A committee formed to draft a vision for the town’s future is advancing to the next stage of creating a comprehensive plan – determining how the vision can become reality.
Now that the 13-member Comprehensive Plan Committee has an overall picture of what town residents envision, it will identify specific goals, policies and strategies to guide South Berwick’s planning for the next 10 years in accordance with that vision, the Town Council heard last week from Councilor Jessica Cyr, who serves on the committee.
In her report on the committee’s progress at the Aug. 8 meeting, Cyr said the group is ready to designate assignments for oversight of each section of the new Comprehensive Plan to ensure that the town staff, council and boards use it as a foundation for decision making.
Assigning those responsibilities now would be premature, Town Manager Tim Pellerin responded. Once the committee finalizes the document, a public hearing will be scheduled, after which the committee will decide on a final draft of the plan and seek approval from the council and the state, he said.
Council Chair Mallory Cook suggested that the Town Council should oversee the actions recommended in the new document, and it may assign specific tasks to other town bodies at a later point.
While a Comprehensive Plan is generated and applied locally, it must be reviewed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for its compatibility with the Maine Growth Management Act. This law was designed to limit sprawl by encouraging towns to centralize growth and preserve rural areas.
In spite of efforts by the state and towns, the State Planning Office says 60-80% of new growth since the initiative was enacted is happening in rural areas. This is attributed to a lack of follow through, a failure to get full backing of townspeople, weak policies, and weaker implementation strategies and actions.
The local plan will receive a rating of “Consistent” if it meets the statewide goals laid out in the act. Towns aren’t restricted only to the 13 required growth-related topics such as the local economy, housing and natural resources. The South Berwick committee has included “Arts” and “Downtown” components.
Comprehensive plans are not required by law but are strongly recommended by the state. Fewer than half the 458 organized municipalities in Maine have developed a comprehensive plan. South Berwick last updated its plan in 2007.
The vision for the town’s future was drafted using the results of this survey sent to all residents in 2022.
