In an effort to provide residents with a greater understanding of the draft comprehensive plan, the Harpswell Comprehensive Plan Task Force plans to highlight segments of the plan over the next several months. While these summaries will not cover every recommendation in the plan, they should give community members key insights in an easy-to-use format.
This initial submission will cover Harpswell’s demographics, the working waterfront, natural resources and open spaces. Subsequent articles will address freshwater resources, recreation and community services, public facilities, transportation, the economy, agriculture and forestry, historic and archaeological resources, fiscal capacity, housing, and current and future land use.
Demographics
An understanding of where we are as a community arguably can start with an understanding of the town’s demographics. Harpswell is one of the oldest towns in Maine based on median age, and Maine is the oldest state in the U.S. based on median age. Consequently, planning for the future will require facilities and services that support an aging population, such as an effective and responsive fire and rescue system, a reliable and resilient road network, sound communications, and support programs such as Harpswell Aging at Home.
In contrast to an increase in residents older than 65, the number of Harpswell residents aged 44 and younger is declining. The plan attempts to address this in a number of ways, including advocating for strong educational and recreational programs and seeking ways to increase housing opportunities for young families. It should be remembered, however, that a number of external factors are at play, such as lower birth rates and nationwide housing shortages, that make this a very challenging issue to address through local programs alone.
Other demographic factors noted in the plan:
- The number of Harpswell’s full-time residents (those living here for at least six months and one day per year) has remained fairly constant (around 5,000), but some projections suggest that this number may actually decrease over the next few years.
- Average household size has been steadily decreasing, suggesting that, while population size has remained essentially steady, houses continue to be built.
- Nonresident taxpayers own more than 40% of the parcels (both developed and undeveloped) in the town. This creates a significant increase in population during the summer months that must be served by town resources.
- Harpswell is one of the most affluent towns in Cumberland County, yet more than 70% of the population cannot afford a home at current prices (based on income level alone).
Working waterfront
Harpswell has historically been linked to its working waterfront, defined in the plan as including commercial fishing and supporting infrastructure, marinas, boatyards, recreational boating, and tourist-related businesses that rely on ocean access. Maintaining a strong, resilient working waterfront is critical to the town’s future. To make this possible, the following are some of the key goals, policies and strategies included in the plan:
- Rebuild waterfront structures damaged by recent storms as soon as possible, ideally in ways that will make them less vulnerable in the future.
- Advocate for state and federal programs that will provide funding for repairs and affordable insurance for protection in the future.
- Support a “right to fish” rule to help protect local fishermen and women from potential lawsuits.
- Work with landowners and local real estate agencies, when land changes hands, to create or maintain water access points for commercial fishing, aquaculture and recreational purposes.
- Update Harpswell’s 2011 Harbor Management Plan to reflect future needs and the reality of sea level rise.
- Review current shoreland and land use ordinances to ensure working waterfront areas are protected from residential and non-water-dependent commercial development.
- Work with neighboring communities to understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change and contaminants such as PFAS on the marine economy and marine environment.
Natural resources and open spaces
Harpswell is blessed with abundant natural beauty, comprised of 216-plus miles of shoreline, open fields and forests, wildlife and many scenic views. Over the years, care for the town’s natural resources has fallen to dedicated community members who recognize that continued attention to and management of these resources is key to the town’s future. The plan has identified goals and strategies to provide this attention, including:
- Continue to implement and update the town’s open space plan, initially released in 2009.
- Protect terrestrial habitats, wetlands and endangered species by gathering and maintaining data on natural resources, delineating critical habitats and educating the public through local outreach programs.
- Direct growth to minimize impacts on natural resources by, among other things, developing site plan review standards that take into consideration scenic views and natural resources.
- Understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change on open spaces.
- Work with neighboring communities to protect shared resources.
As always, public comment and feedback is welcome on these and any other part of the comprehensive plan, which can be found at tinyurl.com/Harpswell-Comp-Plan-Task-Force.
