.B | Create additional rebates to access demand response services provided by home and commercial battery systems modeled on the Eversource Connected Solutions Program. 2025 Update: Town is pursuing alternate battery project at this time - Summer 2025 5MW battery storage project going into service | 0% |
2.1.C | Introduce off-peak pricing program for electric vehicle charging. 2025 Update: Potential launch Q2 2026 | 79% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
3.1.A | Develop a prioritization framework that anticipates likely rate of transition, current system capacity, and other maintenance priorities of the distribution system. 2025 Update: Developing long-range load growth forecasting model to predict and plan for electrification impacts | 50% |
3.1.B | Engage operators of commercial fleets and large facilities to collaboratively plan electrification transitions. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
3.2.A | Communicate with staff at critical facilities about backup power options and best practices. | 0% |
3.2.B | Elevate or relocate vulnerable substations and avoid siting future substations in flood zones. | 0% |
3.2.C | Maintain a list of ready project ideas to draw on unspent ARPA and other block funding received by the Town. 2025 Update: ARPA no longer exists so not moving forward with this action | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Pursue local, state, and federal funding to acquire private parcels with a high natural resource or recreational value. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.2.A | Create an inventory, planting, and management plan for all Town trees. 2025 Update: Map has been created. Putting a capital plan together for hiring interns for summer 2026 to collect public shade trees and working to design a database of appropriate fields to collect when planting and maintaining public trees. | 88% |
1.2.B | Develop and implement an appropriate tree protection ordinance applying to public and private land that maintains tree cover and values resilience benefits of trees. 2025 Update: Working on crafting goals for this ordinance. | 30% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.3.A | Ensure update to Open Space and Recreation plan prioritizes equitable access to recreation areas, open spaces, and trails and potential strategies to increase access. 2025 Update: Consultant has been hired for this project. | 28% |
1.3.B | Develop and disseminate guidance, tools, and best practices on incorporating site-appropriate cooling features in parks and open space areas. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.1.A | Preserve undeveloped land around water resources and coastal areas. 2025 Update: Concluding design work to address erosion at John George embankment. Water treatment plant starting forestry management plan around Middleton pond. | 2% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.2.A | Accelerate the uptake of sustainable landscaping practices through rebates, incentives, and education. 2025 Update: Sustainable landscaping materials available. Educational materials on Town Facebook page. | 100% |
2.2.B | Create a municipal planting policy that prioritizes native species well-suited for anticipated climate changes, different soil types, and supports pollinators. 2025 Update: Native plant event at Endicott Park occurred in June 2025. | 83% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
3.1.A | Design and implement a rain garden program that provides financial and technical assistance to residential and commercial properties. 2025 Update: There has been discussion on creating a rain garden program that provides tools to residents. Financial assistance has not yet been discussed. Native Plant Palette Tool link is posted on www.danversma.gov | 75% |
3.1.B | Research funding opportunities and prepare materials to apply for funding to implement capital improvement projects to enhance the long-term sustainability of the water system and protect public health. 2025 Update: Applied for grants to analyze interconnections and cybersecurity. | 10% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
3.2.A | Prioritize and highlight green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) best practices in public open spaces and other municipal properties. | 20% |
3.2.B | Create a stormwater utility to fund projects and enhance Town drainage infrastructure. | 0% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Build in redundancies and battery backup across communications infrastructure. 2025 Update: Currently gathering information, identifying points of weakness, and researching stakeholders | 13% |
1.1.B | Increase training for emergency response personnel around climate hazards. 2025 Update: Currently identifying all possible response types related to climate and climate emergencies, especially new hazards the town does not have previous experience with. Training will be focused on these results. | 14% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.2.A | Pilot a neighborhood resilience hub that provides daily needed resources and emergency response services to enhance community resilience. 2025 Update: Currently exists as an online resource, looking at making it a physical space going forward. | 100% |
