What’s to like about Minot?

MINOT — In an effort to better understand the concerns of Minot residents, the committee responsible for updating that town’s comprehensive plan recently conducted a series of public “visioning sessions.”  From these meetings, John Maloney, a planner with the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, has drafted a vision statement that is intended to drive Minot’s growth patterns for the next decade and beyond.

Minot is currently hammering out an update to its existing comprehensive plan, having appropriated $10,000 for the project at its annual town meeting in March 2004. 

According to committee chairman Candice Benwitz, the plan was last updated “about 10 years ago.”  The visioning sessions, she said, were suggested by Maloney as preferable to a mass mailing survey.

These public hearings, held on November 18 and December 2 at the Minot Consolidated School, reveal a great deal about the Minot mindset.

One glaring irony, however, was the high regard participants gave for Minot as a rural community — where there is a high degree of volunteerism; where one can “count on your neighbor” — and the low number of residents who actually attended the meetings.

Members of the comprehensive planning committee were reluctant to release actual head counts, but did drop certain hints regarding their disappointment over the turnout.

“Sparsely attended,” said Dean Campbell, a committee member who is also chairman of Minot’s board of selectmen.

The committee had hoped for greater participation.  Posters announcing the upcoming visioning sessions were displayed at the November 2 polls, informational flyers were sent home with local students, and each planning member was directed to call 10 residents with personal invitations.

Still, Benwitz feels that the results of this small sampling of opinions should be statistically representative of the community at large.  She does not anticipate additional meetings being scheduled.

Minot’s rural character arose time and again in both gatherings as the local trait most beloved by residents.  It is the one thing they seem to both enjoy, and fear losing the most.

Attendees cited the large open tracts of farmland, the availability of trails, scenic road corridors and expansive vistas, as well as the fact the relatively little land in Minot gets posted against hunting.

Minot was described as a town of many friendly multigenerational families, with plenty of recreational opportunities and lots of local input into town decisions.  Minot was defined as a place with a “sense of history.” 

People were said to enjoy a low crime rate — with an average of fewer than 70 complaints, including traffic violations, filed per month by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.  Residents enjoy good schools with small class sizes, there being 291 students in grades K-8 at the Minot Consolidated School.  People praised a low population (2,248 according to 2000 census figures) and a reasonable tax rate (currently set at 14 mils.)

Certain attendees also made note of Minot as being the highest point in Androscoggin County, where Mount Prospect looms at 920 feet.

However, this “well kept secret,” as one person put it, was also valued for being close to the larger cities of Lewiston and Auburn, as well as to Interstate 95 and the southern Maine population centers.

But their “secret” is one that Minot residents guard jealously.

Participants at both visioning sessions complained about sprawl, noting the number of houses that have sprung up in recent years along the major thoroughfares. 

Fears were expressed that Minot, with no real “village center” to speak of, would continue on this pattern of rapid residential growth and continual curb cuts.

Some feared not only an endless expanse of new driveways from new front yards, but also a loss of access to the back yards.  Continued sprawling development, it was feared, could destroy a way of life for local hunters.

Participants also cited a need to stabilize the tax base with “quality commercial development,” and called on town fathers to display more flexibility in this area.

Despite the low crime rate, residents look for increased police coverage and an improved response time.  And as with many area communities, the volunteer fire and rescue departments always have more work than they have active members.

The rural character of the town, while it does allow one to enjoy the night sky, seemingly limits stargazing to one of the few dependable means of home entertainment.  Infrastructure problems were frequently noted, particularly a lack of high-speed internet service and ongoing issues with the cable television services now provided by Adelphia.

While Road Commissioner Arlan Saunders was generally praised for his work, the high quality of the roads, in all seasons, is said to lead to one of the areas of greatest concern for local residents.  Complaints were often heard regarding “through traffic” and motorist’s high rate of speed.

Residents also voiced an opinion that more funding should be found for improvements to libraries, local ball fields, and adult recreational facilities — with the Little Androscoggin River cited as an untapped resource.

The comprehensive planning committee is now considering Maloney’s vision statement draft.  That plan for the future, at least in its current version, calls for the town to take a stand on maintaining slow, managed growth.

“There will be rural areas consisting of large tracts of land that have woods and fields that can produce timber or produce and provide wildlife habitats and space to hunt.” wrote Maloney.  “Rural characteristics will not be mandated but encouraged through incentives for creative subdivision design that conserves open space, and public-private partnerships (involving state, local and private funding) to acquire conservation easements.”

Campbell did say the new plan is not expected to be completed in time for a discussion and vote at the 2005 town meeting. 

Minot generally tries its best to avoid special town meetings.  The fear, said Campbell, is that there might be a perception that such meetings — which are generally as sparely attended as were the visioning sessions — could be used to push through special interests by groups that might “stack the meeting” with partisan voters.  

Still, Campbell does believe that an updated comprehensive plan  should not wait until the 2006 annual meeting to get approved by the town.  It could be one of the relatively few matters on which selectmen might consider holding a special session.  If that happens, Campbell estimates that such a gathering, to consider Minot’s plan for growth and development, might be called “sometime in June.”

Will such a meeting get “stacked” with those who already approve of the plan, or will there be dissenting voices?

While many participants in the twin visioning sessions concurred with Maloney’s vision statement, urging more “cluster development” with the preservation of open spaces, and while many people spoke of their fears of being overrun by large residential developments, at least one person was heard to express a contrarian view.

Bottom line, as far as this person was concerned: right now, land in Minot brings a pretty good return on one’s investment.