HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-08-31 Planning Board Minutes
PLANNING BOARD OF THE CITY OF BANGOR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE MEETING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2004
MINUTES
Board Members Present: Robert Guerette, Chairman
Hal Wheeler, Vice-Chairman
David Clark
Pat Cummings
Ryan King
William Masters
Nathaniel Rosenblatt
Jonathan Siegel
City Staff Present: Katherine Weber, Planning Officer
Peter Witham
Ms. Weber began the discussion with the history of Comprehensive Planning in
Bangor. This would be the fourth time for an update and it would document change
since 2000. It would include a new map of transition areas, updated studies of the
Waterfront, the Mall area, the Airport, and Downtown. With its implementation
strategies it would be a blueprint for 2010.
Mr. Rosenblatt asked if this would be a supplement or replacement of the
Comprehensive Plan 2000 as it is unwieldy. Ms. Weber said that it would be a
replacement. Mr. Guerette asked what policy dictates the Comprehensive Plan. Ms.
Weber explained that it was the State’s Growth Management Act and Statutes that
directed the reasoning and composition of Comprehensive Plans. Mr. Guerette asked if
it was every five or ten years and Ms. Weber said that Growth Management states
every ten years while the State Planning Office recommends every five years.
Mr. Masters asked if the Statutes require a survey and Ms. Weber said that it was
recommended as a tool. She indicated that she had scheduled a Comprehensive Plan
Survey into the current budget but it was removed prior to approval. Also she said that
there are key parts of the Comprehensive Plan that need to be focused on.
Mr. Wheeler said that he would like a copy or reference numbers of the Statutes
establishing the Growth Management Act and a copy of the 1989 Community Survey for
the Board members.
Ms. Weber discussed the changing role of Bangor as the service center for the
region. Ms. Cummings asked about the trends in aging and elderly services and school
populations.
Mr. Rosenblatt said that the Board needed to understand the current Plan before
updating it.
Ms. Weber said that citizen participation is an important part of the
Comprehensive Plan process. Staff will research and draft sections for consideration,
the Board will hold workshops, drafts will be updated. The Board will then make a
recommendation to the City Council who will make the final adoption.
Mr. Rosenblatt asked what the public input would be before the public hearings.
Ms. Weber said that where would be workshops and that she would like to put drafts on
the City’s website.
Mr. Masters asked if it was possible to send input back to the Council to
reconsider the budget, regarding the survey. He also asked how far into the future to
go for planning even though the Growth Management talked about every 10 years,
there was a pamphlet from the 1960’s that predicted a Jetson’s lifestyle.
Mr. Guerette said that from his experience with various community groups,
planning five years into the future could be challenging.
Mr. Masters wondered what some of the approved development would look like
in twenty years.
Ms. Weber said that implementation of a Plan will take longer than the five years
and at that point the Plan may change.
Ms. Cummings said that there might be an overall short term plan, but specific
areas could be looked at longer term.
Ms. Weber said that Growth Management Act requires public input, advertising
for thirty days and copies available for review before adoption.
Mr. Siegel agreed that the current plan is unwieldy and poorly organized and that
there needs to be transparency in the rewrite process.
Ms. Cummings said that there should be active and not passive engagement with
the public.
Ms. Weber indicated that it was important to get input from those most
interested who will then share ideas with non-leaders and disenfranchised citizens. She
said that a dialogue on policies and drafts could be started, transition areas policies, a
new cultural plan inclusion. The Land Development Code is an outgrowth of the
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Comprehensive Plan and rezoning of the City could happen, maybe not overall, but in
some areas.
Bill Masters asked about the debate of Comprehensive Plan as a fluid or solid
document.
Ms. Weber talked about Land Use Concepts Map versus Zoning Policy Map versus
the existing Zoning Map.
Mr. Siegel said mentioned the open space issue.
Mr. Rosenblatt said that he hoped the discussions on open space and completion
date extensions does not have to wait for the Comprehensive Plan update.
Ms. Weber said that discussions of the Land Development Code are always
ongoing.
Mr. Masters asked how permitted and conditional uses are determined in the
Ordinance.
Ms. Weber said that they have evolved over time and that any proposed use
issue may be brought up and put on the agenda for discussion.
Mr. Guerette asked about the timeframe for adoption of the Update. Ms. Weber
stated a goal of the fall of 2005 and that workshops could be scheduled monthly
perhaps on nights of light Planning Board agendas.
Ms. Cummings said that a brainstorm for a survey should be done.
Mr. Wheeler cited a recent example of how public opinion can influence the
Council to change its mind twice. He said that the Plan can not predict everything and
that it should include some element of unpredictability.
Ms. Weber discussed the definition of transition areas and the Board discussed
the areas on the map. New York Street to be removed and Penjajawoc Marsh to be
added.
Mr. Masters wondered how the City could keep EMMC from tearing down the
whole neighborhood.
Mr. Wheeler wondered if there was any state data on the economic input of eco-
tourism.
Discussion on Marsh Area facilitation has been postponed three times.
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Mr. Wheeler indicated that he was discomforted with the prospect of identifying
what the area would be like in fifty years and that the Board should be focused on five
or ten years.
Mr. Siegel said that there was folly in not looking to the future and cited the
example of people thinking it folly to establish Central Park in New York City.
Mr. King said that he would like the transition areas map to include the
Downtown Development District and was concerned with the Downtown sprawling
outward into residential and historic districts.
Mr. Clark said that once something has begun things can change very quickly
and referred to the Bangor Mall area.
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