1.2.B | Partner with local health and wellness service providers to promote access to resources that address chronic stressors, including mental health services. 2025 Update: Identified Partners: Shelters, churches, supermarkets, food distributors, senior center, Mass General Brigham Healthcare, Lahey Outpatient, Northshore Urgent Care, Beth Isreal. Department is keeping an eye out for any potential new partners. | 100% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Develop a bicycle infrastructure plan. 2025 Update: Transportation Needs Assessment is the first step in this process which is ongoing to be finished June 2025 | 15% |
1.1.B | Establish signed bike routes between key destinations. 2025 Update: Transportation Needs Assessment is the first step in this process which is ongoing to be finished June 2025 | 15% |
1.1.C | Create connections between existing transit stops and employment or economic centers. 2025 Update: New bus route to be implemented January 2026 to include downtown, Liberty Tree MGH, Salem Skipper just added to Danvers that connects transit and employment centers | 13% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.1.A | Create a public realm improvement program that prioritizes pedestrian safety and comfort. 2025 Update: Public realm improvement program through downtown zoning has been implemented | 20% |
2.1.B | Promote incentives and highlight best practices from developers to incorporate Quality of Place into construction and renovation. 2025 Update: Subdivision Rules and Regulations recently updated to incorporate more connections rather than dead-end streets | 60% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
3.1.A | Create an EV charger incentive and technical assistance program for commercial and public spaces. 2025 Update: Level 2 charging rebates for homes are already offered to residents. Working with car dealerships for level 3 chargers. 3 new public charging stations funded by the state. | 100% |
3.1.B | Adopt a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Policy for all municipal departments and the school district and develop a plan for transitioning vehicles, per Green Communities Criterion 4. 2025 Update: Drafted an alternative vehicle fuel plan for the Town and the new Town Manager will need to approve. Have made progress with electrifying the Town fleet – police and other depts purchased EVs. | 90% |
3.1.C | Leverage municipal utility to facilitate installation of electric school bus and municipal vehicle charging infrastructure. 2025 Update: Continuing to look for an electric school bus grant and talking to leasing companies. Have applied for several grants but have not yet been successful. | 62% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.1.A | Expand existing plastic bag ordinance to target other types of single-use plastics. 2025 Update: Health dept. passed styrofoam ban in Danvers restaurants. | 100% |
1.1.B | Expand sustainable purchasing programs within Town operations. 2025 Update: Currently have a "buy recycled" policy. | 3% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
1.2.A | Partner with Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School to offer repair clinics. 2025 Update: Meeting with Salem recycling coordinator to discuss their repair events. | 18% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.1.A | Develop an ordinance for all multi-family residences, commercial establishments, and schools that phases in mandatory recycling and composting requirements in alignment with state policies. | 2% |
2.1.B | Implement a residential curbside composting pilot program. 2025 Update: Applied for a grant to start a pilot curbside composting program with MassDEP. Grant awards to be announced in 2025. Early stages of school program. | 27% |
| Action | Description | Percent Complete |
2.2.A | Determine the best way to incorporate a Save-Money-And-Reduce-Trash (SMART) program into the new waste franchise agreement. Rolled out new program in September of 2023. | 100% |
2.2.B | Expand the types of waste that can be collected at Town drop-off events. 2025 Update: Danvers has completed a styrofoam event but still needs to expand materials collected at annual events. | 19% |
2.2.C | Support the development of producer responsibility approaches for materials that are difficult to manage in local programs, including paint, packaging, electronics, and carpet, via the Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council. 2025 Update: Expressed support for a paint stewardship law in Massachusetts. | 0% |
Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation, and Resiliency Plan
Danvers Is Taking Action
Danvers is stepping up to make sure our community can thrive despite the challenges ahead. The Resilient Danvers Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation, and Resiliency (CASPR) Plan will establish bold goals for reducing our contribution to climate change and supporting a resilient and healthy community.
Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation and Resiliency Plan
Focus Areas
The CASPR Plan includes goals and achievable actions in six key areas. These key areas were selected because within each of them we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our community's resilience. Click on each Focus Area below to see the fact sheet!
Community Engagement
Community Driven Planning
A group of community stakeholders and Town staff came together to form an Advisory Group to guide the planning process. The Advisory Group met four times and directly shaped the goals, strategies, and actions in the CASPR Plan. More than 700 residents also shared their feedback, ideas, and priorities in a Community Survey that helped the Advisory Group refine the plan and blueprints for implementing actions.