Across the street

Last night, while my son was at practice across the street at Central School, I attended a Planning Board meeting in the Town Hall Auditorium alongside fellow members of the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Town's consultants from SMPDC.

The Planning Board agenda was light, allowing us to delve into discussions surrounding the Town's Comprehensive Plan for most of the hour-long session. I've been a Town Council liaison with the Comprehensive Plan Committee since its establishment in April 2022. Over the past 22 months, the group has seen a dwindled in size, but a dedicated core remains. Initially, in 2022, our focus was on a minor plan update. However, more recently, the Town Council has decided to pursue alignment with Maine's Grown Management Act, aiming to position the Town favorably for certain grants. During the meeting, we addressed various aspects of the plan, focusing on the Housing and Land Use chapters and their associated goals, policies, and strategies.

We aim to present the plan to the public in April, followed by a final presentation to the Town Council in May. From there the plan will be sent to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to be certified. The Planning Board meeting wrapped just in time for the end of basketball practice. Another meeting working across groups to ensure alignment with goals.