LUPC working on updated Comprehensive Land Use Plan
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Land Use Planning Commission has begun work on updating the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Stacy Benjamin, acting planning manager for LUPC discussed the process with the Piscataquis County Commissioners during an April 21 meeting.
The plan was last updated more than a decade and a half ago and is required to be in place for the LUPC, she said.
“The reason we are updating it now is in 2012 there was a significant reform, LURC became LUPC, there were changes to the scope and purpose statement,” Benjamin said. “Also many of the goals and policies that were identified in the 2010 plan have been implemented, including the highest priority item,” guiding the location of development.
“A new plan would be more forward facing, it would be based on the best available information that we have now for data,” she said. “We are in the process of updating it right now, we are taking a phased approach and we are in a pre-process so we are just collecting information. We are reaching out to people to hear what the issues are, their experiences with the commission, their experiences within the service area.”
LUPC commissioners oversee the state’s Unorganized Territories as well as some towns and plantations, including Beaver Cove in Piscataquis County.
The commission has held information sessions on various topics including forest resources, development, housing, wildlife conservation and flood resilience. The next is in June and this will be on lakes and rivers.
A public survey is being developed for the summer and then in the fall and winter there will be community workshops. “Ultimately there will be a proposal for the process to actually update,” Benjamin said.
The adoption process would be lengthy, including approval by the legislature.
“We encourage you to let people know and encourage them to participate in our survey, meetings,” she said. “People can send me comments and questions any time I am happy to respond.”
Benjamin also mentioned LUPC adopted a notice requirement for short-term rentals last year after hearing many concerns and conducting a year of outreach.
The no-fee notices provide basic information on the short-term rentals.
LUPC commissioners could opt to continue with this or not.
“We will have to see what the data tells us in the coming years,” Benjamin said.
LUPC has recently adopted some standards for solar developments and battery energy storage systems. Location considerations and development standards are in place for those specific uses.
Several years ago requirements were adopted for certain accessory structures, such as being a certain distance away from property lines and out of floodplains.