The Nobleboro comprehensive plan, three years in the making, will be on the warrant during an open special town meeting beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Nobleboro Central School.
Voters will also weigh in on the best use for the town’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The warrant includes three articles, with the first article being the appointment of a moderator. Voters will then decide whether to approve the town’s revised comprehensive plan. Approval is recommended by both the Nobleboro Select Board and by the Nobleboro Comprehensive Plan Update Committee.
According to the document’s introduction, a comprehensive plan “guides the future growth of a municipality.” It also inventories current conditions and provides the town “preferential consideration” for grant opportunities.
While the comprehensive plan suggests general directions, any changes to town ordinances will require voter approval prior to implementation.
According to the plan introduction, community conversations held in 2020 saw residents focused on enhancing municipal communications, preserving the town’s rural character and natural environment, considering the impact of climate change, expanding broadband accessibility, and enabling older residents to age in place.
A demographic analysis indicated that Nobleboro would see growth in the next decade of only 1% if the trend of the last two decades continues.
In regard to public facilities and services, the comprehensive plan recommends investigating the potential of dry hydrants to reduce insurance rates and enhance fire safety, suggests that alternative energy options be considered to power municipal buildings, and supports the push for broadband connectivity for all residents.
The plan takes note of possible impacts on the school from young people in the community and on demands that may be placed on town services such as emergency responses by the older population.
The plan places the number of households in Nobleboro at 955, with 80.4% occupied year-round. The plan recommends the town work toward the state’s recommended minimum 10% affordable housing ratio and be open to new housing models in order to allow older residents to remain within the community. It also recommends regulating short-term rentals with changes to the town’s land use ordinance to ensure occupant safety.
According to the plan, 10.8% of households in Nobleboro are the primary residence of a person over 65 living alone; residents over 65 are the fastest growing segment of Nobleboro’s population. The plan recommends supporting nonprofits that address the needs of older residents and possibly converting excess classrooms at the school into a community center for older adults. It also encourages including a residential care home within the town and supporting home modification and repairs such as weatherization to make aging in place more attainable.
The plan recommends an annual review of road work and the potential establishment of a capital improvement fund to facilitate long-term planning to maintain road safety as Nobleboro’s population grows. It also recommends funding of a 12-15 year road resurfacing program.
Damariscotta Lake is included in the state’s threatened lakes priority list and, according to the comprehensive plan, 45% of the town’s tax revenue is generated from shorefront properties, leading to a recommendation that Nobleboro promote education around LakeSmart and StreamSmart approaches to building in order to to prevent erosion and protect waterways from runoff that carries pollutants.
The plan also recommends updating ordinances to reflect the need for before and after photos for any construction in the shoreland zone.
The plan encourages the adoption of sustainable and environmentally friendly farming and forestry practices and recommends the town revise land use ordinances to protect farmland and forest land from commercial development in order to safeguard those resources.
In a section on the economy the plan notes there are 45 businesses in Nobleboro and states that “In general, Nobleboro residents would like to see little change in their community.” With that mandate, the town recommends keeping economic development in pace with moderate population growth and encouraging activities that don’t change the rural character of the town, like farming and forestry.
Nobleboro has a number of recreation opportunities and the plan suggests the possibility of a community swim beach on Pemaquid Pond as well as improvements to the Ice House Park swimming area.
The Nobleboro comprehensive plan was completed by a group of community volunteers without additional professional consulting. Their work was recognized for excellence by the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission and validated by the state of Maine. Statistics used in the completion of the plan reflect information from a variety of sources including town and state data and the 2020 census.
The third article on the warrant asks whether town residents will vote to appropriate American Rescue Plan Act funds received by the town be used toward equipment and building maintenance for the Nobleboro Fire Department and toward infrastructure projects involving culverts and storm drains.
The article states that the appropriation of funds will be non-lapsing and “will remain legally effective until all of said projects have been completed.”
The article is recommended by the select board.
During the town’s annual meeting on March 19, 2021, voters approved the appropriation of $174,684 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used for a number of town projects based on input from town staff and residents. Those projects included broadband, road building, maintenance and repairs, conference room and town office renovations and technology upgrades, and COVID-19 essential workers pay for fire department and town office employees.
During that meeting Dick Spear, chair of the select board assured voters that there were funds that had not yet been designated, and residents would have more opportunities to have their suggestions heard. The town held a public hearing Sept. 27, 2021 to give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the use of funds.
According to Susan Pinnetti-Isabel, town treasurer $95,210 out of the total $174,684 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds have been distributed to date, leaving $52,474 available.
The Nobleboro comprehensive plan is available for review at the town office and on the website at nobleboro.maine.gov.
