By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Casco citizens can still have a say-so.

People — who were busy this weekend when the Casco Comprehensive Plan draft was unveiled — will have an opportunity to share their thoughts.

In fact, from now until April 3 is the public comment period. Therefore, residents have about two weeks left to provide input on the draft.

Currently, the comp plan draft is on the town’s website. It is divided into six files for those trying to download it. Also, paper copies of the draft will be made available at the Casco Public Library, the South Casco Fire Station and the Casco Town Hall.

On Saturday, the comp plan unveiling took place. About 30 people showed up to the Casco Community Center during the two-hour period. Pages from the document were placed on the walls of the meeting room. Residents used sticky notes to write down comments after reading the sections.

Rather than sitting through a presentation, the unveiling was more of a hands-on experience for residents. 

“It has been almost a year since we had our big planning days. There is a lot of work that has gone into this document,” according to Planning Director Vanessa Farr.

The town hired Greater Portland Council of Government (GPCOG) to help facilitate the comp plan process. GPCOG partnered with

Principle Group, an urban design and development firm where Farr is employed.

“What we have all worked towards is consolidating of what we are hearing from the community,” Farr said.

“If you suggested an idea, I am sure you are going to find it in these words on the walls somewhere,” she said.

She pointed out an exercise called big ideas that took place during Casco Planning Days in April of last year.

“If you were part of the creation of the big ideas, what you see is going to look really familiar,” she said.

“There shouldn’t be any real big surprises,” she said.

Zoning, or the lack of zoning changes to back up the previous comp plan, is a topic that many people brought up. Decades ago, when the last comp plan was finished, elected officials and residents were not open to zoning changes because they didn’t want to be told what to do on their land.

Now, zoning changes could reinforce some of the desires of the community to maintain the rural feel and relegate development to certain areas of town, Farr said.

“Pam [Edwards] was around for the development of the last plan. And, she speaks a lot about what that plan included and how this plan is quite similar and about the step that never happened, which is the implementation and zoning,” she said.

“We don’t want that to happen again. That was big deal from our conversation with the [steering] committee. We heard from you [the public] as well. We did a plan, the plan generally feels good to us still, but we need to do zoning, which is the next part,” Farr said. 

She explained how people could keep the comp plan alive by reviewing it periodically to see if objectives are being worked towards and reached.

“The plan should be continuously reviewed, reevaluated. Are we getting there? What still needs to be done? What needs to be changed or updated,” Farr explained.

“On that note, volunteer. If you aren’t already serving on a committee, volunteer,” she said.

One of the pages of the draft document is entitled, “Five directives supported by the community:

1.) The villages of Casco should be protected, but limited small-scaled development should be allowed to provide local neighborhood amenities

2.) Pike’s Corner and Cooks Mills, historically considered as villages, have an opportunity to evolve into walkable mixed-use village neighborhoods with new houses and some limited businesses.

3.) The water quality health of the lakes and ponds is of critical importance to residents.

4.) The businesses that call Casco home should be supported and valued for their contribution to the local economy.

5.) Lands enrolled in tree growth are owned predominately by Hancock Lumber Company.”

Residents have expressed concerns that public access on this private land in tree growth might change in the future.   

Steering committee chair Rae-Anne Nguyen commented on Saturday’s unveiling and important upcoming dates.

“This is the unveiling. This is a look at what we’ve worked on. This is just compiling all of the feedback that we have had over the last year and a half. We are looking for more feedback to refine what we have here,” Nguyen said.

Earlier this week, the official draft appeared on the town’s website as planned. 

“There is two-week window for public review and comment,” she said.

On April 11, a joint meeting of the select-board and the planning board, which will be public hearing.

“Then, we will have a few days to make changes before it needs to be submitted for warrant. Once it is submitted for warrant, it will be available to review again,” Nguyen said.  

The steering committee members will be present at annual town meeting in June to answer questions about the comp plan, she said.