Buckfield to launch update of comprehensive plan

BUCKFIELD – Now that Buckfield’s subdivision regulations have been successfully updated – a project that consumed more that a year – the town’s planning board is turning to the next major task at hand. 

“It’s called a comprehensive plan, we’ve got to do it,” stressed planning board member Richard Piper.

Town Manager Glen Holmes agreed, stating that without a current comprehensive plan, the town is ineligible for most for the grants he might otherwise apply for.

Members of the board will now look to rewriting the town’s comprehensive plan, with hopes of bringing a new draft to voters in time for the next annual town meeting in June 2005.

As a major first step towards that goal, a public workshop has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 15, at the Buckfield Municipal Building.

In preparation for this workshop, board members will be reviewing the town’s existing plan, along with a number of previous proposals for revision. 

Buckfield’s current comprehensive plan was written in 1984.  In 1993 a complete revision was drafted and brought before voters in a public hearing, with mixed results.

“A very complete draft was presented to the public during a very well attended public meeting,” recalled Planning Board Chairman Judy Berg.  “It was not well received.”

As a consequence of negative reaction, that plan revision was never taken to the town for a public vote.  The update and languished away in limbo ever since. 

According to Berg, some additional work was done in 2001 to update certain sections of the plan.  Those updates will be looked at, along with the entire 1993 proposed revision.  Board members will also be reviewing current plans from other area towns, including Turner and Greenwood.

“We are really just brainstorming at this point,” said Berg.

The planning board hopes to save money by doing much of the work themselves.  Berg advised the board that the town would not be eligible for any state funding, as a grant had been used to complete the revision done in 1993.

Berg recently attended a selectmen’s meeting in hopes of soliciting approval for the project, along with a commitment to secure necessary funding.  Berg informed selectmen that the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments has provided an estimate of $7,000 for them to undertake work on the plan.

“We thought that was a bit much,” said Berg.  “We were thinking probably closer to $5,000.  We think that we can make a real push.  We can do most of the work ourselves.  The only thing that we cannot do is the maps.

“We would just like sense from you [selectmen] that we would be able to go to voters,” said Berg.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Selectmen Oscar Gammon.  “If this is the only way that we are going to get it, then we ought to be at it.  I would say that as soon as you are ready to ask for some money, then come to the board and we’ll decide what we are going to do about a special town meeting.”

Berg does not expect a dollar figure for plan costs to be decided on at the upcoming workshop.  At that time, members will mostly be crafting an overall framework for the plan, including the debate on how much, if any, zoning to include.

“The most important thing we have to do is come up with zoning,” said Berg.  She stated that state approval of any plan would require a minimum of “growth area” and “rural” zones.

Board members have also recently debated the need for zoning in the downtown village area.  Such zoning might include different regulations for development in that area, such as shorter setback requirements.  Currently, a planned expansion at the Zadoc Long Free Library has hit a snag due to property line setbacks, which are now uniform throughout the entire town.