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Comprehensive Plan Committee

Help us plan for the future of Monmouth!

What kind of place should Monmouth be in the future? What are our best features, those that should be protected or should be made even better? What changes does the community anticipate, and what should we do about them?

The Comprehensive Plan Committee is composed of citizen volunteers appointed by the Select Board to guide the Comprehensive Plan Update process. The last Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2007, and much has changed since then! The ultimate goal of the updated plan will be to provide a new, shared vision for the community which will guide future decision-making in terms of growth and development.

The Town has recently engaged with IOV Community Planning + Consulting to assist the Committee in its work. Check back here for additional information on how you can participate in the planning process.

The Committee regularly meets on the last Thursday of the month at 6:30PM at the Meeting Room at 117 Academy Road. Please refer to the Town Calendar for meeting dates, agendas, and meeting packets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A. A municipality's Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) takes a long-range look at various policy areas that impact the community. The Comp Plan provides a shared vision for the community (after public engagement) and produces a record memorializing the decisions made and actions committed to during the planning process.

Q. How long will this process take?

A. A final draft is anticipated to be ready for the public to review in late-Fall of 2024, with anticipated adoption in 2025.

Q. What is included in a Comprehensive Plan?

A. The Comprehensive Plan will cover at least the following topic areas, required by the State of Maine: 

    • Population and Demographics

    • Existing Land Use

    • Natural & Water Resources

    • Agricultural & Forest Resources

    • Economy

    • Housing

    • Recreation

    • Transportation

    • Public Facilities & Services

    • Historic and Archaeological Resources

    • Future Land Use

    • Fiscal Capacity & Capital Investment

Q. What are the advantages of adopting a Comprehensive Plan?

A. Having a Comprehensive Plan that has been found consistent by the State of Maine provides protections for local regulation. Municipalities are authorized to do certain things  if they have a certified-consistent Comprehensive Plan. These include expanding shoreland zoning, creating impact fees, and issuing specific kinds of permits, for example.

Additionally, having a certified-consistent Comprehensive Plan allows municipalities to apply for more than $80 million that is awarded annually through nearly 30 State grant and loan programs where having a Comp Plan is a requirement.

Q. Where can I learn more?

A. Stay up-to-date by checking out the agendas of the Comprehensive Plan Committee, which can be found on the Town's website here. Additional events and ways to participate will be periodically posted to this webpage.