regional land use approaches - gsmsummit 2014, judy east
DESCRIPTION
Why plan for growth and change, when it seems so much easier to simply react? When there is a distinct and shared vision for your community - when residents, businesses and local government anticipate a sustainable town with cohesive and thriving neighborhoods - you have the power to conserve your beautiful natural spaces, enhance your existing downtown or Main Street, enable rural areas to be productive and prosperous, and save money through efficient use of existing infrastructure. This is the dollars and sense of smart growth. Success is clearly visible in Maine, from the creation of a community-built senior housing complex and health center in Fort Fairfield to conservation easements creating Forever Farms to Rockland's revitalized downtown. Communities have options. We have the power to manage our own responses to growth and change. After all, “Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.” - Richard I. Winwood And in the end, this means that our children and their children will choose to make Maine home and our economy will provide the opportunities to do so. The Summit offers you a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the transformative change in Maine that we’ve seen these gatherings produce. We encourage you to consider the value of being actively involved in growing Maine’s economy and protecting the reasons we choose to live here.TRANSCRIPT
Regional Land Use Approaches GROWashington-Aroostook Regional Planning Initiative
GrowSmart Maine Summit 2014
Judy East, Washington County Council of Governments Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias GIS Service Center
www.wccog.net
www.gro-wa.org
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
• On-line GIS mapping • Decision support matrices • Storm Surge Scenarios • Economic development planning • Collaboration with partners • Inventory/Policy Models for use by
individual municipalities
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
For all Washington County municipalities: • On-line access to Comprehensive Plan status • On-line GIS mapping for CEOs, Planning Boards, Assessors • On-line GIS parcel viewer for public, assessors, developers
For all coastal Washington County municipalities: • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide current sea levels • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide 3 ft of sea level rise Water Infrastructure Assessment (Washington & Aroostook)
• Matrix of investment, management, operations needs for 25 systems serving largest population centers
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
For all Washington County municipalities: • On-line access to Comprehensive Plan status • On-line GIS mapping for CEOs, Planning Boards, Assessors • On-line GIS parcel viewer for public, assessors, developers
For all coastal Washington County municipalities: • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide current sea levels • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide 3 ft of sea level rise Water Infrastructure Assessment (Washington & Aroostook)
• Matrix of investment, management, operations needs for 25 systems serving largest population centers
Storm Surge Scenarios Category 1-4 Mean/High Tide current sea levels Category 1-4 Mean/High Tide w/ 3’ SLR
Bay Name (# of Municipalities) • Pleasant Bay (5) • Wohoa Bay (4) • Machias Bay (4) • Cobscook Bay (5) • Upper St Croix
Estuary (2 )
Public Outreach and Model Refinement 5 meetings Sept – Nov, 2013 • Pleasant Bay - Steuben, Milbridge, Harrington, Cherryfield, Columbia • Wohoa Bay - Addison, Jonesport, Beals, Jonesboro • Machias Bay - Machias, Machiasport, East Machias, , Roque Bluffs, Marshfield,
Whiting, Cutler • Cobscook Bay - Lubec, Trescott, Edmunds, Dennysville, Pembroke, Perry, Pleasant
Point, Eastport • Upper St Croix Estuary - Robbinston and Calais
Target Audience: • First Responders • Road Commissioners • Selectmen • Public Works • County networks – academic, public
health, businesses, NGO • Border Patrol/Coast Guard
Input Sought/Received: • Map formats (on-line, static, both) • Map layers/data • Spatial scale • Time frame of interest for impacts from
alternative scenarios • Historical perspective • Evaluation and feedback
www.gro-wa.org/climate-change.htm
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
For all Washington County municipalities: • On-line access to Comprehensive Plan status • On-line GIS mapping for CEOs, Planning Boards, Assessors • On-line GIS parcel viewer for public, assessors, developers
For all coastal Washington County municipalities: • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide current sea levels • Bay- and town-specific storm surge scenarios – median/high
tide 3 ft of sea level rise Water Infrastructure Assessment (Washington & Aroostook)
• Matrix of investment, management, operations needs for 25 systems serving largest population centers
• Drinking Water System Assessment
• On-line Resource Guide for Decentralized Wastewater Alternatives
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
Regional Brownfields Assessment Program Healthy Communities
• Local Food GIS mapping • Maine Food Data Consortium • Increasing Physical Activity
Transportation Infrastructure in support of Economic Development
• Corridor planning • GIS mapping of alternative rail linkages/routes to
port of Eastport
Sub-regional maps for: • St Croix Region • Cobscook Bay • Machias Bay • Narraguagus Region
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
Regional Brownfields Assessment Program Healthy Communities
• Local Food GIS mapping • Maine Food Data Consortium • Increasing Physical Activity
Transportation Infrastructure in support of Economic Development
• Corridor planning update: Downeast Coastal Corridor • GIS mapping of alternative rail linkages/routes to port
of Eastport • Bold Coast Scenic Byway
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
Regional Sustainable Housing Plan for Washington County
• Common county-wide needs • Inventory and policy for town Comprehensive Plans
Transportation and Housing • Rural transportation summit • Mapping distance from employment and housing • Transit options
• Regional Housing Plan • Customizable templates for
local adoption
Regional Efficiencies, Innovations, Resiliencies
Regional Sustainable Housing Plan for Washington County
• Common county-wide needs • Inventory and policy for town Comprehensive Plans
Transportation and Housing • Rural transportation summit • Mapping distance from employment and housing • Transit options
• Income and Distance to Employment & Services mapping
• Rural Transit Summit
• Park and Ride Analysis
Lessons Learned………………still to do….
• Large region (Wash-Aroo) – minimal combined work
• 3 year project – staff turnover; continuity
• “regime change” -2010 election: new commissioners, loss of staff
• Statewide broker requirement for all CAP agencies; diverted attention
• No $$ for implementation (housing plan)
• Need for training/outreach (VERY time consuming)
• Training/outreach to muni officials
• Prioritize capital investments
• Working, networking, collaborating to merge storm surge models with inland flood model
• $$ to implement!!
Contact Information
Judy East
Executive Director
Washington County Council of Governments
207-454-0465
www.wccog.net
www.gro-wa.org
Tora Johnson
GIS Service Center Director
University of Maine at Machias
207-255-1214
http://machias.edu/gis-service-center.html