Over the past six weeks, the Harpswell Comprehensive Plan Task Force has sponsored three workshops on issues important to the town’s future: natural resources, the working waterfront, and current land use.
These meetings have helped to clarify specific concerns and gather community input on issues such as preserving Harpswell’s water supply in the wake of projected growth and development, supporting and sustaining a vibrant working waterfront for recreational and commercial uses, and determining whether current land use policies should be continued or modified.
Bad weather, and possibly a lack of understanding of current land use policies, reduced participation at the meeting on Oct. 10. As a result, the task force is organizing a second meeting for November, tentatively planned for Nov. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at Harpswell Community School, to gain additional community input on this important issue.
The task force also has drafted a vision statement and vision priorities for the plan. The draft vision statement reads as follows: “In Harpswell, we cherish our rural roots, our flourishing fishing community, and the remarkable natural resources that surround us. We are committed to being a community that is a welcoming place to raise children and enjoy life as an older adult, where businesses can thrive, and everyone has access to our vibrant waterfront.”
During the next several months, the task force will be working to crystallize goals, policies and strategies that will be contained in the plan. As always, the community’s participation is encouraged.
