Government

Comprehensive Plan Update Committee

 The Comprehensive Plan Update Committee is working on updating the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.   
If you want to receive regular email updates on the progress of the update committee’s work email Scott Hastings, the town planner, at shastings@newgloucester.com

Why have and update a Comprehensive Plan?
A town’s comprehensive plan takes stock of where the town is and then sets goals for where the town’s residents want it to be.  New Gloucester last updated our comprehensive plan in 1990.   A lot has changed since then.  An update lets us find out exactly what has happened in town and see how we are doing on the goals that were in that plan.
The comprehensive plan process is also a chance for all of us to get together and really talk about our town.   What do we like about New Gloucester? What might we like to change? Where do we want to be in the future?  We will talk about all of these things and create new goals as part of the updated plan.
A current comprehensive plan also has certain legal and regulatory benefits.  The state requires plans to be updated every 10 years and meet certain standards.  Plans that meet these requirements are the legal basis for enforceable municipal zoning rules.  They also qualify towns for preferred status when commenting for state grants and working with state departments.
For more information on comprehensive plans, the rules and laws governing them here in Maine, and approved plans from other municipalities go to Maine’s page on comprehensive plans.
Please contact Scott Hastings, Town Planner, with any comments or questions:
Email: shastings@newgloucester.com
Phone: (207)926-4126