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Sustain Southern Maine
GrowSmart Maine Summit 2012
CHANGE
1962• Only 3.5% of households had divorced head• 80% of women with children did not work• Only 1% of pop with “no religious preference”• 41% below poverty line in 1949; 20% by ’63• Gallup Poll: 95% of pop self-identified as
working class or middle class
Sustain Southern Maine
Sustain Southern Maine
• HUD Livability Principles–Provide more transportation choices.–Promote equitable, affordable housing.– Enhance economic competitiveness.– Support existing communities. –Coordinate policies and leverage
investment.
Sustain Southern MaineWhat we are trying to achieve
Our job: • To translate these principles into a format
that works for Southern Maine – and is desirable to Southern Mainers
Translation: • Find ways that the region can prosper –
short and long term - in the face of change
Charting Maine’s Future: 6 Lessons
1. Local independence is cultural, historic, and not to be ignored
2. Government is not always the most effective change agent
3. One state, diverse people4. Mainers are cautious5. Investment requires sustained commitment6. Rome wasn’t built in a day and it’s still there
Celebrate Home Rule!
• Instead of seeing this as an obstacle to change, use it as leverage
• Find those places where change benefits people and make it work
• This environment provides many opportunities
• Local home rule gives power to us!
Sustain Southern MaineThe Process
We know:1. People in Maine support preserving
rural character, quality of place and increased economic vitality
2. Encouraging higher density mixed-use communities linked by some level of public transit is a good first step toward reaching these (sustainability) goals
Sustain Southern MaineBegin with a Smaller Scale
ApproachWhat we also know:• Property rights are a high value in Maine• Creating a large-scale “on paper” regional
plan will, by itself, not do much to move the needle
So, a different approach:• Sustain Southern Maine is adopting a
community-driven, smaller scale approach using the power of home rule
Sustain Southern MaineCreating Centers of
Opportunity1. Mapped all existing locations where market-driven
growth is already occurring2. Which locations can absorb growth and are best
suited for density3. Determine which communities WANT this growth4. Designate them as pilot/demonstration projects5. With an open mind, see what we can learn about
making this model work in Maine6. Roll out what we learn to region at large7. Provide tools/planning support for all towns to
adopt as they choose
Existing Market Centers in Greater Portland area
Sustain Southern MaineCenters of Opportunity
A center of opportunity will be:• Mixed use, no more than ½-mile in diameter, able to
absorb growth, with appropriate infrastructure• Highly competitive for the next generation of job and
housing growth in Southern Maine • Tapping into the market’s desire for safe, livable, and
walkable neighborhoods, • A testing ground where lessons learned in generating
economically sustainable and livable centers can be used throughout the region by other communities
Sustain Southern Maine:Sample Criteria
• Community support for concept• Public sewer/water/soil quality for on-site treatment
systems• Transportation intersection• Growth area – able to accommodate major growth• Open to community planning• Presence of existing business, public services,
recreational, cultural areas, access to fresh food• Quality of school system/support• Replicable to other communities
Subregions/Study Area
Communities Interested in Hosting a Center of Opportunity
• Brunswick• Yarmouth• Falmouth• Freeport• Standish• Windham• Raymond• Gray • New Gloucester• Portland• (South Portland)• (Cape Elizabeth)• Scarborough• Gorham
• Westbrook• Biddeford• Saco• Kennebunk• Kennebunkport• Hollis• Sanford• Wells• Lebanon• Acton• Kittery• South Berwick• Berwick
Pilot Centers of Opportunity
• Standish• Gray • New Gloucester• Portland• South Portland• Scarborough
• Westbrook• Kennebunk• Sanford• Wells• Kittery
Sustain Southern MaineCenters of Opportunity
• If in the next 25 years, 40-50 such locations attract and absorb growth and generate economic stimulus in this manner, we will have successfully changed the pattern of growth in Southern Maine in a way that is:• Sustainable• Economically beneficial• Supports preservation of rural character
And in so doing, we will have built a collaborative regional framework that gives the region a stronger voice.