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WINTHROP

August 30, 2010

Maine State Planning Office OKs Winthrop Comprehensive Plan

All that remains is local approval

By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

WINTHROP -- A draft updating Winthrop's Comprehensive Plan won approval from the State Planning Office and is now headed for adoption locally.

Comprehensive plan highlights:

* update zoning rules to encourage growth in designated growth areas;

* develop Royal Street into a downtown gateway;

* support a recreational economy and expand hiking and biking trails, especially to Manchester and Mount Pisgah;

* support appropriate commercial development along U.S. Route 202 and promote a common access to keep traffic moving;

* maintain roads according to a long-term plan;

* protect open spaces and lakes;

* expand housing opportunities in a planned and incremental way and support affordable senior housing downtown; and

* maintain and expand public facilities, including a new fire station, a larger library, expand sewer and water to designated growth areas.

The full text of the "Draft Comprehensive Plan 2010 Update" is available on Winthrop's website at www.Winthropmaine.org.

Approval by the State Planning Office is important because it means a town plan shows consistency with Maine's Growth Managemrnt Act and state goals. And an approved plan opens the doors to a wider array of municipal grant funding.

Town Council has scheduled a public hearing and a vote on adoption during its regular meeting for Oct. 4.

The announcement about passing muster with the state came from Patrice Putman, chairman of the Comprehensive Planning Committee.

"I am very excited to be able to do this and really celebrate all of our good, hard work," she wrote to her fellow committee members. "You all did terrific work on this and it shows."

A public hearing -- with notice published 30 days in advance -- is one of the formalities required prior to adoption.

"The committee is pleased that we're going to be able to move forward at this point," said Town Councilor Sarah Fuller, who also served on the Comprehensive Planning Committee. "We're looking forward to public hearing and hearing what the public has to say ... A thoughtful group from the community spent a lot of time and energy on it. Hopefully it will come to fruition."

She noted that some ideas in the plan are already being implemented, including formation of a recreation committee that:

* helped revive a concert series at Norcross Point;

* helped revive a historical group; and

* made a collaborative effort with surrounding towns on ideas for a multiuse trail to connect to the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

The comprehensive plan group started in January 2009 by holding a forum asking people to suggest ways to shape the town for 2020 and 2030.

The committee spent two years revising the town's 1996 comprehensive plan, dividing into subcommittees to work on different aspects. They were aided by Chris Huck, planning director with the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.

All the meetings were open to the public, and the minutes and the final draft are posted on the town's website at www.winthropmaine.org/

Betty Adams -- 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com


 

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