March 29, 2024
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Milo officials receive feedback on town comprehensive plan

MILO – More than 250 communities have adopted a comprehensive plan and many more are working to develop one, according to the state planning office.

“Thousands of Mainers have engaged in planning for local concerns as divergent as protecting rare animal species to encouraging economic development to siting new sidewalks and trails,” Frank Hample, a planner with the Maine State Planning Office, said recently.

If a town wishes to regulate land use, it needs a consistent comprehensive plan, according to Hample.

Like Milo’s, most plans have inconsistencies that require more attention, Hample said. A large majority of the communities have one or more such issues, some of which are minor and others more substantive, he said.

In Milo’s case, the planning office recommended that the comprehensive plan committee review its population projections in regards to support services, and its siting of mobile home parks, according to Town Manager Jane Jones.

Jones said these inconsistencies have been addressed and the plan has been resubmitted to the planning office for its blessing. When that is provided, the plan will be presented to residents at a town meeting.

The fact that the plan had only minor inconsistencies is a “testament to how hard the committee worked and how well we were guided by Joshua MacDonald of the Penobscot Valley Council of Governments,” Jones said recently.

More than 200,000 hours of volunteer time have been given by residents throughout the state in the development of comprehensive plans, according to Hample.

Those who volunteer give their communities a better edge to get Community Development Block Grants, according to Hample.

“It gives the community a chance to really consider its future,” Hample said.

Correction: This article appeared on page B2 in the State edition.

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