Subject: |
Order to adopt the 2013 Comprehensive Plan, as prepared by the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC) and revised by the Community Development Committee (CDC), dated September 23, 2013.
A public comment period will not be included with this item because a public hearing was held regarding this matter at an earlier date.
ACTION: Council action is anticipated. |
Summary: |
In response to a 2008 Council charge, LPAC has been working since April 2010 to update the 2000 Comprehensive Plan. The plan was presented to the Council on August 26, 2103. The Council conducted a special work session to review the plan on September 16, and referred the plan to the Community Development Committee (CDC) for further review. The CDC met on September 23 and made a few revisions to the draft plan. The CDC version of the plan, dated September 23, is attached. On October 16, the Council held a Public Hearing on the plan at which time no comments were received.
The draft Order is for the Town Council to:
- adopt the 2013 Comprehensive Plan as prepared by the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee and revised by the Community Development Committee, dated September 23
- submit the plan to the State of Maine for a review of consistency with the Growth Management Act, and
- assign implementation priorities and responsibilities accordingly.
Background information:
The Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC):
- met over 70 times,
- examined the accomplishments of the 2000 Comprehensive Plan,
- asked residents what they thought of Falmouth as place to live or do business (and what could be improved),
- studied development trends since 2000,
- researched a multitude of local and regional plans developed since 2000,
- investigated thirteen specific topics affecting Falmouth,
- conducted a statistically-valid survey of all Falmouth residents and businesses,
- sought feedback on draft chapters, and
- consulted on a regular basis with Town Councilors.
The resulting recommended plan has been published in three volumes.
Volume I is the actual plan. It discusses three key topics (future land use, regional coordination, and capital investment), lays out recommended goals and policies for a wide variety of topics, lists the seventy actions for implementation, and describes a process for monitoring actual implementation over the next ten years.
Volume II provides background information that is the basis for the plan. It includes an in-depth discussion of thirteen topics, discusses the various survey results and public participation efforts, gives a status report on implementation efforts of the 2000 Comprehensive Plan, lists the various studies that have been conducted since 2000, and sources for the images used. Suggestions for priorities and possible responsible parties for each of the seventy actions are also included in Volume II.
Volume III provides about two dozen maps that give a visual picture of the town.
From a land use perspective, the Plan presents the concept of two commercial/mixed use growth areas: Route 1 and Route 100. Surrounding these areas are two compact residential and infill growth areas. These areas are envisioned to provide excellent accessibility to the commercial areas through walking and bicycling trails, ways, and transit links. The remainder of the community is proposed to be designated as a rural area.
Attachments:
- Draft Order to Adopt the 2013 Comprehensive Plan
- PowerPoint Presentation of August 26, 2013
- Volume I: The Plan
- Volume II: Appendices
- Volume III: Maps
- FAQ regarding Comprehensive Plan review by Town Council
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