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Land Use Planning Program

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Land Use Planning

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Technical Assistance

Click here if you have problems downloading PDF documents.

Local Planning Resources

• Regional Councils
• Planning Consultants
• Service Centers
• Technical Assistance on Comprehensive Planning
• Planning Data (Links to a variety of data sources, useful during a comprehensive or other planning process)

Agriculture:

• Why Municipalities Should Support Local Farms article from October 2009 Maine Townsman (PDF 813KB)

Affordable Housing:

• MaineHousing (Maine State Housing Authority), affordable housing development and financing
• Affordable Housing Barriers and Solutions for Maine, 2003 (PDF 268KB)

Climate Change

• SPO's Planning for Climate Change webpage

Brownfields

• Maine DEP Brownfields Resources, including the Voluntary Remediation Action Program
• EPA Region 1 (New England) Brownfields Program and Funding Opportunities
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program and Funding Opportunities

Municipal Ordinances Information

• Adult Entertainment Establishments (PDF 86KB)
• Density Transfer Fee: A Fee in Lieu of a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program
• Frequently Asked Questions about the 2003 Ordinance Deadline (30-A MRSA, section 4314(3)) (PDF 104KB)
• Introduction to Transfer of Development Rights Programs, November 2002 (PDF 74KB)
• Maine Model Wind Energy Facility Ordinance offering a comprehensive wind energy facility review process and standards for voluntary adoption by Maine municipalities (Microsoft Word 242KB, PDF 200KB)
• Model Subdivision Ordinance, hosted by the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
• Open Space Subdivision Ordinance, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (2009)
  With Commentary (Microsoft Word 549KB, PDF 198KB)
  Without Commentary (Microsoft Word 180KB, PDF 145KB)
  
• Site Plan Review Handbook: A Guide to Developing A Site Plan Review System
• Personal Wireless Facilities Siting Ordinances
  • Kennebec Valley Council of Governments Model Ordinance (2009)
    With Commentary (Microsoft Word 293KB, PDF 203KB)
    Without Commentary (Microsoft Word 180KB, PDF 145KB)
    
  • SPO Model Ordinance (1998)

    Model Ordinance Cover Letter/Introduction (PDF 28KB)
    Final Model Ordinance with Commentary / Discussion (PDF 355 KB)
    Final Model Ordinance without Commentary (PDF 114KB)

• Zoning Ordinance Review Submission Form (PDF 64KB; Microsoft Word 14KB)

Service Centers

• Communities Identified as Regional Service Centers
• Map of Identified Regional Service Centers (PDF 148KB)
• Municipal Comparisons: State of Maine, Service Center Communities, Fast Growing and Slow Growing Towns (PDF 30KB)
• Indices Used to Calculate Regional Service Centers (PDF 72KB)
• Data Used to Calculate Regional Service Centers (PDF 77KB)
• Reviving Service Centers (PDF 309KB)
• Background Information on Service Centers

Smart Growth & Sprawl

• Creating Traditional, Walkable Neighborhoods: A Handbook for Maine Communities, July 2009 (PDF 2.4MB)
• Chronology and Summary of Maine Legislative Activity related to Smart Growth, Sprawl, and Growth Management Initiatives (1999 - 2002), October 2002 (PDF 116KB)
• The Competitive Advantage: Three Year Smart Growth Action Plan (PDF 125KB)
• Great American Neighborhood Description
• Markets for Traditional Neighborhoods, August 1999 (PDF 88KB).
• Why Households Move: Two Maine Surveys, June 1999 (PDF 921KB).
• The Cost of Sprawl, May 1997 (PDF 75KB)
• Speech to the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA), 1999 (PDF 57KB)
• "Maine Smart Growth Activities" Speech Presented at the National Governors Conference Center for Best Practices, 1998 (PDF 36KB)

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Contact Land Use Planning

Technical Assistance Bulletins:

Lighting Manual, July 2008 (PDF 2.77MB)

Easements, January 2002 (PDF 1.1MB)

Good Neighbor Policies, January 2002 (PDF 423KB)

Noise, May 2000 (PDF 1.2MB)

Archeological Resources, May 2000 (PDF 443KB)

Buffers, May 2000 (PDF 344KB)

Groundwater, May 2000 (PDF 486KB)

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