Boothbay Harbor residents have many things they hope to see change in the town over the next decade. Following a public workshop to gather community feedback, members of VHB, Inc. presented initial findings April 30 to an advisory committee of elected town officials, business owners and residents as part of a year-long planning process to create a comprehensive plan.  

As reported in the Register, a comprehensive plan is a vision document that records a community’s origins, its present state and what direction it wants to go in the future. Per Maine state guidelines, the plan must include a Future Land Use Plan (FLUP) that shows how development will change land use. An implementation plan that sets out the methodology and what entities are responsible for carrying it out is also required.  

When the plan is complete, residents will vote to accept adoption, and then it will be sent to the state for approval. During the first workshop, residents were able to weigh in on issues, such as public facilities and recreation, marine resources, housing, transportation, land use and economy, historic and cultural resources, among others. VHB Urban Planner Talia Matarazzo discussed the major findings for each.  

“A big one, I think that came up a lot ... was really protecting the community character,” said Matarazzo.  

This includes celebrating and emphasizing maritime heritage through preserving historic buildings, demonstrations, storytelling and events, such as the revival of the Fishermen’s Festival and Founder’s Day, while also incorporating more diverse understandings of regional history through inclusion of Wabanaki and other minority groups.  

For land use and economy, residents expressed concerns about infrastructure resiliency, specifically concerning water and sewer capacity, flooding and potential climate impacts that require proactive planning. Balancing the lack of affordable housing with labor shortages and minimal year-round employment was also cited.  

“Residents are worrying about rising costs and tax burdens and want improvements that don't displace year-round residents.”  More robust public transportation was another often-cited desire, especially catering to homebound seniors who need rides for medical appointments or errands, so that the strain on volunteer shuttle services is lessened. Other asks in this sector were expanding parking options and reserving lot spaces for employees, and creating a system of bike trails.  

Other areas of interest included protecting local fresh water sources, a clear vision for the use and protection of natural spaces, stronger shoreline protections, encouraging long-term rentals, and community spaces catered to seniors and youth.

In addition to these findings, Project Manager Luke Mitchell reported that VHB is drafting an analysis of Boothbay Harbor’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) based on focus group discussions.  

“There's a lot of alignment between the public meeting findings and the SWOT analysis, which is good. That means that there's alignment, and we can feel more sure about the things we're going to write about.”  

There will be another public meeting focusing on policies and strategies in early June, date forthcoming. Residents can also complete a community survey on the town website.