Comprehensive Plan Committee

Click here to take the Survey.

Copies of the Survey may be picked up  at the Town Office, or by contacting
[email protected]

What is a comprehensive plan?

A comprehensive plan is a 10-year strategic land use plan for a municipality. Comprehensive plans consist of data collection, data analysis, a vision statement, as well as goals, objectives, and strategies for several topic areas. Topic areas in a comprehensive plan include: Demographics, Future Land Use, Housing, Mobility and Transportation, Economy, Natural Resources, Historic and Cultural Resources, Public Facilities, and Fiscal Capacity, and more. Comprehensive Plans provide high-level guidance and a framework for future projects and decision-making.

Why does a comprehensive plan matter? Why is Carrabassett Valley doing one?

Comprehensive plans are opportunities to celebrate a community, to reflect on what the community values, and plan for where they want to go in the future. Comprehensive plans validate municipal zoning and land use ordinances — zoning and land use ordinances must align with the comprehensive plan, future land use plan section, and designated growth areas (if applicable). They are required by the State of Maine and should be updated every 10 years. There are many grants and funding opportunities that require applicants to demonstrate how proposed projects are in line with a municipality’s current comprehensive plan. Comprehensive plans are also platforms for big ideas and future additional studies or smaller-scale plans.

Who is on the Comprehensive Planning Committee?

The Carrabassett Valley Comprehensive Planning Committee is an ongoing town committee that consists of many members. They are tasked with developing a new comprehensive plan every ten years and monitoring the implementation of the policy recommendations in the current plan. Comprehensive Planning Committee meetings are open to the public. Currently, the committee consists of the following  community members and area stakeholders:

Bob Luce – Selectman, Resident and Business Owner

Courtney Knapp – Resident & Fire Chief

Daryl Sleight – Resident

Dave Cota – Resident & Town Manager

Deb Bowker – Resident & Recreation Director

Deirdre Frey – Resident, School Committee Member and Business Owner

Brian Demshar – Resident, Planning Board Chair and Business Owner

David Keith – CV Sanitary District Superintendent

Karen Campbell – Selectwoman, Resident & Business Owner

Karl Strand – Resident & President of Sugarloaf Mountain Corp

Keegan Cartwright – Business Owner

Jay Reynolds – Selectman and Resident

Lloyd Cuttler – Selectman and Resident

Mark Green – Resident

Mike Parker – Resident

Pat Mitchell – Resident and Business Owner

Richard Keenan – Property Owner

Ronald Bear – Penobscot Nation Citizen and Tribal Land Liaison

Bob Berry – on behalf of Weyerhaeuser Land Owner

Scott Stoutamyer – Resident & Planning Board Member

Steve Arner – Resident and Business Owner

John Beaupre – Selectman and Resident

Christopher Parks – Resident & Code Enforcement Officer

The Musson Group – Susanne Paul, Noel Musson and Courtney Cease

How do I find out more information or get involved?

There will be many ways to participate in the Town of Carrabassett Valley Comprehensive Plan: taking the survey; attending a comprehensive planning committee meeting to learn more; participating in the public workshop in the later winter/spring; providing comments on plan drafts as they become available; and attending a public open house and public hearing at the end of the process. The public is also welcome to submit ideas or comments to the Town Office at any time. Please contact Chris Parks, Code Enforcement Office at [email protected].

What are the next steps?

The committee met on October 26^th to kick off the plan update process and meet with the consultants from The Musson Group, with the next meeting scheduled for November 30^th. There is an initial comprehensive plan survey available until January 15^th, 2024 at 4 pm. The Committee will begin regular meetings starting in January 2024.

Tentative Schedule

Task 1 – Inventories and Survey*: Fall 2023

Task 2 – Vision & Values*: Winter / Spring 2024

Task 3 – Policy Writing*: Spring / Summer 2024

Task 4 – Public Review & Open House*: Summer 2024

Task 5 – State Review & State Adoption: Fall 2024

*Opportunities for public input occur during each of these stages