The Morning Sentinel ran a story in its Saturday paper about our next few forums in central and western Maine on the changes to Site Law. The story also mentions Main-Land Development Consultants‘ owner/president Darryl Brown’s invitation to present the impacts of the proposed changes at the Farmington Planning Board. We are so appreciative of the media coverage we’ve received thus far in the series and think it reflects just how important responsible land development is to Mainers. This is no small issue and the groundswell of support and interest we’ve seen around central and western Maine certainly proves that. You can read the article below, or link to it here.
Forums to explain land-use laws
BY BETTY JESPERSEN, Morning Sentinel Staff Writer
Upcoming public forums in Skowhegan and Kingfield and at the next Farmington Planning Board meeting will allow area residents to learn more about significant changes to Maine’s land-development policy being proposed by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
The forums around central and western Maine are being put on by Main-Land Development Consultants, a Livermore Falls-based land planning firm, in response to changes being proposed by the state to the Site Location of Development Law, said Darryl Brown, president/owner of Main-Land.
He said he initiated the series over concerns that the proposed changes to the law and rules could drastically slow down, if not stop, development in the state.
On Monday, the Farmington Planning Board will discuss the proposed changes at their meeting at 7 p.m. at the Farmington Municipal Building at 153 Farmington Falls Road.
The Skowhegan forum will be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 19 at the Skowhegan Community Center at 39 Poulin Drive. And the Kingfield forum will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 26 at Webster Hall at 38 School St.
The forums are all open to the public; coffee and light refreshments will be provided.
The forums held so far have been attended by town officials, community members, legislators, Realtors, bankers and developers. Representatives from the Maine DEP have also been invited.
Brown was invited to the Farmington Planning Board meeting by Chairman Herbert “Bussie” York.
York attended the forum held in Farmington earlier this month and said he found the changes so concerning that he asked Brown to meet with the town’s planners and other officials including selectmen.
The Act to Update the Site Location of Development Law, sponsored by Rep. Bob Duchesne (D-Hudson), is expected to be taken up by the Legislature this session, said Brown.
If enacted, it would limit large-scale, non-residential development to designated growth zones, urban compact zones, U.S. Census-designated growth areas or those areas served by public sewer. Meanwhile, if a residential development larger than 30 acres is proposed outside these zones, it would be classified as a “conservation subdivision” and at least 55 percent of the land area would have to be preserved, Brown said.
The law changes would also prohibit the disturbances of slopes 20 percent or greater, which could limit projects in Maine’s mountainous regions and it would give the state the authority to review proposed project contractors.
Tags: Act to Update the Site Location of Development Law Forum Series, Darryl Brown, Farmington Maine engineering, Farmington Maine surveyors, Main-Land Development Consultants, Western Maine Land Developers, Western Maine surveyors