MEDIA ADVISORY
April 10, 2009
Contact: Darryl Brown/Owner Main-Land Development Consultants
(207) 897-6752 or darryl@main-landdevelopment.com
Opposition turnout expected to be heavy at land law public hearing
-Up to 40 percent of recently approved projects would be denied under bill-
AUGUSTA- Opponents of a controversial piece of land development legislation plan to pack a public hearing held by the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee this Tuesday. They will be led by Darryl Brown, owner/president of the Livermore Falls based Main-Land Development Consultants, and his entire staff, who have been traveling around the state over the past two months educating stakeholders about the potential impact of LD 1268: An Act To Update the Site Location of Development Laws.
The bill was created by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, but by that agency’s own admission, between 20 to 40 percent of non-residential developments reviewed in the last three years would likely have been denied approval had LD 1268 already been in place.
LD 1333: An Act to Establish Climate and Energy Planning will be heard at the same hearing.
WHO: The Maine State Legislator’s Natural Resources Committee
Darryl Brown, President/Owner of Main-Land Development Consultants
Staff of Main-Land Development Consultants (including firm engineers)
Maine State Legislators, land developers, Realtors, town planners, etc.
WHAT: Public Hearing before the Natural Resources Committee on Act to Update the Site Location of Development Law –sponsored by Rep. Bob Duchesne (D- Hudson) and Tom Saviello (U-Wilton)
WHERE: Room 214 of the Cross Building
111 Sewall Street, Augusta ME
WHEN: Tuesday, April 14 at 1 p.m.
WHY: If enacted, the Act to Update the Site Location of Development Law would limit large scale non-residential development to designated growth zones as defined by a town’s comprehensive plan (nearly 200 Maine municipalities do not have comprehensive plans), urban compact zones, census designated locations (only 25 percent of Maine communities are in these designated areas), or those areas served by public sewer systems. It would also give Maine DEP the authority to require performance bonds, potentially beyond what the municipality may already require, causing a redundancy.
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ABOUT MAIN-LAND DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS
Main-Land Development Consultants has been providing land use planning services including surveying, soils testing, mapping, engineering, permitting and wastewater design to both public and private projects throughout western Maine and beyond since 1974. The company, now in its 35th year, is based in Livermore Falls and can be found online at www.main-landdevelopment.com. For more information, call (207) 897- 6752.
Tags: Act to Update the Site Location of Development Law Forum Series, Bethel Maine engineering, Darryl Brown, Main-Land Development Consultants, Western Maine Land Developers