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If You Don't Like the Present or You Fear the Future, What's the Choice?by Dale Finseth Many of us prefer things to be as they always have been or at least that is the response of many when asked. While I'm not so sure that's true of peoples' opinions, I am sure that nothing will ever stay the way it always has been. In the case of land use, nothing ever stays the same. As we look around Kennebec County we see that many municipalities are struggling with the concept of planning. Having lived in other parts of the country, it still surprises me when I learn that large land use issues continue to be decided at the local level. Here in Maine, where county government is very limited, the only choices for planning are either at the municipal, state or federal level. A few regional groups have made an effort to address broader planning issues or at least see the benefits of cooperation and coordination. Maine's various Councils of Government or COG's are one example. Another is the recent Kennebec River Initiative, which took on a multi-town and multi-county planning activity. Today you have towns developing a working regional arrangement to initiate school consolidation. A few towns west of Augusta are trying to work together in order to better provide some municipal services. We have yet to see how successful these efforts will be. Perhaps the larger problem, beyond the lack of many established organizations to assist with planning, is an aversion to the very concept of planning. By its nature, it is a process through which we set priorities for the future. We identify things we either will or will not do as we use our property. Most of us do not like being told what to do. That fact is reflected in the difficulty in doing land use planning. Here at the Kennebec District that issue frequently needs to be addressed. Even when a local government has adopted local land use policy and permits, occasionally the municipality either chooses not to enforce them or may not have the staff capacity to interpret and enforce the rules. People then wonder why certain practices are allowed to happen in their neighborhood. Go figure. We can only hope that our local decision makers with the guidance of citizens are better able to select good policies and regulations that will move our towns towards the goals of clean water and protected natural resources. Few of us oppose such a goal. How we get there is another matter. I just hope that no one else chooses to enforce their idea of local planning by using a book of matches. Basically, planning means working together to make a plan that will help the community develop in a way that is best for everyone. It's important to remember that by taking no action, or deferring a decision, we are in fact determining our town's future direction. Commercial interests that occupy such voids are rarely concerned with a town's future goals. A good comprehensive plan guides a town's development by choice, not chance. The end result should be a usable public document that serves as a guideline for future development in the town. A Comprehensive Plan is not a regulatory document or an ordinance. It is simply the basis for any new ordinances deemed necessary to direct the town toward the goals in the plan. By expressing concerns or aspirations about issues in their town, citizens can shape the future and help define their town. Without diverse public involvement, the process unfolds in a vacuum. Whatever issues are important to you, whether its wildlife habitat, economic development, housing, or transportation, there is a need for input from everyone. For more information on public planning, go to:
The Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District is a non-profit organization that promotes conservation and the wise use of our natural resources. For more information about any of our projects, please contact Dale Finseth at | ||